ALE Method (4 Lessons)

Lesson 1 of 4:
 
“Why Your Law School,
Previous Bar Takes,
New Textbooks,  Bar
Reviewer, Number of Readings,
and Review Center, Has NOTHING
or Little To Do With Your
Ability to Pass or Even Top
the Bar Exams…”
 
 
 
From :  Atty. Aldrin
 
Pasig City, Metro Manila
 
This may be shocking to Bar hopefuls…
 
All of the lawyers of the land – at the end of the day - they’re
all just ordinary people.
 
MAJORITY of Bar passers year in and year out did not came
from the Top 3 Law Schools in the country, majority of them
did not graduate with honors
 
marami sa kanila…
 
….nag enroll sa review center pero hindi naman nag attend
 
…hindi na bumili ng new textbooks for the Bar
 
…naka isang reading lang – at most
 
Heck, some of them may mga bagsak o maraming bagsak
noong Law School (like me.. hehe)
 
Because you see, in the Bar Exams, it is a different ball game.
 
Everyone has equal chances of making it.
 
Regardless of the school you came from…
 
Regardless of your law school standing…
 
Regardless of how many takes ka na sa Bar…
 
Regardless of any advantage any Bar ops could give..
 
All of these Has NOTHING or Little To Do With Your Ability
to Pass or Even Top the Bar Exams
 
In a nutshell, what you need to do in the Bar Exam Room is
this:
 
Find the issue posed by the problem, then read the facts and
mentally note which are important and then answer…
 
And the most important thing you should ask yourself is this…
 
Ano bang gustong malaman ni Examiner o ano ba
yung itinutumbok niyang topic?
 
In this way, masasagutan mo na yung Bar Question
confidently…
 
Sa ganitong paraan, maiiwasan ang pag bubura bura sa
booklet (na ayaw na ayaw ng mga Examiners because it
indicates na hindi ka sure sa sagot mo)…
 
Sa ganitong paraan, para masabi ni Examiner na:
 
“Alam ng batang ito yung sinasabi niya... Full
credit!”
 
Now some would read this and go… “That’s it!??”
 
I can’t blame you.
 
Several years before I sit for the Bar Exams, I really thought na
in order to succeed in the Bar Exams….
 
…you need to memorize all the laws of the land,
 
…you need to have all the available textbooks in Rex and
Central (you need to have the entire Civil Law books of
Tolentino and Paras, the Remedial Law books of Justice
Regalado etcetera)
 
… you need to come from the top schools
 
…you need to sit in the Bar with no bagsak grade, and
 
…. enroll in a review center to attend lectures from renowned
bar reviewers.
 
In my head parang eto lang
yung way para maging abogado…
 
Well, okay, sure, while they can certainly help…
 
BUT they will not assure you passing the exam…
 
…unless pag nakaupo ka na sa Bar exam room sa UST
 
You make use of these three (3) things…
 
FIND THE CORE ISSUE.
 
FIND THE IMPORTANT FACTS.
 
PROVIDE A RESPONSIVE ANSWER.
 
Now let me say this…
 
All Good Bar Candidates begin with a simple process that
allows them to do these three things with ease.
 
Which is why before you sit for the Bar Exams, you should
have a deep insight into these three things:
 
The core issue in the Bar Problem
 
The important from the unimportant facts
 
Your Answer which is RESPONSIVE, Direct, Concise
and Straight-to-the-Point
 
1. Identifying the ISSUE allows you to easily know what topic
the examiner is pointing out.
Because seriously, how will you answer the problem if you do
not know the issue?
 
2. Knowing the IMPORTANT FACTS allows you to have an
insight...
...as to how you will attack the problem in a straight-forward
way – no beating around the bush kind of way!
 
3. Knowing the RESPONSIVE ANSWER....
...and outlining it in the questionnaire 
allows you to make sure all the keywords and phrases are
incorporated
And of course – outlining your answer enables you to keep
your booklet clean and neat
 
I can’t stress this enough…
 

“The secret to succeeding in the

Bar Exams is this…
 

…Find out what the Bar

Examiners want and give it to
them…”
 
“Lol Attorney, ‘yan na ‘yun? Naglolokohan ba
tayo dito?”
 
“Don’t you need to really memorize the laws
and jurisprudence involved in order to solve a
Bar Problem?”
 
