Topic 3: How to Study for the MEE Efficiently

How to Study for the MEE Efficiently

Here, we tell you how to study for the MEE (Multistate Essay Exam) to maximize your MEE score. We outline the most efficient approach. This is the approach that one of our tutors used to score in the 99th percentile on the MEE.

How to Study for the MEE Efficiently 

Below are five tips on how to study for the MEE. This step-by-step approach to the MEE will put you in the best position to score high on the MEE and ultimately pass the bar exam!

1. Make sure you have good outlines

The first step to studying efficiently and productively for the MEE is to make sure you have good outlines. A good MEE outline is invaluable because it will make it easier for you to understand the law and memorize it (which is necessary to score high on the MEE!)

What is a “good” MEE outline?

A good MEE outline:

• Should be manageable in length
• Should be easy to memorize
• Contain examples
• Should highlight the highly tested areas of law

If you find that your outlines are not effective for you, purchase different ones. (You can also consider signing up for our MEE Essay Course, where we give students our outlines that are tailored to the MEE. To learn more about why we have the best MEE outlines and to see a sample, click here!)

2. Understand the law

There is no point in memorizing an outline if you don’t know what it means. Make sure that you have a good understanding of the law. If you struggle with Secured Transactions, for example, get some help with it! You will not be able to effectively memorize the law and apply it well if you do not understand it.

Here are some ways you can gain an understanding of the law:

• Attend your course lectures
• Sign up for Bar Exam Private Tutoring
• If you are in law school, take classes on the subject (if you take the class in law school, you may find that you understand the law better and do not need to learn anything further!).

Once you have a good understanding of the law, move on to the next step—memorization.

3. Memorize the law and focus on the highly tested areas of law

Memorizing the rules is critical if you want to study for the MEE in the most effective way. It is important to memorize the rule because on an MEE essay, you will have to apply the rule to reach a conclusion. You will excel at the rule, application, and conclusion portion for each issue if you have the rules memorized! (And, on the contrary, you will struggle with these portions if you do not have the rules memorized!)

Another advantage of memorizing the rules is that you will be less likely to run out of time on a MEE answer. You will not have to waste time thinking about what to write. Rather, you will know what to write.

A few tips on memorizing the law

• Rather than trying to memorize entire sentences, memorize elements. For example, instead of memorizing “a battery is an act with intent to commit a harmful or offensive contact . . . and a harmful or offensive contact directly or indirectly results” focus on the key elements of act, intent, and contact. This will make memorizing more manageable and you will remember the “key words” when you write your essay answer.
• Don’t passively read outlines. Instead, “actively” memorize them. Ways to do this include covering up and rewriting portions of your outlines, making flashcards, or repeating them out loud.
• Memorize at your best time of the day. For example, if you work best in the morning, work on memorization then. Memorization is hard work.
• Take breaks. Since memorization takes up so much brain power, you should take frequent breaks. For example, take breaks every 45 minutes or so.
• Memorize one “chunk” of an outline, then move on to the next. Rather than trying to memorize a 30-page outline all at once, work on, say, five pages at a time. After you have five pages memorized, move on to the next five pages.
• Mix up how you memorize. Try creating charts or diagrams. Try using mnemonics or rhymes. Try quizzing yourself or having a study partner quiz you. This will keep you interested and engaged.
• Set up a retention schedule. For example, if you review Secured Transactions on June 1. You should review it again June 2. And, maybe even again on June 3. Then you should be reviewing it regularly after that (at least once a week). If you do not set aside time to review your outline later, unfortunately, you are likely to forget it!

You can also read more about memorizing your bar exam outlines here.

Lastly, instead of trying to memorize everything, focus on the highly tested areas of law.

You only have so much time when you study. The best way to study efficiently is to start by focusing on the rules that are most likely to be tested. You can read more about the highly tested MEE topics here (where you will find a free PDF and YouTube video) or you can purchase our MEE One-Sheets here, which contain a concise overview of the highly tested areas of law.

4. Complete practice questions

The next step to ensuring effective studying for the MEE  is to complete practice questions. The best way to approach this is as follows:

• First, start by writing out full answers to MEE questions in an untimed setting. Make sure you work on your MEE structure. Your primary focus is making sure you have the MEE structure and format down.
• Next, instead of writing out full answers, start to bullet point your answers. (For example, quickly write down: the issue, the elements of the rule, key facts you would analyze, and the conclusion.) The advantage of doing this is that you will be exposed to more MEE questions in less time. It is an effective way to study.
• Lastly, make sure you incorporate timed exams into your schedule. Incorporate one or two three-hour, six-question MEEs. (If you struggled with timing in law school or on a past bar exam, you will want to complete timed exams early on and maybe do more than two full exams.)

If you are looking for some free resources for past MEE questions and answers, check out this post on where to find past MEEs for free. We have tons of links! If you want instant access to MEE questions and answers from 2000 on, you can purchase our MEE books here in electronic or hard copy form.

5. Self-grade your MEE answers

The next key to studying for the MEE in an effective manner is to self-grade your MEE answers. In other words, don’t just write an MEE answer and then move on. Instead, you should closely compare it with the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) model answer. Doing this has several advantages:

Advantages of self-grading MEE answers

• First, you will see where you are doing well on and what you need to improve on.
• Second, you will be more likely to remember the law because you will be actively reviewing it in a different form.
• Third, you will gain confidence as your answers improve.
• Fourth, you will start to “think like a grader,” and write the kind of essays that bar exam graders want to see!

A brief overview of how to self-grade MEE answers

Compare your answer side-by-side with the model answer and ask yourself:

• Did I spot the issues?
• Did I state the applicable rules?
• Did I analyze the issues correctly?
• Did I conclude accurately?

Ignore any case citations in the model answer. And ignore policy analyses and any lengthy background on the law. Just focus on “IRAC” and whether you accurately composed your answer in IRAC format. Looking for more tips on how to self-grade an MEE answer? We have them here.

If you have a course that will grade your essays, feel free to submit them as well! Sometimes an outside grader will see things you don’t. We provide bar exam essay feedback every administration that students find very helpful. But if you are not signed up for a course, or can’t afford feedback, then the best thing to do is self-grade your MEE answers!

If you have any questions about how to study for the MEE or have any tips of your own, please feel free to contact us or post below!

Go to the next topic, Topic 4: MEE Frequency Chart.

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