How to Prepare Last Minute: FL Bar Exam Tips

Summer always flies by — but for bar takers, July feels like it’s moving at double speed.

If you’re sitting for the Florida Bar Exam, you’re probably realizing how fast the final stretch is closing in. That doesn’t mean it’s time to panic — but it is time to pivot.

With just over two weeks left, this is where strategy matters most. You don’t need a perfect study plan. You need one that’s realistic, targeted, and built around how the Florida exam is actually scored.

Here’s how to spend the final weeks making every study session count.

Refresh Yourself on What’s Tested on the Florida Bar Exam

After a summer filled with bar exam prep, you’re likely in need of a little refresher about what the bar exam entails.  The final weeks of bar prep are not the time to learn every detail about every topic.  Instead, focus on what is most likely to be on the test, starting with a clear understanding of the structure of the Florida bar exam.

The Florida bar exam includes MBE multiple-choice questions and state-focused multiple-choice and essay questions.  Day one covers the Florida-specific topics with three essay questions in the morning and 100 multiple-choice questions in the afternoon (Part A).  The next day, you’ll take the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), which has 200 questions focused on general legal topics (Part B). 

The following topics are tested on the Florida-law section of the bar exam:  Florida Constitutional Law, Florida Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure, Florida Rules of Judicial Administration (Rules 2.051, 2.060, and 2.160), Federal Constitutional Law, Chapters 4 & 5 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, Business Entities including Corporations & Partnerships, Wills & Administration of Estates, Contracts, Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence, Family Law, Real Property, Torts, and Trusts.

The following topics are tested on the MBE:  Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts. 

Importantly, here’s how the overall scoring method weighting breaks down for each section:

• Florida bar exam essays – 25%
• Florida multiple-choice questions – 25%
• MBE multiple-choice questions – 50%

Knowing the format helps you focus your study time where it counts. 

Identify Your Weaknesses and Strengths 

At this point, you’ve likely done multiple practice questions.  Take a few minutes to analyze which topics and subtopics you still struggle with, and ask the following questions:

1. Which overall topics are your best?  
2. Which topics are your worst?
3. Why are you missing questions (this free resource can help)
4. Which rules still confuse you?
5. Are there any essay topics you’ve had difficulties with?
6. Which topics do you have the hardest time remembering under time pressure?

These questions will give you a good idea of where you excel and where you need support.  From there, craft your final bar exam study plan.  

Don’t forget about your strengths.  These are areas where you can (1) access confidence on the day of the exam, (2) secure the most points, and (3) make up for the more challenging questions.  Be sure to keep your muscle memory strong here by practicing a few questions daily.  

As for your weak areas, ask which of those areas are most frequently tested on the essay and MBE bar exam?  Those are the high-yield areas to spend the majority of your time during these final weeks. 

Once you identify these high-yield areas, you might try the following tips to drill the subject into your brain for exam day:

1. Watch explanatory videos
2. Check out blog posts that break down the topic, like this blog post about evidentiary privileges
3. Take a look at some free resources for the bar exam, like our Florida bar exam blog articles.
4. Invest in helpful resources, like our FL bar exam preparation books and MBE study guides and maps.
5. Make your own one-page “cheatsheet” or flowchart

Having a targeted approach during the final weeks of bar study will make a huge difference on exam day.  Now is the time to focus in and narrow down. 

Focus on Memorization

You don’t have the luxury of time at this point, so your study plan 60 days out naturally looks different from your current study plan.  During these last few weeks, focus on memorizing the rules.  When it’s just you and the essay in front of you on test day, memorization will be one of the highest-impact strategies you have.  

Memorization helps you:

• Not freeze up on exam day
• Be as efficient as possible with your limited time on essays
• Help you spot issues

Memorization is what turns knowledge into results.

Focus on this:

• Frequently and highly tested bar exam rules 
• Rule statements for bar essays
• Frameworks (i.e., contract formation, hearsay exceptions, and personal jurisdiction)
• Create short attack outlines for daily review 

Repeat these rules as often as possible to help your active recall on test day.  The more issues you can spot and rules you can write cold, the less hesitation and more mental energy you’ll have when it’s game time. 

Pro tip – Of course, knowing the rules inside and out helps on your essay exam, but memorizing the rules also helps you feel more confident in your MBE choices.  

Put Yourself Under Time Pressure

Don’t wait until the day of the exam to put yourself under time pressure.  Practice timed conditions as much as possible now.  Do timed essays without your notes.  Complete three essays in one time block.  Sit down and do 100 multiple-choice questions at once.  

Bar exam endurance is like running––the more you run, the more you build your endurance.  The more you simulate timed conditions, the more endurance you’ll have when the real exam is in front of you.  

Additionally, practicing under pressure will ease the inevitable test-day anxiety.  Your brain learns that time pressure is normal, not threatening, you can manage the clock without panicking, and mistakes under pressure won’t completely ruin your performance.

Avoid These Mistakes in the Final Weeks

As you’re tackling the final weeks of bar prep, you’ll want to avoid some common mistakes, too.  Common mistakes to avoid during bar prep include:

1. Skip the deep dive into rarely tested topics. Review what matters most — not what’s new.
2. Choosing passive over active studying – Don’t fall into the habit of just reading your outlines; prioritize active learning recall during these final weeks.
3. Burning yourself out – Pulling all-nighters is [arguably] for law school, not bar prep.  
4. Ignoring Florida-specific law – Remember that state-specific topics make up half of the exam, so don’t neglect reviewing the law in those areas.
5. Comparing yourself to others – Law school trained you to do this, but it likely didn’t serve you then, and it definitely won’t serve you now.  Do what works best for you, and don’t stress about your classmates’ social media posts about their extreme study plans that trigger your anxiety.

Don’t Forget About Your Mindset and Wellness 

Mindset and wellness aren’t fluff — they’re part of the strategy, especially in the final stretch. If you’ve been sleeping, moving your body, or eating in a way that’s kept you steady, don’t abandon it now just to squeeze in another hour of study time.

Anxiety builds fast this close to the exam, and it can wreck your focus if you don’t manage it. Here’s how to keep your head clear and your energy steady when it counts most:

• Treat sleep as a study tool––because it is.  Sleep helps active recall and retention.  While studying all night might feel productive, a good night’s sleep will ensure you’re sharper during the day and actually remember what you study.
• Fuel your brain with good, healthy food.  Sugary or salty snacks may seem like a good idea while you read your seemingly endless outlines, but your brain will reward you if you opt for healthy snacks instead.  Think protein, whole foods, and water versus too much caffeine, skipped meals, and potato chips.
• Prioritize movement.  Cortisol (the stress hormone) can easily build up right now.  Having a consistent workout routine can reduce stress, increase energy, and calm your mind. 

Trust Yourself and Know You’ve Got This

Use this blog to shape your final stretch. Don’t aim for perfect — aim for prepared.

By now, you’ve graduated from law school and made it through months of bar prep.  You are so close to the finish line.  Trust that you’ve made it this far, and you can make it a little farther.  Trust the process.  And most of all, trust yourself.  Best of luck!

Need more last-minute help?  Check out our bookstore.