Hello all,

Congratulations, you only have one more day! I realize in saying that – many are very worried about tomorrow’s essays and performance test. Hopefully this post will help ease some anxiety. That is my hope. If you feel you need more, be sure to sign up for our tips list (you can sign up below).

I promised I would provide an update to the “predictions” that I made earlier. So here we go:

First, the topics that were tested on day one’s essays and performance test were all within those expected. As a result, I do not have major revisions to the predictions. And, in case you are new to my blog, let me re-iterate that I do not think anyone can predict what will be on the bar exam with any certainty. I thought Evidence was going to be tested on the July 2014 bar exam, so did a lot of other people. It had not been tested on the essays in some time. But, it was on the performance test b on the February 2014 bar exam. So, it was somewhat up in the air. I felt that Professional Responsibility could be tested in the business organizations context and you saw that yesterday. Contract Remedies was probably the least expected by most who study the frequency of topics tested by the bar examiners. But, Contracts was on my list and any time you have Contracts you need to expect Remedies. Still, I doubt many walked into the exam expecting a Remedies exam. Okay, enough about day one.

As you may know, I am choosing not to discuss the performance test until next week. But, knowing what I know about Performance Test A from day one does not change any of my predictions that I made prior to the exam.

So, here is what I recommend you do this evening. Study. I really do think it makes a difference to do some studying the night before. Of course, this is up to you. But, I do believe that reviewing material the night before is helpful and I do think that you can still learn new material (although I hope you do not need to learn new material tonight).

Now what should you study?

Number one, study any area that you fear seeing on the exam tomorrow. If you are fearful of getting Civil Procedure, then you better study it. Same goes for any other topic that you are fearful of seeing on the exam.

Number two, review the “predicted” areas (see earlier posts) and remember Professional Responsibility could show up again. Review my prior posts for essay scenarios. It can not hurt to walk into the bar having just read about a particular issue combination. And, yes, I do think Civil Procedure my repeat from February . . . read my prior posts for more details.

Number three, if you haven’t already, sign up for our tips list and I will send out our predictions and revised predictions to you via email. We will continue to send this out through this evening as long as possible).

You can sign up for our revised predictions and tips list here:

What else should I do?

Do your best to relax. You have just been through two very long and intense days. You need to have your wits about you for tomorrow. Focus on things that will help you and avoid things that will be counterproductive. What would be counterproductive? Dwelling on how you did (or did not do) on day one’s essays or performance test, talking about what you wrote on day one . . . this will not help, and it generally only leads to more anxiety which is not helpful.

Try to get some decent sleep.

If you can get a decent night’s sleep tonight that would obviously be great. But, recognize it may not be possible and simply be okay with that. Don’t dwell on the fact that you can’t sleep, just try your best to rest. At all times, be positive and keep a good frame of mind. You will do better for it tomorrow.

Don’t give up.

Absolutely do not give up. This test is often as much about perseverance as it is about your studies. And, let’s face it, to study well over a protracted period of time definitely requires perseverance. You graduated from law school For some, perhaps a few, that is relatively easy. But, for most, it takes a lot of dedication and perseverance. So you have this skill, use it tomorrow. Don’t let the test get to you.

Be positive.

This is so important. Tell yourself you are going to succeed. Actively work at being positive. Choose to be positive. Only you can make this choice, I highly recommend it.

Use Headings!

Your exam answer should be attractive and look organized. This should not be news to you, but if it is, be sure to use headings on your exams tomorrow. Let your headings to the heavy lifting for you! Make your exam answer easy to follow.

Write your heart out tomorrow!

The exam graders can not grade or give you points for what never makes it to the page. Whether you are using a laptop or handwriting, be sure to write as much as possible. Be sure to explain your reasoning. If you are dismissing an issue, I recommend that you dismiss it on your answer rather than leaving it off of your exam because you dismissed it in your head. Remember, the grader won’t know if you left an issue off because you chose to dismiss it or because you simply forgot.

I will continue to update this blog tomorrow, so stay tuned if you wish.

All the best of luck tomorrow!

Lisa Duncanson