The Morning of the Exam
I have already discussed the importance of having a good breakfast the mornings of the bar exam. But what else should you do?
Here are two additional activities you should consider before you check-in for your examination:
First, get moving. Arrive at the testing location early, and take a simple walk around the exam building—maybe for 10 or 15 minutes. You don’t need to break a sweat. But simply moving around will get your blood flowing and send oxygen to your brain, which will improve your cognitive functions so you’re more energized, alert, and confident. Also, walking before you sit down in the examination room will help you alleviate some of the stress and anxiety that inevitably comes with taking the bar exam.
Second, read through an essay question before you check-in on Tuesday (the written portion day for the Uniform Bar Exam) and complete a set of five multiple-choice questions before you check-in on Wednesday (the MBE day). But don’t read just any essay question or answer any set of MBE questions. Instead, set an essay question aside that you’ve answered previously (and, ideally, in one of the areas that could likely be tested on this administration). Also, set aside a set of five MBE questions that you’ve answered correctly during your summer bar preparation.
Read that same essay before you take the written portion of the exam. Sure, you will already know the answer to that essay, but you’re not trying to learn anything the morning of the exam. Instead, you’re simply trying to prime and rev your brain for the same kind of the thinking that it will be doing that day.
Do the same thing Wednesday. Complete those give multiple-choice questions before you check in. Again, you’ll know the answers to the questions, and that’s okay. The purpose is to simply get your brain working.
Too many times I’ve heard test-takers say that it takes them a few questions on the actual exam to get into a rhythm or, worse, just to “wake up.” Use time before the bar exam to get into a rhythm or “wake up” so that you can make the most out of the questions that count. Research shows that if your brain function improves, you’re able to recall information faster. You might as well speed up this process.
