How To Set Up A Five-Week Bar Exam Study Schedule

How To Set Up A Five-Week Bar Exam Study Schedule

Work, family, and other obligations can sometimes get in the way of dedicating 8-10 weeks of full-time study for the bar exam. However, that does not mean that a bar examinee with less time cannot still pass the bar exam! It just means that they need to have a strong study plan to follow for the shorter duration of study time they have available to them. In this post, we focus on developing a 35-day (5-week) bar exam study plan. The study plan will focus on highly tested topics in each subject as well as plenty of practice Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), and Multistate Performance Test (MPT) questions.

How To Set Up A Five-Week Bar Exam Study Schedule

JD Advising Resources

Our Uniform Bar Exam prep course has helped thousands of examinees pass the bar and comes highly recommended by students who have used it to pass the bar. The resources listed below will be referenced by the study plan that follows. We have done our best to link to as many free resources as possible in order to help those who are not signed up for our bar prep course to still be able to follow along. The MBE, MEE, and MPT resources are listed below.

MBE Resources

It is extremely important to practice with previously-used MBE questions released by the NCBE because they are likely going to be most similar to the MBE questions you encounter will encounter on the bar exam. We strongly recommend using our MBE questions as a resource for practicing with real MBE questions.

If you choose a different real MBE question resource to study with, that will still work with the study plan we detail below. You should remember, however, that it is always a good idea to make practice with previously used MBE questions released by the NCBE.

MEE Resources

The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) has free MEE questions and analyses from the February 2012 bar exam to the July 2016 bar exam. These free questions and analyses can be found here, along with the July 2021 questions (containing no analysis).

Note: You should practice fully writing MEEs under timed conditions, however, you can outline some of the MEEs if you are in a time crunch or if you want to do a few more practice essays at any given time.

MPT Resources

The NCBE has free MPT questions and analyses from the February 2012 bar exam to the July 2016 bar exam. These free questions and analyses can be found here.

Our MPT guide is a great way to learn how to do well on the MPT portion of the bar exam. It is reasonably priced and offers a great amount of information to help you better perform on this portion of the exam. As a reminder, the MPT portion of the bar exam makes up about 20% of the total exam score on the Uniform Bar Exam.

These guides have past MPT questions beginning in 2009 and continuing through July 2021. They also have answers to the MPTs and examples of model student answers.

Even More Resources

Another great place to get started with such a short time frame for studying is with the MBE one-sheets and the MEE one-sheets, both of which focus on the highly tested rules in a concise single (front and back) page document. Furthermore, these one-sheets are an affordable and manageable resource for exam takers who only have a 5-week window to study for the bar exam. These are among our most popular products!

Five-Week Bar Exam Study Schedule

Without further ado, JD Advising’s five-week bar exam self-study schedule is listed below. This is a general study schedule that can and should be adapted to your needs as you progress with your studying.

Day 1: Real Property

• Review Real Property outline
• February 2012 Real Property MEE
• 30 Real Property MBE questions
• Review our free guide on how to pass the MBE

Day 2: Real Property

• Review Real Property outline
• Feb 2013 Real Property MEE
• 30 Real Property MBE questions
• Review our free guide on the best way to study for the MEE
• Review our free guide on highly tested MEE topics (and save it as a reference)

Day 3: Torts

• Review Real Property outline
• Review Torts outline
• Feb 2012 Torts MEE
• 30 Torts MBE questions

Day 4: Torts

• Review Torts outline
• July 2012 Torts MEE
• July 2015 Torts MEE
• 30 Torts MBE questions

Day 5: Review and Practice

• Review Torts and Real Property in depth
• Feb 2015 Real Property MEE
• 30 Real Property and Torts MBE questions (15 each, mixed)
• Review the entire MPT Guide

Day 6: Evidence / MPT – Objective Brief

• Briefly review Torts and Real Property
• Review Evidence outline
• July 2014 Evidence MEE
• 30 Evidence MBE questions
• MPT – Read about Objective Memo in MPT Guide and complete Baby MPT
• MPT – look at July 2011 objective memo to see the format (In re Field Hogs, Inc.) and jot out the answer untimed. (Note: all other MPTs should be timed!)
• MPT — 90 minutes Feb 2014 (In re Peterson Engineering Consultants)

Day 7: Evidence

• Review Evidence outline
• Feb 2016 Evidence MEE
• July 2013 Evidence MEE
• 30 Evidence MBE questions

Day 8: Review and Practice

• Review Torts, Real Property, Evidence,
• 30 Evidence, Torts, Real Property MBE questions (10 each, mixed)

Day 9: Wills (Decedents’ Estates) and Trusts

• Review Wills outline
• Review Trusts outline
• MEE 3 questions – 90 minutes
• July 2013 Wills MEE
• July 2015 Trusts MEE
• July 2012 Trusts MEE
• July 2012 Trusts MEE
• Feb 2013 Evidence MEE
• 30 Evidence, Torts, Real Property MBE questions (10 each, mixed)

Day 10: MPT – Persuasive Memo

• Briefly review the areas above you are having trouble with
• Review Wills and Trusts outlines
• MEE 3 questions – 90 minutes
• Feb 2013 Trusts MEE
• Feb 2012 Wills MEE
• Feb 2015 Wills MEE
• MPT – Read about Persuasive Brief in MPT Guide and complete Baby MPT
• MPT – 90 minutes Feb 2014 (In re Rowan)
• MPT – 90 minutes July 2012 (Ashton v. Indigo Construction Co.)

