Testimonials & Reviews
“Thanks to your outstanding bar prep guides, I passed the Texas bar in the first try and with a score high enough for any UBE jurisdiction. Your study materials were the only ones I used. They were awesome! I will definitely recommend your materials to anyone taking the bar.”
“I passed the exam!! Thank you so much, the material is super helpful.”
“I passed the Oklahoma July 2022 Bar Exam with flying colors! Smart Bar Prep was my #1 study tool, paired with the Bar Exam Toolbox prep course and a writing tutor. Smart Bar Prep is exceptional. The Attack Sheets, Priority Outlines, and Frequency Charts allowed me to maximize my study time and cover everything I needed to know for the exam. Thank you so much for developing this amazing program. I’m recommending it to anyone who asks me for exam prep advice.”
“I successfully passed the California bar exam. I cannot recommend SmartBarPrep outlines and flashcards enough. They helped me focus on the most important topics and provided the rule statements necessary to solidify my approach to essays. I was looking for a single resource for rule statements, and this was it. Your content was instrumental to my success, thank you for the amazing resource! I’m so glad I don’t have to ever use it again :) (for California, at least).”
“I had just two weeks’ notice that I was going to have to take the Mississippi bar, and having been out of law school for over ten years, I was so rusty on all of the subjects. I spent the first week trying to review large bar review books and had no idea how I could have time to review all that information, prioritize what to study, and do practice questions. Then, I found the Smart Bar Prep materials and was able to quickly review, prioritize and memorize the most important information so I still had time to do practice questions. I also used the Smart Bar Prep materials to know which subjects to look at most closely. I absolutely credit these materials with helping me pass the bar despite having limited time to study.”
“I just wanted to let you know that I passed the bar exam and my score was 11 points higher than it needed to be to pass :) I wanted to personally tell you thank you; I couldn’t have passed without access to all of the MEE materials. You’ve taken customer service to the next level and I’ll always appreciate what you did for me!”
“I passed! and I DEFINITELY wouldn’t have done it without your materials. I used your rules as my exclusive outlines. I have other outlines to compare with and your materials were the easiest to visualize, more concise, and easy to remember. I really like the way you structure the rules. I’m very visual and other outlines I had were more of a long summary of the rules, and more lengthy with extra information that is not really required when citing a rule in the actual exam. I passed the NY bar a few years ago and going back to study for another bar felt like a nightmare, but once I started using these outlines I felt way more confident. A world of rules became easier to grasp and to “file” in my head knowing which ones are more important than others because of their frequency in past CA examinations. A very unique, systematic and clever tool for succeeding at the CA bar! Thank you!”
“I passed the California Bar Exam the first time I took the exam and SmartBarPrep helped me do it. SmartBarPrep is an excellent stand alone product, but I would also recommend it as a supplement to any person who is taking a commercialized bar prep course as well. The flashcards you offered were invaluable to me. Thanks again for all your help!”
“I want to say a huge THANK YOU for creating the CA specific flash cards that automatically connect to Brainscape. I passed the July 22 CA Bar exam and those flash cards saved me. For reference I used [another commercial bar prep course] which was great until the last three weeks when I had to memorize thousands of rules. I loved that the flash cards were organized by topic, showed the frequency of rules, and clearly phrased in as few words as possible. I truly couldn’t have done it without SmartBarPrep!”
“SmartBarPrep was by far THE most helpful bar prep program I used. Here’s what I appreciated about your program: the organization of how rules have been tested over the years, the formatting of the rules (high, medium, low), and rules that included the terms NCBE wanted to see but were also straight to the point. Something else that I found to be helpful for me was that the information was provided in a way that was interesting and not boring. I know this sounds odd, but I think what makes Bar Prep (Dare I say it? Miserable) is that the material is dense and although subjects may excite you in a practical sense, studying for them with your average bar prep resource is mentally exhausting and boring. SmartBarPrep has mastered that.”
“I passed the February 2022 Utah Bar Exam with the help of your materials. I previously passed California in 2018. I scored high enough on the UBE that my score is transferable to every other UBE jurisdiction!”
“I am very happy with the decision to purchase Smart Bar Prep. It’s easy to get lost in all the material available and become inefficient when studying. Smart Bar Prep helps you identify what is tested and helps prioritize your study time.”
“I passed the NY Bar exam on my first try with a score high enough to join any UBE jurisdiction. Thank you so much for your help! As for what I think of the SmartBarPrep resources, when it comes to the information contained in the PDFs, I believe the information to be the most perfect information I have ever seen in a bar outline. Informationally, I think you have a perfect product. It was my go-to outline during my New York bar prep, and it will be my go-to outline during my CA Bar Prep as well. Thanks for your time and help!”
“I passed the DC bar on my first try and your MEE outlines were extremely helpful. I relied on it exclusively for my MEE portion.”
“I passed the NY Bar exam. SmartBarPrep was very helpful. Thanks for the great material.”
“Huge THANK YOU to Matt and the entire SmartBarPrep team for creating such an amazing product!
The UBE/MEE Priority Outline was literally a game changer for me! My MEE score improved dramatically when I retook the UBE in February, for which I only utilized the SmartBarPrep materials to study!! The frequency ratings for the MEE topics helped me prioritize my time by focusing a little more on the topics that have been frequently tested! It was money well spent on such a comprehensive and helpful product!”
The UBE/MEE Priority Outline was literally a game changer for me! My MEE score improved dramatically when I retook the UBE in February, for which I only utilized the SmartBarPrep materials to study!! The frequency ratings for the MEE topics helped me prioritize my time by focusing a little more on the topics that have been frequently tested! It was money well spent on such a comprehensive and helpful product!”
“I scored a 327 on the UBE, with a 170.8 scaled score on the MBE! I did not take a conventional course but relied mostly on Adaptibar, Critical Pass, and of course SmartBarPrep. Thank you so much for the wonderful materials. I learned the rules for the essay subjects by reading through your well-packaged NCBE released essays and model answers, and then I used your outlines to review those rules. … So your materials were absolutely essential to my preparation. Thank you so much!!”
