Should you take the BAR Exam without a Prep Course?
By Chuck Milam
I wouldn’t recommend it! The bar exam is one of the toughest exams you’ll ever take. Unlike any other standardized exam, studying for the bar exam is exhausting and can be very difficult doing it on your own. Why risk failure without premium preparation?
Most law schools provide you with a great law education, but most don’t take you to the next level of intense bar exam preparation.
The bar exam is given twice a year; the summer bar exam is the last week of July and the winter bar exam is the last week of February.
Most graduated law students are eager to delve right into the exam thinking they have a fresh academic overview of the law. However, most students lack testing strategy under pressure and are no longer fresh on the fundamental courses.
In preparation for the bar exam, most bar review courses run about six to eight weeks and cost between $1,500 and $2,500. Trust me, it’s worth it!
The bar exam isn’t like other standardized exams such as the LSAT. Most students can skip taking an LSAT preparation course because they can learn the patterns on their own.
The bar exam is infinitely different. It’s about actually knowing the law in the areas you will be tested.
The bar preparation companies that provide bar review courses do an excellent job researching and studying past bar exams, and the courses not only focus on exam subjects, but also on which issues within a particular area of law are likely to be tested or which are not. This allows students to study more focused and become more efficient.
Each subject literally has hundreds, if not thousands, of issues that can be tested.
There are several bar preparation courses available and some may be better than others. Seek the advice of others who have already taken the bar exam, especially those who you believe have similar learning styles.
Bottom line, spend the extra money for preparation and pick a reputable bar exam preparation company that will help you succeed. This approach will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Good luck with your bar exam!