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One of the recurring themes of my bar review articles is that law school study is completely different than bar review. If you are having trouble on the bar exam, it may be that you are stuck using law school study tactics.

One of the main components of preparing for a law school exam is what I call the collection phase. This is when you collect your notes, notes from days you missed, case briefs, and, of course, engage in the mad hunt for the golden outlines from years past. Then, you put everything together in a cohesive outline. Sadly, your law school exam grade is at least partially dependent on how well you can hunt and gather these resources.

Bar exam review for the Multistate Bar Exam could not be more different. Really. You should not waste precious time in the collection phase. There are only three types of resources that you need.

First, you need an outline for each subject. The outline is for reference only. No one passes the bar exam by reading over outlines. If you have your old law school outlines and perhaps Emanuels, that is probably all you need. Just make sure all the bar exam subjects are covered. If your outlines are not perfect, then you can use the internet to supplement. Pull up the relevant statute or section of a restatement and add it to your outline. These outlines are just there for reference. No need to spend too much time here.

Second, you need materials that will help you familiarize yourself with the material. You cannot jump into the hard questions until you have a comfortable working familiarity with the materials. The best study tools for this phase of study are flashcards, either your own or commercially prepared ones. I also recommend my book, MBE Crossword Bar Exam Review. You can also just take your outline, read over a page, and close your eyes and ask yourself questions. Anything that pulls you into the material a bit. Just do not waste time passively reading over the outlines. Remember, at this phase, you are not trying to totally understand the material. This is the handshake, getting to know your materials phase. Don’t waste time making picture perfect flashcards or software programs.

Third, you must do hard questions that resemble the real test questions and read over the explanatory answers. This is the easiest and most direct way to pass. Spend your time and money on this part of studying. If you are having trouble with these questions, it is most likely because of some psychological barrier. Spend more time in the second phase and get more comfortable with the material. Go back and forth between hard questions and becoming familiar with the material but realize that the real learning that leads to passing the bar exam takes place in this third phase of study.

Your study time is precious. Use it wisely. I passed two bar exams while working full-time using these strategies. I did not take a bar review course; I just used a thick book of sample questions and my old outlines. I did not have time to sit with my friends and flip through outlines; I sat on the Metro in DC and did sample questions, even if it was only a dozen a day. Because my time was limited, I generated the most no-nonsense, to the point study strategy possible.