“Just wanted to let you know that I passed the July 2021 California Bar. Thank you so much for your outlines. Very big help.”
“It worked – passed both CA and NY bar exams! Thanks so much. Having actual template languages really helped to strive for CA essays as well as MEE. The summary sheet was very helpful to go through MBE subjects.”
“I passed! I found your outline greatly useful. I will definitely recommend them to anyone else I know preparing for the exam.”
“I am still excited and overjoyed because I got the result last Friday that I passed my CA bar exam. It is unbelievable!
I really appreciate the help I had obtained from the unique Smart Bar Prep which was my major preparation materials since I only purchased one other material for MBE practice, besides the Smart Bar Prep. Most of the time I used the Smart Bar Prep. In addition, I did not attend any bar exam preparation course or program as a foreigner sitting for the one of the most difficult bar exams in the USA. I learned on my own, by studying & memorizing the materials and practicing essay a lot based on the Smart Bar Prep.
The Smart Bar Prep is not only excellent for the materials but also reliable for their remarkable services. Therefore, according to my own experience, I highly recommend the Smart Bar Prep.”
“I passed the CA Bar on my first try. Smart Bar Prep was super helpful. Smart Bar Prep outlined the law in a simple and straightforward manner making it easier to digest and recall on the exam. If I ever decide to take another bar exam, I will definitely be using this company again.”
“I passed the July 2021 CA Bar! As an attorney licensed in other states with a high stress full-time job and a young child at home, my prep time was EXTREMELY limited. Other bar prep course materials were overwhelming and did not set out the rules as clearly and concisely as SmartBarPrep did. SmartBarPrep was all I needed for my essay portion study–I did not supplement my essay prep with other materials. Although eligible for the attorney’s exam, I chose to take the 2 day exam, and supplemented my MBE prep with an MBE question bank program. For the essay portion, I will recommend SmartBarPrep to everyone I know who is taking the bar exam. Thanks again for helping me to pass the CA bar.”
“I passed the California bar exam on my first try. I definitely credit a lot of my success to smart bar prep. I don’t think I would have passed without it. I could not find another bar prep program with such clear cut, straightforward rules. It helped me know what to memorize and focus my studies on.”
“I passed the October CA bar exam. Thanks so much for your products. The priority outlines were crucial for my black letter law review and essay practice. As the saying goes, work smart not hard. Your outlines definitely helped me do that.”
“I passed! I took the Attorney Exam and used your outline to study – it was great. I didn’t use any other subject matter material.”
“I wanted to personally reach out and thank you for your Smart Bar Prep Materials, specifically your outlines. I am pleased to report that I successfully completed the California February 2021 Bar Exam and passed! Your outlines were a daily part of my study routine and could not have studied without them. They are well organized, easy to follow, and easy to understand. Thank you so much. I will definitely be recommending all of your materials to my colleagues taking the July 2021 and February 2022 CA Bar Exam. Thank you again and take care.”
“Perfect solution for bar prep!”
“Your materials were spot on and extremely helpful. I aced the UBE and scored way above what I needed. Thanks again!”
“I passed!!!! You’ve been so helpful in the process! Thank you again for your great outlines and flashcards.”
“I just wanted to thank you for the great product. SmartBarPrep absolutely helped me a lot! English is my second language (the first is Japanese), but I got over 160 on the essay portion, thanks to SBP. Lots of Japanese bar takers have used and are using SBP, and it is becoming a new standard. Among other things, Smart Sheets and Issue Spotting were the MVP’s.”
“I passed! And yes, your guides were a LIFESAVER!!”
“I passed the CA bar exam! The materials were VERY helpful — thank you.”
“Smart Bar Prep really helped me in my passing the California Bar. The rule statements and the frequency charts really helped me, as they were up to date, especially with the new Professional Responsibility rules, which was hard to find elsewhere. I went over all the rules in Smart Bar Prep along with my notes from law school and spent time memorizing them. Smart Bar Prep gave me the confidence and peace of mind to actually go through old California Bar essays. Thus, I was not worried about what essays I would face in the actual bar, as I would be ready for anything. The staff is also very kind and courteous, and respond well to my emails.”
“SmartBarPrep was one of the top resources that helped me pass the CA Bar Exam. After previously failing the essay-only version of the Exam, I knew I had to re-do my outlines for essay writing rather than just information retention. The rules in the SmartBarPrep outlines are written in the way I would use them in an essay, which was ideal. Additionally, each rule included a list of every exam date when the issue was tested, which I then used to review those essays or to schedule them into my practice schedule. I thought it was really helpful to know when a particular issue was tested for a few reasons: (1) I could go back to those tests to see an example of how an issue was tested to better understand a concept that I didn’t quite get because I wasn’t taking a course, (2) I would jot down which essay dates and numbers to test myself on during my testing days to cover a specific subject and its sub-topics, and (3) to gauge whether a sub-topic was both frequently tested and overdue for testing. Lastly, I loved SmartBarPrep’s gamified flashcards on BrainScape; it made studying engaging, manageable, and trackable.”
“Thank you so much for providing the services that you do. The NCBEX’s MBE questions would have been tough had I just stuck with only my normal bar prep course, but your MBE smart sheets and flashcards SAVED THE DAY. I feel like my essay rules were incredibly thorough because of your outlines. I am going to recommend your package to all my friends taking the exam in the future and using it for my other jurisdiction bar exams. Amazing supplement!”
“I am writing to let you know that I found the SmartBarPrep materials extremely helpful. Most of my bar preparation was done with your materials. I found the MBE guide to have concise summaries that were easy for me to memorize. I will highly recommend your materials to any future law students or bar exam takers.”
