HAWAII BARBRI METHOD 1.

INTRODUCTION
The bar exam is one of the few places that the effort you put into it (studying hard and doing practice
questions) generally corresponds to what you get out of it (passing the bar and getting your license). The
BARBRI Bar Review Course you are about to start is a program specially designed to prepare you to pass
the Hawaii Bar Exam.
BARBRIs method is strategic. In the coming weeks, your preparation will be paced so that your
performance will peak at the most important time the two days of the bar exam. The course includes
outlines, practice materials and lectures, all designed to expose you to the testable issues on the bar exam.
How should you begin? Begin by preparing mentally and physically for the tough task ahead. This does
not necessarily mean that you should change what you have been doing up to this point. You have
developed study habits that brought you success in law school and changing those habits now might
create unnecessary pressure. Work in a way that is comfortable for you and make sure that you eat, sleep,
exercise and relax. BARBRIs course is designed to help you become efficient so that there is ample time
to prepare.
This booklet tells you everything you need to know about the bar exam and about preparing for it. It
provides numerous suggestions, tips, warnings, and bits of wisdom to help you endure the study period
and succeed on the bar exam.

If you have any questions, please contact us:

BARBRI WESTERN REGIONAL OFFICE
600 Corporate Point, Suite 100
Culver City, CA 90230
P: 310.287.2360
P: 800.995.5227
F: 310.287.2045
Email: hi.bar@barbri.com

If you need technical assistance (e.g., login issues, lecture playback problems, etc.), please contact:
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
P: 877.385.6238
Email: techsupport@barbri.com

HAWAII BARBRI METHOD 2.

THE HAWAII BAR EXAM

I. BAR EXAMINATION FORMAT
The Hawaii Bar Examination is a two day bar exam that features four different components: the
Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), a 15-question multiple choice quiz on the Hawaii Rules of
Professional Conduct (HRPC), the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), and the Multistate Bar Exam
(MBE).
A. DAY 1
The first day of the bar exam is comprised of a 4-hour morning session and a 3-hour afternoon
session. The morning session consists of seven essay questions and the HRPC quiz. The
afternoon session consists of two 90-minute MPTs.
1. Multistate Essay Exam (MEE)
Essay questions can cover any of the following topics, sometimes asking about more than one
topic per questions; however, you will not see all of these topics on any one exam:

Business Associations (Agency,

and Partnership; Corporations
and Limited Liability
Companies)
Conflict of Laws
Family Law
Federal Civil Procedure
Trusts and Estates (Decedents
Estates; Trusts and Future
Interests)
Uniform Commercial Code
(Negotiable Instruments and

Bank Deposits and Collections;

Secured Transactions)

All MBE Topics

o Contracts
o Constitutional Law
o Criminal Law and
Procedure
o Evidence
o Real Property
o Torts

Even if subjects have not been tested recently or regularly, you must still review the subjects
in order to have the best chance of passing the bar. The bar exam is like the stock market
although we can look at past performance, you must always be prepared for change. Refer to
the MEE Essay Questions Comparative Frequency Chart (front of the MEE Testing book)
for the frequency of topics tested.
2. Multistate Performance Test
The MPT presents a written assignment based on a realistic situation a lawyer may encounter.
It does not test your knowledge of substantive areas of law. It is a closed-universe exam,
i.e., all the information needed to complete the assignment is provided in the MPT file and
library.
B. DAY 2
The MBE is a 200 question multiple choice exam, comprised of two 3-hour sessions of 100
questions each. Questions appear on the MBE in random order and are not grouped by subject.
Only 190 questions are graded; the remaining ten questions, considered experimental questions,
do not count toward your raw score (i.e. the number of questions you answer correctly). These
experimental questions are not identified and are interspersed throughout the exam.
1. MBE Topics
The MBE topics and the number of questions for each are as follows:

HAWAII BARBRI METHOD 3.

Constitutional Law- 33 questions (31 of which are scored)

Contracts/Sales- 34 questions (33 of which are scored)
Criminal Law & Procedure- 33 questions (31 of which are scored)
Evidence- 33 questions (31 of which are scored)
Real Property- 33 questions (31 of which are scored)
Torts- 34 questions (33 of which are scored)

