Reaching the point where it’s time for you to take the Ontario bar exam is the culmination of years of dedication and hard work. That said, for many aspiring legal professionals, it’s a challenging step, but like any test, how well you do comes down to how well you prepare.
That’s why in this blog, we provide you with 10 Ontario bar exam study tips to help put your best foot forward when test day comes around.
Understanding the Challenges of the Ontario Bar Exams
The Ontario Bar Exams, administered by the Law Society of Ontario (LSO), are split into two distinct exams: the Barrister exam and the Solicitor exam. Each exam lasts 4 hours and 30 minutes and contains 160 questions. They are conducted in an open-book, multiple-choice format.
The required study materials, known as “bar material,” are provided by the LSO. These comprehensive resources are specifically compiled to prepare candidates for the content covered in the bar exams.
The Barrister exam tests candidates on four key areas, being civil litigation, criminal law, family law, and public law, while the Solicitor exam focuses on business law, real estate, and estate planning. In addition, each exam also tests a candidates’ understanding of professional responsibility concepts, rules of professional conduct and by-laws.
Despite being allowed to have certain printed materials with you during the exam, the challenge lies in the sheer volume and complexity of the bar material, along with the strict time frame the tests must be completed in. That’s why, to perform your best and get a passing score on test day, you need to approach your Bar exam preparation the right way.
10 Bar Exam Study Tips
Here are ten Bar prep study tips that will put you in position to succeed:
- Develop a Comprehensive Study Schedule: Make yourself a well-structured study plan that ensures you are able to review the entirety of the bar material at least once and have time to do practice tests.
- From Broad to Specific: Before beginning to read the bar material in detail, it’s helpful to understand how the bar material is structured (for instance, the chapters within the civil litigation section generally follow steps involved in a litigation). A good way of doing that is reviewing the detailed table of contents that is included in the bar material and/or bar exam summaries. Once completed, you can begin reading the bar material in detail.
- Integrated Learning Approach: Combine reading, writing (making notes in the margin, preparing/updating charts and summary notes), and speaking (having a study group to discuss difficult concepts, leveraging tutoring) to internalize legal concepts better.
- Study Groups: Collaborate with your peers. Studying for the bar exams can be a lonely and tedious experience. As such, having a study group to discuss difficult concepts with and ask questions can be extremely helpful. In addition, explaining concepts to your peers will also reinforce your understanding.
- Complete Practice Questions: Ontario bar exam practice questions are some of the most important resources you have. We recommend doing as many practice questions as possible to ensure you are comfortable using your index and other study resources and navigating the bar material. We recommend completing practice questions after each topic you cover (such as, completing civil litigation practice questions after reading the civil litigation section) and also completing a full practice question exam after you have completed reading all topics for an exam.
As an aside, please note that not all service providers give you the ability to complete practice questions by topic, as such, you should be mindful when purchasing practice questions. With purchase of any of Bar Exam Crackers’ practice question packages, you also receive the ability to complete the practice questions by topic. - Indexing: You should figure out your indexing strategy in early stages of your preparation – whether you are updating a prior year index with a group, purchasing an index, or otherwise obtaining an index from another group. No index is perfect. So, be sure to integrate the index in your study preparation, so that you can update it, as necessary.
- Test Yourself With Practice Exams: Given the importance of the practice questions, we wanted to re-emphasize it. As such, we have included another bullet focused on practice questions. Do practice exams by topic and also once you’ve covered all the material.
- Review Professional Responsibility, Rules of Professional Conduct and By-laws: The importance of these sections cannot be overstated. Simply put, be sure to review these sections and then re-read them (time permitting).
- Review LSO website: Ensure that you have reviewed the law society website for guidance on items permitted in the exam center and other guidelines relevant for your preparation and day of the exam.
- Manage Stress: Incorporate activities that take your mind off the exam into your bar exam prep. They will help you to maintain mental clarity and avoid burnout.
Bar Exam Crackers – Put Your Best Foot Forward
As you prepare for the Ontario Bar Exam, remember that practice and patience are key. At Bar Exam Crackers, we give you the resources you need to tackle the exam with confidence. With a wide selection of Ontario Bar Exam Practice Questions, summaries, and personalized tutoring, we are here to support you every step of the way!