Toasting the Bar: Making Every Second Count on the MBE
If you’ve ever watched a toaster at work (and let’s be honest, we’ve all zoned out staring at one at some point), you know that it takes just the right amount of time to get the perfect toast. Too short, and your bread is still soft and barely warm. Too long, and you’re scraping off the burnt parts while questioning your life choices.
The same principle applies to the Multistate Bar Examination. Each MBE question is a precise science: you have one minute and 48 seconds per question (1.8 minutes)—not too fast, not too slow. Yet, many test-takers struggle with time, either running out before finishing or rushing through and making careless mistakes.
Why Rushing and Double-Checking is NOT the Answer
Some students believe that the best strategy is to answer all the questions quickly and then use any remaining time to double-check their answers. This doesn’t work for two key reasons:
Your first instinct is usually correct. When students change their answers, they often switch from a correct response to an incorrect one. Overanalyzing can lead to self-doubt and unnecessary second-guessing.
You should fully engage with each question the first time. If you rush through, you’ll have to refamiliarize yourself with the question later, which takes even more time. If you rush through, you’re likely to misread questions, make careless mistakes, and misinterpret fact patterns. It’s better to use the full 1:48 per question efficiently rather than banking on reviewing the question later.
Instead of trying to “finish early,” your goal should be to use the time you have wisely, answering questions at a steady pace and finishing right on time—like a perfectly toasted piece of bread popping up from the toaster at just the right moment.
Break Larger Exams into Smaller Chunks to Stay on Track
With two sets of 100 questions to complete in the 3-hour block on the bar exam, you have approximately 1.8 minutes per MBE question. Keeping a steady pace is crucial. If you go too fast, you may misread questions and make careless errors. If you go too slow, you risk running out of time before answering all the questions. A simple yet effective technique to help stay on track is breaking the test into smaller, manageable chunks using time markers.
When doing small sets of practice questions, complete them in sets of 17 or 18 and time yourself for 30 minutes.
For a 100-question simulation (and, ultimately, on exam day), mark time checkpoints to track your pacing:
⏲️ Write “30 minutes” next to Question 17 (or write the actual time; for example, if the exam starts at 9:07, write 9:37 next to Question 17)
⏲️ Write “1 hour” next to Question 34 (e.g., 10:07 if starting at 9:07)
⏲️ Write “1 hour 30 minutes” next to Question 50 (e.g., 10:37)
⏲️ Write “2 hours” next to Question 67 (e.g., 11:07)
⏲️ Write “2 hours 30 minutes” next to Question 86 (e.g., 11:37)
This method helps you gauge your timing in real-time rather than waiting until the end to realize you’re too slow or too fast. For example, if you reach Question 17 and 33 minutes have passed, you’ll know to speed up in the next set of 17 questions. If you’re at Question 17 but only 25 minutes have passed, you’ll know to slow down. These checkpoints give you the opportunity to adjust your pace throughout the test in smaller increments, making it easier to stay on track without last-minute panic.
Now go make some toast and practice some MBE questions!