*Please refer to the Subject Matter Outlines contained in the MBE Workshop Introduction
section of the MPQ Volume for the approximate distribution of topics in every subject, along
with information on the frequency with which each sub-topic is tested. (e.g., In Torts, 50% of
the questions come from negligence, meaning that its one of the most tested areas on the
MBE). Your bar review lecturers will go over the material you need to know for both the
MBE and essay sections in detail, but this is very good information to review before lectures.
2. Helpful Tips
a. Experimental Questions: As noted above, there will be 10 experimental questions that
do not count towards your score. You will not be able to pick out the experimental
questions on the exam, so you must answer every question as if it counts toward your
score. Unlike other standardized multiple-choice exams, you are not penalized for
incorrect answers, so make sure you answer every question.
b. Timing and Practice: Because you have three hours to complete 100 questions, we
recommend that you stick to a 1.8 minutes per question pace. (This translates into
roughly 16-17 questions per 30 minutes.) We suggest you strive for 18 questions per half
hour to allow 10 minutes at the end to go over your test sheet to ensure that every bubble
is filled in.
c. Testing Failsafe: BARBRI recommends that you circle your answer choices in your
question booklet before bubbling the answer on the test sheet. Should you ever miss
filling in a bubble or your numbering is off, you can always check your question booklet
for the correct answer without having to reread any questions.
II. SCORING OF THE EXAM
A. BY SECTION
1. MEE
Each essay is scored from 0 - 5 on a raw point scale.
The MEE is worth 35% of your total score.
2. HRPC
The HRPC quiz is scored from 0 - 15 on a raw point scale. One point per correct answer.
The HRPC quiz is worth 5% of your total score.
3. MPT
Each MPT is graded from 0 - 5 on a raw point scale.
The MPTs are worth 10% of your total score.
4. MBE
The objective portion of the exam is worth a total of 200 points.
The MBE is worth 50% of your total score.

HAWAII BARBRI METHOD 4.

B. MINIMUM PASSING SCORE

The minimum score required to pass the Hawaii Bar Exam is an average scaled score
(MEE/HRPC/MPT plus MBE divided by two) of 134 out of 200 points. You need not pass
each section because this is a total points exam.
C. POSTING OF RESULTS
The February exam results are generally released in early May. The July exam results are
generally released in early October.

HAWAII BARBRI METHOD 5.

THE BARBRI METHOD:

PREPARING FOR SUCCESS ON THE HAWAII BAR EXAM
I.

OVERVIEW
Bar review is not law school. Studying for the Hawaii Bar Exam is one of the most difficult tasks you
will ever face during your legal career, short of taking the bar exam itself. BARBRI, the leader in bar
exam preparation for more than 40 years, has designed a comprehensive program of outlines, lectures,
workshops and testing to maximize your ability to pass the Hawaii Bar Exam. The following advice is
offered to introduce you to The BARBRI Method so that you can begin studying efficiently.

II.

GETTING STARTED BARBRI ESSENTIALS

Begin your studies by watching this brief lecture on the course structure and materials, study
expectations and how to make the most of the BARBRI benefits, located under Bar Review Lectures
in the Enrolled Student Center at BARBRI.com.

III.

PACED PROGRAM
The BARBRI Paced Program is your daily study and assignment schedule. It may be utilized in an
Interactive format (tracking your progress and proficiency) or as a PDF. On each day, the Paced
Program will specify any reading and preparation you should do before class, the lecture you get in
class, what to review after class and assignments to complete. The Paced Program is available in
the Enrolled Student Center at BARBRI.com. We strongly recommend that you follow the Paced
Program if you have problems completing assignments, need help coming up with an alternative
schedule to accommodate work/family obligations or desire additional assignments (really, it
happens!), call us in the Western Regional office.

IV.

STUDY TIME
To digest the knowledge and master the skills necessary to pass the Hawaii Bar Exam, a consistent
investment of time is required. This means that if you are tempted to devote a minimal amount of
study time during the course, and then attempt to make up the lost time by an intensive cram session
shortly before the exam, you are seriously compromising your chances of passing the Hawaii Bar
Exam.
Plan for a maximum of 8-10 hours of study per day (including lecture), 7 days per week.
Additional study time in the final few weeks is advised in order to memorize the material.

V.

PRE-COURSE:
A. BARBRI AMP
We recommend you complete BARBRI AMP before you watch any lectures on the Multistate
subjects. BARBRI AMP is an accelerated learning tool based upon Nobel prize winning
research and will help you learn the law faster, retain it longer, and ultimately score more points
on the MBE.
There is no book. The software is web-based and is located in the Enrolled Student Center.
Plan for about 6-7 hours to complete the modules for each MBE subject.
B.

MBE DIAGNOSTIC EXAM

In the few days before the course begins, you are assigned the 100 question MBE Diagnostic
exam located in the Multistate Practice Questions (MPQ) book. The 3 hour exam is optional,

HAWAII BARBRI METHOD 6.

and intended to allow you to assess your MBE skills before the course begins. Companion
online lecture analysis is available to add further insight to the explanatory answers provided in
the book.
VI.

