How To Practice For The California Performance Test
How To Practice For The California Performance Test
When approaching the California Bar Exam, many students aren’t entirely sure how to prepare for the performance tests. After all, there are no outlines to memorize and all of the information you need is included on the exam! So how do you practice for the California performance test? We discuss this in more detail below!
How To Practice For The California Performance Test
Become Familiar With the Format
The California Performance Test has a unique format. Each performance test is comprised of a task memo, a file, and a library. The best way to familiarize yourself with these documents and how they work is to read through previous performance tests. Research what kinds of tasks you may be expected to complete so you know what to expect on exam day!
Practice Outlining
Once you know how a performance test works, practice outlining an answer to one. The Task Memo and the foundational law from the Library will give you a good idea of how to organize your answer. It is usually a good idea to outline as you read through the Library and File, noting important facts and laws as you come across them. Experiment and decide what outlining strategy works best for you on the performance test. Whatever you choose, though, always practice reading through the material, and ask yourself “How can I use this to answer the question?” Understanding the task and putting together an outline are the first steps to performing well on a performance test! A solid outline can be of incredible assistance when you begin writing your answer!
Perfect Your Timing
Once you know how to answer a California Performance Test, it’s time to make sure you can do it within the allotted time. You have 90 minutes for the California Performance Test. See if you can spend roughly 45 minutes reading and the remaining time outlining and typing your answer. You can adjust this slightly depending on your typing and reading speed. Again, practice and decide what works best for you, however you feel comfortable using your 90 minutes to answer the question.
Remember What You’re Dealing With
The performance test is not just another essay. Be sure to only use the laws and facts found in the materials in front of you. Do not get sidetracked with what you already know when answering performance tests! You will not earn points for citing statutes or caselaw that strays from the performance test materials. Be sure to use all the cases from the Library in your answer. They are there for a reason, and using all of them to support your argument will make your answer the most complete. Finally, try to leave yourself a few minutes at the end to make sure your answer is clear and mostly free of typos. See more performance test tips here!
Like anything else on the bar exam, the California Performance Test is a skill set that you can master with some practice and patience. Even though all of the relevant materials will be provided to you, there’s still plenty to practice leading up to exam day!
Looking to Pass the California Bar Exam?
Free or discounted resources
- A five-star bar exam course (for as low as $1399.99!) that provides you with the best instruction, outlines, and questions. Preview our course for free here!
- Free popular bar exam guides (a CA bar exam essay guide, a guide on how to pass the bar exam, and a guide to hiring a bar exam tutor) written by bar exam experts!
- Our new Free Bar Exam Resource Center, which includes our most popular free guides, posts, webinars, and more!
- A free Early Bar Prep Course for law students
Other resources
Our most POPULAR and highly rated bar exam resources are:
- Our On Demand Bar Exam Course
- Our NEW California Essay Exam Mastery Class, which covers the highly tested and difficult California bar exam issues!
- California and Baby Bar Exam Private Tutoring by bar exam experts
- CA One-Sheets and Baby Bar One-Sheets—rated five stars! Our customers love these supplements!
- Real MBE questions—the best practice questions available!
You can read more about our California Bar Exam services here.
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!