Don't let the clock wind down before you've finished all the questions on your law school final exam.
It’s quite common to run out of time and leave questions remaining or an essay unfinished on a final exam, but don’t let that be the reason why you aren’t getting the grade you deserve. Try these five tips to save you time and help you gain points on your finals:
1) Don’t spend all your time on one question.
Don’t waste all your time on essay questions that are worth fewer points. Take a look at the exam questions, if a question is worth more points and has a higher suggested time, then that’s where your time should be spent. Don’t spend 60 minutes on a question that is worth 15 points with a suggested time of 20 minutes.
2) Be ready and memorize.
Being prepared will minimize the time you spend recalling information on the exam. If you don’t know the law well, then you’ll spend too much time reading during the exam. Understanding the law isn't enough. You need to be able to remember key elements and identify when and where they apply.
3) Watch your clock.
Be aware of how much time is suggested for essay and multiple-choice questions. If your professor doesn’t include suggested times, then look at how many points questions are worth and plan accordingly.
4) Outline before writing.
Quickly outlining an essay before you begin writing will help you organize all the issues. That way you can write quickly and efficiently when it’s time to put it all down. Taking a few minutes to organize your thoughts will save you a lot of time in the long run.
5) Outline when you run out of time.
When outlining, it's fine to do this on the computer if you're typing your exam. Some professors will give partial credit for an outline of what you intended to say. So if the finish line is a one or two short minutes away, defer to the quick outline you wrote instead. It may be worth your time.