WRITTEN MATERIALS
A. OUTLINES
The Conviser Mini Review (CMR) is your primary reading source during the bar review
course, fondly referred to by many of your predecessors as the ONLY book. It provides
you with capsule outlines, flow charts, comparison charts, exam tips and other tools to help
you learn the law. Non-MBE subjects are in the first half of the book and Multistate subjects
are in the last half of the book.
BARBRI also provides you with your own black letter law outlines in two books: The
Multistate (MS) Volume, containing the law you must master for the MBE, and the HI
Volume, containing the law you must master for the essays. These are very detailed volumes
that should be used for reference whenever you have a question or need more detail on an
issue.
B. TESTING MATERIALS
Multistate Performance Test (MPT) Workbook
The MPT Workbook contains well over a dozen MPT exams, covering the different types of
assignments you may be asked to complete on the bar exam. Each has a model answer
drafted by BARBRI showing you how to organize and present your answer.

Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) Workbook

The MEE Workbook contains hundreds of past MEE questions. Each has a model answer
drafted by BARBRI showing you how to organize and present your answer. For many
questions there are sample scoresheets to allow for self-assessment. At the back of the book
there are two simulated exams with scoresheets (do not look at these exams until directed to
do so during the course).

Multistate Practice Questions Volume (MPQ)

The MPQ contains questions which represent the varying degrees of difficulty, types of
questions and typical fact patterns you can expect to see on the actual bar exam. The
explanatory answers were drafted by BARBRI MBE experts to give you a comprehensive
explanation of the materials tested. The answers not only explain the correct response, they
also provide insight as to why the other choices are incorrect. Within your MPQ, you will
find:
Preview Diagnostic Exam: The 100 question diagnostic exam (explained
above) with explanatory answers.
MBE Workshop Introduction: Subject Matter Outlines for each multistate
subject as published by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, the drafters
of the MBE.
MBE Workshops for each Multistate Subject: 25 question exercises with
online lectures that will provide necessary test-taking tips and techniques for
each subject. These workshops are assigned in your Paced Program following
the substantive lectures for each MBE subject (explained below).
Practice Questions by Subject. These question sets will be assigned on your
Paced Program following your lectures in each given subject area. You may
also complete these assignments and receive a more detailed diagnostic analysis
of your performance, including your ranking among your peers, using
StudySmart software available at barbri.com or the BARBRI Mobile app.

HAWAII BARBRI METHOD 7.

VII.

Mixed Subject Practice Exams: Complete mixed subject practice exams with
detailed explanatory answers to enhance your performance on the actual MBE.
Simulated Final Exam (SFE): Your final 100 question practice exam designed
to give you more practice in handling variation of commonly tested issues and is
representative of some of the more difficult questions you will see on the MBE.
Simulated MBE Exam (MSE)
Towards the end of the course you will take a full day simulated MBE. The exam questions
and answers are in the MSE book.

LECTURES
The lectures are the most important part of the BARBRI program. The function of each lecture is
threefold: it explains the topic, aids retention of the basic rules of law, and relates the law to typical
bar exam fact patterns. In short, each lecture contains illustrated black letter law with analysis of fact
patterns and recent cases.
BARBRI believes that the best way to pass the bar exam is to follow your Paced Program as
closely as possible. Just as you attended law school each day, free from distraction, you should attend
each lecture as scheduled. You should carefully adhere to the course lecture schedule in order to fully
prepare for the exam. If, however, you need to miss a class, you have the ability to make up any
lectures online.

VIII. WORKSHOPS
A. MULTISTATE WORKSHOPS
What is it? These workshops represent the next generation of MBE workshops. All 6
Multistate Workshops, one for each Multistate topic, are integrated into the BARBRI
course and will be assigned on your Paced Program to complete during your individual
daily study time.
What are we doing? For each topic, you complete single subject diagnostic exams that
are substantively reviewed in detail by leading MBE experts. Youll learn why the best
answer is right, why the other answers are incorrect, how to narrow down choices, spot
bar examiner tricks and even how to answer questions with common sense.
What do I need? For the BARBRI Multistate Workshops you will be using your MPQ
book. Alternatively, we have a PDF copy of each question set available online in the
Enrolled Student Center of BARBRI.com.
B. ESSAY
Early in the course, you will watch a lecture in which the professor reviews the high points of the
Hawaii Bar Exam and then covers the basics of essay writing for purposes of the bar exam.
Although the skills required are similar to those you learned in law school, there are some key
differences you should utilize a scratch outline, use IRAC, avoid case or statutory citations, and
keep sentences short. This lecture is geared toward teaching you how to efficiently work through
questions, write clear answers, and maximize your points.
C. MPT
You will attend or watch one writing workshops covering the MPT. The workshop teaches you
the relevant techniques for writing a performance test, including how to structure your time. You
should allot 90 minutes to complete a performance test, spending approximately 45 minutes
reviewing the File and Library and creating your outline, and the remaining one 45 minutes
composing your answer.

