Last-minute tips: Successful lawyers share what you should do before, during, and after the Bar Exams
Are you one of the thousands of hopefuls who will be taking the upcoming Bar Examinations?
The three-day test is scheduled on Sept. 7, 10, and 14 this year. By now, you must be in the final stages of your review process and your nth day of going without much sleep, just mastering codal provisions and reviewing your study materials over and over again.
With only little time before the Bar and not much gaps in between the exams, what should you really be doing now to boost your chances of successfully claiming the dot? Here are some last-minute tips from successful lawyers who are part of leading law firms in the country and are making a mark in the field in their own ways.
Before the Bar
Focus on just one reviewer and codals
Rowena Garcia-Flores, a senior partner at ACCRALAW, suggested focusing on codals.
This was echoed by Rose Marie King, a partner and head of SyCip Law's Special Projects Department. For her, codals—along with just one reviewer that you’ve been using during the review months—would be good enough in refreshing your knowledge.
“Don’t panic and possibly psych yourself out by wading through all the materials or sample questions that deluge examinees right before test day,” she said.
Pancho Umali, a senior partner at Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia, said he first focused on one annotated book per subject matter, making sure he read it "at least twice," and then only read the codals days and moments before the Bar. "The thinking was if I did not know the subject matter by then, I will never know it in time for the Bar."
According to Jess Lopez, a C&G Law partner, it's all about "trusting what got you through law school" at this point.
“Do whatever it is that gets you to a place of confidence with the least amount of reading material. For instance, I felt more confident re-reading codals and bar ops reviewers that I’ve already read, even if that meant I’d sleep late. Others will probably value sleeping early and reading just the codals. Everyone is different,” he said.
Transform anxiety into excitement
While it’s totally normal to feel anxious about the Bar, Congressman Chel Diokno—who shares legal advice on his TikTok page with nearly 2 million followers—suggested turning it into excitement. “This can be done by shifting your focus from fear of failure to anticipation of success,” he told L!fe.
Jared Amoroso, a partner at Quisumbing Torres' Dispute Resolution Practice Group and the President of the Philippine Institute of Arbitrators, added that he did the same thing the day before the exam. “My thoughts were the SC said it will only test knowledge of basics, so with all the time I spent reviewing, it is definitely more likely that I’d have answers for most of the items than not.”
According to Atty. Susan Villanueva, senior partner and head of Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia's Intellectual Property Department, it’s important not to let fear and anxiety rule you. “Remember: If you think you prepared well for the exam, the answers will come if your mind is not ruled by fear or anxiety,” she explained. “Breathing exercises, meditation, and prayers will help.”
Make self-care a priority
“The Bar is a marathon. It primarily requires mental and physical stamina. You should incorporate exercise, ensure sleep, and eat properly before the exams and while preparing for the next exam,” Villanueva said.
“Your brain won’t do you much good if your body gives up on you,” Lopez said as Umali added that there’s “no sense reviewing to death and then collapsing from over fatigue during the exams.”
“And may I add? Have some chocolates,” said Garcia-Flores.
During the Bar
Read the questions carefully—twice if needed
Garcia-Flores advised reading the questions carefully, and “answering first the ones you know the answers to.”
“Read each one twice if needed before formulating your answer to avoid missing key details,” Diokno stressed.
Outline your answers
Diokno also suggested coming up with an outline when answering questions.
“State your direct response first before giving explanations, so examiners can easily appreciate your reasoning,” he explained.
Manage your time wisely
The lawyers also emphasized the importance of budgeting your time.
“Be confident in knowing that you have enough time," Amoroso told L!fe. "There are 20 questions to be answered in 240 minutes—that’s 12 minutes per item. You got this.”
Garcia-Flores and Diokno suggested checking the number of points for each question.
"Allocate your efforts accordingly," said Diokno.
"If the answer will merit high points, spend more time on it," Garcia-Flores added.
Remember that mindset is everything
Lopez suggested not listening to the voices of doubt in your head, no matter how hard the questions may get. "Just always remember your why."
Atty. Caroline Cruz, who shares legal content on her TikTok page with almost 200,000 followers, emphasized that mindset "is everything."
"Be confident, determined, and stay focused," she added.
"And whatever happens," noted Amoroso, "never leave any question unanswered."
"Each answered item takes you one step closer to finishing the exam, catching up on sleep, and finally becoming a lawyer," he continued.
After the Bar
Forget and don't overanalyze
The lawyers suggested not thinking about the exam anymore once it's over.
"Forget the exam questions and answers afterward. Do not discuss answers to the questions. Do not think about the questions or how you answered. Discipline your mind. Move on and focus on the next one," Villanueva said.
The end of the Bar Exams will be a moment "where you’ve done all that you could," Amoroso reminded aspiring lawyers. "You're no longer in control."