Well, handa ka na ba? (Rated K voice… Hehe)
 
The answer is, ‘No.’
 
Think about it…
 
Most of us (if not all) graduated in law school without having
memorized even the Civil Code and the Family Code of the
Philippines from cover to cover.
I mean – ALL the freaking Articles!
 
So how do you expect yourself to memorize them in
a matter of 4 to 6 months?
 
And…
 
Hindi lang naman Civil Law ang subject sa Bar…
 
…meron pang 7 other subjects
 
So, it’s not about blindly memorizing stuff.
 
It frankly never was.
 
Then again, this doesn’t mean you should not memorize and
incorporate in your answer the key words and phrases
of crucial laws and jurisprudence…
 
That’s not the point.
 
I’m writing this training assuming you’re a law graduate and
will not sit on the Bar without having read and studied in at
least a semester or two all the laws involved in the Bar
Syllabus.
 
Wala namang uupo sa Bar Exam na walang inaral.
Tama?
 
All I’m pointing out is the absurd excuse of
‘Di ako naka 5 readings kasi…’
as reason for why they’re not going for their dreams...
 
That’s just an excuse.
 
You may not be THE Bar Bet of your school…
But this shouldn’t stop you from taking the Bar and becoming
a lawyer.
 
In fact, you could just be an average student with an average
IQ like me who made it despite the obstacles.
 
And like all successful Bar candidates…
All you have to do is to find out the core issue, the important
facts and write a responsive answer to the Bar problem.
 
Now I don’t want to overwhelm you…
 
But there’s something I want you to remember come Bar exam
time…
 
You see…
 
Most Bar candidates pag hindi nila alam ang problem…
 
…Nag-bebeat around the bush
 
…Nambobola
 
…or worst nagiimbento ng sagot
 
For example…
 
Look at what 2019 Bar Chair Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe
wrote when she was handpicked by Justice Azcuna as the Bar
Examiner in the 2007 Mercantile Law Bar Exam…
 
“I had thought all along that law schools and review centers
drill their examinees in answering questions, especially those
they know nothing about. But I was sorely disappointed to
read prayers of the Holy Rosary and pleas for mercy in
between snippets of what appears to be poor paraphrases of
commercial law doctrines. Some examinees negligently
omitted answers to certain questions, or merely repeated the
same answer to other questions. What was unacceptable,
though, was that a good number of the examinees failed to
answer correctly some very basic questions. I could not, for
the life of me, fathom how a bar candidate could describe the
Trust Fund Doctrine in Corporation Law as the amount of
money deposited in the bank, which the beneficiary may
withdraw only when he reaches the age of majority. The
worst answer, however, which I had the misfortune to come
across, equated Trust Receipt to a popular contraceptive for
men. If it was meant as a joke, it was not
funny.” (Experiencing the Bar A Second
Time https://ca2.judiciary.gov.ph/caws-war/)
 
A struggling bar candidate would try to beat around the
bush by writing non-responsive answers to the Bar question...
or worse non-sensical answers na….
basta may maisulat lang na baka hindi naman magbasa si
examiner at baka bigyan ako ng points pag nakitang
mahaba sagot ko…
 
The pabibo ones will try to wow the Bar examiner by
invoking latin terms/phrases or citing article number, section
number, GR number of the case, etc..
nothing wrong with it AS LONG AS IT IS ABSOLUTELY
CORRECT
 
The best ones, however, knows the psychology of the Bar
examiner –
8,000++ booklets ba naman checheck-an niya,
Dapat siguro ang sagot ko ay direct and concise, and
ang booklet dapat malinis and walang erasures, and
most importantly may legal basis lahat ng sagot…
Para hindi siya ma badtrip at ma good mood siya pag
mag grade sa akin..
 
So kaya nga ako nandito…
 
Para sa iyo…
 
Para tulungan ka…
 
Tama?
 
As for me, I help Bar candidates with their problem in
constructing Bar answers through optimized training
programs…
 
So look…
 
In Lesson #1 of this workshop we’ve already busted some
myths and discovered a shortcut to answer Bar
problems without being the Bar bet of your school – saktong
estudyante lang… average lang like me…
 
That to succeed in the Bar, you don’t need to be the Class
Valedictorian or have a flawless grades in your Transcript of
Records..
 
