10 Mistakes You’re Making in Your Law Exams, and How to Fix Them
Share
Law exams can be challenging, requiring you to not only know legal principles but also apply them effectively under timed conditions. Many students make common mistakes that can easily be avoided with the right strategies. Here is a detailed breakdown of the top ten mistakes students often make and how to address them.
1. Misreading the Question
This mistake occurs when you skim the exam question, especially under time pressure, and miss critical details. Misinterpreting a question can lead to writing an entirely irrelevant or incomplete answer. For instance, a question asking for a discussion of advantages and disadvantages may only address one side of the issue if misread.
How to Fix It: Take a moment to read the question at least twice. Highlight keywords such as "advise", "discuss," "analyse," or "compare," and ensure you understand the scope of the question. Spend one to two minutes breaking it down before writing. These extra moments can save you from wasting time on the wrong approach.
2. Writing Irrelevant Information
When unsure about the question or trying to showcase knowledge, students often include unrelated legal theories, cases, or principles. While this may seem like a way to score marks, it wastes time and distracts from the core argument. Examiners value relevance over quantity.
How to Fix It: Stick to what the question asks. Use a focused approach by listing the issues you need to address and staying within those boundaries. Avoid the temptation to "brain dump" unrelated knowledge, as this can dilute your argument.
3. Poor Time Management
Time mismanagement often leads to unfinished answers or overly detailed responses to one question at the expense of others. For example, spending half the exam time on a single question worth 20% of the marks is inefficient and could cost valuable points.
How to Fix It: Calculate how much time you can spend on each question based on the marks allocated. For a two-hour exam worth 100 marks, allocate about 1.2 minutes per mark. Use a timer during the exam to stay on track, and if you are running out of time, jot down key points to at least demonstrate your understanding.
4. Failing to Use Case Law and Legislation
One of the biggest mistakes is failing to reference relevant case law or statutory provisions in your answers. Simply stating legal principles without demonstrating how they have been applied in real cases can make your answers appear superficial.
How to Fix It: Before the exam, prepare a list of key cases and statutes for each topic and memorise their key facts and rulings. During the exam, integrate these references into your answers, explaining their relevance to the question. For example, if discussing negligence, cite Donoghue v Stevenson to support the existence of a duty of care.
5. Lack of Structure in Answers
Disorganised answers can confuse examiners and fail to address the question comprehensively. Students often jump between points without logical flow, making it difficult for the examiner to follow their reasoning.
How to Fix It: Use a clear structure, such as the IRAC method (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion). For each issue, state the legal principle, explain the rule, apply it to the question, and provide a conclusion. This ensures a logical progression that addresses all aspects of the question.
6. Ignoring the Facts in Problem Questions
In problem questions, students sometimes focus on explaining legal principles without applying them to the facts provided. This leads to generic answers that do not demonstrate the ability to solve legal problems.
How to Fix It: Carefully analyse the facts in the question. Identify the legal issues raised and directly apply the relevant principles and case law to those facts. Show the examiner how the law would operate in the specific scenario presented.
7. Not Reviewing Your Work
Errors such as incomplete arguments, grammatical mistakes, or incorrect case citations often arise when students fail to review their work before submission. These errors can detract from an otherwise solid answer.
How to Fix It: Allocate at least five minutes at the end of the exam to review your work. Look for spelling errors, incomplete points, or inconsistencies in your arguments. Ensure that your answers fully address the question and that all points are clearly expressed.
8. Overloading Answers with Long Introductions
Overly long introductions that restate the question or provide unnecessary background waste valuable time. While setting context is important, it is more effective to get to the point quickly.
How to Fix It: Keep your introduction concise. Summarise the key issue or argument in one or two sentences, then move directly into your analysis. For example, start with, "This question requires an analysis of whether a duty of care exists under the principle established in Donoghue v Stevenson."
9. Neglecting Practice Before the Exam
Failing to practice under exam conditions can lead to poor time management, lack of structure, and difficulty applying the law effectively. Practice is essential to building confidence and refining exam techniques.
How to Fix It: Use past papers and timed mock exams to familiarise yourself with the format and pressure of the exam. Practice structuring answers and applying legal principles to different scenarios. Review your practice answers to identify areas for improvement.
10. Poor Handwriting or Presentation
For handwritten exams, illegible handwriting can frustrate examiners and lead to lost marks if your arguments cannot be understood. Similarly, typed exams with poor formatting or grammar can distract from the content of your answers.
How to Fix It: For handwritten exams, write clearly and legibly, even if it means slightly slowing down. Practice writing under timed conditions to improve both speed and clarity. For typed exams, use consistent formatting, check for typos, and ensure your paragraphs are logically spaced and organised.