“Love Smart Bar Prep materials….only materials I used besides the on-line question bank I purchased from NCBE. Most helpful was the essays, I had both books printed and used the essay’s that were in order by subject, then pulled the point sheet from Essays that were by test. I gave myself 8 minutes to read the essay, spot the issue, write a short rule then look at the point sheet. I started a written book with a shorter essay rule from the point sheet (so I understood it and it was as long as a point sheet). I then read the notebook I created at least once a day or at least every two days. I also used flash cards…..all the time. I used the smart bar prep sheets to study outlines and used to help me write answers to the questions. I honestly feel like I knew the issues and only because of the way I studied with the previous essays. Smart Bar Prep is honestly the best.”
“I think you guys have a really good product, and people should know that. I used a combination of the following to study: SmartBarPrep, AdaptiBar, Critical Pass flashcards, and Essay Exam Writing for the California Bar Exam 2nd Edition (book). You don’t need to know everything to pass the bar, you just need to know the most likely rules to come up on the test really well. I took this approach, and it paid off. I got my score on Friday, and I passed the UBE with a 311. Thank you for offering affordable access to bar prep materials.”
“I find your outlines very succinct yet comprehensive — just exactly what I needed to prepare for the exam, no more, no less.”
“I just got the results and I passed the WA Bar Exam!!! YAY!!!! Thank you so much for your material, it was truly life-saving for me!! Thank you so much. =) ”
“I passed the Illinois Bar exam! Thank you so much for creating an affordable set of quality outlines. It was a huge help.”
“I passed the bar in February 2020 using Smart Bar Prep outlines. The UBE priority outline first, and the Smart Sheet then for review at a later stage.
Smart Bar prep provides the best outlines in the market, mostly because it does a great job articulating in a simple way the black letter law without digging into the unnecessary, untested details. It saved me a HUGE amount of time and was of great help not only for the MBE part but also for the Essays. The outlines are well-written, concise yet complete, easy to process and help you focus on what will be actually tested, statistically. Moreover, the Smart MEE review was very helpful for reviewing the essays and summing up the issues.
In my opinion, Smart Bar Prep has the right approach in preparing for the bar: (1) focusing on the most tested issues with frequency chart as a basis, (2) providing the best outlines in the market covering what will be tested, (3) practicing the Essays part from past essays and MPT exams, and (4) and offering condensed versions of the outlines and essays. In sum, you don’t really need to torture yourself with never-ending videos, non-official MBE questions made up by the big names, “fake” essays and alikes, including thousands of pages of outlines. You can tell this strategy was devised by a guy that passed the bar with flying colors.
I can’t recommend enough this product. The 80/20 approach is very smart and it’s working! It’s actually pretty affordable for everything it offers. Every student should have these outlines with them. I learnt the existence of Smart Bar Prep by pure chance and I am so grateful I discovered this. Don’t hesitate to get it,it really made the Bar Exam a fun game to pass.”
“I passed Utah February 2020 on the first try at 57. I graduated and passed my last bar in 1992. Stopped practicing in 1996 to raise my kids. So I had a lot to relearn. Your materials helped, [big bar exam company] was too bulky and honestly hard to work through. I did have a tutor for the MEEs. I had to relearn IRAC and work through the law in context of how it would be tested. Thank you. I found your outlines much more streamlined and easy to use.”
“I wanted to send along a thank you! I passed the Guam Attorney’s bar exam using your MEE prep. I felt very prepared taking the exam. It was excellent to have the flashcards on my phone to help study.”
“I wanted to take the time to thank you! I PASSED THE BAR! Your outlines helped tremendously! Also, having all the MPTs and MEE’s in one place was magical. I was working full time, did not go to law school in the states, and many subjects I had never seen before. For the MEE subjects specifically I relied ONLY on your outlines and it did the trick. I am as happy as can be! Thanks again.”
“The outlines were phenomenal! It was exactly what I needed the last 30 days leading to the exam. Without it, I would not have passed. It simplified volumes of information into memorable rule statements. Thanks.”
“The outlines are exactly what is needed to pass the exam. You have done the heavy lifting and summarised all the frequently tested rules into easy to read and easy to understand paragraphs. Reading and memorising your outlines was much more helpful to me than to read the thick books given by “traditional” bar prep companies. I don’t think I would have passed without your outlines. So thank you so very much!”
“Choosing SmartBarPrep was a smart thing to do in preparing for the UBE bar exam. I found other bar prep programs and products too complicated or time consuming. I could not have passed the UBE bar exam without SmartBarPrep.
The cards were stacked against me until I found SmartBarPrep. In 2013, I contracted but survived Neuro-invasive West Nile virus. Attending law school was a constant mental and physical challenge. In May 2019, at age 57, I graduated from law school. Shortly before graduating, in March 2019, my mother passed. Shortly after graduation, my 88 year old father was hospitalized. It was difficult to find time to study for the bar exam. Timing and age were not on my side as the July 2019 bar exam approached.
SmartBarPrep came to my rescue. SmartBarPrep’s outlines gave me the necessary ingredients to build a solid foundation for attacking the bar exam. Choosing SmartBarPrep to prepare for the bar exam was one of the smartest things I have ever done.
Thank you Matt and to all at SmartBarPrep.”
“I passed the Washington bar exam. Smart Bar Prep helped me very much, especially the Smart Sheets. They were so compact that I could review substantially all issues necessary for preparing MEE in very short period just before the exam day.”
“Just got my passing letter from NY! Second state for me after about 7 years. Studied on the weekends (while working full time) only using your materials and past practice questions. Scored a 297 with the limited study time. Thought both outlines were great and very concise. Thanks for a great and affordable bar prep alternative!”
“I took the bar the for the second time and I needed to change the way I studied. A couple of my friends recommended using SmartBarPrep and I have zero regrets. Today I found out I passed the Illinois bar and can honestly say that without SmartBar I wouldn’t have passed. All I have to say is thank you!”
