How to Prevent a Disaster on the Bar Exam: 5 ways to follow in order to avoid the worst!Â
So far, we’ve been giving out some advice on how to study for the Bar Exam, but regardless on how well you prepare for it, there’s always the risk that everything could go wrong. We have stories where a student had a heart attack during the exam, another where a student got hit by a car while walking to the exam center. There’s some truly awful things that can happen.
Most of these stories are out of our control and surprises always happen. However, there are many things that you can do to keep things under control. Whether it is checking your computer or bringing your bring your food so as to avoid food poisoning, here are our 5 Tips on How to Prevent a Disaster on the Bar Exam.Â
1. Check your computer’s performance
That’s the ultimate way to prevent a disaster on the Bar Exam is to complete a diagnosis of your computer beforehand.
Your laptop sounds like an old wash machine? It’s probably time to get a new one, or at least to borrow your friend’s computer. If you are unsure, you can always bring your computer to be checked out, you will feel more confident that way!
Also, ensure your operating system can support ExamSoft: you should try the software a few times to make sure that it runs smoothly on your computer.Â
Another thing is to make sure that your computer is strong enough to take on six hours of exam.Â
Ultimately, don’t forget your charger! What a buzzkill if you’d forget to bring your charger on the exam day!Â
2. Complete a Bar Exam Dress RehearsalÂ
Get a few Bar Exam Dress Rehearsals. Some Bar Preps actually offer these simulated bar exam and your law school might even provide you with mock exams. Taking a real-time exam is an indicator on how prepared you are, but don’t feel alarmed if you don’t score well.Â
In short, taking a mock exam will calm your nerves and will allow you to reorient your study strategy if something goes wrong. But most importantly, it will improve your test-taking skills.Â
What if you don’t have access to any simulated exam? Just organize your own! Be rigorous and disciplined, this will be rewarding.Â
Finally, create some kind of distractions: have someone with a persisting cough or take the mock exam in an over heated room. On the day of the exam, the room might not be as quiet as you expect, so it is always a great exercise to get used to distractions.
3. Know Where the Test Is and How to Get There
There’s an easy way to fix that problem: get yourself an hotel at proximity of the exam center. Now, sometimes you don’t have the choice and you might be far from your exam center.Â
Then it is critical that you know exactly where it is and how you plan to get there. If taking public transportation, think about a backup plan in case your train comes late. If you drive yourself, make sure you know some parking spots and don’t forget about traffic!Â
At the end, it’s better to be extremely early than even a bit late. We recommend being at the test center at least 30 minutes before the exam. Especially, remember that it takes time to check in at the Bar Exam.Â
4. Get a good night of sleep
As a general matter, you should skip the all-nighter: according to a 2014 study, students with at least seven hours sleep before a test typically scored higher than those who got only six hours of sleep.Â
Many studies have found that sacrificing sleep for studying is actually counterproductive. You simply need to ensure that your brain get enough sleep to remember the information you’ve learned.Â
So what does this mean for you? Get at least seven hours of sleep.Â
5. Go to the bathroom
That’s a tough one. Remember, you will have exactly 1 minute and 48 seconds to answer each MBE question. Now, how long do you think it would take you to go to the restroom?
There’s nothing much to do here unless you are the master of your bladder. Obviously, make sure to use the restroom before the test. But also spot the restroom, beforehand, that way you’ll be much faster during the exam.Â
Ultimately, just relax and be focused on the exam! The time will goes by so fast!Â
Key Takeaways
The day before the test:Â
- Lightly review your material if you’re still struggling with it
- Get a good night’s sleep
- Know where the test is and how to get there
The Day of the Exam:
- Go to the bathroom even if you don’t need to
- Stay calm
- Be positive and do your best!Â
Good luck!Â