HAWAII BARBRI METHOD 8.

IX.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
A.

B.

REVIEW YOUR NOTES

The first assignment after you finish watching a lecture is to review your lecture notes. Take
about 60-90 minutes to review the notes you took during the lecture, without trying to
memorize. You are setting the stage for later memorization through repetition, and reading
what you just heard and wrote down.
If there is anything you do not understand, refer to the long outline (designated as MS
for MBE Subjects or HI for the non-MBE Subjects).
Before moving on to another subject, you should make sure you have a basic
understanding of the subject you are working on currently. This means not initially
trying to memorize details and exceptions, but rather creating enough of a framework
for the subject to allow you to start answering questions. Your goal is not
memorization, but rather mere familiarity with the particular area of law.
Memorization will occur later, during the final few weeks before the bar exam.
You should not be rewriting, adding to or expanding your notes. That takes time,
mires you in detail you do not yet need, and can only add to your stress level. You
need to engage in active learning, which means you need to get to working on
questions.
Similarly, you should not be relying on someone elses notes or summaries. First, if
they are from a previous class, the law may have changed. Second, you need to state
things in your own words youre more likely to remember things this way.
Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts when studying for the bar exam.
PRACTICE MBE QUESTIONS

Multistate Practice Question volume

Assignments: Your Paced Program tells you the sets you need to complete each
day in the Multistate Practice Question Volume (MPQ). You also have the option of
doing these questions online utilizing our StudySmart Software (see below).

Timing: Your goal is to complete about 33-34 questions per hour, consistent with
completing 100 questions in 3 hours as is necessary on the bar exam. After
completing a set of MBE questions, you should review the explanatory answers in
about half the amount of time it took for you to answer the questions.

Helpful Tips:
After answering assigned MPQ questions, BARBRI suggests that you carefully
review all explanatory answer, including the questions you answered correctly. (By
reviewing the explanatory answers you can confirm that you chose the right answer
for the right reason. This is important because you need to make sure you can
consistently choose the best answer choice using the correct reasoning.)
Track your mistakes. Find the method that works for you, but track the law you are
having problems with, the question type that trips you up (e.g., best answer, worst
answer, mini-fact pattern questions, only if logic) or answer choice problems (e.g.,
youre a sucker for Latin terms, you choose nonresponsive answers if they are wellwritten, etc.) Information is power you can fix almost any problem if you know
what the problem is.

StudySmart Software:

HAWAII BARBRI METHOD 9.

What is it? StudySmart software is web-based software available through the

Enrolled Student Center. The questions are the same as those featured in the MPQ
Volume, however the software provides some additional benefits:

Multiple formats for answering questions to taking exams. Study Mode allows
you to get immediate feedback on questions answered; Practice Exam mode
allows you to complete a mock exam before reviewing your answer choices.
Customized practice tests let you choose questions by subtopic from any exam
subject. You may also select questions by difficulty level (introductory,
intermediate, or advanced). Selecting Timed Test provides you with the
appropriate number of questions for the time you select.
Mark your test to include only new questions or include questions already
answered correctly or incorrectly, or those you have marked for review.
Outline links for every question one click takes you directly to the section of
the Conviser Mini Review concerning the topic in question.
StudySmarts powerful Percentile Rank feature compares your scores with
thousands of other BARBRI students who are taking the exam with you.

Helpful Hint: If you opt to do questions in StudySmart, we suggest that you switch
to the paper format during the post-course period. Why? You cannot take the MBE
on the computer, so you have to get used to turning pages the old-fashioned way.
C. PRACTICE ESSAY QUESTIONS
Purpose: The questions and answers are neither designed nor assigned as tools for review of
substantive law. Their chief value is to improve your essay writing skills such as issuespotting, organization, IRAC and ability to write sufficient analysis.
You may find questions that refer to a point of law not covered in detail in either
the lecture or the materials. This is done intentionally to get you to think on
your feet.

Assignments: You will also have the opportunity to submit essays for grading/feedback
during the course. Please do so it is a great barometer of how you are doing. Each essay
will be assigned after you have learned the substantive area of law covered in the question.
The essays will be graded by BARBRIs expert staff of graders, using the Hawaii grading
scale, following the guidelines of what the examiners are looking for in passing answers.
Your essay will be marked up with comments on what you did well, areas needing
improvement, structural/organizational suggestions and an overall score. You should
carefully review the model answer and feedback once received.

