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- by Charlotte King
- In General, Courses, Study In USA, Exams
Posted Feb. 18, 2025
What are bar prep courses?
Bar prep courses are intensive, structure courses designed to prepare law graduates for passing the bar exam in the United States – the test that determines eligibility to practice law in a particular jurisdiction. Bar prep courses offer a variety of resources and support mechanisms to help students master the material and develop the skills needed to pass the exam.
To practice law in America, you will have to pass a bar exam – and each US state has its own particular court system, rules and regulations that a lawyer in the USA needs to pass before they are eligible to practice law in that state.
What is the Uniform Bar Exam?
The Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) is a standardised bar exam created by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) – and it can be used in multiple jurisdictions. The UBE is uniformly administered and marked, and it is designed to test knowledge and skills that lawyers should have before becoming licensed to practice law.
Around half of the US states have elected to join the UBE, so if a lawyer passes the bar exam in one of these states, they can transfer their qualification and knowledge to all eligible states and work between them.
What US states accept the UBE?
The US states and districts that accepts the UBE are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, and the Virgin Islands.
What is involved in a bar prep course?
The key elements of a bar prep course are:
- Study plans
- Lectures and tutorials
- Practice questions and exams
- Study materials
- Feedback and student support
Let’s look at these in more details.
Bar prep study plans – bar prep course will provide the students with a study plan to enable them to plan their time effectively and gradually cover the topics needed to pass the bar exam.
Bar prep lectures and tutorials – depending on whether it is an online or in-person bar prep course, students will attend in-person or online lectures to learn about key concepts and strategies need for bar prep success. Online courses will often have pre-recorded lecture sessions that students can watch at a time that suits their schedule. Both online and in-person bar prep courses will usually also include tutorials – these are more interactive than the lectures as there are less participants. Tutorials are likely to include Q&A sessions and maybe even quizzes, to help students gain a clearer idea of what to expect from the bar exam.
Bar prep practice questions and examinations – one good way to ensure bar exam success is to practice, practice, and practice some more! A bar prep course will include practice multiple choice and essay questions so that students know what to expect. This will also help to reinforce their knowledge, enable them to practice their essay-writing. By providing students with a full-length, realistic practice exam, a bar prep course will teach them how to manage their time effectively when the real thing happens.
Bar prep study materials – a bar prep course will provide students with all the study materials necessary to pass the bar exam. This will include textbooks, flashcards, topic summaries – and anything else a student requires for bar exam success. Online resources such as practice papers, pre-recorded lectures, and other study aids will also be available.
Bar prep support and feedback – students will receive feedback on their practice essays and exams from trained academic support staff, so that they get a good idea on what they need to work on to ensure bar exam success. Experts will also be on hand to answer any questions regarding the course material or the assessment criteria.
Who provides bar prep courses?
There are many providers of bar prep courses and it’s important to make sure you choose a reputable one – popular options include Barbri and Kaplan.
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