Law exams are as much about demonstrating your analytical and application skills as they are about showcasing your legal knowledge. Avoiding these ten common mistakes can drastically improve your performance.
1. Misreading the Question
This mistake occurs when you skim the exam question, especially under time pressure, and miss critical details. Misinterpreting a question can lead to writing an entirely irrelevant or incomplete answer. For instance, a question asking for a discussion of advantages and disadvantages may only address one side of the issue if misread.
How to Fix It: Take a moment to read the question at least twice. Highlight keywords such as "advise", "discuss," "analyse," or "compare," and ensure you understand the scope of the question. Spend one to two minutes breaking it down before writing. These extra moments can save you from wasting time on the wrong approach.
2. Writing Irrelevant Information
When unsure about the question or trying to showcase knowledge, students often include unrelated legal theories, cases, or principles. While this may seem like a way to score marks, it wastes time and distracts from the core argument. Examiners value relevance over quantity.
How to Fix It: Stick to what the question asks. Use a focused approach by listing the issues you need to address and staying within those boundaries. Avoid the temptation to "brain dump" unrelated knowledge, as this can dilute your argument.
3. Poor Time Management
Time mismanagement often leads to unfinished answers or overly detailed responses to one question at the expense of others. For example, spending half the exam time on a single question worth 20% of the marks is inefficient and could cost valuable points.
How to Fix It: Calculate how much time you can spend on each question based on the marks allocated. For a two-hour exam worth 100 marks, allocate about 1.2 minutes per mark. Use a timer during the exam to stay on track, and if you are running out of time, jot down key points to at least demonstrate your understanding.
4. Failing to Use Case Law and Legislation
One of the biggest mistakes is failing to reference relevant case law or statutory provisions in your answers. Simply stating legal principles without demonstrating how they have been applied in real cases can make your answers appear superficial.
How to Fix It: Before the exam, prepare a list of key cases and statutes for each topic and memorise their key facts and rulings. During the exam, integrate these references into your answers, explaining their relevance to the question. For example, if discussing negligence, cite Donoghue v Stevenson to support the existence of a duty of care.
5. Lack of Structure in Answers
Disorganised answers can confuse examiners and fail to address the question comprehensively. Students often jump between points without logical flow, making it difficult for the examiner to follow their reasoning.
How to Fix It: Use a clear structure, such as the IRAC method (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion). For each issue, state the legal principle, explain the rule, apply it to the question, and provide a conclusion. This ensures a logical progression that addresses all aspects of the question.
6. Ignoring the Facts in Problem Questions
In problem questions, students sometimes focus on explaining legal principles without applying them to the facts provided. This leads to generic answers that do not demonstrate the ability to solve legal problems.
How to Fix It: Carefully analyse the facts in the question. Identify the legal issues raised and directly apply the relevant principles and case law to those facts. Show the examiner how the law would operate in the specific scenario presented.
7. Not Reviewing Your Work
Errors such as incomplete arguments, grammatical mistakes, or incorrect case citations often arise when students fail to review their work before submission. These errors can detract from an otherwise solid answer.
How to Fix It: Allocate at least five minutes at the end of the exam to review your work. Look for spelling errors, incomplete points, or inconsistencies in your arguments. Ensure that your answers fully address the question and that all points are clearly expressed.
8. Overloading Answers with Long Introductions
Overly long introductions that restate the question or provide unnecessary background waste valuable time. While setting context is important, it is more effective to get to the point quickly.
How to Fix It: Keep your introduction concise. Summarise the key issue or argument in one or two sentences, then move directly into your analysis. For example, start with, "This question requires an analysis of whether a duty of care exists under the principle established in Donoghue v Stevenson."
9. Neglecting Practice Before the Exam
Failing to practice under exam conditions can lead to poor time management, lack of structure, and difficulty applying the law effectively. Practice is essential to building confidence and refining exam techniques.
How to Fix It: Use past papers and timed mock exams to familiarise yourself with the format and pressure of the exam. Practice structuring answers and applying legal principles to different scenarios. Review your practice answers to identify areas for improvement.
10. Poor Handwriting or Presentation
For handwritten exams, illegible handwriting can frustrate examiners and lead to lost marks if your arguments cannot be understood. Similarly, typed exams with poor formatting or grammar can distract from the content of your answers.
How to Fix It: For handwritten exams, write clearly and legibly, even if it means slightly slowing down. Practice writing under timed conditions to improve both speed and clarity. For typed exams, use consistent formatting, check for typos, and ensure your paragraphs are logically spaced and organised.
Law exams are as much about demonstrating your analytical and application skills as they are about showcasing your legal knowledge. Avoiding these ten common mistakes can drastically improve your performance.
