Preparing for the Bar Exam - Managing Stress and Anxiety

While working with students preparing for the bar exam over the past few weeks, many of them are talking about the pressure they feel to pass the bar exam; some have even said this pressure is overwhelming. They are overwhelmed by the number of subjects and the amount of material they are responsble for -- admittedly, there is a lot of material to be responsible for at one time.

The difference between the bar exam and law school is that in law school exams were spread out over a longer period of time, and the number of areas of law covered in exams were fewer. Often, you were tested on one subject at a time, which you knew beforehand, and then you had at least one day before being tested on another subject.

In contrast, when you walk into the bar exam, you’re facing a lot more material. You are responsible for all the subjects tested in your jurisdiction; and the subjects are tested in a random manner so that both the subject matter and the level of difficulty may from question to question -- plus, you’re tested on everything in a two or three day period.

It is understandable that you are overwhelmed by the volume of the material and the pace by which you are moving. When combined with the time pressures of the exam itself, it’s not unusual to feel more than just a little bit anxious. There is a real basis to the anxiety -- which leads to the next concern: stress.

When you study for the bar exam, you are facing one of the most stressful periods of your life. You may be consumed with thoughts of “what if ” -- what if I fail; what if I have to do this again . . . These are very normal fears. In fact, a certain level of anxiety and stress is good, but too much prevents you from doing your job of studying the law. You can’t afford to lose control because of the pressure.

Try looking at the exam from an entirely different perspective:

1. The bar exam has definite boundaries even though it tests multiple topics.
2. There is enough time to prepare for the bar exam if you plan for it.
3. A certain level of stress can be productive.

1. The bar exam has “boundaries”:

The national and state bar examiners define the universe of what is tested on your jurisdiction’s bar exam. The number of subjects tested on the bar exam is finite. For the Multistate Bar Examination (the MBE), the National Bar Examiners provide a subject matter outline that indicates the scope of coverage for each subject with a breakdown by percentage of questions from each category. Similarly, most jurisdictions provide candidates with a list of the topics covered on their bar exam. This allows you to define the scope of the exam. Also, you can (and should) study from released bar exam questions just as you worked with your professors’ old exams in preparing for finals to give you an idea of what the questions will look like on the actual exam day.

2. There’s enough time if you plan properly:

The bar exam requires a major commitment of time and effort to succeed. Bar review courses are structured to lead you through the material, but you must make the effort to learn it. It takes time to memorize black letter law and to practice problems. You can do this if you plan ahead and manage your time wisely.

3. Some stress is unavoidable:

A little anxiety can be a good thing before an exam. Anxiety is absolutely normal and very necessary because the adrenaline ensures that you’ll operate at peak performance. It helps to keep you focused. The problem occurs when it interferes with your performance, and preparation is the recommended antidote to test anxiety. You must go into the bar exam knowing that you’ve done everything possible to prepare.

While you continue to prepare for the bar exam, Professor Darrow-Kleinhaus' books, Acing the Bar Exam (Thomson West 2008) and The Bar Exam in a Nutshell (2d ed. 2009), are great resources, and give great tips on managing stress and anxiety while studying for the bar exam.