A format worth exploring
NCBE publishes an official sample legal research performance task. For California applicants planning for the NextGen transition, the sample is a way to investigate how a research-oriented task differs from simply writing a conventional essay. Use the official page for the authorized materials and accompanying instructions.
A deliberate first attempt
Our suggestion is to read the assignment before reviewing the resources. Identify what information the task asks you to find or use, and keep notes connecting each relevant authority to a question you must answer. Distinguish material that resolves a point from material that only supplies background. Do not replace the provided source with a remembered rule merely because it feels familiar.
Review the research path
After the attempt, ask where you spent time and whether each step helped produce the requested response. Mark a missed instruction, an overlooked authority, and a fact that changed your analysis as different kinds of problems. Choose one habit to test next time. This is our practice advice, not NCBE’s scoring rubric. The sample is a format-learning resource, not a prediction of the issues on a future exam. California applicants taking the current exam before the transition should continue to use the instructions appropriate to their own administration.
Official source
Read the official announcement or guidance →
News facts are attributed to the linked source; preparation suggestions are Bar Exam Doctor commentary. Dates and requirements may change. Use current official instructions for your administration.