Atty.

Joan De Venecia (University of the Philippines) topped the Bar

exams in 2005. Being reprinted here are some tips to aid us in clinching
the most difficult examination in the land there is. Take note that there
may be changes in the 2011 bar examination type of questions onward
but these tips are still very vital for their worth.

First: Make an honest assessment of the subjects you are good at, and the subjects
you feel you have an inadequate foundation on. Adjust the number of days devoted to
each subject accordingly.
Second: Compact reviewers might not necessarily help, especially for those subjects in
which you are weak at, and the morning subjects.
Third: Choose the review classes you want to attend. (I enrolled at the law center but
didn’t attend most of the lectures).
Fourth: Avoid unnecessary comparison to the pace of others. We all have our own
rhythm according to the laws of inertia.
Fifth: Perfect your handwriting and grammar.
Sixth: Write things down. I had so many post-its in my codals, especially for Civ and
Rem. It was like a mini-book where all the important doctrines were jotted down.
Seventh: No need to memorize laws. If you must memorize, memorize only the key
words of important doctrines. Please, don’t memorize case titles and SCRA citations.
Don’t clog your brain with useless clutter. Understanding is key.
Eighth: For the bar, short answers don’t necessarily work. The answer must be firm
yet exhaustive. I did not cite cases nor specific provisions, but just went straight to
the answers.
Ninth: Updates on latest jurisprudence are indispensable. Request that the updates
come with short facts, because bar questions are often facts-based.
Tenth: Always make time for gimmicks and relaxation to keep you sane during the
review.