“I passed the bar! I wanted to thank you for the amazing outline. Your outline was all I read for the essay portion, and it really helped me out. It was very organized and it had all the rules that I needed for the essays. Thank you again and have a great day.”
“I wanted to let you know that I passed the bar exam. Aside from the hard work I put in, I attribute my effective studying to your outlines. I would recommend them to anyone who is taking the UBE.”
“Passed CA on first attempt. I found your materials so incredibly helpful for the essays. I am recommending them to everyone. My essays went from being my worst nightmare, to being easier than the MBEs, thanks to memorized rule statements all located in one place. The rules in order of percentage tested (%) was also super valuable.”
“I found SmartBarPrep to be one of the best investment I made in my preparation for the NY bar exam [UBE format]. I failed the bar in February and started researching supplements and found your program. The reviews were great and I purchased it. This was the best decision I’ve ever made. I increased my score on the essay portion of the exam by 16 points.
Needless to say, I passed the July bar and I crushed it! I have recommended your program to others who were unsuccessful and will also recommend it to future bar examiners.”
“Passed New York! Found your outlines to be very helpful, especially in the last weeks weeks of bar prep.”
“Your outlines were amazing! They helped me with formulating the right rule statements. Smart Bar Prep made the rules much clearer and easier to digest. So much so that I felt I learned or cemented my understanding of the black letter law. I took Themis, and I ended up relying heavily on Smart Bar Prep and Bar Essays instead.”
“I am a foreign educated student who took the bar exam after my LLM. I used BarBri and SmartBarPrep for preparation, and fortunately passed the exam. I really appreciate your study guides, especially the SmartBarPrep UBE-MEE Essay Priority Outline. I mostly used this and past questions to prepare for the MEE portion. Overall, I am very happy with your materials, and will recommend it to my colleagues and other future international students.Thanks again for your great materials.”
“I just wanted to say thank you for your Smart Bar Prep guide for the California Bar Exam. I used your service for the New York Bar Exam and was successful. After my wife and I moved to California, I used it again to help prepare for the February 2018 California Bar Exam and I found it quite useful. I felt comfortable on the essay portion of the California Bar Exam after using Smart Bar Prep throughout my study period, and I am expecting another passing score.
Thank you again for this. I would recommend this to anyone seeking to pass the bar one the first try.”
“Your outlines were crucial in me being able to study for the written portion of the California Bar. The more essays you practice you really see how your outlines nail which rules are important and which aren’t. There’s so much information on the California Bar, it’s important to focus on what matters and what doesn’t. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to ace the written portion of the Bar.”
“I just wanted to let you know how fantastic your product is. It was absolutely perfect for the essay portion of the bar exam and many of the rule statements showed up on the exam and I was quickly prepared with the rule statement to move onto the analysis. It was extremely helpful to have the years and months the topics showed up on the bar exam because I was actually able to make an educated guess as to what topic were likely to be tested and study those in more detail (although I of course studied all the topics). Your bar pep materials were exactly what I was looking for the essays: direct and concise rule statements, organized by subject then broken down into the important topics for each subject area. It was perfect for organizing the essay responses. I do want to thank you for providing such a helpful resource. Worth every penny.”
“I passed! Your outlines definitely helped me prepare for the MEE.”
“Passed the DC bar, could not have done without your help. The outlines are perfect as Everything on this test was from the outlines. I have compared some of your rule’s with the UBE model answers. Your outline rules were right on point. Cannot thank you enough.”
“SmartBarPrep Essay gave me peace of mind by allowing me to realize that the universe of information for the MEE was truly finite and could be learned through the digestible format presented on the outlines. My writing score improved from a 123.4 on my first try at the bar to a 159.1 on the second try. I passed the bar with over 300 total points. Thanks, SmartBar!”
“Your outline is an amazing tool for preparing for the Bar. It made it easier for me to focus on the topics the Bar likes to test rather than the obscure areas of the law. Thank you for creating this outline.”
“The outline was very helpful in focusing studies for the essay portion of the exam. I like how you showed highly tested topics and have tips on how to go about the essays. Again thanks for what you do.”
“I found the outline materials to be excellent and well-focused. I would highly recommend it to anyone taking the NY Bar Exam. The only issue I had was that I did not find it sooner.”
“I just wanted to let you know that I passed the bar exam (thank god!) and wanted to thank you so much for your study materials…they really were a HUGE help!!”
“I have purchased smartbarprep for both UBE and CA. I took the UBE most recently and passed and definitely relied on the Smartbarprep outlines to pass.”
“Smart Bar Prep is an excellent bar review company. Very smart people created an outstanding curriculum and customer service is over the top excellent. I compared their materials with other companies, and am glad I went with Smart Bar Prep. They help you study that which is very testable, in a format that makes sense. The price is very affordable too. Very highly recommended.”
“I am a foreign educated candidate who never discovered your study guide until my 3rd attempt and I aced the essays and passed the NY bar! Just wanted to say a huge thank you and emphasize how worth it your product is! I only used this to study in the weeks leading up to the bar and it was a complete lifesaver for essay day! Thanks again!!!”
“I just received my results and I thankfully passed the bar (although I was going to contact Smart Bar either way!!) Although I am not the one to write such e-mails, the minute I finished my exam, I knew I had to email SmartBar Prep because I would not of passed if it were not for your outlines. Although, I was enrolled with one of the big bar companies and did all the work assigned, I knew the MBE would not be my strong point. Thus, I memorized every highly tested paragraph in your outlines. Additionally, after each essay that I wrote, I read over your material and memorized it as well. So THANK YOU!!!! I will be HIGHLY recommending your materials.”
“The highlighted topics really appeared in the essay part!!! I feel so blessed!!! Thanks so much!!!”
“I thought your product was an invaluable addition to my bar prep. Especially with subjects like professional responsibility which are really rule heavy. I had every rule memorized after reviewing your sheet for a few short weeks. Really well done, concise, and presented in an easily digestible format. I also love the addition of the flash card app.”
