<p>More advice:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Open note exams are NOT the place to learn the material. You do not have time. I used long, long outlines (like, 80 pages long), but had a Table of Contents that I wrote the night before. Writing the TofC helped me to get the big picture and understand how all the material relates; having it meant that I could easily flip the page I wanted to.</p></li>
<li><p>My alma mater posted previous exams online. I used the ones that my professor had posted and studied them to figure out what would be tested. </p></li>
<li><p>STAY ON TIME. You can easily spend days writing the exam, but must do it in three or four hours. At the beginning of the test, divide your essays (and points) into your allotted time, and write the finishing time at the top of each essay (e.g. done with Essay 1 at 10 am, done with lower-point Essay 2 at 10:45 am, etc.). Then stick to it. </p></li>
<li><p>Triage. A lot of 1L exams are “issue spotters,” in which you are supposed to discuss all legal issues. (My Torts exam was two questions, each with a several-page long fact pattern, and the instruction to discuss all available causes of action and defences.) Yes, your professor wants you to spot as many issues as possible, but also wants you to be able to know which are the most viable claims, the strongest defences, and which claims are legitimate, but less important.</p></li>
<li><p>Pay attention to class handouts, class discussions, etc. One of my professors, who did mini-presentations as a break from the Socratic lecture (and to show how the law worked in context), tested those mini-presentations very heavily on the final. Another professor tested the material in hand-outs. </p></li>
<li><p>Before the actual exam, pick a question from a previously released final and do it in the allotted time, with the allowed materials. Put it away for a while, study, and then review it - see what issues you missed, what you did well, see how well you stayed on time.</p></li>
</ol>