“Slow Down” — From The Beatles to the Bar Exam

I recently heard The Beatles' version of “Slow Down." It caught my attention—not just because it’s a high-energy classic, but because it reminded me of something I keep telling students during bar prep: you’ve got to slow down, especially on the MBE.

“Slow Down” wasn’t originally a Beatles tune. It was a cover of a 1958 Larry Williams song, released as the B-side to his hit “Dizzy Miss Lizzy.” The Beatles recorded their version in 1964 and gave it their trademark edge, but the core message remains timeless—slow down.

And when it comes to the MBE, that advice couldn’t be more relevant.

Let’s do the math. The MBE consists of two blocks of 100 questions each. Each block is three hours, or 180 minutes. That means you have, on average, 1.8 minutes per question to complete the 100-question block. That’s 1 minute and 48 seconds.

But what do most students do? They rush. They skim. They pick the first answer that feels “right.” They finish early and feel confident—until the score report says otherwise.

If that’s you, it’s time to change the tempo.

The MBE isn’t just a test of memorized rules—it’s a test of careful application. It’s reading comprehension, critical reasoning, issue spotting, and precision all rolled into one. That takes time.

When you speed through questions, you:

😬 Miss key facts and qualifiers

😬 Misread the call of the question

😬 Fall for tempting but incorrect choices

😬 Forget to eliminate wrong answers with intention

😬 Fast work often leads to messy work.

Here are a few actionable strategies:

1. Stick to the 1:48 Rule

Practice using all 1.8 minutes per question—even if it feels “too long.” Use that time to carefully re-read, eliminate answer choices, and double-check your reasoning.

2. Think Before You Peek

Before jumping to the answer choices, ask yourself:

🤔 What’s the issue?

🤔 What’s the relevant rule?

🤔 How does that rule apply to these facts?

🤔 What result logically follows?

3. Mirror Your Review Time

My rule of thumb: spend as much time reviewing the question as you did answering it.

Got it wrong? Learn why.

Got it right? Confirm your reasoning.

4. Log Your Rush Mistakes

Keep a quick journal of “rushed errors.” You’ll start seeing patterns—and you’ll learn to slow yourself down where it matters most.

🎶 “Slow down, baby, now you’re movin’ way too fast…” 🎶

Whether it’s Larry Williams in 1958, The Beatles in 1964, or you taking the bar in 2025, the advice still holds:

Slow down—not because you’re not ready, but because that’s how you show that you are.