Answering the Multistate or Multiple Choice Questions on the Bar Exam

Today we will talk about how you answer the Multistate and State Multiple Choice questions. The procedure is the same, whether you are answering the multistate or if your state requires you to answer state multiple choice questions, like Florida.

1) Read the Call of the Question Critically

Reading the call of the question will determine what legal inferences you see, and what subject you are in. What does the call of the question ask for?

2) Skim the Answer Choices for the sub-topic of the subject

Look at the answer choices quickly and find out what sub-topic it is discussing. For example, if it’s a constitutional question, are the answer choices about procedural due process?

3) Read the Fact Pattern in a Directed Fashion

What words of legal significance do you see? What important facts do you see?

4) Eliminate Wrong Answer Choices

Look through the answer choices again and identify the issue. You can usually get eliminate one or two wrong answer choices based on the issue right away.

5) Apply the Elements of the Law to Pick the Right Answer

Once you have identified the sub-topic the fact pattern is discussing, remember the elements of the law. For example, if it’s a procedural due process issue, remember that the elements of procedural due process – is there a governmental deprivation of life, liberty or property? If no, there is no violation of due process. If yes, apply the balancing test of interest to see if the petitioner is entitled to notice or a hearing or both.

You are in the process of memorizing these elements of law so that you can do this analysis on the multistate or multiple choice examinations.

6) Reread the Call of the Question to Pick the Right Answer Choice

Prior to you picking the right answer, reread the call of the question quickly to make sure you have the right answer in sight.

7) Don’t Look Back

It is very common for bartakers to let a difficult question haunt them throughout the exam. Often, your first instinct is right and you’ve picked out the right answer. If you have confidence, you won’t let doubt get you. Even if you picked the wrong answer, there are still 199 more questions to go. Forget about it and move on. You do not want to mess up the next questions because you are still thinking about the one you let slip away.