How to Write Better, Faster Multistate Essay Exam Answers

How to Write Better, Faster Multistate Essay Exam Answers

The Multistate Essay exam (MEE)  is a 3-hour component of the bar exam and consists of 6 essay questions.  You will have 30 minutes to answer each essay question.  Here, we discuss some tips and tricks for how to utilize those 30 minutes and write better, faster multistate essay exam answers.

How to Write Better, Faster Multistate Essay Exam Answers

1. Effectively read the fact pattern the first time through.

Read the fact pattern slowly and carefully the first time so that you don’t have spent time re-reading it when you get to the end.  Underline important facts, take notes in the margin, and pay attention to things such as dates or language in quotes.  You may want to jot down a list of potential issues you see as you read through the fact pattern.

Many students ask if they should read the fact pattern first or the call of the question first.  Skimming the call of the question first to get an idea of what subject is being tested and (sometimes) what issues to look for may help you effectively read the fact pattern the first time.

2. Memorize the law!

The importance of memorizing the law cannot be overstated.  First, it will allow you to quickly and correctly identify the issues being tested.  Second, you will be able to accurately recite the applicable rule statements, which are one of the most important parts of your essay answer! Some subjects are tested more frequently than others (and, within each subject, some rules are more highly tested than others), so you should especially spend time memorizing the highly tested material (but don’t ignore the non-highly tested material!).  Memorizing the law will allow you to quickly identify the correct issues and know what to discuss; you won’t waste time thinking about what to write.

For information about highly tested subjects and topics on the MEE, see our MEE guide here.

If you are looking for memorization tips and tricks, check out our blog post here.

3. Don’t start with a conclusion!

Utilize the IRAC structure for your essay answers and do not start with your conclusion!  If you start with the conclusion, you run the risk of writing your entire analysis and changing your mind about the outcome once you get to the end, and then having to go back and change the conclusion (or worse, forgetting to change it and now you have inconsistent conclusions!).

Instead, start with a heading that clearly identifies the issue you are about to discuss (it can be as simple as the name of the rule that applies, or take cues from the call of the question).  Then, state the rule, go through the analysis, and provide a concise, definitive conclusion at the end.  This will also allow you to write a faster answer because you don’t have to think about what the conclusion will be before you start writing your answer.  You can consider the facts as you write your analysis section and then decide on a conclusion once you get to the end!

4. Create a checklist to assist with effective issue spotting.

If you struggle with issue spotting as you are working on practice exams, it may be helpful to memorize an “attack outline” or checklist for each subject.  Create a short list/outline of all the potential rules that could be tested for each subject and try to memorize it.  As you are reading the fact pattern, or when you get to the end of the fact pattern, but before you start to write an answer, go through your attack outline to identify potential rules that are being tested in the given the fact pattern.  Doing this before you start writing your answer will prevent you from wasting time talking about the wrong issues!

5. Keep practicing!

Write as many practice essay answers as you can while you are studying.  There are three benefits to writing lots of practice essays:

• First, you will become familiar with the types of issues that are tested in each subject.  As mentioned above, some issues are more frequently tested than others and you will learn which issues those are through multiple practice exams.  S
• econd, if you effectively practice self-grading, you will learn the substantive law (for more information on self-grading, see our blog post here).
• Finally, you will become more familiar with the structure of the essay fact patterns and the model answers.  This should make you more comfortable when you sit for the actual exam and allow you to write a clear, concise, well-organized answer to any question on the Multistate Essay Exam!

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