[Column] Tips for completing the bar exam for test takers who can't sleep due to anxiety

Three years ago, I taught a so-called 5th grade student who was taking the bar exam for the 5th time for about 3 months. As his bar exam experience shows, the above examinee studied a lot to the point where there were no academy lectures he didn't take or textbooks he didn't read, but at the time, he was so anxious that he couldn't even sleep properly. There was so much to see, but I was worried that I wouldn't be able to digest it all by the day of the test. In addition to basic books, optional, case-type, and record-type problem sets and explanations, and the latest case studies, the number of special lecture materials distributed by schools and academies is truly enormous.

At the time, I thought the test taker above was my younger brother, and gave my own tip that if you do this, you will definitely pass. And he continued to reassure me that I would pass until the day of the exam. I meant it. What was the result? The test taker above, who had not completed the military service at the time, easily passed the bar exam he took for the last time in his life, and is currently a military judge captain and is scheduled to be discharged next summer.

Now that the 13th bar exam is just around the corner, I would like to introduce what I think is the ‘most efficient finishing tip’ for juniors who, like the test taker above, are barely getting through each day with anxiety. I hope this will be of great reference to you.

First, let’s drastically reduce the amount of textbooks to read. In a state of extreme anxiety like now, you will only be able to see the content if you watch it with the confidence that you will pass the minimum amount of content. So what should I watch during the remaining time?

For all public, criminal, and civil laws, prioritize in the following order: ① the latest three-year precedents, ② the Law Society mock exam in October, August, and June of this year, and ③ the 11th bar exam. And once you have digested all of the above, the scope gradually expands in reverse chronological order. That is, ④Law Association mock exams held in October, August, and June of last year, and ⑤the 10th bar exam will continue until the day of the exam. If there are any subnotes that you have carefully organized, add only those.

In particular, if any precedents from the past three years were included in the case and record format in the Law Society's mock exams held in October, August, and June of this year, check the latest precedent collection once more and become fully familiar with it. You will find yourself smiling in the actual exam room.

And from now on, I will study only through input. In other words, it is enough to do the output (=answer writing practice) once or twice for the subject in which you are weakest in order to relieve anxiety. There is absolutely no need to write answers on time just because you studied the case and record format of the Law Society mock test and the bar exam above. To be honest, you probably won't have time for that, and it's important to master at least one more content from the above textbook by the day of the exam. Therefore, after reading the problem, you can organize the issues and the table of contents in your head or in a notebook and then immediately read the explanation. In other words, study as if the above questions and explanations are a basic book, and there is absolutely no need to struggle to solve the questions.

 

If you read this far, don't these questions come to mind? ‘What should I do if the question is asked outside of the above range?’ Three years ago, a test taker also asked me the same question, and my answer then was as follows.

“Even though you have completely digested 3 years of the latest precedents, the latest 1-year law association mock exam, and the past 1-year bar exam questions, if a question is asked outside the range, you will not be able to solve the problem in the same way even if you read the basic book from now on, and the same will probably be true for other test takers. Be confident that you are studying most efficiently.”

I sincerely hope that all of the students reading this for the 13th bar exam pass and that we can meet in the field next year. I hope you persevere until the end.

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