The Ontario bar exams (i.e. the Barrister and Solicitor exams) are challenging but not impossible. If you have a law degree and have come this far in the licensing process, trust that you will be able to get through it. In my experience, I found that the exams were not necessarily a test of knowledge, rather they tested how quickly I could find answers in the materials. In this blog, I will discuss the steps I took to prepare for and pass the Ontario bar exams during the 2018/2019 licensing year. You do not necessarily have to follow these steps. Please find a method that works for you.
1. Created a Plan
To create a solid plan, I determined how long it will take me to review the bar materials. I also factored in the time needed to take and review the practice exams, and supplement or markup my materials (i.e. bar materials, charts, index and summaries) as needed. My plan allowed for sick days, mental health days and days of rest. This made me feel less pressure during the process.
2. Conducted a First Review of the Materials
I reviewed the bar materials and looked over the indices, detailed table of contents and charts as I read along. My goal was to read 30 pages a day (with Fridays off) and I stuck with it. It was a preliminary review and during this stage, I tried to figure out: how to use the index; what pages of the material the information on the charts were from; and whether I needed to create more supplementary materials. As I reviewed, I made sure the page references in my supplementary materials were correct. This made the second review easier.
3. Conducted a Second Review of the Materials
While reviewing the materials the second time, my goal was to gain a deeper understanding of the materials. I also created mind maps and tables to help me understand concepts that seemed important. During this review, I studied the bar materials, index, and charts and revised my supplementary materials where necessary — this time, focusing on the content. At this point, I had settled on using the indices as opposed to the detailed table of contents. I will briefly discuss how I reached this decision in the next step.
4. Determined What Resource to Use: The Detailed Table of Contents or an Index
The table of contents and the detailed table of contents were in the bar materials that the Law Society provided. This was the case when I took the exams during the 2018/2019 licensing year. However, indices are not available in the bar materials. Nonetheless, they can be created, purchased or acquired from someone who has developed one. I decided to purchase two indices and was gifted the third since I chose not to create my own. Developing an index from scratch can be beneficial because it might make it easier for you to determine where specific entries are. Some of my colleagues got into groups to create indices from scratch, which made the task easier.
I. Making the Determination
As I read the bar materials, I went back and forth between the detailed table of contents and the indices I had obtained. I was determined to see which document made more sense to me. The detailed table of contents did not seem to work for me because of how things were organized. Consequently, I decided to go with the index since it was organized in an alphabetical order. Once I decided to use an index, I shifted my focus to determining which of the three indices I was going to use.
II. Deciding on a Specific Index
I started to review the material to determine whether I understood how each index was developed. To do this, I read a section of the material, thought about how I would word it if I created the index and then searched the index for it. For example, if I read a section on cash amounts, I would go to the index and look under “C” for “Cash”. I also looked up entries in the index and reviewed the material to help me understand the mind of the drafter. For instance, I will look up “Fees” under “F”, see what pages are referenced and then review the material and confirm that it contains information about Fees. The index that I selected was the one that made the most sense to me.
III. Detailed Table of Contents
Since I am not one to put all my eggs in one basket, I also studied the detailed table of contents in case I needed to consult it during the exams. I found that the index was my go-to resource while taking the exams, however, I visited the detailed table of contents a few times.
5. Sought Additional Resources
I was able to get my hands on helpful charts and summaries. I received some of these documents from others who had written the bar exams before me, purchased some and developed others myself.
6. Tabbed Materials
Once I completed my review of the materials, I:
- Tabbed my index from A-Z in order to help me to find key terms quicker;
- Created tabs for major topics that I thought was important to note and tabbed my bar materials; and
- Tabbed my charts, summaries and the detailed table of contents (in case I needed to consult it).
I also created tabs where needed after taking and reviewing the practice exams. To purchase tabs from Amazon, here are two options: For A-Z page dividers and tabs. Please note that these are affiliate links. See the disclaimer below.
7. Took and Reviewed 5 – 7 Practice Exams
Practice exams presented an opportunity for me to use my well-prepared materials to search out answers to questions. Although practice exams can be expensive, it is recommended because it is a realistic way of preparing for the Bar exams since a lot of time goes into searching the bar materials for answers during the exams. It also helped me to determine what additional steps I needed to take to better prepare for the bar exams. For instance, I found that I needed to create new entries in my index; determined the kinds of questions that required consulting the detailed table of contents; created new charts to better summarize certain topics; and discarded charts that seemed to be redundant.
I practiced using practice exams like lawexams.ca, Emond, Ontario Law Exams (OLE) and others. Please research your options and look up reviews before making purchases. As of the time I made a purchase from OLE, they provided an index as well as a Bar Timer Guide. The Bar Timer Guide provides information on what question you should be on at any given time. This helped me to ensure that I was always ahead and recognize when I was falling behind during the bar exams.
Taking practice exams helped with time management and improved my speed. During the practice exercise, I realized how much time I spent on each question and worked on my speed. My goal was to complete the practice exams in less than the allotted time for the bar exams. For example, if the duration of the exam was 10 minutes, I aimed to be done in 7 minutes with 3 minutes to spare.
After each practice exam, I reviewed each question and tried to find the answer in the charts, summaries or bar materials using my index. I also supplemented my materials while reviewing the practice exam questions. It was a time consuming process but was worth it in the end. This is because it made me to further familiarize myself with the materials and made the search process easier during the bar exams.
Additional Tips
- Start early and pace yourself to prevent burn-out.
- Figure out whether you an “index-person” or a “detailed-table-of-contents-person”.
- Feel free to consult an expert or a practicing lawyer in the area of law that seems confusing to you. They may be able to break down the information to make it easier to understand.
- When taking practice exams, work on answering the questions in less time than you are given during the bar exams. A bar timer guide can help you to pace yourself. You can create one for your use.
In the end, there is no one right way to pass the bar exams. Find what works for you, do the work, be thorough and do your best on the exams. YOU’VE GOT THIS!
Schedule a 1:1 with Me
If you have further questions and need more personal guidance, you can schedule a 30-minute conversation with me by sending an email to lawlicensingtips@gmail.com. During this conversation, I will answer any process-related questions and provide guidance based on what worked to help me excel at the bar exams. This is no guarantee that it’ll work for you. However, you will receive pointers and should be able to create a solid plan moving forward.
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
PS: I conduct virtual notary / commissioning services and can assist in notarizing / commissioning the documents needed during the law licensing process. If you need notary / commissioning services, please send an email to lawlicensingtips@gmail.com.
