To pass a tough law school exam, law students must first develop certain key skills. The most important test skills needed to successfully pass law school exams are organization, thinking, reasoning, timing, and accurate written communication. Most law examiners examine these fundamental academic skills when grading multiple-choice and essay exams. For law students, having a good law exam answer can mean the difference between passing and failing.
Law school exams typically take about three months to complete. Students should expect to devote between three and eight hours of study time per week, spread across the span of about six months. Law school exams cover many different topics, so planning your strategy ahead of time is crucial. There are two approaches to preparing for exams: a comprehensive study or focused study. Although comprehensive exams are more time-consuming, they produce better results.
Comprehensive exams are comprised of multiple-choice and short answer questions, which are scored using a scale of A to F. Some exams also require the use of research papers. Before taking exams, law students should review the material for each section and select the topics that they will be focusing on most closely. For the majority of law school finals, there is no set number of topics to read; the student must select and read the topic that appeals to them. To prepare for finals, law students should also spend a fair amount of time practicing for their tests. Practice exams cover not only the material presented on the final day of law school, but also the material they will be studying for the rest of the semester.
Before the exam, students should have reviewed all of their course materials thoroughly. This includes course outlines, assignment guides, and any other related reading material. Reviewing this material ahead of time will ensure that the student has covered all of the topics that will be tested. This also gives the student a chance to familiarize themselves with the concepts and theories that will be examined. By reviewing this material ahead of time, a law student will be able to predict what they will be feeling when the time comes to answer the test.
Law school does not come without its share of stress. In addition to the mental strain of the big exam date, there will be several other factors that will come into play during testing. Most professors want to test students’ ability to take direction, as well as their analytical skills. When law students do not know something or do not know how to answer a question, it is not the professor’s fault. The professor is there to guide students through the questions and have them master the material before sitting for the exam.
The smartest thing a student can do to prepare for the law exam is to create an outline of what will need to be studied. An outline will give a student a guideline to follow and keep to during the semester, so that the average reading level and retention level is at its peak. Having an outline to guide one through the material rather than just an example or research session is far more effective in aiding a law student to succeed on the exam.
One of the most important steps a law student can take prior to the examination is to thoroughly read over their professor’s paper. This will give the student a good idea of any grammatical or punctuation errors that may slip past the reviewer. It is also a great idea to look over the topical information included within the paper as well as any charts, graphs, or side bars. These types of information are often overlooked by many law professors, which is why it is so important to review the bulk of one’s material before submitting it for the exam.
