Ask The Professor: Myths About Preparing For The Bar Exam – Will They Cause You To Fail?

Here are some of the most commonly thrown-around bar tips and whether they have any merit.

Anyone who has ever taken the bar exam will dole out advice on how best to prepare for the test. A lot of good that did the students taking the July 2015 exam. National pass rates plummeted. The average MBE score dropped. Law schools blame the students. Law students may need to blame their friends for giving them bad advice.

Here are some of the most commonly thrown-around tips and whether they have any merit.

Myth: Just focus on studying for the MBE section of the test.

False. Bad advice. Each state’s bar exam has different components — the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), the essays, and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT). Each section is an opportunity to earn points. You cannot pass the bar by excelling on just one section of the exam. If you focus only on the MBE, you will not get enough points to pass. The key is balanced preparation.

Myth: The MBE is more important than the essays/written section.

False. On the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), currently administered in 16 states, and on most state bar exams, there is equal weight given to the MBE and to the written portion of the test. Some students do better on multiple choice questions and others perform better on the written section. It is a function of due process; bar examiners are being fair and giving equal points to both formats.

Myth: The essay graders know your MBE score and if you do well on the MBE, they do not grade your essays.

False. This is a widely spread rumor that is just not true. The MBE is computer graded and each essay is evaluated by a grader who does not know how you performed on the balance of the test.

Myth: If you are taking one of the big bar review companies, just study exactly what they tell you to and you’ll pass.

False. Unfortunately this advice has caused many, many students around the country to fail. This summer it was particularly disastrous advice. You need to have an edge over everyone else; you need to do more. Take a supplement for the MBE and/or the essays. Get additional training on how to score points. I am in the bar review business. I know it is self-laudatory, but students that take my supplemental Marino Bar Exam Maximizers in addition to their bar course perform much better on the test because they were trained on how to score points with the law that their bar course taught them.

Myth: A bar course cannot improve your chance of passing the bar exam.

True. Studies have shown that students pass the bar exam in GPA order, meaning that those ranked lower are much more likely to fail. A bar course alone cannot help you improve those odds. If you are in the lower half of the class, you have to take a supplement or get a tutor to improve your odds. I know from experience in running Marino Bar Tutors that it makes the difference. Students at the top of the class could have a 95% chance of passing while those in the lower part could have only a 20% chance unless they do something more.

Myth: Bar Exam Tutors are for remedial purposes only.

False. Bar candidates hire tutors to make them more competitive; it makes studying more efficient. If everyone is taking a bar review course, the playing field is neutralized. Doing something extra is what is needed to maximize your chances of passing.

Myth: As you get close to the exam, spend most of your time on your weaknesses.

False: You pass the bar exam on your strengths. Don’t chase a weakness just before the exam. Sometimes you just have to let it go.

Myth: While studying for the bar exam, you will not be able to work at all, and won’t have any social life for two months.

Not necessarily. However, studies show that working does reduce your odds of passing. My best advice is to devote full-time to studying. As to your social life, it will slow down for a couple of months — there is no way around it.


Professor Joseph Marino has been a fixture in the world of legal education for the past 40 years. Whether you’re just starting law school, about to take the bar, or an attorney in need of CLE, he and Marino Legal Academy are here to help. He is the Director of Marino Bar Review and the Marino Institute for Continuing Legal Education. He writes a bimonthly column, Ask the Professor. Visit the Marino CLE page on ATL, connect with him on LinkedIn and Facebook, or email him via info@marinolegal.com.