You don’t need to buy all the textbooks in the market na
hindi mo rin naman mababasa… bibliophile ba ang peg?  
 
All of which should be as incredibly exciting for you to hear, as
it was for me when I took the Bar.
 
It removed a ton of things I thought I needed to do to become
good enough to sit in the Bar exams.
 
The best part?
 
Hindi ito theoryang napulot sa libro.
 
And if you’re the type of person who loves to see examples,
there’s gonna be a lot of those in the next lesson.
 
 
I’ll see you on the next lesson.
 
 
 
Rooting for you,
 
Atty. Aldrin a.k.a. “the coach of the no longer struggling
Bar Candidate”
Lesson 2 of 4:
 
 “The Boring Secret of a
Sustainable, Predictable, and
Consistent Responsive Bar Exam
Answer…”
 
From :  Atty. Aldrin
 
Pasig City, Metro Manila
 
Kamusta, my dear Bar candidate?
 
In Lesson #1 of this workshop we’ve already busted some
myths and discovered a shortcut to answer Bar
problems without being the Bar bet of your school – saktong
estudyante lang… average lang like me…
 
In this lesson however, we continue our adventure by
showing you the PROCESS behind the curtain that enabled me
and the others to pass the Bar exam…
 
You ready?
 
Let’s rock!
 
Let me introduce to you the ALE method.
 
The ALE method is a simple 3-step process of creating
consistency, sustainability, and predictability to your
Responsive Bar exam answers.
 
In a nutshell, my future lawyer, this is what it looks like…
 
 
 
ATTACK           >>              LAW         >>              ELUCIDATE
 
 
 
>>        Attack the question posed.
 
>>        identify the Legal issue and/or the applicable Law
and Jurisprudence
 
>>        Elucidate your answer
 
Simple lang, ano?
 
Merong mga nuances for each step that we will explain it in
detail sa later lessons…
 
….pero i-explain ko na how it works in a nutshell
 
Say the Bar Question goes like this…
 
Q: The complaint filed before the Regional Trial Court of
Manila states two (2) causes of action, one for recission of
contract and the other for the recovery of One Hundred
Thousand Pesos (PI00.000.00), both of which arose out of the
same transaction.
 
Is the joinder of the two (2) causes of action proper? Explain.
(1996 Remedial Law Bar Question)
 
Now, confronted with the problem, ano ang dapat gawin?
 

Attack the question posed.

 
Atakihin mo ng direcho yung tanong
 
Sa example natin, eto yung: Is the joinder of the two (2)
causes of action proper? Explain.
 
How do you do this on a consistent and predictable basis?
 
ALWAYS read the question at the bottom.
 
This will give you a key insight towards the direction your
answer should be based upon.
 
This will likewise give you a key insight that will help you in
the identification of the legal issues and applicable law and/or
jurisprudence.
 
REMEMBER, any answer na hindi akma sa tanong will
hinder your chances of obtaining the maximum credit…
 
SOMETIMES, reading the question at the
bottom alone would enable you to answer the Bar question
even without reading the facts…
 

identify the Legal issue
and/or the applicable Law
and Jurisprudence
 
Using the question at the bottom…
 
…spot the legal issues raised by the Bar problem
 
Read the facts and then underline the relevant ones
 
In order to resolve the problem…
 
…recall the applicable law and jurisprudence
 
In our example, the applicable rule is this:
 
Rule 2 Section 5. Joinder of causes of action. — A party may in one
pleading assert, in the alternative or otherwise, as many causes of
action as he may have against an opposing party, subject to the
following conditions:
 
(a) The party joining the causes of action shall comply with the rules on
joinder of parties;
 
(b) The joinder shall not include special civil actions or actions governed
by special rules;
 
(c) Where the causes of action are between the same parties but
pertain to different venues or jurisdictions, the joinder may be allowed in
the Regional Trial Court provided one of the causes of action falls within
the jurisdiction of said court and the venue lies therein; and
 
(d) Where the claims in all the causes action are principally for recovery
of money, the aggregate amount claimed shall be the test of jurisdiction.
 
