The bar exam world changed in 2020.
It became possible to take the bar exam remotely—from anywhere on the planet—thanks to the miracle of high-speed Internet. It’s the bandwidth revolution! The Great Reset!
But with new ideas come poo-poo-ers.
People were complaining about how it won’t work, they’re going to spy on us through the camera, there aren’t any bathroom breaks in the middle of a session, there will be tech issues, there are hackers, people will cheat, it’s too complicated, etc.
Some of it was preventable by bar takers (like remembering to go to the restroom beforehand).
People are calling for remote bar exams to be abandoned, proposing alternative formats, cutting multiple choice questions and making essays open book, and suggesting diploma and license privilege.
They are all valid concerns.
But just because something is uncertain or new doesn’t mean it’s always bad. (Remember when people complained when Facebook kept changing its interface and got used to it within a day?)
I don’t do doom and gloom here. Examples:
“The bar exam is so hard and terrible and hard to pass”
Yes it is.
And yet plenty of people do pass! It’s easy to blame everything on the pass rate and self-sabotage. I will guide you in the right direction.
“I’m so overwhelmed! I’m freaking out! What are the subject predictions?!”
Breathe. Relax. There are tools to keep things manageable, sane, and optimistic, and ways to feel in control other than relying on predictions.
“The remote exam is a shitshow and will be a failure”
Well, after much anxiety about the first-ever round of online bar exams, it turns out that people enjoyed the remote format and want the bar exam to stay that way!
Plus, high performers WANT to face challenges. The gap between their composure and others’ panic is where they thrive. It’s their opportunity to distinguish themselves. The best don’t avoid hard work. They seek it out. They invite it. They welcome it.
See these screenshots from actual bar takers and repeaters:
Some more salient benefits of taking a remote/online bar exam:
- Not having to travel or get a hotel (although some choose to isolate)
- Being surrounded by other anxious people:
- Pass rates going up (or remaining relatively similar to past numbers) in some states that have released results from their first online bar exam
Of course, it’s not all flowers and rainbows…
I got emails about how they lost time because their machine froze, or how they have to retake the bar because it shut down. These people weren’t the only one who ran into issues:
Pass rates have also fallen in some states!
So then how should you study for a remote/online bar exam?
Based on the above feedback from actual test takers, seems like a remote exam could be good and bad depending on how you address your situation.
Fortunately, you can prevent the bad and maximize the good by knowing and preparing ahead of time what taking this exam remotely will be like.
Two things…
First, the basic tips. Second, tips from bar takers who ACTUALLY went through a remote exam for the first time.
The basic tips:
If at all possible, use the computer you’ll take the exam on to practice essays, PTs, and MBE questions (AdaptiBar or UWorld would be great for this since they’re online platforms).
For essays and PTs, practice in Word with multiple documents on your screen as you would see in the exam software. Or practice in the exam software itself.
Simulate the exam with the mock exam file multiple times in the environment you plan to take the exam in (to the extent practical).
Here are more strategies specific to each portion of the bar exam (essays, MBE, PTs/MPTs).
I also asked my readers who took the bar exam remotely, about their best tips for someone who will take an online bar exam.
First, here’s the raw data (along with answers to other post-bar questions, like their biggest regret or mistake).
I sorted through the tips for taking a remote bar exam (column E) and categorized them by common themes.
Here are five main takeaways:
✅ Practice on the computer — for essays, PTs, and MBE!
- “Practice MBE on the computer without scratch paper”
- “Practice essays and PTs on your laptop. Spend some time coping model answers, then move to reading them, then writing your own answers, finally write your own answers without reading the model answers, but see how you did.”
- “Practice only online, no more paper! Splitting the screen horizontally will also help be prepared for the big day. On exam day, I felt I was just practicing again as it was almost exactly the same format I had been practicing with for weeks.”
- “I practiced with Adobe reader, Apple notes, and Microsoft Word as soon as I heard that the exam was going to be online. I would advise others to do the same on equivalent software. It helps immensely.”
- “Practice during your prep using the techniques you will need in order to take the exam remotely vs. on paper. For example, I scanned all my practice MPT’s into PDF’s so I would be used to reading them on the computer and I used Adaptibar for MBE’s.”