“SmartBarPrep materials are what got me through the studying! I had a bar course, and a textbook – both made me feel overloaded with info. I was looking for just a list of everything I needed to learn and memorize without the additional fluff. Black and white “learn THIS” kind of notes. That’s exactly what I got. Manageable chunks of information at last! I wish I had purchased them sooner and saved a lot of stress and a lot of time… it was a game changer. The night before the exam I ran through all the notes and re-read all the “high” testing areas and I felt prepped and ready for battle! Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“I used SBP as my primary studying resource for the UBE (both MBE and MEE) in MD and I passed comfortably. … I found the outlines to be very suitable for my learning style and study method. I really appreciated the focus put onto prioritization and I think your prioritization was accurate. I was a little nervous that the outlines I was using were much less detailed than some my friends were using, but I think they ended up being better because they didn’t present an impossible amount of information to absorb. Super detailed outlines are nice to reference but they give people the impression that you have to memorize everything, and that makes studying so much more stressful. … Instead of spending 8+ hours a day studying using methods that don’t really help me, I spent 2-3 hours per day just reading and making notations on the outlines, and doing practice Qs. I found the outlines to be a great resource for me. SBP helped me prepare for and pass the bar without having spend hundreds to thousands of dollars. I will certainly recommend it to anyone else I know who is planning to take the bar!”
“Sat for the essay portion only, and relied on your materials almost exclusively. Very thankful that you did the work to compile precisely what is needed to learn for the exam. Streamlined the process of learning a lot. I hated all the extra noise/filler/unnecessary information that [big bar exam company] used. Feeling good about passing. Thanks!”
“I began studying for the February 2019 California Bar Exam in September of last year. After extensive self-study, I still felt unsure of myself three weeks before the exam. I downloaded your outline and found it incredibly helpful. The rules were accurately and clearly laid out. I really do believe that I was able to pass because of the materials you provided for a reasonable price. Thank you again.”
“I have done a lot of research in regards to bar prep materials. I have also bought a lot of materials including the Attack sheets from [other bar company] and the Smart Sheets from Smart Bar Prep. I personally prefer Smart Bar’s Smart Sheets. They do an excellent job at highlighting the most relevant information by using subheadings and bold text for emphasis. They also have identified the frequency that each topic has appeared on the bar exam by marking it, as high, medium or low, which has helped me to prioritize my time. Best of all it is affordable and the customer service is excellent. It is definitely money well spent.”
“I found your outlines to be incredibly helpful and used them as my go-to-memorization tool for the MEE. I graduated from law school in 2012 and refused to pay for an expensive BarBri type course, and instead chose a combination of Barmax, Adaptibar, and SmartBarPrep outlines. Thanks to affordable bar prep resources like SmartBar, I had everything I needed to pass the UBE on my first try 7 yrs after law school while working full time.”
“I just want to thank the Smart Bar Prep Team, I got my results for the NY Bar exam and I have passed! Your Attack Sheets are the BEST!!! Already recommended you to a friend who is planning on taking February 2019 exam!”
“I passed the New York bar exam four years ago with the SmartBarPrep outline, and I passed the California Bar exam this summer [July 2018] with it too. I only tell people I use SmartBarPrep after I pass each exam because I’m afraid if everyone knows it, the passing score will be driven rather high! Anyway, thanks for the great materials.”
“I just passed the NY Bar Exam [UBE format] and your outlines were INCREDIBLY helpful during my last few weeks of studying. In mid to late June I started to get really nervous and had a sense of information overload. The outlines from [big bar review course] were comprehensive but a bit too hard to digest and I felt like I needed a more concise outline. I purchased your outlines and only used those for the remainder of my bar study and it helped me get a better grasp on the topics so I could focus on doing well on the essays. I’m not sure how I would’ve done without your outlines, but I will definitely be recommending your outlines to anyone I know taking the bar.”
“I passed the NY bar exam [UBE] this past February. I was working full time for an international law firm and preparing for the bar. Your work helped me a whole lot and do not know how to thank you enough for your great work. 90% of the issues I encountered at the NY bar exam were included in your document. Many thanks for the excellent work.”
“SmartBarPrep is all you need to pass the bar exam! The outlines are right on point, easy to read with succinct statements and well structured. The long outline also helps you to understand the legal concepts. The outlines are well tailored for you to answer essay questions. It is worth every penny.”
“I passed the exam thanks to your course. Your course materials are very helpful and are sufficient to pass the exam, even if the student like myself has never taken any U.S. law school course.”
“I used Smart Bar Prep for the February bar. I think the outlines were AMAZING. I am awful and reading hundreds of pages and watching 50 hours of video hoping to pull out the rule. Smart Bar allowed me to maximize my time and memorize exactly what I needed to know. I have recommended this program to everyone I know who’s taking the Bar. I highly, highly recommend this program, whether it’s for first time Bar takers or repeat takers. Thank you for your hard work in compiling the rules. This program is worth every penny and more.”
“I graduated law school in 2015, but did not take the CA bar exam until July 2017. Leading up to July 2017 — ALL I did was your rules list and about 2500 practice MBE’s with Adaptibar (ignoring the other bells and whistles they offer, I only did the questions). The first time i saw your rules, I knew this was all I needed for the essays. I took your list and created flash cards for every rule. Then, I memorized them from the flash cards. I never did a single practice essay — not one. Studying your rule list was also helpful on the MBE, but the purpose was the essays. I don’t know my exact score yet, but I am on the pass list. Thank you for creating this outline/rule list. I give your creation credit for helping me pass. All the best, you deserve it.”
“Thanks to the smart bar prep essay outline, I finally passed the NYS bar exam [UBE] held in Feb. 2017 at my fifth try. The bar exam was a very tough challenge for me because I’m a foreign student and I have been working full time. But my essay score unbelievably increased after I switched to Smart Bar Prep. I greatly appreciate your course and without it I would never have passed the exam.”
