How are study hours allocated?

The plan follows the standard UBE weighting: the MBE (multiple choice) is about 50% of the score and gets roughly half the hours, the MEE (essays) gets about 30%, and the MPT (performance test) about 20%. Hours are split across these in those proportions.

How many weeks of prep do I need?

Full-time bar prep is typically 8-10 weeks at 40-55 hours per week, totaling roughly 400-600 hours. The planner counts your actual weeks remaining and flags if your total hours fall short of the recommended range.

What are the MBE subjects?

The seven MBE subjects are Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts. The planner divides your MBE hours roughly evenly across these seven.

Should I taper before the exam?

Yes. The planner reserves the final days for light review and full-length simulation rather than new material, which most bar coaches recommend to consolidate learning and reduce burnout.

Is this a substitute for a commercial bar course?

No. This is a scheduling aid to structure your hours. Use it alongside a commercial outline and question bank (Barbri, Themis, Kaplan, etc.) for the actual substantive content and practice questions.

Bar Exam Prep Schedule Calculator

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Build your bar exam prep schedule

Bar prep is an exercise in time management as much as memorization. This planner counts the weeks between today and your exam, multiplies your daily study hours into a total budget, then allocates that budget across the MBE, MEE, and MPT using the proven Uniform Bar Exam weighting so no component is neglected.

How it works

Total available hours are split by the UBE score weighting:

totalHours = weeks × 7 × hoursPerDay
mbeHours   = totalHours × 0.50   (50% of score, 7 subjects)
meeHours   = totalHours × 0.30   (essays)
mptHours   = totalHours × 0.20   (performance test)

The MBE block is further divided across the seven subjects, and the final week is reserved for full-length simulation and review rather than new material.

Tips and notes

Aim for at least 400 hours total; the planner flags schedules that fall short of the commonly recommended range.
Front-load substantive learning and back-load practice questions and full simulations.
Protect the last few days for taper and review — cramming new material rarely pays off on exam day.