The following questions are designed to help us start figuring out what went wrong the last time you took the bar so you can prepare more effectively this time around. There are no right answers, but we encourage you to be thoughtful in your responses. The more information you give, the better. Please feel free to use as much room as necessary to answer the questions completely and upload your response through the course page.
Background Information
Undergraduate Institution/Major:
Law School/Graduation Date:
Bar Exam(s) Taken and Result(s):
Prior Bar Exam Experience
1. Did you take a bar review course? If so, which one? Did you find it effective?
2. How did you feel about the substantive material? Do you think you knew enough law on exam day?
3. What was your strongest part of the exam? What was your weakest?
4. Why do you think you didn’t pass the bar exam?
5. Was there anything going on in your life that negatively influenced you during the bar study period?
How did you study for the prior bar exam?
1. What percentage of your study time did you spend listening to lectures (in person, on video, or audio recordings)?
2. What percentage of your study time did you spend reading materials provided by your bar review course?
3. What percentage of your study time did you spend using commercial materials other than those provided by your bar review course? What outside materials did you use, if any?
4. What percentage of your study time did you spend making your own outlines?
5. What percentage of your study time did you spend making flashcards, flowcharts, or other non-outline study aids?
6. What percentage of your study time did you spend doing practice essays and how many practice essays did you complete?
7. Did you get any feedback on your practice essays? If so, from what source?
8. What percentage of your study time did you spend taking practice performance tests and how many performance tests did you complete?
9. Did you get any feedback on your practice performance tests? If so, from what source?
10. What percentage of your study time did you spend doing MBE practice questions?
11. Roughly how many MBE questions did you do in a week?
12. Did you use any special tools (Adaptibar, etc.) to prepare for the MBE?
13. How many weeks did you study in total?
14. Roughly how many hours a week did you study?
15. Did you take breaks or days off?
16. Did you feel like you suffered from burnout while studying?
17. Were you studying full time or working while studying?
18. Were you confident that you were well prepared going into the exam?
19. Did you struggle with anxiety while studying for or taking the bar exam?
20. Did you work with a tutor of any type while studying?
Past Performance Indicators
Law School GPA:
1. In which bar subjects did you feel the most confident?
2. Were there any bar subject areas where you felt particularly weak?
3. Were there any types of tests/exams that you especially struggled with in law school?
Plan for Studying Again
1. Are you working while studying or studying full-time?
2. How many hours are you reasonably going to be able to dedicate to studying each week?
3. Have you signed-up for any other bar prep programs or resources? (BarBri, Adaptibar, etc.)
4. What, if anything, about this process gives you anxiety or makes you feel a little nervous?
5. If you find out after your next attempt that you didn’t pass the bar, why do you think that will be?
6. Do you anticipate having problems motivating yourself to study consistently? If so, what do you think will be the stumbling blocks? (procrastination, boredom, anxiety, etc.)
7. What techniques have you used successfully in the past to motivate yourself to do things you don’t necessarily want to do?
8. Do you anticipate having any issues with test anxiety when you sit for the bar exam?
9. Do you get any testing accommodations or are you applying for accommodations?
10. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
Bar Exam Toolbox® - BarExamToolbox.com – Please upload when ready