Elucidate your answer
 
Begin your answer by stating precisely that:
 
Yes, the joinder of the two (2) causes of action is proper;
or
 No, the joinder of the two (2) causes of action is not
proper.
Notice that I reiterated the bottom of the problem i.e.,
 
Yes, the joinder of the two (2) causes of action is proper;
or
 No, the joinder of the two (2) causes of action is not
proper.
st
This will be the 1  paragraph of your answer…
 
What if you’re unsure of your answer? Should you say that…
 
… “It depends” “The answer must be qualified” ?
 
Well, you should not.
 
Dito papasok yung PREDICTABILITY.
 
Free your mind from the stress and uncertainty of whether you
should qualify your answer – i.e., you should NOT
 
How could it be uncertain when you’re the one who decide
whether your answer is YES or NO?
 
How would you be stressed when your only goal is to apply the
ALE method and nothing else?
 
Simplify your life.
 
Remember, you have less than 10 minutes to finish a
question…
 
…and that already includes reading the problem and actually
writing your answer
 
…in other words, time is NOT on your side
 
Remember this…
 
….Qualifying your answer will UNNECESSSARILY bind you
to add facts to the problem… which is a NO-NO in the Bar
 
…Qualifying your answer will UNNECESSARILY require
you to defend both positions
 
…Qualifying your answer will UNNECESSARILY necessitate
you to add rules because as you’re writing – you’re
brainstorming – and as you brainstorm – you unwittingly find
out that meron pang ibang batas na pwedeng applicable dito
 
So the bottomline is this: hwag mong pahirapan sarili mo…
 
Don’t confuse yourself.
 
Have a definite position (Yes/No) and defend it with all your
might.
 
Do not qualify your answer. It’s a waste of time.
 
You see, your only role as a Bar examinee is to apply the
elements of the law to the given state of facts.
 
Kapag kulang yung elements ng law doon sa facts…
 
…eh ‘di the law DOES NOT APPLY.
 
nd
The 2  paragraph of your answer should state a brief but
comprehensive statement of the law and/or jurisprudence
that you previously identified in step number 2.
 
What do I mean by brief but comprehensive?
 
Your elucidation of the applicable law and/or jurisprudence
must include the key words and phrases
 
NOT the entire provision…
 
…But only the key words and phrases
 
Dito papasok yung SUSTAINABILITY.
 
In such a way na you will have a sustainable game plan.
 
“Ang game plan ko lang is to make sure that
the key words and phrases  are incorporated in
my answers. That way masusustain ko yung
sarili ko in a 4 hour exam…”
 
nd
In our example, your 2  paragraph must include…
 
Where the causes of action are between the same parties but
pertain to different venues or jurisdictions, the joinder may be
allowed in the RTC provided one falls within the RTC’s
jurisdiction and the venue lies therein
 
Wag mo nang isulat ang buong Regional Trial Court!
 
RTC na lang, besh!
 
Sayang oras eh.
 
Again, brief but comprehensive.
 
rd
The 3  paragraph of your answer should contain the
application of the law and/or jurisprudence previously
identified
 
“Attorney, kailangan ba laging may
3rd paragraph? Sobrang dami kasing tanong at
baka hindi ko matapos yung exam sa sobrang
haba!”
 
 No.
 
Kapag masyadong mahaba ang exam like the 2018 Bar, you
rd
can dispense with the 3  paragraph..
 
…especially kung maraming subquestions for every item
 
Just move on to the next.
 
Remember na kalaban natin ang oras dito.
 
In a 20 item exam…
With two examiners for every subject...
 
Dapat tapos ka na sa Part 1 by 10 am for the Morning
exam…
 
And at least nasa Part 2 ka na by 4 pm for the Afternoon
exam…
Use the ALE method and simplify your process in
Answering Bar Questions
 
In this way, you position your answer in a way that helps your
Bar examiner correct it in an easier fashion.
 
Now…
 
Doesn’t it feel good knowing that the power to change your life
is in YOUR hands?
 
…That by the stroke of YOUR pen in the Bar Exam booklet,
you can alter your destiny and the destiny of other people once
you become a full-pledged Attorney?
 
Now, I do understand na mejo mahirap if this is your first
time getting exposed to these concepts…
 
“Attorney, parang ang hirap i-apply nung mga
sinabi mo…”
 
Everything comes with practice, my friend.
 
At the end of the day, the mastery of the method we outlined
here could be gained only with the consistent application.
 
