Practice Exams

In General

First, outline and write an answer without a timer. Compare your answer to the model and check for what issues and analysis you might have missed. I suggest a first un-timed exam in order to lower the stress of your first practice exam. If your professor gave you several exams, keep a few available so you can try a timed test on an exam you haven’t worked on.

Next, start timing yourself. Use a kitchen timer that can be easily read. As always, compare your answers to the model exam. Get into the habit of fluidly writing out the rules and any stock phrases that your professors want to read.

If you have a study group, compare answers and see what other issues that people (validly) caught that were not in the model answer.

Professor’s Practice Exams & Model Answers

Your professor is grading your exam so using his or her practice or previous exams is the best. Depending upon your professor you might get a model answer in the form of (1) the professor’s written model answer (2) an actual student’s exam answer or (3) nothing at all.

The benefit to the professor’s own model answer is that it likely covers all the issues the professor was looking for in the exam. The drawback is that it will cover far more than is expected on an actual exam. Another problem is that you might not get an idea of the style of writing that your professor is expecting.

The benefit to the student’s answer is that you can see what form a real live answer takes. The drawback is that it likely has sections with poor or missing analysis. You’ll read it and think, “I can do better than this.”

Whether you do or don’t get any practice exams and model answers, but especially if you don’t, ask around for some. 2Ls and 3Ls (and 4Ls) might have some sitting around. If your school posts the high grades for each class, consider contacting the person for your class. (Best if the class had the same professor.) If your school has tutors available, ask them.

Other Professor’s (or other School’s) Practice Exams

Since professors have different organization for the same material, another professor’s exam is not as good as your own professor’s. There will be different rules and material that you didn’t cover. Or vice-versa: you covered something not on the other exam. Or a rule that you learned in your class might have different parts.

However, they are better than nothing. Be prepared for the differences but don’t stress about them. Remember: you will be tested on the law that your professor taught.

You can find other professor’s exams on the web. Some schools publish them. Ask around or search the web.

Supplement Practice Exams

Like exams from other professors or schools, there will be differences in material covered and the rules. These are still good to practice with. The same caveat applies to these.