“I have passed the CA exam taken in Feb. 2017 and your outlines have really helped me.
Appreciate it!”
Appreciate it!”
“Although I struggled with the MEE portion, I finished and I believe it is because SmartBarPrep took the guesswork out of “how to start an essay” and “how to state a rule law”. About 3 weeks before the Bar, I spent time reviewing the outlines. Additionally, I memorized the areas of law that had the highest probability of being tested. I followed the outline to the “T” for Secured Trans and Civ Pro and felt I did best on those. I felt more prepared for the July 2017 bar than I felt in the past. I believe that the bar is passable; with Adaptibar and SmartBarPrep, and a commitment to studying.”
“I bought Smart Bar Prep just a couple weeks before the exam after panicking and scouring the internet for anything that would take the plethora of details I learned at school and form them into a comprehensible big picture. The traditional bar prep course I had purchased focused on the trees to the exclusion of the forest, which was not helpful for writing essays. Smart Bar Prep was a fraction of the cast and 1000 times more helpful. I wish I had known about it when I started studying! The outlines are succinct and organized in a way that mirrored the structure of the essays on the exam. There are a lot of stressors around the bar exam, but paying $2000 for a prep course shouldn’t be one of them.”
“I failed the bar the first time I took it. I repeated with [a major bar prep company], and found myself frustrated with the lack of organization. I needed to finish memorizing rules and found myself feeling scattered in either a sea of information or not enough information from their various outlines. About a week before the exam, I took the plunge with Smart Bar Prep. This was Gold — just right. The rules had everything I needed, and nothing extra. But they were not incomplete! I studied these materials religiously for the final week leading up to the February exam. I passed the exam. I truly believe Smart Bar Prep helped me pass. Thanks.”
“I just wanted to say THANK YOU for the Essay Prep Outline. I studied that thing like crazy and nearly all of the issues on the essays came from it.”
“I used the SmartBarPrep Essay Prep Outline to study and I really liked it. I downloaded it probably 10 days before the exam because I was feeling extremely overwhelmed with all of the information and reading I needed to do. I felt that it really narrowed things down and simplified things for me after I did most of my hardcore studying and I ended up passing. I am planning to take the GA Bar in July and I hope there is something like it that I will be able to use. Thanks!”
“I passed the NY Bar. I cannot thank you enough for your outline for NY, and I WISH you made one for CA b/c I gotta take that one in the summer!”
“Thank you for offering such a formidable document. I was sworn in as an Attorney in the State of New York last week and I sincerely believe that your product was an important contributor to my success. Thank you so much for all your help!”
“Your outline was so helpful. I felt like once I memorized the rules, which were carefully constructed and right to the point, the essays became suddenly do-able. I will definitely spread the word. I do hope more people catch on to your product, as I think it really is the key to tackling the essays.
Update: I passed! It was 100% because of Smart Bar Prep as I only focused on memorizing your outline this time around. Thanks so much!!!!”
“I thought that your outline was sooooo helpful and efficient. (And, incidentally, I passed the bar.) I had actually already passed California, was fresh off of an international trip, and my motivation to study for the NY bar was extremely low. I focused on the MBE’s for a few days, and had ONE day (the Monday right before the test) to prep for the essays. But your outline was enough! I could easily anticipate what to know for the test, based on your frequency analysis, and felt extremely well prepared. And it only took like 10 hours. Brilliant. Great idea, great program!”
“I found your site with about 3 weeks to go and I am convinced I wouldn’t have passed without it. I was taking the Kaplan course and it did not prepare me for the essay portion. I studied your outline like a hawk and it paid off – I could remember word for word your rule statements and it was the difference for me. Thanks again, I will definitely recommend your site to anyone looking to pass the NY bar.”
“I found SmartBarPrep to be the most useful resource by far! I used BarMax NY for lectures, outlines, multiple choice, etc. and Dominate the Bar for flash cards (all through iPhone/iPad apps), but the last week or so prior to the bar I used your SmartBarPrep. Mostly I was looking for bang for your buck in my approach, and I really feel I got it from the outline. I felt well prepared for the NY section of the exam, and needless to say without the outline I don’t think I would have felt half as well prepared. The frequency analysis really allowed me to focus in on the more highly tested topics as the exam got closer, which really set my mind at ease and (hopefully) paid off on the exam. The outline form was also easy to digest and memorize, which facilitated efficient and meaningful learning. I studied the outline in PDF form on my iPad and found that to be great.”
“Your guide was AWESOME! Transferred the rules onto index cards so I could study on the subway. Thanks again for your fantastic guide and best wishes going forward.”
“Just wanted to thank you for helping me pass the bar last year. I passed on the first try! I didn’t study a ton of the new york rules, but studied your packet religiously the last few days before the exam and even broke it out during the lunch break from the exam. I found by being half way through the essays on my break I was able to really narrow down the topics that were left to be tested and focus in on the remainder topics. When I came back from the break I was able to quote the law word for word from the packet. Because of you I passed easily. Thanks!”
“The smart bar prep was the best thing I have found for the essay portion of the NY bar. Every rule that was on the outline was on the July exam, and had it not been for the smartbarprep outline I would have bombed it. Instead I answered 90% comfortable and truly believe I passed on my first attempt. Thanks a ton!!!!”
“I thought that the SmartBarPrep Essay Prep Outline was extremely useful in helping to identify the subject areas and issues which have been tested on the bar exam, thereby assisting examinees to ensure that their preparation for this part of the exam was:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic and
- Timely”
“I thought your product was amazing. I actually purchased seperac before your product; your product was a concise version enabling me to readily recall the information. Additionally, what you covered, was exactly what I needed to know. Also helped me better organize the material in my mind, especially for strict products liability! Keep up the good work & may God continue to bless you.”
