Writing high-quality bar exam essays under pressure of time can be extremely challenging. With only a few minutes allotted per question, it’s easy for essay writing to feel rushed. Some bar exam experts argue that slowing down your writing pace may paradoxically help you write stronger, more comprehensive essays within the time limits. The key is learning how to pace yourself strategically.
Slowing down your writing does take practice, but it allows you to think more deeply about each issue and consider more angles in your analysis. Panicked, rapid-fire writing often leads to superficial treatment of topics and missed issues. Working more deliberately forces you to self-edit as you write instead of rushing through without reviewing your own work. This strengthens the overall coherence, structure and analysis of each essay.
Proponents of slower writing argue it gives you time to truly understand each question before formulating an outline and thesis. Jumping directly into writing without fully comprehending what is being asked misses the whole point of the question and risks providing an answer to a different question entirely. Taking a full minute or two to dissect the call of the question allows you to identify the relevant legal issues, rules, policies and arguments to thoroughly address in your essay.
After outlining your answer, ease into writing in full sentences rather than note form. Studies show the human brain processes language better in complete sentences, increasing comprehension for both the writer and reader. It also forces you to slow down and consider your wording more carefully. Hasty note writing is more prone to errors, unexplained terms, and messy composition.
Your slow pace must still aim to produce an essay within the time limits, so practice estimating how much time to devote to each element. Aim to spend around 5-10 minutes on each multi-issue question essay. This allows 1-2 minutes to digest the question, 2-3 minutes to outline your response, and the remaining time to write the introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion. Leaving a few minutes to proofread helps catch any mistakes or weak spots.
For some, practicing slow writing by hand may initially feel cumbersome compared to typing. Writing by hand has demonstrable cognitive benefits for learning and memory retention compared to typing. It forces you to slow down even more and can strengthen your understanding and analysis as a result. Handwriting also avoids technology issues that might delay your essay writing time. Once you adjust, writing deliberately by hand could work to your advantage on test day.
Dedicate bar practice time specifically to slowing down your writing speed and pacing yourself strategically on sample essays. Set a timer and strictly limit yourself to only what can be written legibly within the allotted minutes, no matter how incomplete it feels. Resist the urge to rush. With regular practice sessions, slow writing will start to feel more natural and comfortable within time constraints. Your technique will also improve from critiquing your own practice essays.
On test day, arrive early and take time to relax and mentally prepare before starting the exam. Easing into the test at a measured, unrushed pace helps avoid last-minute panic and sets the right mindset for slow, thorough essay writing. During breaks, stand up and stretch rather than anxiously staring at the time. This change of scene helps maintain focus for the next set of questions.
Slow but steady application of the law to facts will serve you better than scrambling through essays at the last second. Having extra time left over to proofread also provides opportunity to catch small mistakes that could make a difference in points earned. Overall, slowing your essay writing pace provides a strategic advantage that can translate to stronger performance, if practiced methodically before the bar exam. With regular application, slow and steady could truly win this race on test day.