How Many Hours Bar Prep Do I Need?

How Many Hours Bar Prep Do I Need?

It’s one of the oldest and most frequently asked questions about the Bar Exam. How many hours bar prep do I need? By now you’ve most likely heard of Bar Exam horror stories, glory stories, and everything in between. Attorneys love telling stories of all-night study sessions, flashcards by the box, and outlines stretching from here to India. All of that undoubtedly makes a great battle myth. However, it may leave you feeling confused about how many hours of preparation are actually required for the Bar Exam. The short answer – there is no absolute one size fits all solution. We know, super helpful. Let us explain!

How Many Hours Bar Prep Do I Need?

The Number of Hours

First things first. Everybody is different. Everyone learns differently, retains information differently, has different study strategies, and performs differently on test day. With all that makes us different, you can start to see the difficulty in providing a definitive, simple answer. With that being said, we can provide some insight. The general consensus in the legal community is that 400 hours should be spent preparing and studying for the exam.

While that may seem like an impossibly high number, consider the amount of time you have to hit that benchmark. Here is a breakdown of how many hours to study each day. Most people taking the Bar Exam dedicate two months on average to preparation. If during those two months you dedicated roughly six hours a day…voila! Target acquired. Even if you took every Saturday off for those two months, that only equates to roughly 7.5 hours per day.

Another way to think of Bar Exam preparation is to think of it as a full-time job. If you’re working and studying, the 400-hour goal still applies, however, it is recommended you study for 4-5 months. This will allow you to still hit the 400-hour goal but also factor in work, family, etc.…

You might be thinking that those are amateur numbers and need to be pumped up! On the other hand, you might be thinking that 400 hours seems too high for success.

The Dangers of Over/Under Studying

Overstudying and burnout are absolutely a real thing when talking about Bar Exam preparation. Here are some tips on how to avoid both! Studying for the Bar Exam is a marathon and not a sprint. Choosing to study for every hour of every day is only going to weaken your effectiveness and performance. You’ll start to experience a lack of focus, an increase in fatigue, and an overall lack of productive studying. It is important to take study breaks and incorporate some time away from the computer in order to be successful. That’s right – We are telling you to stop studying and take care of yourself.

Just as overstudying is a threat, understudying is also an issue to be aware of. The Bar Exam does not test students in the same way law school does. We often hear about the superstar law student who graduated with a 4.0 GPA and failed to pass the Bar Exam. The primary reason? They felt underprepared going into battle. One of the biggest mistakes in preparing for the Bar Exam is to assume law school success will translate over.

Bar Prep Courses and Effective Studying

There’s no point in studying if you’re not going to study effectively and efficiently. We all know someone who claims 14-hour study days but is texting or on Instagram for 75% of that time. Don’t be this person! Dedicate yourself to an efficient study schedule to help you focus, stay in the zone, and take breaks when appropriate.

One of the best ways to achieve this is to enroll in a Bar Exam prep course. These courses are designed to get you to pass the Bar Exam and already have your entire schedule planned out. That’s right – Every single day is planned out with tasks to complete, information to learn, and challenges to overcome. These courses can be hugely beneficial in helping students stay on track and focused, while also providing important learning resources.

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