Full courses
If you have never studied for the bar, or you lose track of what to do next without a plan, a full course solves the most problems at once. If you already know what you need, it can be more than you pay for.
Multiple-choice practice
A question bank sells practice, not teaching. UWorld's MBE QBank and AdaptiBar are the two names that come up most, and they sell separately from full courses. Some full courses include a bank of their own, and several bundle a partner's bank. Compare the source of the questions, the depth of the explanations and the analytics, which we cover in the question-bank guide.
One caution: a bank cannot tell you what to study and when. Use it inside a schedule.
Outlines, sheets and memorization tools
These are for retention. Critical Pass and Brainscape are flashcard systems. SmartBarPrep, Crushendo, GOAT Bar Prep, Magicsheets, Approsheets and JD Advising's One-Sheets sell condensed outlines or memory sheets in different formats. Studicata sells outlines as well as courses.
They only work once you already understand a subject. Read them as compression of what you learned, not a replacement for learning it.
Essay and performance-test help
Writing is where many candidates lose points that a course could not have helped with, because it needs a person or a good rubric responding to your actual writing. AdaptiBar has a writing guide, BarMD and Bar Exam Toolbox focus on essay and performance-test technique, and JD Advising is known for coaching and feedback. Confirm what each includes and whether feedback comes from a person, and how quickly.
State-focused programs
If your exam includes a state-law component or is written by the state, the national course may not cover it. One-Timers, BarMD, AmeriBar's state courses, Celebration Bar Review and WhatsTheIssue are examples of providers with state-focused options. Check which states, which exam months and which components they cover before you assume your state is included.
Video supplements and books
Quimbee's SideBar videos are a supplement, not a full course. Books such as Emanuel's Strategies & Tactics for the MBE and the Finz Multistate Method book teach MBE technique from a written explanation and practice questions. Official NCBE materials are a separate category, covered in our official-materials guide, and are the best source for what the real exam looks like.
Ten questions to ask any provider
Before you evaluate anything, write these down and get the answers in writing: which exam administration does this cover, what does the base price include, what costs extra, how long does access last, what is the refund rule, are practice questions licensed from NCBE or written by the provider, who grades writing and how fast, what is required to qualify for any guarantee, what happens if I switch jurisdictions, and what does support look like in the last two weeks before the exam.
Common questions
Is a question bank the same as a bar prep course?+
No. A question bank provides practice questions and explanations but does not schedule your studying or teach the subjects. Full courses typically add lectures, a plan and writing feedback, and sometimes include a bank.
Do I need flashcards and a course and a question bank?+
Usually not all three. Most candidates do well with a full course or a plan built around a question bank plus outlines, then add flashcards only for rules that will not stick.
Which providers cover state-specific law?+
Coverage changes by year and jurisdiction. Several providers advertise state-focused programs, but you should confirm your state, your exam month and the components covered before buying.
What to do next
- 1
Decide which job you need done: teaching, practice, memory, writing or state law.
- 2
List two providers per job and ask the ten questions.
- 3
Buy the base product first and add a supplement only after your first diagnostic.