7 TIPS IN ANSWERING BAR QUESTIONS

The Philippine Bar examination is considered as one of the most challenging licensure examinations in the Philippines. Its mortally rate is much higher compared to other government regulated examination. It is the Supreme Court and not the Philippine Regulation Commission that administers the examination, as well as the conferment of the license to practice law. From the Halls of the Manuel L. Quezon University to the University of Sto. Tomas, it has make and break hearts, dreams and aspirations.

Many, perhaps, have attempted to persuade you on how to answer bar questions and this is no exception. However, rather than dwelling on the substance and content of the answer, this focuses on simple tips you might have overlooked and will be looking during the course of your road-to-being-a-lawyer.

8 TIPS IN ANSWERING BAR QUESTIONS

1. Always treat your examination in law school as the actual bar exam. There is nothing that can be achieved without preparation. Preparation, as has been said, starts in the first day of law school. Certainly, depending on the law school, it administers two or four examinations every semester. Always treat that examination as if you are taking the bar examination. No excuses.

If during your law school days, you wear a jacket while answering, you were jacket in Sto. Tomas. If during your law school days, you write with a cheap gel pen, use that cheap gel pen. If during your law school days, you do not eat while taking the examinations, then do not eat while taking the bar examinations.

2. Avoid extremely numerous erasures. Your excitement might cause you to write swiftly your answers in your notebook but the hitch is that your organized thoughts might not reflect that is what is written on your notebook. Organize your thoughts and write it without a rush although you must be conscious of the time. This skill needs practice. Failure to do this will eventually lead you to so much erasures as there are skip words you will insert or delete repeated words or redundancy. 

It is not pleasant if, at first glance, there are so many erasures on your notebook. It is a cause of concern. So, even before you mock-bar have yourself your our mock-bar in the confines of your room. Study the choice of words and the structure of your answer. Refine if needed.

3. Observe Margin and Indention. Nothing beats a well-presented answer to the eyes of the examiner. You market yourself through the neatness of your work. While others say that a neat work will expose grammar and spelling issues, then muster your grammar and spelling. 

Just imagine a work without a margin and indention. It will not only look terrible but also disappointing, as it shows unprofessionalism and mediocrity of work.

4. Review your entire work. Make it a habit to review your work before you submit the same. While there may be unavoidable corrections at least show to the examiner that you corrected it. It leaves an impression that you are diligent in your work and that you have one of the fundamental traits of a lawyer -finding fault to where there is none (just kidding). Seriously, reviewing the entire work of yours, at this early stage, will have good repercussions as it will become mechanical in the process.

5. Have enough rest. Yes! Rest is a huge contributor in your passing percentage. An overworked candidate of the bar will not likely give the best shots of his as fatigue will set in the course of the examination. When that happens, you tend to finish your work in haste, your comprehension will falter, your appreciation of facts will fail, and remembering the law will be a struggle. A good rest is enough to boost your energy in staging an eight hour battle for four Sundays.

Relax if need be. Pressure and so much overthinking will not help. You will always have that weird feeling that every topic in your law book will be asked. But the truth is that of the thousands of principles in Civil Law only 30 basic principles will come out. It is enough to master the basic, after all, the Supreme Court needs only passers with that of an entry-level lawyer. Do not bother about it. Chill.

6. Claim that you will. Have faith in yourself. Never doubt. Grow that feeling that you can hurdle every single questions being asked. You might not provide the right answer, at least, give a reasonable one. The average passing percentage is peg at 20% . Be part of that! You must have that fighting spirit, a burning will, and a willful intent to be a lawyer. Hard work and smart studying will bring you to the halls of the revered Supreme Court for your signing of the roll of attorneys.

7. Pray. Nothing is stronger than the will of our Supreme Judge.

Hope this will help you. Goodluck!