“Thank you so much for this outline. It was an amazing asset toward passing the exam. As helpful as it was, I am glad I do not have to study it again. I wish I used Smart Bar Prep completely during my first try.”
“Thought the outline was invaluable.”
“I went to a top 10 law school and I recently found out that I passed the NY Bar Exam (First try). It was definitely due to your essay prep outline!! Thank you so much! BarBri didn’t emphasize the essay portions enough. Honestly, my MBE score wasn’t great so I KNOW your essay prep saved me. Keep up the great work. Thank you!”
“The Smart Bar Prep outline is fabulous and I highly recommend it to anyone taking the New York bar exam. I worked 40+ hours per week and did not have the time to devote to listening to lectures (which I found extremely useless) and reading four books of outlines. In studying for the New York portion, I relied exclusively on Smart Bar Prep’s outline and past essays. Relying exclusively on the outline may not work for everyone but it worked for me. I wrote out each rule onto flashcards, which itself is a good way to start learning the material. I must say EVERY rule on the outline was on the bar exam. Thank you so much Smart Bar Prep. I cannot say enough good things about it.”
“This was beyond perfect and the key to my success on the February bar. I failed July taking BarBri and now I swear by your product. I just wish my friends told me earlier about SmartBarPrep!”
“I received my NY bar results & I’m excited to inform you that I passed. Smart Bar Prep absolutely gave me the edge I needed to cross the threshold. I took the July 2014 bar & relied solely on the Barbri program. I missed passing the bar by 14 points- all of which were accounted for by below average essay answers. Barbri did not prepare me for the essay portion of the exam & that’s why I started looking for a program that recognized the importance of the essays. Smart Bar is exactly that- SMART. Barbri overloads you with voluminous books filled with an overwhelming amount of study materials & I’ve realized that more than 50% of the material they provide you with is likely not even tested. This time around I used my Barbri books to cover the comprehensive material, then when it came time to memorize & focus on what is most likely to be tested, I wasn’t overwhelmed because the Smart Bar outlines were concise & kept me focusing on what is most important to memorize. I highly recommend Smart Bar to anyone who is taking the NY bar exam. Thanks for all your help!”
“I took the exam in February and passed (it was my third attempt, first attempt with a study guide). I found the outline very easy to use and the material extremely pertinent to the test. I also had a friend’s barbri outline for New York, as well as a barbri outline for the MBE. I used your outline much more frequently than the barbri outline for New York (your outline was uniform, barbri’s required me to cater to the professor’s specific style for each subject), and as I mentioned this was my third try, and I passed. Thank you for making this available, I would recommend it to anyone taking the exam. ”
“I found your material to be extremely helpful during bar prep.”
“I bought the Essay Prep Outline just one month before the bar exam, when I was totally lost in the essay preparation. I found it very useful, and at least, it does not look like too thick a book to master. I passed the bar (yayy, lucky me). I could recall that I was quite confident when I was working on the essay part during the exam, thanks to this well-organized and concise outline.”
“I am a foreign attorney and English is not my first language. That being said, I just want to thank you for providing the best outlines ever on the market! All I did for the essays part is memorizing your outlines and dedicating the rest my time to MBE. It was super helpful for me as I work full time and was able to prepare myself for the Bar within two month. ”
“Your outline is excellent. It really makes things more understandable.”
“I found SmartBarPrep extremely valuable, not just for the essay section but for the MBE as well. It allowed me to master both parts of the exam while studying just a few hours a day. It was the perfect supplement to BarBri’s ridiculously huge and intimidating outlines. Best of all, because the outlines are so short, I used them to refresh my short-term memory before walking into the bar, which bagged me several correct answers I otherwise would have missed.”
“I passed the bar. I am a foreign educated examinee. Your outline was a great help for me because it was concise, easy to understand, and teamed with frequently tested rules. Thanks.”
“I did pass, and I thought the SmartBarPrep outline was really great. I was only sorry I didn’t discover it sooner. I read the entire outline multiple times and skimmed it a few times the night before the exam, and it helped me to learn a few less-frequently tested rules that were tested on the essays this July – my bar course hit the big things but otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten those more nuanced points. Would definitely recommend it.”
“Great study aid, would not have passed without it.”
“I want to thank you for creating the most comprehensive easy to understand, straight to the point New York bar essay outline. I am a repeater and passed the February 2015 exam. Your essay outline is remarkable. I do not think I could have passed without your outline. It was my main material of study for the New York essay portion of the bar exam. Thank you thank you thank you!!!”
“The bar prep outlines were fantastic and easily my #1 study tool. I’d say 80% of the rules tested on the CA bar this year were “high frequency” rules.”
“I found the outline very helpful for my study because CA is very heavy on essays. I used the flashcards on my iPad, which turned out to be very effective.”
“Your product helped me to pass the CA bar on my first try. The rule statements are accurate, short, and easy to memorize. The book is organized by general topic and subtopic, which allowed me to get a good big picture idea of a subject as well as specialized knowledge on the more difficult areas of law. This product was immensely informative for both the essay and the multiple choice. I highly recommend it.”
“I thought the outline was very helpful, I’m an admitted attorney in 2 other states and it helped me remember everything I’ve forgotten in the last 12 years and learn (hopefully!) everything I needed for California. I think the flashcards helped even more than the outline. Thanks!”
“I wanted to THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH for your product. As a second-time taker and a foreign applicant, the odds were stacked against me. The first time I sat the exam, I relied purely on Barbri and no supplemental materials. I did everything according to their schedule, yet I failed with poor essay scores and a bare minimum MBE score that time (132). This time round, I purely relied on your essay materials and as per your advice, used the 80/20 rule – I literally memorized most of the
HIGH issues, and familiarized myself well with the LOW issues, and during the exam, I was able to regurgitate almost word for word what I had memorized. For the MBE, I relied heavily on Emmanuel’s Strategies and Tactics for the MBE and scored a 144.5 this time. I am convinced and certain that I could not have passed without your amazing material and I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your product. It truly was the most efficient and effective way to prepare for the essay portion of the exam. Thank you, thank you & thank you again!!”
