The following questions are designed to help us start figuring out what went wrong the last
time you took the bar so you can prepare more effectively this time around. There are no right
answers, but we encourage you to be thoughtful in your responses. The more information you
give, the better. Please feel free to use as much room as necessary to answer the questions
completely and send a copy to Lee@barexamtoolbox.com when you’re finished!
Background Information
Undergraduate Institution/Major:
Law School/Graduation Date:
Bar Exam(s) Taken and Result(s):
Best Contact Information (phone/email):
Mailing Address:
Prior Bar Exam Experience
1. Did you take a bar review course? If so, which one? Did you find it effective?
2. How did you feel about the substantive material? Do you think you knew enough law on
exam day?
3. What was your strongest part of the exam? What was your weakest?
4. Why do you think you didn’t pass the bar exam?
5. Was there anything going on in your life that negatively influenced you during the bar
study period?
How did you study for the prior bar exam?
1. What percentage of your study time did you spend listening to lectures (in person, on
video, or audio recordings)?
2. What percentage of your study time did you spend reading materials provided by your
bar review course?
3. What percentage of your study time did you spend using commercial materials other
than those provided by your bar review course? What outside materials did you use, if
any?
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4. What percentage of your study time did you spend making your own outlines?
5. What percentage of your study time did you spend making flashcards, flowcharts, or
other non-outline study aids?
6. What percentage of your study time did you spend doing practice essays?
7. Roughly how many practice essays did you complete?
8. Did you get any feedback on your practice essays? If so, from what source?
9. What percentage of your study time did you spend taking practice performance tests?
10. Roughly how many practice performance tests did you complete?
11. Did you get any feedback on your practice performance tests? If so, from what source?
12. What percentage of your study time did you spend doing MBE practice questions?
13. Roughly how many MBE questions did you do (1) in a day or (2) a week?
14. Did you track what MBE questions types you often got wrong and drill these?
15. Did you use any special tools (Adaptibar, etc.) to prepare for the MBE?
16. How many weeks did you study in total?
17. Roughly how many hours a week did you study?
18. Did you take breaks or days off?
19. Did you feel like you suffered from burnout while studying?
20. Were you studying full time or working while studying?
21. Were you confident that you were well prepared going into the exam?
22. Did you struggle with anxiety while studying for or taking the bar exam?
23. Did you work with a tutor of any type while studying?
Past Performance Indicators
Law School GPA:
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Which of the following classes did you take in law school?
MBE Courses
California Essay Courses
Civil Procedure
Constitutional Law
Corporations
(Agency/Business
Associations)
Civil Procedure (CA)
Contracts
Community Property
Criminal Law
Evidence (CA)
Criminal Procedure
Professional Responsibility
Evidence
Remedies
Real Property
Wills & Trusts
Torts
1. In which bar subjects did you feel the most confident?
2. Were there any bar subject areas where you felt particularly weak?
3. Were there any types of tests/exams that you especially struggled with in law school?
Potential Study Tools
How frequently did you use the following potential study tools in law school?
Never
Sometimes
Often
Gradually creating
more concise outlines
Graphic organizers or
mind maps
Flowcharts
Flash cards
Working in a study
group
Creating Mnemonics
Writing practice
exams/answers
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
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