As you approach how to study for the bar exam, you’ll likely encounter plenty of “timesaving” advice that sounds something like: “All you have to do is…”
Now that you’re a trained critical thinker, that will likely raise a red flag.
For something as important—and as challenging—as passing the bar exam, there are no one-size-fits-all shortcuts. If a strategy sounds too simple to be true, it probably is.
That said, there are proven study strategies that can significantly increase your likelihood of passing, whether you’re preparing for the legacy Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) or the NextGen UBE.
Study Broad for the Bar Exam, Not Deep
In law school, depth wins. On the bar exam, coverage wins.
High performers in law school often go deep into a narrow set of topics. But bar exam success depends on having wide, foundational knowledge across multiple subjects.
You don’t need to master every nuance of the law. Instead, your goal is to:
- Know enough law across enough subjects, and
- Consistently perform above the passing threshold.
This principle applies to both the current UBE, which tests broad doctrinal knowledge, and the NextGen bar exam, which prioritizes integrated legal reasoning and practice-ready skills across multiple doctrines.
Also, just because something CAN be tested on the bar exam doesn’t mean it’s likely to be tested. To ensure you’re spending your bar exam study time where it matters most, you’ll want to select a bar prep partner that knows what is most likely to be tested and focuses your time and energy in those high-frequency areas over obscure cases.
Measure What Matters as You Study for the Bar
How do you know if you’re doing well enough in enough areas during bar prep to ultimately pass the bar exam?
Whether you’re preparing for the legacy UBE, NextGen UBE, or any jurisdiction-specific exam (non-UBE), success is not about achieving perfection in one subject. It’s about demonstrating competency across the range of knowledge and skills tested on the exam.
Although the bar exam is ultimately pass/fail based on the cut score established by each jurisdiction, many bar takers mistakenly approach preparation as if they need to earn an “A” in every subject. In reality, spending excessive time mastering one narrow area can undermine your overall strategy.
A more effective approach is to measure your performance against other bar candidates and consistently evaluate your progress. For traditional multiple-choice practice, that means tracking how many questions you answer correctly in each subject area and comparing your results to national benchmarks. Your goal should be to perform at or above the 40th percentile in each tested subject.
BARBRI Bar Review’s industry-leading Pass Predictor and performance tracking tools tell you exactly where you stand and where to go next. These real-time insights help you gauge your likelihood of passing, so you can target weak spots early.
NextGen Pro Study Tip
The NextGen bar exam places a greater emphasis on applying legal knowledge through practical lawyering skills rather than relying exclusively on memorization. As a result, you should track your progress in areas such as legal analysis, client counseling, writing, and problem-solving—not just doctrinal recall.
Approach the MBE Systematically
For more than five decades, BARBRI has helped students prepare for multiple-choice testing on the bar exam. While the format differs between the legacy UBE and the NextGen UBE, one thing remains constant: success comes from a methodical, repeatable approach.
On the legacy UBE, the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) consists of 200 multiple-choice questions administered over two three-hour sessions. That gives you roughly 1.8 minutes per question.
The NextGen bar exam continues to test legal reasoning through standalone multiple-choice questions. It also incorporates new question formats that may require selecting more than one correct answer and applying legal principles in more realistic contexts.
Regardless of the format, we recommend treating multiple-choice questions like short essays:
- Cover the answer choices and read the call of the question first.
- Identify the legal issue being tested.
- Read the entire fact pattern with that issue in mind.
- Formulate your own answer before looking at the choices.
- Select the option that best matches your analysis.
This systematic problem-solving method helps you focus on the actual legal issue and minimizes the risk of being distracted by plausible but incorrect answer choices. It also builds confidence because you are actively solving the problem before evaluating the provided options.
If you are preparing for the NextGen UBE, this skill becomes even more valuable because integrated question sets require you to analyze facts, identify legal issues, and apply law across multiple subjects in ways that mirror real-world legal practice.
Discover NextGen study strategies that work.
Develop Your Bar Exam Writing Skills Up Front
Many students postpone writing practice because they believe they need to memorize every rule before attempting an essay. Unfortunately, waiting too long to develop writing skills can hurt your chances of passing the bar exam.
On the legacy UBE, written performance is measured through the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT). In many jurisdictions, the written portion carries significant weight in determining whether you pass. Download the BARBRI Bar Exam Digest for bar exam scoring information for each state/jurisdiction.
NextGen UBE: A More Integrated Approach to Legal Writing
Instead of separating essays and performance test tasks, NextGen bar exam candidates complete practical legal tasks that require writing, analysis, and application of legal principles in realistic scenarios. These tasks may involve drafting legal documents, counseling clients, evaluating evidence, or solving client-centered legal problems. One of the longer performance tasks will include several multiple-choice questions and short, constructed response questions focused on research skills, followed by a longer writing assignment.
Whatever exam you are preparing for, the sooner you begin practicing your bar exam writing, the more opportunities you have to strengthen your organization, analysis, issue spotting, and legal writing abilities. At the same time, avoid the temptation to submit essay after essay without incorporating feedback. The most successful students review comments carefully and apply lessons learned to subsequent assignments.
Continuous improvement—not endless repetition—is what helps you pass the bar exam.
Use Performance-Based Testing to Pick Up Valuable Points
If you are like most bar takers, a large percentage of your study time will be devoted to practice questions and writing assignments. Just don’t overlook performance-based testing.
For candidates taking the legacy UBE, the MPT remains one of the most valuable opportunities to earn points. Many who don’t pass the bar exam miss the cut score by only a few points. Strong MPT performance can often make the difference.
Rather than treating performance testing as a standalone component, the NextGen bar exam incorporates practical lawyering skills throughout the assessment. Examinees may be asked to analyze client files, review statutes, evaluate legal authorities, conduct legal research, counsel clients, negotiate disputes, or draft legal documents.
When you regularly practice performance-based skills, you are more likely to feel comfortable when faced with realistic legal scenarios on exam day.
Tackle Difficult Questions Head-On
During the bar exam, it can be tempting to skip difficult questions and return to them later. Our advice: address them as they come.
The bar exam is mentally demanding. As your energy declines throughout the testing session, critical reasoning becomes less sharp.
When you encounter a challenging question:
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Apply your systematic approach.
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Make your best educated decision.
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Move forward.
If time remains at the end of the section, you can revisit difficult questions. But don't allow one tough problem to consume valuable minutes that could be used elsewhere.
For multiple-choice questions, unfamiliar answer choices are often less likely to be correct than answers that align with concepts you've already studied. Trust your preparation and avoid overthinking.
For integrated question sets and performance test tasks on the NextGen exam, remember that perfection is not required. Focus on identifying key issues, applying sound legal reasoning, and completing the assigned task within the available time.
Pass the Bar by Building Broad Skills + Steady Progress
Whether you're studying for the legacy UBE or preparing for the NextGen bar exam, the most effective strategy is to focus on consistent progress across all tested skills and subject areas.
The legacy exam rewards strong doctrinal knowledge, legal analysis, and effective writing. The NextGen UBE tests many of those same competencies while placing greater emphasis on practical lawyering skills and real-world problem solving. Despite these differences, the path to success remains remarkably similar: develop broad competence, practice regularly, seek meaningful feedback, and track your progress throughout bar prep.
When you focus on steady improvement over perfection, you put yourself in the strongest position to pass the bar and begin your legal career with confidence.
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