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How To Make A Stellar Part Time Bar Exam Study Schedule

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Part Time Bar Exam Study Schedule

How To Make A Stellar Part Time Bar Exam Study Schedule

Studying for the bar exam is a major time commitment. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to study full time. While many law school graduates are able to dedicate 8-10 hours per day to studying for the bar exam, others need to continue working during their study period and can’t dedicate that amount of time. If you fall into the latter category, there’s no need to panic. You just need to use your limited study time as effectively as possible. Here are some tips for creating and implementing a successful part time bar exam study schedule.

How To Make A Stellar Part Time Bar Exam Study Schedule

1. Start studying early.

If you will be studying for the bar exam on a part-time basis, it’s a good idea to start studying early. Bar prep courses are about two months long. Most students spend those two months studying full time (40-plus hours a week). If you’re only able to study part time, these eight weeks are probably not enough time to fully prepare. So start studying before your bar prep course officially begins!

Try to begin studying three to four months before the exam. You can start reviewing the black letter law, especially the law that is highly tested on the MBE. You can also work on practicing multiple-choice questions. Even if you only study a few hours a week, it will be a huge help in the long run.

2. Create a realistic schedule—and stick to it.

Following a strict but realistic schedule is essential if you’re studying part time for the bar exam. Take the time to create a detailed schedule you can actually stick to. It’s one thing to say you’ll study 25 hours a week; it’s quite another to find 25 free hours and block them out in your schedule.

Sit down with a calendar and write down how much time you’ll dedicate to studying each day. Do your best to set aside blocks of time (2 or more hours) that will allow you to focus and get more done. Be realistic with your scheduling. If you’re not a night person, it is not productive to schedule your study time until midnight.

3. Figure out which subjects you will study each week. Make sure to include plenty of time to review.

Once you have your time blocked off, figure out which subjects you will study each week. See our post on how to create a bar exam study schedule to do this.  An example of how your week might look like is this:

Note: Your state subjects may be different than the ones listed below. (If you are in a UBE state, these will be pretty close.)

Note: This contemplates 14 weeks of study. You may have more or less time. However, you should still leave a minimum of 2 weeks at the end of your study schedule to review.

Week 1
MBE Subject 1: Real Property
Essay subject: Real Property

Week 2
MBE Subject 2: Contracts and Sales
Essay subject: Contracts
Essay subject: Sales

Week 3:
Review Real Property and Contracts
Essay subject:Secured Transactions

Week 4:
MBE Subject 3: Evidence
Essay subject:Evidence
Essay subject: Agency
Essay subject:Partnership
Essay subject:Corporations & LLCs

Week 5:
MBE Subject 3: Evidence
State subject: Evidence
Essay subject: Agency
Essay subject: Partnership
Essay subject: Corporations & LLCs
Review subjects you have had difficulty with.

Week 6:
MBE Subject 4: Civil Procedure
Essay subject: Civil Procedure
Essay subject: Family Law

Week 7:
Review all subjects up until this point.

Week 8:
MBE Subject 5: Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure
Essay subject: Criminal Law
Essay subject: Criminal Procedure
Essay subject: Wills
Essay subject: Trusts 

Week 9:
MBE Subject 5: Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure
Essay subject: Wills
Essay subject: Trusts 
Review subjects you have had difficulty with.

Week 10:
MBE Subject 6: Torts
Essay subject: Torts
*TAKE FULL ESSAY EXAM

Week 11:
MBE Subject 7: Constitutional Law
State subject: Constitutional Law
Essay subject: Conflicts of Law
*TAKE FULL MBE EXAM and ESSAY EXAM

Weeks 12 – 14
Review all subjects these two weeks.
*TAKE FULL EXAMS
Pack for the bar exam.

Note: One thing you will want to incorporate into your part time bar exam study schedule is a few “review days” or a week set aside specifically to review the material Since you will be studying for a longer period of time (e.g. 3 or 4 months) you want to make sure to frequently go back to material you have memorized. Thus, incorporating some review days right into your schedule will be helpful.  We have incorporated a few “review weeks” above.

4. Plan a sample daily bar exam study schedule.

Your daily bar exam study schedule should include reviewing outlines/listening to lecture, memorizing outlines, and practice problems. See this post for a sample daily bar exam study schedule. (You will have to make your own schedule if you are studying part time.)

Note: One thing we recommend for part time bar exam studiers is that you focus more on memorization and reviewing your outlines at the beginning of the week. And focus more on practice problems toward the end of the week (once you learn the law). That way, you are studying in the proper order. You are learning the law before applying it.

5. Be realistic about other time constraints.

Your life doesn’t stop just because you’re studying for the bar exam. You likely have other responsibilities to consider, like a significant other, kids, parents, or even a pet. Consider in advance the kind of time commitment you are willing and able to dedicate to these responsibilities. Then make a plan on how you’ll balance your time studying and managing these responsibilities. If you don’t plan ahead, other time commitments could seriously interfere with your study schedule.

6. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel.

When you’re studying part time for the bar exam, you don’t have time to be inefficient or ineffective. Think about the methods that worked best for you in law school and use them when developing a part time bar exam study schedule! If you’re a visual learner, it might be more effective for you to write out an outline rather than watch hours of video lectures. The bar exam is not the time to try out some new study method—stick with what has worked for you in the past.

7. Take care of yourself.

There’s no question about it—trying to balance work, life, and studying part time for the bar exam is not an easy feat. You’ll probably feel like there isn’t enough time to do everything you need to do. Because of this, you might think you have no time to take care of yourself.

It is essential you prioritize your own well-being. Burnout can be a serious issue, especially for students who are studying part time while balancing other commitments. Make sure you get enough sleep, exercise, eat well, and take care of your physical and mental health.

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