HIGH issues, and familiarized myself well with the LOW issues, and during the exam, I was able to regurgitate almost word for word what I had memorized. For the MBE, I relied heavily on Emmanuel’s Strategies and Tactics for the MBE and scored a 144.5 this time. I am convinced and certain that I could not have passed without your amazing material and I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your product. It truly was the most efficient and effective way to prepare for the essay portion of the exam. Thank you, thank you & thank you again!!”
“I took the New York Bar exam for the first time in February 2016 and I just have to say, having SmartBarPrep as a supplement to my Kaplan studies was such a great decision. I couldn’t go on not giving this company the credit it deserves. I used their numbers and the collection of the rules towards the end of my bar preparation. I literally read through all the rules ever tested and took key words and phrases from them. This study guide was such a gem. I went through it subject by subject as I was reviewing the subject and that’s how I used it. I also reviewed how often something was tested and prioritized how much time I should spend on it due to how often it was tested. Seriously, the bar prep is an interesting process and when the test is over, you are just left wonder, “what just happened.” I can honestly say, I recommend SmartBarPrep, I passed the bar on my first attempt and I was at peace during the bar and after it was done. I knew I gave it all I had and I don’t regret spending the money on this supplement. My testing cycle was the last traditional New York Exam given, but I would trust them to help lead you to success. Thank you SmartBarPrep, we just need to get straight to the point, and this was certainly the way.”
“I found your outlines to be extremely helpful. I will definitely recommend them to anyone who is taking the CA bar. Overall Smartbarprep is a great idea, and a very helpful bar prep tool.”
“I did LOVE the outlines. I wish I had found them sooner really – that they were broken down element by element helped me a lot in remembering. Thanks for all of all of your work on the material.”
“Your outline was fantastic! I told absolutely everyone I could about it. My biggest frustration with Barbri was that I had to search for rule statements like those provided in your outline.”
“I found the guides very helpful. I also found the flashcard very helpful. Thank you for a quality product!”
“I passed the exam. I’m going to recommend your outline as the best NY Bar essay prep material: I only studied your outline and previous exams without taking other commercial NY Bar essay prep courses.”
“Passed this time, thank you so much, notes were invaluable!”
“I just figured I’d give you guys some thanks. I bought the NY outline at 4pm the day before the exam as a last ditch effort to learn something to write for the NY essays. I memorized as much of the high frequency topics that I could, and probably half of the issues they tested I knew verbatim, and I kinda knew the rest. I just finished the test today, so I ‘m not 100% positive I passed, but I’ve already passed the CT bar, and I feel a million times better about this test than I did CT.
Thanks again.”
Thanks again.”
“I really liked the frequency of the topics that appeared on the exam. I bought this outline with 3 days to go and it helped me focus on the higher frequency items, which in turn, relieved some stress and prevented me from freaking out about the state portion.”
“I used SmartBarPrep and I must say it was brilliant. You did a fantastic job compiling these materials and I would use them again anytime. Thanks for a job well done.”
“Thank you so much for creating the essay rules. I found them exceptionally useful. Much better than any of the commercial prep companies. Thanks so much for creating this site. I’m sure many students are grateful for your work.”
“I passed the NY Bar in my first try!!!! I want to say a big THANK YOU to Smart Bar Prep. Your outline made a huge difference in my essays. I knew exactly what to write when an issue comes up because your outline tells you exactly what to write. I didn’t waste time formulating how to write the rules during the exam because I memorized all your frequently tested rules. So THANK YOU so much.”
“The outlines were very helpful and everything that was on the Bar Essays was in the outlines.”
“I wanted to write to thank you for the smartbarprep outline and frequency chart, I was a retaker for new york and passed the Feb exam. My essays had to be incredible because my MBE score was slightly below average and the frequency chart helped a lot in organizing my studying for the exam. I have recommended it already to all my friends taking the NY bar exam in July.”
“Your outline was amazing. I wish that I had purchased it even earlier during bar preparation . I passed the New York Bar Exam with your help. Thank You!”
“I found your outline to be immensely helpful.”
“Your outline was really really helpful…. English is not my mother tongue and your ideas and sentences were perfectly clear and helpful to understand the bar.”
“I found your outline to be helpful. I liked that it was concise and not too terribly overloaded with information.”
“Thanks for an amazing outline!”
“I thought your outline was great and well worth the money. Very concise, well organized, quick reading, that made me feel much more prepared for the essay section.”
“I found the Smart Bar Prep [outline] to be great to help me hone in on key things to focus on. Overall, I believe the outline was very useful and well prepared.”
“This was my 4th time taking the bar and I have to say that your SmartBarPrep really made the difference this time and proved invaluable to my bar studies. I’m happy to say that I finally passed the New York State Bar!”
“I passed and I love your outline.”
“Thank you for creating these essay materials. Not only did it help me with the essays themselves, but I found it a much more effective way to learn the law than just practicing endless question after question. Particularly because you discussed the Common Law rule first, followed by the New York rule – it really helped separate out the concepts in my mind. Knowing the frequency also helped a lot because it helped to focus on the main concepts.”
“I would like to say that your document (compared to other competitors) was phenomenal. It was not overwhelming amounts of information. Furthermore, the font size was not like 8 pt, so overall it was just perfect.”
“I honestly think your outline had a lot to do with my passing the NY bar on the first try. Your breakdown of which areas were tested most was key. I used different highlight colors for different frequencies so at the end I could focus my review on the most frequently tested areas. That was the best! Thank you.”
“Nothing was as helpful as SmartBarPrep in my preparation for the essay section of the bar exam. I only wish I had found it earlier. While there is no magic bullet for the bar exam, this came pretty close. Thank you for your time and effort in creating such a useful tool.”
