At this stage of bar prep, many people shift their focus away from MBE subjects and on to secondary subjects such as Family Law or Trusts & Estates.
Be careful
While it's important to study all subjects that will appear on your jurisdiction's bar exam, you'll land yourself in trouble if you completely ignore Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) subjects, even for just a week.
Non-MBE Subjects May Not Be Tested
Whether you are taking the bar in an UBE jurisdiction or not, you'll face non-MBE portions of the bar exam that can test different subjects. But the problem with these is that you don't know which subjects will be tested. There's a decent chance, for example, that you'll never see a question about Family Law.
MBE subjects will be tested over and over again
The same can't be said for MBE subjects. You know you're going to get tested on all of them, and you even know how frequently each subject will arise. Additionally, some of the MBE subjects will also appear on non-MBE portions of the bar exam.
We've written before about why the MBE is so important given how the bar exam's scoring breaks down. The implication is clear: you should focus on studying for MBE subjects beyond when it's covered in your bar exam class. The most important part is to continue testing yourself on MBE subjects and refresh yourself on the material as necessary.
The Necessity of Prioritization
At this point, you've certainly got time to study non-MBE subjects. And you should. But at some point, you're going to have to prioritize subjects. Between practice exams and memorization, you're soon going to have to prioritize what subjects you focus on.
While you should take the time now to get down the basics of essay-only subjects like Business Associations (or Corporations, in some states), you shouldn't neglect MBE subjects. Continue refreshing the material and taking practice MBE subjects to stay fresh on the MBEs.
Incomplete knowledge can get you through essays, but not the MBE
Also, remember that knowing the basics of an essay-only subject can go a long way in issue-spotting an essay. But the same can't be said for MBE subjects, which have a multiple choice format. You either know the material or you don't.
So, make sure to study all bar exam subjects. But as you move away from MBE lectures, ensure that MBE subjects are still a priority for you. It will pay off in the end.
YOU CAN PASS THE BAR EXAM. CRITICAL PASS CAN GET YOU THERE.
* MBE and MEE Essay Flashcards that help you learn and memorize key bar exam concepts, effectively and affordably.
