THE TEN COMMANDMENTS In Answering Bar Exams/Midterm and Final Exams for Law School

Exams really have their way of making us feel stupid and clueless, especially if you are a fresh student of that course or subject. This is especially true in law schools. You can find almost every first year student looking around, wondering how to answer properly the questions to the midterm exams. After months of study for the long-dreaded exams (weeks only, for the worst procrastinators like me) that will assess how much knowledge you have learned and accumulated, you enter the room and sit at the designated chairs where you suddenly realize that while you have tried to cram every bit of useful and practical knowledge of things that you're sure to come out in the exams, but you have no idea how to properly put them into writing. Major crisis!

This is clearly an impractical situation to be in. After all, you might know the provisions and all technical and legal matters in the books, but if you don't know how to answer the exams, your grade won't really satisfy you.

Well, after that happened to me more than a few times, I've decided to research tips on the "how to's" of answering the exams. Here is the 10 commandments in answering bar exams (and practically assessment, midterm and final exams on law subjects too) I got from attyralph.com by Atty Ralph Sarmiento. Read, and be enlightened.

I.
Thou shall not abandon your common sense.
II.
Thou shall leave your personal biases at home.
III.
Thou shall answer only what is being asked.
IV.
Thou shall not invent facts.
V.
Thou shall write legibly and clearly.
VI.
Thou shall not write unduly long answers.
VII.
Thou shall not brag about your legal knowledge.
VIII.
Thou shall not criticize the problem.
IX.
Thou shall always state the legal basis of your answer.
X.
Thou shall not make an unjustified conclusion.

While this are not really commandments but more on guides, I'm sure it will help many of us survive from a lot of exam crisis we will have to face. Exams can't kill, but it could surely be nerve-wracking to the point of mental death! But with this tips from Atty. Sarmiento, hopefully we can pass our exams with flying colors. God bless everyone, and always remember: Think positive!