Law school exams can vary significantly between subjects and professors, but one thing is certain — they are all equally important. Excelling on law school exams is more than showcasing what you've learned. It’s also about lifting your grades and setting the foundation for your legal career.
Before you dive into your studies, it’s best to understand the different law school exam types you might face so you can approach each exam with confidence. Here’s a breakdown of the most common law school exams and strategies to tackle them head-on.
Closed-Book Exam
Although you typically won’t be able to use an outline during this type of law school exam, you should still create one. Start by focusing on the need-to-know information. Don’t overwhelm yourself by including every detail discussed in class or outlined in cases.
Not sure what should go in your outline? Get tips for outlining success.
Once your outline is complete, memorize the key sections and take practice exams along the way to reinforce your knowledge and simulate exam conditions. Check with your professor about what notes, if any, you can have available on exam day. If your professor doesn’t provide them, you may be able to go online to find some effective notes.
Remember, while you can’t bring resources into the exam, a well-memorized and concise mental framework will serve as your greatest tool. Check out BARBRI 1L Success or BARBRI 2L/3L Success to kickstart your exam prep.
Open-Book (Open Laptop) Exam
You may be relieved to learn you can bring your outline, your textbook, supplements…you name it, to an open-book law school exam. But don’t be fooled. An open-book exam doesn’t mean less preparation. You will still need to put in the time and effort to master your analytical and issue-spotting skills.
To begin the study process, create an outline that is complete (with helpful attack plans for answering a given question), organized, and concise. Yes, concise.
Your outline is best viewed as reference material rather than an opportunity to throw in every issue and rule known to man. You should be able to easily comb through all the law as you distinguish between issues and making judgment calls on what is an issue and what is not.
Legal analysis is necessary for all types of law school exams, but especially open-book exams. Since everyone has access to the same rules, what will set you apart is your ability to apply those rules to spot and analyze issues quickly and thoughtfully.
Take-Home Exam
How you prepare for a take-home exam depends mostly on how much time you have. The shorter ones aren’t all that different from in-class exams. If you have eight hours or less to do your take-home, consider it basically an open-book, in-class exam that you take elsewhere and prepare accordingly.
The longer take-home exams offer a bit more flexibility that you can use to your advantage. Here, you can plan your work time for when you do your best deep thinking. Spend some time reading through the exam and thinking about each question so you can hit the ground running.
Know that with a stellar outline, whether it’s one you create yourself or one you get somewhere else, you can write on any legal topic. No matter the take-home exam timeframe, time management and thorough outlining will make all the difference between a rushed submission and a polished response.
Multiple-Choice Exam
Multiple-choice exams are designed to test your knowledge of nuanced legal rules, exceptions, and applications. They’re often used to help students prepare for the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE). Having comprehensive knowledge of the legal rules will help you nail even the most subtle distinctions.
But just as important as memorization of the legal rules is self-confidence in your own abilities. If the thought of taking a multiple-choice exam makes you cringe, try thinking of it as a mini essay. It gives you the same problem-solving opportunities in a more compact form. Plus, instead of having to come up with your own conclusion, you simply get to select the most appropriate answer that applies the rule.
Build exam confidence by practicing like you would for the bar with BARBRI MBE prep and other study tools.
Short-Answer Exam with Word Limits
Some professors recognize that multipage issue-spotter type law school exams aren’t always the fairest way to evaluate student performance. Instead, they may opt for word-count limits to decrease stress, level the playing field, and encourage students to prioritize quality over quantity.
A short-answer final with word count limits is your moment to show depth of understanding without the fluff. Stick to the key facts and legal principles required to answer each question with brevity, and then move on.
Tips for Law School Exam Success
While the various exam types may differ in structure, they share one common requirement — preparation. Use these three tips as a guide to help you perform at your best, no matter the exam type you encounter:
- Start early: Building a study schedule keeps you ahead of deadlines and reduces stress.
- Use practice exams: Simulate real-time conditions to build confidence and identify weak areas.
- Get professional support: Resources and additional law school exam-taking tips from BARBRI can accelerate your exam prep with proven strategies tailored to law students.
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