Reviewing answers:
You should spend about 15 minutes carefully reviewing the model answer after you
are finished writing out your answer.
For each assigned essay, we offer online lecture analysis to help explain how, using
the essay writing approach outline, you should have identified the issues from the
facts and reached the same answer as presented in the book.
Information about submitting essay assignments for grading can be found in your
Paced Program.

D. PRACTICE MPT QUESTIONS

HAWAII BARBRI METHOD 10.

E.

X.

Timing: During the exam and while writing practice answers at home, you should budget 90
minutes per MPT. We recommend you spend 45 minutes critically reading the task memo,
client file and library, and 45 minutes writing the answer.

ESSAY AND MPT GRADING

Select essays and MPTs are assigned to be submitted for personalized feedback as
designated in the Paced Program. The exams will be graded by BARBRIs expert staff of
graders, using the Hawaii grading scale (0 5), following the guidelines of what the
examiners are looking for in passing answers.
You will upload your essay to the Submit an Essay for Grading link in the Enrolled
Student Center. An email will be sent once the exam has been reviewed. Your exam will be
marked up with comments including remarks on what you did well, areas needing
improvement, structural/organizational suggestions and an overall score.
For instructions on how to submit an essay for grading, please see the Paced Program
instructions.

SIMULATED EXAMS
A. WRITING WORKSHOPS
What are they? The Writing Workshops are simulated exam sessions for the MEE and
MPT. Writing Workshop 1 is a half-day simulated exam consisting of 4 MEE and 1 MPT.
Writing Workshop 2 is a full-day simulated exam consisting of 6 MEE, HRPC quiz and 2
MPT.
What is the format? The exam session is scheduled in class. Following class you will
review the sample answers and watch online lecture analysis to walk through the approach
to producing the winning answer.
What do I need? The exam packet is available on the bar review lectures page under
Updates and Other Materials. Students may also bring their MEE and MPT workbooks to
class and follow the instructions provided. For Writing Workshop 1, there is a handout with
answers and a worksheet to go with the lecture analysis posted on the bar review lectures
page. For Writing Workshop 2, the exam with answers and sample scoresheets are located at
the back of the MEE book under Practice Exam II.
B. SIMULATED MBE WORKSHOP (200 questions)
What is it? A 3-day MBE Workshop that is designed to maximize your score on the MBE.
It is the exam that has prepared the most students in the country for the MBE.
What are we doing? The 3-day Simulated Exam Workshop begins with a 200-question
simulated MBE. By the end of the two 3-hour testing sessions you will know first-hand how
mentally and physically challenging the MBE can be. After the exam, your individual
performance will be computer analyzed by subject and subtopic and ranked against
thousands of BARBRI students nationwide so you will know exactly where you stand before
you sit for the exam. In the days that follow, you will benefit from a question-by-question,
topic-focused discussion of the test led by BARBRIs faculty of MBE experts.
What do I need? You will be using the book labeled MSE for all three days, the computer
scantron (bubble grid) and #2 pencils.
C. SIMULATED MBE FINAL EXAM (100 questions)
What is it? Another chance to take a simulated exam and see how you are progressing
before you hit the final stretch of guided self-study.
What are we doing? You will complete a 100-question simulated exam, followed by online
analysis of the questions.

HAWAII BARBRI METHOD 11.

What do I need? This exam is included in the MPQ Volume.

XI. FINAL REVIEW

When trying to commit basic principles to memory, the best thing to do is rely on what worked for
you in law school. That means:
If you are an outliner, distill basic concepts from your lecture notes to a page or two minioutline.
If you are a flash card maker, create cards to help memorize approaches and rules.
If you are an audio learner, talk about the subject with a friend in the course (or explain it to
your mom or dad they would love to feel like they are helping) or record a summary you
can play back while you are driving, working out, etc.
XII.

SUBSTANTIVE OR STUDY QUESTION

You may submit substantive questions arising from the BARBRI lectures, outlines, handouts or
testing materials during the bar review course. Go to Submit a Substantive Question in the Enrolled
Student Center, complete the form and submit it to our staff attorney team via the website. We will
respond within 2 business days, and if necessary contact the professor on your behalf.

XIII. CONTACT US
The BARBRI commitment is to assist you in every way possible to ensure you pass the Hawaii Bar
Exam. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our HI Office at
(310)287-2360 or hi.bar@barbri.com.