Tips for future UB Bar Examinees

By Louie L. Santos

1. When did you start your Review?

I started my Pre-Bar review right after our graduation. I enrolled at Magnificus Juris
Review Center which offered the least hassle to me as it started its lectures just
around the time of our graduation ceremonies and conveniently conducted them at
Saint Louis University in Baguio City. This afforded me to start my review right a
way.

For those who are about the start their review, I recommend that you look for a Bar
Review Center which caters to your needs. There is no real necessity to go to Manila
for the Pre-Bar Review. Find one that is most convenient to you and one that fits in
how you plan to conduct your review.

It is recommended that you start your review as early as possible to give yourself
ample time to read your review materials. Take note, you only have roughly five
months before the Bar Exam. You must spend this precious period judiciously.

2. What was your review schedule/routine?; How much time did you
devote for study and rest?

During my bar review, I planned my reading in such a way that I read the bar
subjects to be taken during the last Sunday of the Bar exam first, then worked
myself backwards to the subjects to be taken during the first Sunday. I allotted
about two weeks per subject except for Remedial Law which I allotted a whole
month to study.

I also allocated at least twelve hours a day for reading my materials, but also made
sure that I had enough sleep. I usually slept at 12 midnight and woke up at about
five or six in the morning and started reading at around six or seven oclock.

It is advisable that a Bar examinee trains his/her brain to function at optimum

capacity during the examination hours by studying during mornings and afternoons.

3. What books/materials did you use; what materials can you recommend?

In choosing my review materials, the real consideration for me is the limited period
available before the Bar exam. Thus, I chose materials that are short but which
cover all the essential topics for each Bar subjects.

In Political Law I chose Fr. Bernas Constitutional Law Reviewer and read the
handouts given by the lecturers. In Labor Law, I read the book Fundamentals of
Labor Law Review by Atty. Paulino D. Ungos and the handouts given by Dean
Buddy Poquiz. In Civil Law, I chose to read the Civil Law Reviewer by Timoteo
Aquino because it is relatively short but covers all the essentials. In Taxation I read a
combination of reviewers and handouts by different authors. In Criminal Law, I also
read a combination of several books, handouts and reviewers, but, I suggest that
the Bar reviewee focus on reading the codal provisions of the Revised Penal Code
and special penal laws. I also recommend the lectures and handouts by Judge Marlo
Campanilla and the Compact Reviewer on Criminal Law by Atty. Leonor D.
Boado. In Commercial Law, I recommend reading the Commercial Law
Reviewer written by Aquino and Sundiang for their conciseness and breadth. In
Remedial Law, I used several reviewers but I suggest that the Bar reviewee
concentrate on reading the codal provisions in the Rules of Court and the materials
given by the lecturers. The same goes for Legal Ethics. Also, it is very important that
the Bar reviewee memorize by heart the Lawyers Oath. Almost all questions in
Legal Ethics may be answered and justified using the contents of the Lawyers Oath.

4. What can you say about traveling during your review, whether full time
or working?

Speaking from my personal experience, one does not need to travel to Manila to
have an effective Pre-Bar Review. There are local review centers which offer lectures
featuring national Bar reviewers. However, there is no downside to having your Pre-
Bar Review at one of the leading review schools in Manila. It simply boils down to
preference, convenience and need. Also, traveling early to Manila for your Pre-Bar
Review may be advantageous in getting acclimated early to the environment there.

5. Can you give any tips on "How to Study" for the Bar?

The only way to study for the Bar is to study hard. The Bar examinee must possess
a single-mindedness of achieving the goal of passing the Bar. This purposeful
mindset will greatly help the reviewee prepare him/herself for the bar and
overcome the numerous hurdles that will naturally come his/her way.

To best prepare for the Bar, you must first identify what is the challenge of taking it.
And the ultimate challenge is to provide answers that will tell the Examiners that
you have the competence to be a member of the legal profession.

Therefore, you must prepare yourself to do just that. Thus, one must arm
him/herself with enough legal knowledge to answer the questions during the bar
exams. At the very least, master the basics and know the most recent decisions and
principles of law relevant to the Bar subject. Your legal knowledge is your
ammunition during the examinations. Surely , one cannot go to a battle without
having enough bullets and armaments and expect to win.

Choose your materials and stick with them. Do not try to read all available review
materials. You simply do not have the time to do so, and having too many review
materials for one subject may only confuse you.
And of course, the Bar reviewee must have the iron discipline to strictly follow
his/her reading schedule and read all topics covered by the Bar Exam Syllabi as
much as one possibly can.

Furthermore, health is most important. One cannot go through the four Sundays of
Bar Exam without having the mental, emotional and physical health needed to take
eight four-hour-long examinations. That is why you must take good care of your
health. Do not over-exert yourself during your review, especially during the pre-
week periods. Remember, it is more important to have a clear head during the Bar
Exam than have yourself memorize all the legal provisions and principles you can
muster. Having the ability to think clearly will increase your ability to supply an
intelligible answer. You may not know the exact answer to the question, but having
the ability to analyze facts and relate them to relevant legal provisions and
principles will help you navigate through the question and provide an acceptable
answer.

6. Tips on "How to Answer" the Bar?

In answering the bar questions, an examinee must take into consideration how to
best communicate his/her answer. Due to the number of examinees taking the Bar
Exam, the examiner will only have a very limited time checking your answers. Thus,
an examinee must provide answers that are short, simple but complete.

Additionally, because the examiner must necessarily understand your answers, you
must make sure that your handwriting is legible. Practice writing with big and round
letters which will make your penmanship more decipherable. Take note, writing in
long-hand is not a requirement in the Bar examinations. An examinee may write in
print.

Finally, just remember to give it your best and to never give up. Do not be
disheartened by seemingly weak performance/s during the first examination/s. You
must soldier on, finish the Bar Exam, and give yourself a chance to pass. The Bar
Exam is more of a measure of ones character rather than a measure of ones
intelligence. It is an experience that reveals the character of the examinee. And only
those who have the character needed to become members of the legal profession
get to have the chance to become lawyers.