Day 11: OFF

Day 12: Constitutional Law

• Review Constitutional Law outline
• July 2011 Constitutional Law MEE
• July 2012 Constitutional Law MEE
• 30 Constitutional Law MBE Questions
• MPT – 90 minutes July 2013 (Monroe v. Franklin Flags Amusement Park)

Day 13:  Constitutional Law, Conflicts of Law

• Review Constitutional Law outline
• Review Conflicts of Law outline
• Feb 2013 Constitutional Law MEE
• Feb 2014 Constitutional Law MEE
• 30 Constitutional Law MBE Questions
• MPT – 90 minutes Feb 2013 (In re Guardianship of Will Fox)

Day 14: Contracts and Sales

• Briefly review Constitutional Law outline
• Review Contracts and Sales outline
• Feb 2011 Contracts and Sales MEE
• Feb 2012 Contracts and Sales MEE
• 30 Contracts and Sales MBE Questions

Day 15: Contracts and Sales and MPTs – Opinion Letter

• Review Contracts and Sales outline
• Feb 2013 Contracts and Sales MEE
• 30 Contracts and Sales MBE Questions
• MPT – Read about Opinion Letters in MPT Guide and complete Baby MPT
• MPT – 90 minutes Feb 2013 (In re Wendy Martel)

Day 16: Review and Timed Practice

• Review Constitutional Law and Contracts, MPTS
• Briefly Review Torts, Real Property, Evidence
• MPT – 90 minutes
• 30 Contracts and Sales and Constitutional Law MBE Questions (15 each, mixed)

Day 17: Criminal Law and Procedure

• Review Criminal Law and Procedure outline
• July 2011 Criminal Law and Procedure MEE
• Feb 2014 Criminal Law and Procedure MEE
• 30 Criminal Law and Procedure MBE Questions
• MBE – 100 question MBE timed (optional, without Civil Procedure)

Day 18: Criminal Law and Procedure

• Review Criminal Law and Procedure outline
• July 2014 Criminal Law and Procedure MEE
• July 2016 Criminal Law and Procedure MEE
• 30 Criminal Law and Procedure MBE Questions

Day 19: Civil Procedure

• Review Civil Procedure outline
• Feb 2012 Civil Procedure/Conflicts MEE
• July 2015 Civil Procedure MEE
• Feb 2014 Civil Procedure MEE
• 30 Civil Procedure MBE Questions

Day 20: Civil Procedure

• Review Civil Procedure outline
• July 2013 Civil Procedure MEE
• July 2015 Civil Procedure MEE
• 50 Civil Procedure MBE Questions timed

Day 21: OFF

Day 22: Review and Timed Practice

• Review all MBE subjects and MEE subjects to date,
• MBE – 100 question MBE timed

Day 23: Secured Transactions

• Review Secured Transactions outline
• MEE 3 questions – 90 minutes
• July 2012 Secured Transactions MEE
• Feb 2013 Secured Transactions MEE
• Feb 2014 Secured Transactions MEE
• 30 Civil Procedure and Criminal Law/Procedure MBE Questions mixed (15 each)

Day 24: Family Law, MPTs – Wildcard Tasks

• Briefly review Secured Transactions outline
• Review Family Law outline
• July 2011 Family Law/Conflicts MEE
• July 2014 Family Law
• Feb 2016 Secured Transactions MEE
• More MBE questions as necessary
• MPT – Read about Wildcard Tasks in MPT Guide
• MPT – 90 minutes July 2013 (Palindrome Recording Contract)
• MPT – 90 minutes July 2012 (State of Franklin v. Soper)

Day 25: Corporations and LLCs, Agency, and Partnership

• Review Corporations and LLCs outline
• Review Agency and Partnership outline
• July 2013 Torts/Agency MEE (bullet point)
• July 2016 Corporations and LLC’s MEE (bullet point)
• Feb 2012 Corporations and LLC’s MEE (bullet point)
• July 2011 Partnership MEE (bullet point)
• Feb 2012 Partnership MEE (bullet point)
• Feb 2014 Agency and Partnership MEE (bullet point)
• Feb 2013 Agency MEE (bullet point)
• More MBE questions as necessary
• MPT – 90 minutes Feb 2012 (Franklin Resale Royalties Legislation)

Day 26: Review and Timed Practice

• Review all MBE subjects and MEE subjects to date
• MEE 3 questions– 90 minutes – Feb 2010 exam (Questions 1-3)
• If you need more Corporations practice, briefly bullet point
• July 2012 Corporations MEE
• July 2013 Corporations MEE
• July 2014 Corporations MEE
• MPT – 3 hours Feb 2010 MPT if additional practice is needed

Day 27: Review and Timed Practice

• Continue to review all MBE subjects and MEE subjects
• MBE – 100 question MBE timed
• MPT – 90 minutes Feb 2011 MPT #1 (In re Magnolia County)

Day 28: Review and Timed Practice

• MPT – 90 minutes Feb 2011 MPT #2 (Franklin Resale Royalties Legislation)
• MEE 3 questions – 90 minutes – Feb 2010 exam (Questions 4-6)

Day 29: Review and Timed Practice

• Review
• MBE – 100 question MBE timed

Day 30: Review and Timed Practice

• Review
• MBE – 100 question MBE timed

Day 31: Review and Timed Practice

• Review
• MPT – 3 hours July 2010 MPT (both MPTs administered)

Day 32: Review and Timed Practice

• Review
• MEE 6 questions – July 2010 exam

Day 33: Review and practice as necessary

Day 34: Review and practice as necessary

Day 35: OFF

Take the bar exam!

We hope that the above study plan is helpful for you, and if you have any questions about any of our materials or programs, please contact us! For our 45-day study plan, see this post.