In this post, we reveal an in-depth guide on how to answer law school exam

questions.

Law school exams are very different than exams you may have taken in
undergrad. Because they are different from the exams you are used to, you need
a novel strategy if you want to answer the law school exam questions
successfully and receive high scores on your law school exams. Many students
do not know how to best prepare for law school final exams (in part because law
schools do not teach students this!). In this post, we break down the process of
answering law school exam questions into a few simple steps.

How to Answer Law School Exam Questions

Preparation for Answering Law School Exam Questions:

Make your outlines!

Before you attempt to answer law school exam questions and learn how to
answer law school exam questions, it is crucial that you have outlines (that you
have made) and that you have familiarized yourself with your outlines well
enough so that you feel like you know them. Here we have an in-depth guide to
outlining. We also have tips on how to outline using diagrams, and places you
can find outlines online if you want to review examples of outlines.

Learn your outlines!

If you have outlines, but are struggling to learn or “memorize” them, you are not
alone. Many students struggle with this aspect of studying. Check out this post
for seven fantastic tips on learning your law school outlines.

Why do you need to outline and learn your outlines first? Because the essential
tool that you need prior to answering exam questions is knowledge of the law!
This is the key tool, your secret weapon, that will help you work your way
through exam questions.

Step One: Learn to answer exam questions using the IRAC method.

The “IRAC” method is a commonly used method for writing law school exam
answers. The letters in IRAC stands for the following words:

 “I” in “IRAC” stands for “issue.”

 “R” stands for “rule.”
 “A” stands for “analysis.”
 “C” stands for “conclusion.”
The IRAC method is formulaic. To use IRAC one essentially fills in the blanks of
the following formula for each issue that one spots: “The issue is ___________.
The rule is ___________. A court would analyze it as follows: [apply the law to
the facts]. In conclusion, ___________ will likely win.”

The IRAC method, in its most basic form, is not the best way to answer exam
questions. It is a bit too simplistic and formulaic. However, it is a great start for
learning how to answer law school exam questions. Further, as you practice it,
(and as we show you below) you will find yourself improving the analysis section
significantly in order to write a sophisticated exam answer.

I = Issue
It is important that you identify most, if not all, of the issues in your exam fact
pattern. Write down the issue. Explicitly say, “The issue is whether…” Note that
many times, the fact pattern will not give you any hints as to what the issues
are. It will just say “Discuss the issues” or “Discuss.” Thus, it will be up to you
to spot all of the issues.

Issue-spotting is important because if you don’t spot the issue, you will not be
able to apply the relevant law and analyze it (and this is what you get the most
points for!). To become a good issue-spotter, practice answering exam
questions and comparing them to model answers. This will help you get an idea
of the most commonly tested issues and this will help you spot these issues in
your final exam.

R = Rule
For each issue that you identify, state the rule of law that governs the issue.
Make sure that you state the relevant rules of law. Some students will write
down all of the rules of law that they have learned to try to impress the
professor. However, you don’t get points for these and you are wasting time
writing them all down.

A = Analysis
The analysis is the most important part of your exam answer. It is the section
where you “apply the law to the facts.” The key to writing an average “IRAC”
answer and an outstanding A+ answer is to develop the analysis by
making lawyerly arguments on behalf of the Plaintiff and on behalf of the
Defendant for each issue that you spot. When you get to the “A” in IRAC, ask
yourself: “What would the Plaintiff argue?” then ask yourself, “What would the
Defendant argue?” State who has the better argument. Make creative
arguments, and make all of the reasonable arguments you can. This is the most
important part of your essay.

When you make arguments (and when you respond) for each side, refer to
specific facts in the fact pattern. Arguments can be made using the following
strategies.

 Sometimes you will argue that the facts should be interpreted one way or
another.
 Sometimes you will argue that the law should be interpreted one way or
the other.
 Sometimes you will cite policy reasons for why the case should turn out
one way or another.
 Sometimes you will argue that the traditional rule should be applied
instead of the model rule (or vice versa) or that the common law
rule should be applied instead of the statute (or vice versa), or that
the majority rule should be applied instead of the minority rule (or vice
versa).
 Sometimes you will argue that the holding in one case should be followed
rather than the holding in a different case.
Most of your arguments will be based on classroom discussion. That is, if your
professor really emphasized contradicting rulings of two different cases, you
would mention that in your argument section. If your professor focused instead
on common law rulings vs. statutory law, you may make arguments based on
that.

Even if the question says, “you are counsel for the defense” you have to still
recognize (and state in your answer) arguments that the plaintiff would make.
After all, the best defense lawyer will anticipate arguments by the plaintiff.

This takes your answer out of the simple “IRAC” format because you are not just
“applying the law to the facts” instead you are arguing and analyzing from both
the plaintiff’s and the defendant’s perspective in a lawyerly manner.

C = Conclusion
Last, state which party is more likely to win and explain your reasoning. The
conclusion answers the question, “Who has the better legal argument?” The
conclusion that you arrive at is not as important as the analysis that you provide.

