Bar Exam Tips,

Secrets, Techniques & Strategies

by Ralph A. Sarmiento

This is a collection of Bar Exam techniques, secrets, and strategies I wish I had known before I took the Bar Examination in September 1997. The Bar Exam is the most-feared professional exam in the country. When you take it, it is like putting your entire being, personality and dignity at stake. People, who know you and whom you know, as well as your friends and enemies alike, would be on the close watch, eagerly waiting to see you succeed or fail, earnestly waiting to join you in your celebration or to laugh at you in your defeat. The release of the Bar Exam results is the Judgment Day for every law student. It separates the sheep from the goats. It brings out tears of joy to some and tears of frustration, sadness and grief to others. Taking the Bar Exam is therefore a serious matter. Much is at stake.

1.  BAR EXAM STATISTICS

• Philippine Bar Exam Trivia - Demystifying the Bar Exam legends of Claro M. Recto, Jose W. Diokno & Ferdinand E. Marcos

• National Passing Percentage - Last 10 Years

• National Passing Percentage - By Decade since the 50's

• Tenth (10th) Place Trending

• Schools with 2 or More Bar Topnotchers since 1951

• Schools with 1 Bar Topnotcher since 1951

• Highest & Lowest 1st & 10th Place Grades

2.  KNOW THE ENEMY

• Subjects & Schedules

• Type of Questions

• Time for Answering

• Things we cannot control

• Looking back while looking forward

• Why people flunk the Bar Exam?

3.  WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE EXAM

• Preparation is the Key

• Study to Beat the Exam

• Study Smartly, not just Hard

• Classify Legal Provisions based on level of importance

• Practice, Practice, Practice

• Take Practice Test under Exam Conditions

• Stick to your own Materials

• To Memorize or Not, that is the Question

• Stick to Codal Provisions

• Prepare Physically & Emotionally

• Avoid Radical Changes in your Personal Relationships

• Countdown

• Things to Bring

• The Ten Commandments in Answering Bar Exam Questions

4.  THE BAR EXAM FOR DUMMIES by Atty. Analou Sazon

• The Preliminaries

• The First Saturday

• The First Sunday

• The Moment

• During the Pre-Week

• Getting Personal

• Getting Through the Rest of the Week

• Happy Ending

• The Formula

5.  CONTRIBUTED ARTICLES:

• The Great Formula in Passing the Bar Examinations (Atty. Glenn M. Mortel)

6.  INTERVIEW WITH BAR TOPNOTCHERS: (Compiled by: Atty. Glenn M. Mortel)

• Dean Jovito Salonga: Hard Work

• Dean Vicente Abad Santos: Never Quit

• Dean Ricardo Lacson: Confidence

• Dean Teodorico Martin: Review Materials

7.  MY BAR EXAM NOTEBOOKS

• Download my actual & complete Bar Exam Notebooks (1997 Bar Exams)

8.  BAR EXAM STORIES

• Noel Neil Malimban - 2006 Bar Topnotcher, second 1st Placer from the University of Cordilleras (formerly Baguio Colleges Foundation) / Related Story: Baguio Graduate Tops 2006 Bar Exams

• Al-Shwaid Ismael, 2006 Bar Exams' 8th Placer, gets a brand new car as his prize from the University of Cebu

• De Vencia's niece, Joan De Venecia, tops 2005 Bar Exams

• A "very hardworking" mother of one tops the 2004 Bar Exams - January A. Sanchez (University of the Philippines)

• 2 Cebu achievers in Top 10 of the 2004 Bar Exams

• Ateneans make it 1-2 in the 2003 Bar Exams

• Abolish Bar Exams - Miriam Defensor - Santiago

• No to Abolition of Bar Exams - Justice Leonardo Quisumbing

• Abolish Bar Exams or Just Abolish Santiago

• Lino Dupio, 2006 Bar passer from Foundation University, Dumaguete City, dies en route to break news to parents

More Articles...Coming...

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS...

Contributions are most welcome

& will be given proper credit.

▲Table of Contents▲Back to Top▲

Table of Contents

Contributed Articles:

The Bar Exam for Dummies

by Atty. An Sazon

The Great Formula in Passing the Bar Exams

(Atty. Glenn M. Mortel)

Interview with

Bar Topnotchers:

Contributed by:

Atty. Glenn M. Mortel

Dean Jovito Salonga

HARD WORK

Dean Vicente Abad Santos:

NEVER QUIT

Dean Ricardo Lacson:

CONFIDENCE

Dean Teodorico Martin

REVIEW MATERIALS