HOW I SUCCESSFULLY PREPARED FOR THE BAR EXAM - 90+DAYS PRIOR TO THE BAR EXAM

Sep 21, 2026

A personal, experience-driven guide on preparing for the July Ohio Bar Exam while working full time. It emphasizes time management, discipline, and reducing stress by building a long-range study plan and avoiding fatal stress factors. The outline covers early logistics (travel, lodging, transportation), selecting bar review courses, and inventorying materials without premature study. It then details a structured timeline from 90+ days through the exam day, including subject review, IRAC practice, issue spotting, outlining, and schedule planning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

90+ Days Prior to the Bar Exam

Finalize trip itinerary

Select bar review courses early

Quantify all the things that must be accomplished between now and the bar exam

60-80 Days Prior to the Bar Exam

Establish the plan

Review bar materials and lecture tapes

# HOW I SUCCESSFULLY PREPARED FOR THE BAR EXAM Two years ago,I sat for the July Ohio Bar Exam.Then,I was an evening student atChase College of Law,carrying about twelve semester hours,and working full time inCincinnati,Ohio.I dreaded the prospect of sitting for the bar exam,as I did not believe thatthere was any way possible to pack into my brain all of the information I would need for the barexam.I did not believe that the two short months after graduation from law school would beample time for me to adequately prepare for the bar given my work schedule.I also worriedabout the fact that it had been nearly four years since I had taken the major bar exam subjects inlaw school,like Torts,Contracts,etc.Privately,I feared that the stakes were insurmountable. Right away,I realized that the bar exam experience was more about time-management,discipline,and perspective.These were things within my ability to control.I developed a long-range study plan for myself,which,in the beginning,felt like “over-kill.”In the end,however,my approach to studying for the bar resulted in success beyond what I had anticipated. I share my approach to preparing for the bar exam as a law student,only as a means offurnishing ideas on how others might want to prepare for the exam.My approach may work forsome-as it did for me,but may not work for others.My approach to preparing for the bar isbeing offered merely for whatever value the reader might deem it to have What follows is an outline of how I managed my time,studied the law,and eliminatedfatal stress factors.IfI were being asked how to study for the bar by a family member or friend,the advice I would give is presented below. Barbara L.BarberChase ‘96 # 90+DAYS PRIOR TO THE BAR EXAM | FINALIZE TRIP ITINERARY
A. | | --- | 1.Hotel Reservations a. 3-day stay b. Reasonable proximity to exam site c. Request a microwave oven(live on TV diners to avoid having to hunt for mealsin a strange town during the bar exam) d. Request a refrigerator(bottled water,soft drinks,etc.) 2. Obtain road maps,directions,etc. 3. Rental car,etc. ## B.SELECT BAR REVIEW COURSES EARLY 1. Draw on what worked for the Professional Responsibility Exam 2. Decide which to use:lecture tapes,in-class lectures,or both. 3. Expenses a. BAR EXAM LOAN!!! b. Scholarships ??? c. Stipends,advances (law firms) Inventory 4. When bar review materials arrive (prior to law school finals),simply review thematerials for INVENTORY purposes-restrain yourself from reading any of this stuffprior to completing law school finals. | OUANTIFY ALL THE THINGS THAT MUST
C.
BE ACCOMPLISHED BETWEEN NOW AND
THE BAR EXAM | | --- | 1.Wrap up ALL law school obligations:get through finals and graduation. 2. Identify all (likely &unlikely)bar exam subiects. a.Do call Supreme Court(or bar exam administrators)with any questions. b. Do obtain the State sponsored bar exam instructions and old exams. ## C.Do talk to Law School Professors. d.Do review and re-review the list of bar exam subjects furnished in semester classregistration packet(see Elaine Shafer,etc.) 3. Identify EARLY any bar exam subjects which were not taken in law school. a.Law School Professors b.Nutshells,Hornbooks,etc. Law Library C. d.DON'T DEPEND SOLELYUPON BAR REVIEW COURSES TO LEARNNEW STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Identify any weak (law school)areas likely to be encountered on the bar exam. 4. IRAC a. b. Time management C.Stress management ## d. Grades e.Objective question format(I found the CALI exercises in the Law Library very helpful) f. Issue spotting ## g. Analysis h. Outlining answers PENMENSHIP!!! i. Grammar j. ## k.Sentence structure 1. SPELLING!!! (I found it helpful to make a list of important words I commonly misspelled,for example,res ipsa loquitur,foreseeability,perpetuities,etc.) m. Following directions n.Concentration,

FAQs

Why does the guide stress time management and discipline over simply “cramming” content?

It argues the bar exam experience is largely about time-management, discipline, and perspective—factors the author can control. That approach supported success beyond initial expectations.

What early steps are recommended during the 90+ days period?

The guide recommends finalizing trip logistics (hotel reservations, proximity, rental car, maps) and selecting bar review courses early. It also advises inventorying review materials and not reading them before law school finals are completed.

How should a candidate plan the study schedule from 60–80 days prior to the bar exam?

The author recommends putting goals in writing and working backward to create a schedule. The plan includes self-teaching any missed subjects, reviewing weak areas, covering materials cover-to-cover, listening to lecture tapes, working essay questions, and preparing outlines per subject.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Emma Wilson