✅ Be familiar with exam logistics and anticipate potential issues ahead of time.
- “During the mock exam’s from your jurisdiction really get familiar with all of the tools, i.e. the timer, notes section and cut and paste, if available.”
- “Set up a basket with food, drinks, and important paperwork right outside the room”
- “Make sure you are in a quiet room and read all the rules/instructions a couple times over”
- “Make sure that you kick everyone out of your home to have peace and quiet; otherwise, focusing will be difficult. Ask your lawn maintenance service not to come on the days the exam is scheduled. Don’t order packages to deliver on exam day. Do whatever you can to alleviate stress.”
- “It starts when you’re ready. Go pee before you start facial identification bc it starts right after you click lol I was caught off guard. I thought on the day the exam will start right according to schedule, but it starts when you click on the next button.”
✅ Location: Choose a place that helps you! If it’s quieter and more comfortable at home, stay there. If you prefer to be away from home, get a hotel room. If you want to meditate, well, shit, go for it.
- “Ensure that your testing space feels different on the testing days than on study days. It’s important to simulate the adrenaline that comes with showing up to a testing center to take a test, and it’s hard to do that when you’re in your living room. So anything that makes it feel more significant and like it’s really “game day” is a step in the right direction.”
- “If you can, study in the same place that you plan to take the bar exam, that sense of familiarity will be helpful the day of when you may be nervous.”
- “Get a hotel room”
- “Find a good hotel that is supportive of your endeavor. Few weekends before the exam, book for one night on each weekend and state the reason why you are staying at the hotel. I told them that I was studying for the CA Bar Exams and if they could provide me with a quiet room. They ended up to be very supportive, giving me the lowest rate yet the best possible suite. Their kindness was overwhelming.”
- “Find a good place where you can focus. Study there. And then take the test there! You will feel comfortable, confident, and focused.”
- “Learn to deeply meditate and be in peace between the gaps between each essay.”
✅ Prepare and study substantively per usual (business as usual).
- “Do not lose focus on your study routine.”
- “start memorizing earlier, make your own version of magicsheets early, practice rule statements and attack strategies, more MBEs from a variety of sources”
- “purchase magic sheets“
- Accountability: “Have someone who will keep you accountable with your goals.”
- “Make a detailed plan for your test days & visualize the exam”
- “Study, take practice essay exams and MBE’s under time pressure. Relax. You got this!”
✅ The biggest one: Relax. Don’t worry too much! Don’t listen to the doomers and gloomers.
- “Calm down. It’s not as bad as it seems. They’ve taken the time to think the aspects through and make it work for us. So trust the process.”
- “It’s not that big a deal….just relax. I found it nice as compared to the Baby Bar with all the people.”
- “Don’t feed into negative commentary on FB… if there are too many Debbie Downer’s don’t continue the group. (Stick to MTYLT 😊)”
- “Don’t worry about the technology and what if something goes wrong. The tech was support is there to help and most of the time things are great .. just take the exam.”
- “Relax”
Recap and tactics for remote bar exams:
The online bar exam is new and different. And with any new procedure, there are concerns. That much is fair enough.
But we can manage the uncertainty by preparing ahead of time. We as humans tend to exaggerate potential future outcomes. But we are terrible predictors of the future.
We enter the future backward, like rowing a boat. All we can do are look to scenes of the past and learn from them. That’s why I’m offering past experiences of bar takers as guidance for you.
It turns out taking the bar exam remotely not a big deal, and in fact, a very positive change! It may be something for you to consider while it lasts.
Some commonly emphasized tips from remote bar takers:
✅ Practice on the computer — for essays, PTs, and MBE!
✅ Be familiar with exam logistics and anticipate potential issues ahead of time.
✅ Choose the right location for you.
✅ Preparation itself is business as usual.
✅ Relax! It’s not that bad. In fact, it’s quite good.
I PURCHASED THE FULL SET AND I HAVE NOT RECEIVED MY ORDER. PLEASE ADVISE. THERE IS NO PHONE NUMBER OR EMAIL ADDRESS TO CONTACT ANYONE.