10 Weeks Until the California Baby Bar Exam

Hello,

Welcome to the latest issue of our weekly FYLSX Newsletter. Good luck to those of you that are receiving June exam results this week. In this issue, we consider:

A. Exam Study Strategy: Multiple Choice Error Logs
B. Essays In-Depth: The Importance of Effective Organization
C. Program Highlight: FYLSX Essay Tutoring Solution: Paced
D. Newsletter-Only Discounts
E. Next Issue Preview

A. Exam Study Strategy: Multiple Choice Error Logs

Although our FYLSX essay programs focus upon the essay portion of the exam, individuals in our programs will often ask about how to improve multiple choice performance (the q & a service included in our essay programs extends to any aspect of exam study). One multiple choice technique we suggest is the creation and maintenance of an "error log." That is, a written record as to why an individual multiple choice question was missed (e.g., a record in a spreadsheet).

A multiple choice error log can help you identify why you are missing multiple choice questions. In our experience, there can be more than one reason why you miss a multiple choice question. Such reasons include misreading the question, misreading the answer options, not knowing the applicable law, or misapplying the applicable law. The purpose of the error log is to identify your weakest areas and target those areas for improvement.

To create the error log, you will need to thoroughly review all missed multiple choice questions to identify the reason(s) why you missed the question. Once you identify the reason(s) for a missed question, create an entry for that reason in your error log. Over time, you error log will likely identify the one or two primary reasons why you are missing the question. Then, you can concentrate on improving those areas in future practice areas. For example, if your log reveals that you miss 25% of all questions because you misread the answer options, then it should be made obvious that closer attention to reading these options is warranted. Identifying your multiple choice weaknesses in this manner would not be so obvious without the assistance of the error log.

B. Essays In-Depth: The Importance of Effective Organization

Our Essays In-Depth feature is a weekly excerpt from our Essay Solution: Workshop or one of our subject-specific Torts, Criminal Law, or Contracts FYLSX workshops. This feature is designed to identify common mistakes individuals make on their FYLSX essays and provide solutions to correct such mistakes. If implemented, these solutions will result in higher scores on your essays. This week we address the concept of Organization.

1. Why Organization Is Needed

When preparing for the baby bar exam, individuals often overlook essay organization and the role it plays in creating effective, passing essay answers. Such individuals often just throw everything on the page with little regard as to whether organizational improvements in the structure of the essay can make a more effective (i.e., higher scoring) essay. In our experience, effective essay organization provides a dual benefit: 1) it improves the individual's substantive evaluation of the issues and 2) provides an easy to read, and understand, answer for the grader. Remember, you are writing for an audience (the grader), and it is always to your advantage to make the grader's job of assessing your answer easier via effective organization.

2. Macro-Organization* and Micro-Organization*

To simplify how individuals think about essay organization, we divide organization into two separate, but related, concepts: Macro- and Micro-Organization. Generally, Macro-Organization refers to how you organize the essay as a whole, including the interrelationship between issues. For example, your organization of the issues in your answer should be presented in a logical, predictable manner (e.g., you would not present defenses to a negligence claim prior to a discussion of the claim itself). In contrast, Micro-Organization addresses how you organize each individual issue within an essay answer. For example, for every issue you raise in an essay answer, you should clearly include all of the essential Issue Components.*

As noted above, effective organization can also provide you a platform to improve the substantive content of your issue discussions. By following a structured, organizational method in your essays, you are less likely to omit or under-develop certain aspects of an issue discussion.

*Please note, the above-asterisked concepts are fully defined, explained, and illustrated in our FYLSX Essay Solution on-demand workshop, which is available as a stand-alone program or included as part of all of our 1-on-1 FYLSX essay preparation programs.

C. Program Highlight: FYLSX Essay Tutoring Solution: Paced

This week we highlight our FYLSX Essay Tutoring Solution: Paced program. Our Paced program is a 1-on-1 essay program designed for first-time takers or 1-time repeaters of the California Baby Bar Exam who desire a complete, 1-on-1 essay preparation program. The Paced program includes:

• Critique & Evaluation of 12 FYLSX essays (4 Contracts, 4 Torts, 4 Criminal Law)
• Unlimited Access to our California Baby Bar Exam (FYLSX) Essay Solution: Workshop until your exam
• 1/2 hour of private tutorial time (via web conference, with option to purchase additional time)
• Our initial, diagnostic, and evaluative questionnaire
• A private, secure, and dedicated feedback page to receive feedback and make inquiries
• Unlimited follow-up for all essay critiques and evaluations
• Unlimited question and answer service, including substantive, conceptual questions regarding any California Baby Bar Exam subject or concept (Torts, Criminal Law, or Contracts)
• Instant email notifications when your essay feedback is available or other inquiry answered

With our flexible scheduling options, individuals completing the Paced program can improve their essay performance dramatically in a relatively short period of time. Learn more about our FYLSX Essay Tutoring Solution: Paced program.

D. Newsletter-Only Discounts

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E. Next Issue Preview

In our next issue, our Essays In-Depth feature will address the confusion that often arises for Strict Liability issues in a Torts essay. If you have any questions about this newsletter or any of our programs, then please feel free to Contact Us.

Study Smart,

-the BarReviewSolutions.com Team