Do not leave your conclusion too inconclusive (i.e. “It depends on what the court
decides. Either could win.”). A “conclusion” that is inconclusive is not a
conclusion at all! However, do not leave your conclusion too decisive either (i.e.
“The plaintiff will definitely win” or “The Defendant’s argument is baseless.”). It
is best not to use extremely strong words or phrases unless they truly are
appropriate (and this will happen very rarely for the big issues!). The key words
to use are “probably” or “most likely.” Say something like, “For all of the reasons
discussed above, the Defendant is most likely to win on this issue.”

Step Two: Practice Exam Questions.

It is not enough to have a good strategy for answering exam questions. You
have to also practice that strategy. If you were trying to get good at painting,
reading books about painting all day wouldn’t be enough — you would actually
have to practicing painting! It is the same with answering exam questions. It is
not enough to have some skills or strategies. Instead, you have to practice those
skills and strategies.

The three primary sources that you should use to practice applying what you
know are:

 (1) Exams that your professor has given students in the

past (check with your professor)
***This is by far the best resource!*** Make sure to obtain model answers if
possible.
 (2) Problems in supplements – such as Examples and
Explanations or Glannon Guides;
 (3) Other resources that contain exams with model answers: The
best thing to do is google, for example, “Contracts exam model answer”. You
will find updated Contracts exams with model or sample answers.
After you write your exam answers, always spend a long time comparing your
answer to the model answer and “grading” your answer. This is how you will
improve on your exam-writing skills. You will be actively learning the law, giving
yourself feedback, identifying your strengths and your weaknesses, and find
yourself improving over time!

If you are unsure how to compare your answer to the model answer, we
recommend that you start by asking yourself these questions:

Questions to Ask when Comparing Your Answer to the Model Answer:

Issue

 Did I spot the same issues that the writer of the model answer spotted?
 Did I miss important issues? Which ones? How will I avoid this in the
future?
 Did I include issues that the model answer did not include? If so, are these
issues relevant?
Rule
 Did I clearly lay out all of the rules and elements of law for each issue?
 Did I discuss laws that weren’t relevant? How can I avoid this in the
future?
Analysis

 Did I make arguments on behalf of each party (where applicable)?

 Did I analyze the problem as in-depth as the model answer did?
 Did I spend too much time analyzing an issue that should obviously turn
out in one party’s favor?
 Did I know enough law to fully analyze the question or do I need to review
my outline more?
Conclusion

 Was my conclusion too vague? Was it too strongly-worded?

 Was my conclusion correct (or at least arguably correct)?
Other

 Did I spend too much time restating facts or conclusions?

 Did I answer the exam in the appropriate amount of time?
 What are my strengths?
 How can I capitalize on my strengths and make them even better?
 What do I need to practice more?
Commonly-Asked Questions on How to Answer Law School Exam
Questions:

What is the Most Important Resource I can Consult if I Have Limited

Time?

The best resource at your disposal is your professor’s old exams. These show
you what the professor likes to test and can help you get used to their format
and their exam approach. Make sure that you obtain any model answer or
sample answer that goes with the exam. Some professors do not make past
exams available for review. Some only offer a couple of prior exams available for
review, in which case it is a good idea to seek exams using the other resources
mentioned above.

What If My Professor Includes Multiple Choice Or Short Answer

Questions?

It is becoming more common to include a multiple choice question section

and/or a short answer question section on law school exams. Below we tell you
how to answer law school exam questions that contain multiple-choice, short
answer, or other nontraditional questions.

Multiple choice: If your professor includes multiple choice questions on your

exam, it makes sense to get as much practice answering multiple choice
questions as you can before your exam. Do a google search for questions or, if
you have time, order books on amazon with multiple choice questions. Many bar
exam review books will have multiple choice questions that cover the material in
first year law school courses. It is amazing how much you can increase your
score through practice.

Make sure that when you begin to practice answering multiple choice questions
that you go through the questions slowly and methodically. Dissect each
question. After you read the question, ask yourself what legal issue is being
tested and what legal rule you need to know to answer the question. If you do
not know the legal rule, look it up in your outline. Lastly, go through the answer
choices and explain why one is correct and why the other three are incorrect. If
you complete all of the questions slowly and methodically when you practice, you
will learn the legal rules better and you will also internalize the best way to
approach questions on your exam. You will not fall for tricks!

Closer to your final exam, work on speed. Practice answering several questions
each day and make sure you are able to answer them in the time allotted.

If you are looking for a lengthier article about how to improve your score on
multiple choice questions, see this post on how to answer multiple-choice
questions: It is geared toward bar exam students but would be helpful to any
students taking a multiple choice exam.

Short answer: If your professor includes short answer questions on his or her
exam, get your hands on as many short answer questions as possible. If your
professor releases any past exams, focus on these first! Also, consult a
supplement. Many supplements (such as Examples and Explanations guides)
have plenty of short answer questions for you to answer.

Combination: If your professor has a combination of questions (some multiple

choice, some essay) spend your time answering both kinds of questions when
you practice. Allocate your time based on how your final exam score is
calculated. If, say, only ten percent of the exam is based on your multiple choice
score, and 90% is based on your essay score, focus primarily on practicing essay
questions. If it is the opposite, focus primarily on practicing multiple choice
questions.