How to Study Last Minute for the Bar Exam: A 3-Day Action Plan
How to Study Last Minute for the Bar Exam: A Strategic 3-Day Action Plan
If you’re staring down the bar exam and panicking because time has all but run out—take a deep breath. You’re not alone. Whether life got in the way or anxiety slowed your pace, you can still make the most of your final days with smart, targeted studying. We’ve developed a high-impact, last-minute strategy to help you walk into the exam with confidence.
This isn’t about cramming everything—it’s about studying smarter, not harder. Let’s dive into our 3-day plan to help you succeed on the bar exam, even at the eleventh hour.
Day 1: Master the Highly Tested Topics
Focus Keyword: Last minute bar exam tips
On your first day, the goal is high-efficiency content review. Don’t aim to review everything—instead, zero in on the most highly tested topics.
Prioritize What Matters Most
Use our Highly Tested MBE Topics Guide and Highly Tested MEE Topics Guide to pinpoint where your attention should go. For example:
- Torts and Evidence are frequent favorites on the MBE.
- Civil Procedure, Contracts, and Real Property are core areas you can’t ignore.
- For the MEE, subjects like Secured Transactions and Family Law often rotate in—don’t overlook them.
Use One-Sheets and Outlines
Rely on condensed resources like our Bar Exam One-Sheets to reinforce these highly tested areas. These are designed to give you maximum content coverage in minimal time.
Smart Tip:
Create a checklist of 8–10 high-priority rules or issues for each subject. Review it once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once before bed. Repetition is key.
Day 2: Drill with Purpose
Once you’ve built a solid foundation on highly tested material, it’s time to apply what you’ve reviewed.
Focus on MBE Practice
Do 50–75 timed MBE questions today. But don’t just test yourself—review every single answer, especially the ones you got wrong. This is how you internalize rule statements and correct faulty logic.
Our Highly Tested MBE Topics page will help you identify weak spots and adjust your review accordingly.
Work Through an MEE Outline
Select three essays from different subjects and issue spot using attack outlines. Then write out or bullet-point your answers, comparing them to the model answers. Use our MEE Guide to find recent essay questions.
Don’t Skip the MPT
Even if it feels less intimidating, the MPT is worth 20% of your UBE score! Use our MPT Formats and Attack Outlinesto review structure and templates for common tasks like memos or briefs.
Smart Tip:
Spend 90 minutes today doing one full timed MPT task. Focus less on perfection and more on getting comfortable with formatting, organization, and rule application.
Day 3: Light Review, Mindset, and Logistics
The final day before the exam should be low stress and high strategy. You’re not going to master new material now—and that’s okay. Today is about reviewing what you know, boosting your confidence, and prepping mentally.
Do a Morning Power Review
Use the first half of the day to review your checklists, One-Sheets, or flashcards. Focus on reinforcing:
- Commonly tested rules
- Heavily tested subjects
- Quick issue-spotting reminders
Avoid deep dives or dense lectures. This isn’t the time for that!
Mental Rehearsal: Visualization Works
Visualize walking into the testing center, reading questions, applying rules, and finishing each section with time to spare. This mental prep helps reduce test anxiety and primes your brain for performance.
Get Your Game Plan Ready
- Confirm your test day logistics: location, timing, ID, materials.
- Pack your bag and lay out comfortable clothes.
- Set two alarms and go to bed early.
Smart Tip:
If you’re prone to anxiety, write down a short mantra: “I’ve prepared for this. I know what to expect. I can do this.” Read it in the morning before the exam.
Bonus: What to Not Do in the Final Days
Here are some last minute bar exam tips for what to avoid:
- Don’t start new material. It can shake your confidence more than help.
- Don’t study late into the night. You need quality sleep to retain information.
- Don’t compare your prep to others. Your strategy is about you—not anyone else.
We’re Here to Help—Even at the Last Minute
You’ve made it this far, and that’s something to be proud of. Whether you’re taking the bar exam for the first time or you’re a repeat taker, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Need a focused session to clarify a tough subject? Our private bar exam tutoring is tailored to meet your needs—even in the final stretch.
Still feeling overwhelmed? Our bar exam course for repeat takers is structured to help you master the exam, no matter your timeline.
Final Thought:
Three days may not feel like enough time—but with a targeted strategy, high-yield review, and confidence in what you do know, you can walk into that exam room ready to perform. Trust your preparation, stay calm, and take it one question at a time. You’ve got this!
