10 Effective Strategies to Pass the Bar the First Time

1. State a conclusion on the bar.  Do not answer an essay question on the bar the way that you would answer an essay question on a law school exam.  In law school, you learn to answer questions by including multiple potential outcomes: "On this hand..."  Instead, take a strong stance as though you were writing for a Judge or law firm.
2. Scrutinize every sentence for information that must be used in your answer.  This does not mean outline dump.  Do not write down rules that do not apply.
3. Give every issue its own heading.  Do not use vague headings.
4. Include factual and/or legal counterarguments but do not forget to explain why your argument is still correct despite the counterargument.
5. Use as many 'terms of art' as possible related to the subject.
6. At the end of your IRAC, mention any weird rules, jurisdictional issues and damages.
7. If you are unsure of an answer, do not panic.  Make up the most reasonable law that you can come up with pertaining to the facts and apply it appropriately.  For help with this, ask yourself: How would I like this to end?  Use your common sense.
8. Use as many paragraphs as possible.  A large amount of simple paragraphs is the most effective writing style.  
9. Get it on the page.  Do not try to word your answer perfectly.  The people that grade the bar just want to ensure that you know the law, not that you are able to articulate the law precisely.  
10. Handle issues in the same order as the fact pattern or by their legal priority.