10 Tips for Law School Exams

Final exam season can be a stressful time of year for law students, and students in any field –  but it doesn’t have to be.

Here are the best tips and stories about exams produced for the University of Virginia School of Law website over the years.

1. Video: In ‘Exam 2.0,’ Professors Share Tips, Common Errors to Avoid

Professors Kimberly Kessler Ferzan and Toby Heytens give exam preparation tips, strategies for answering different types of questions and ways to avoid common exam-taking errors.

2. Video: Exam Tips for First-Y​ear Law Students

Stocked with the latest and greatest exam advice from Professor Alex Johnson and students Katie Barber ’15 and Zachary Ray ’16, this video covers all angles, from preparing for exams to taking them.

3. Inside the Mind of a Professor: How They Write Exams and How You Can Excel at Them

How and why do law professors write such challenging exams? Professors Kenneth Abraham, Albert Choi and Risa Goluboff discuss their process and offer tips for how students can master taking exams.

4. What’s Your Exam Advice?

We asked students, faculty and alumni for their best advice on prepping for and taking exams.

5. Been There, Passed That — Alumni Exam Tips

Twenty alumni advise students to take practice exams, know your professor, study your own way, and more.

6. Faculty Members Offer Exam Advice

Six professors offer quick tips on how to get through exam season.

7. Faculty Share Memories of Exams Past

Think you have an exam horror (or triumph) story? From earthquakes to dreaded recollections of fixed exams, professors share tales and lessons from exams past.

8. Video: Professors Discuss Exam Strategies (or Audio)

A half-dozen professors give their advice about preparing for and taking exams.

9. Video: Exam Tips from Professor Anne Coughlin

There’s a reason why this video has more than 41,000 hits on YouTube.

10. Professor: Students Should Take “Forks in the Road” on Law Exams

This throwback story featuring George Washington University law professor Roger Schechter still has some great tips, particularly for 1Ls.