How to take a practice exam

You need to practice under timed conditions. It’s as simple as that.

To be clear, however, this does not mean that you need to jump right into timed practice exams. There’s nothing wrong with starting out by doing a few questions — or even an entire section — without the timer running. This will help you get an idea of what the practice questions are like.

However, it is critically important that you do at least one timed practice exam in the days leading up to the actual test. Why? Because time tends to fly by when you sit down to write the real bar exam. If you’ve practiced under timed conditions, this won’t come as a surprise. As a result, you’ll be able to handle the stress the comes with writing a test under timed conditions. But if you haven’t practiced with a timer, you’re in for a shock and, unfortunately, will likely find yourself flustered on actual test day.

Writing under timed conditions also gives you a sense of how much time you can generally dedicate each question. In other words, you’ll get an intuitive feel for when it’s probably time to move on from a question you’re not 100% sure about. By contrast, those who opt not to practice under timed conditions are more likely to mismanage their time when they sit down to write the actual bar exam. This is a recipe for disaster as opposed to success.

So get those timers set and make sure you’re timing yourself while writing those practice exams! If you do, you’re setting yourself up for success when it’s finally time to write the bar exam!