Days 7–4: confirm logistics, review your error log
Confirm every exam-day item now: admission ticket, required identification, permitted and prohibited items, laptop software where allowed, and the test location and check-in time. Then spend study time on your own recorded errors. You already know what you miss, and a week is enough to close specific gaps but not to broaden coverage.
The laptop and admission-ticket deadlines
In jurisdictions that let you type, the software deadline can arrive before the last week begins. For the July 2026 California exam, ExamSoft laptop registration opened June 30, and the State Bar required a mock exam to be completed and its answer file uploaded by July 24, a few days before the exam on July 28 and 29. An applicant who missed the upload could not use a laptop and had to handwrite the essays and the performance test.
The admission ticket is the second document to check. The State Bar of California publishes a bulletin each administration that lists what to bring, what is prohibited and where to report, and other jurisdictions issue their own. Read your jurisdiction's version in full during days seven to four.
Minnesota refuses entry without the ticket printed from the applicant portal and a government-issued photo ID with a signature, and it asks for 20 to 30 minutes to complete sign-in on each exam day. Colorado requires laptop registration and a software download for every administration, even for a repeat laptop user.
Days 3–0: taper, sleep, arrive early
Study intensity should be lower than a month ago. One timed section is enough to keep the rhythm; a full simulated exam this late adds fatigue and little you can act on. Keep the same bedtime for the last three nights and pack the ticket, ID and permitted items the evening before.
On exam morning, arrive with time to spare: the exam is two days, Tuesday for the six essays and two MPT tasks and Wednesday for the 200 MBE questions, and a late arrival on Tuesday costs you Tuesday.
The final week, day by day
| Days before exam | Do | Skip |
|---|---|---|
| 7–5 | Confirm ticket, photo ID, laptop software and test-site address | New subject material |
| 4–2 | Review your own error log; one timed section | Longer study days to catch up |
| 1 | Pack ticket and ID; light review; early bedtime | Late-night review |
| 0 | Arrive early for check-in | Cutting travel time close |
What to do next
- 1
Confirm the ticket, ID and laptop software by day 5.
- 2
Read your jurisdiction's exam-day bulletin start to finish.
- 3
Review your error log, not new material.
- 4
Keep the same bedtime for the last three nights.
- 5
Pack everything the evening before.
Common questions
What exam-day items do candidates forget?+
Admission tickets, photo ID that matches the registration exactly, and laptop software confirmation. Confirm all three by day 5.
What was California's laptop deadline for July 2026?+
ExamSoft laptop registration opened June 30, and the mock exam had to be completed and the answer file uploaded by July 24, before the July 28–29 exam. An applicant who missed it had to handwrite the written portions.
What does Minnesota require at check-in?+
The ticket printed from the applicant portal and a government-issued photo ID with a signature, and it asks for 20 to 30 minutes for sign-in on each exam day.
Should I take a full practice exam in the final week?+
One timed section keeps your rhythm. A full simulation this close adds fatigue and leaves little time to act on what it shows.
Is it too late to fix a weak subject?+
A full fix is unlikely in a week. Review the specific errors you logged in that subject, which closes more than broad rereading.