It is the only way to internalize the method.
 
“Attorney, ano pong pwedeng gawin para pag upo
ko sa Bar exam, second nature na sa akin yung
method?”
 
Take a test..
 
Either take a test with yourself, or take a test with a Bar coach
who will identify the areas you need to work on and guide
you...
 
A Bar coach is simply someone who is focused on identifying
and spotting possible areas of improvement so you can up
your chances in obtaining the maximum credit once the Bar
exam time comes.
 
Now, I know that having someone track and measure your
performance on a weekly basis isn’t sexy compared to reading
the latest beda red book or the latest pre-week material of
your favorite author…
 
And I get it.
 
It does not feel good na ma-criticize yung gawa mo..
 
But the Bar candidate who understands its importance gets to
thrive just for the fact that you know which part of your Bar
answering process you should be improving.
 
In fact, if you do this right, you will be very thankful when you
see your improvement over the span of several weeks.. and of
course the end result – your ATTORNEY DOT.
 
That’s it.
 
Ideally, take a test once a week until the Bar…
 
…para ma-master mo yung process
 
Parang swimming ‘yan
 
You can read all the books on swimming the world has ever
written…
 
…pero kapag ‘di ka tumalon sa tubig and i-apply kung anong
natutunan mo
 
…you will never learn
 
Now listen…
 
In Lesson #1 of this workshop we’ve already busted some
myths and discovered a shortcut to answer Bar
problems without being the Bar bet of your school – saktong
estudyante lang… average lang like me…
 
That to succeed in the Bar, you don’t need to be the Class
Valedictorian or have a flawless grades in your Transcript of
Records..
 
You don’t need to buy all the textbooks in the market na
hindi mo rin naman mababasa… bibliophile ba ang peg?  
 
In this lesson, we talked about the the not-so-secret
process for having a sustainable, predictable, and consistent
responsive bar exam answer.
 
Which, if you were anything like me, should remove the
guesswork on what you should be ‘improving’ in your bar
exam answers.
 
And if you read this far, you’re probably thinking…
 
“Okay ‘to Attorney Aldrin. All this is good
and well, pero meron pa bang
ibang diskarte kang alam in answering Bar
questions using the ALE method?”
 
Yes..
 
…and I get you if meron ka pang mga gustong malaman
 
Which is why on the third installment of our FREE online
training, we’ll talk about it in great detail.
 
For now, I just want you to have a strong foundation of what’s
needed and an overview of the entire ALE process so you have
an idea of the big picture.
 
I’ll see you on the next lesson.
 
Rooting for you,
 
Atty. Aldrin a.k.a. “Mr. Sustainable, Predictable and
Consistent”
Lesson 3 of 4:
 
“How a Simple Technique
Allowed Me To Get Maximum
Points Without Memorizing
Everything…”
 
Plus the mindset of a successful Bar
Candidate”
 
 
From :  Atty. Aldrin
 
Pasig City, Metro Manila
 
So nasaan na ba tayo?
 
Ah… right.
 
In Lesson #1 of this workshop we’ve already busted some
myths and discovered a shortcut to answer Bar
problems without being the Bar bet of your school – saktong
estudyante lang… average lang like me…
 
In Lesson # 2, we talked about the the not-so-secret
process for having a sustainable, predictable, and consistent
responsive bar exam answer.
 
Which, if you were anything like me, should remove the
guesswork on what you should be ‘improving’ in your bar
exam answers.
 
In this lesson, however, we’re going to be a little more
‘teachy’… if ever there’s such a word.
 
You’ll see what I mean inside this email…
 
With that said…
 
Game ka na ba? (Kris Aquino voice…)
 
Game na!
 
Let’s rock!
 
.
.
 
.
 

 “The Philippine Bar Exams is

NOT a test of which Bar
candidate has the most legal
knowledge…
 

Rather…
 

…it is a test on who can

analyze Bar problems
correctly
 

…it is a test on who can write

a legible answer
 
 

…it is a test on who can write

a lawyer-like answer under
EXTREME time pressure”
.
 

.
.
The essence of this philosophy is that, to be successful in the
Bar exams, you need not accumulate as much legal knowledge
as possible during the Bar review.
 
All your efforts must be Bar oriented...
 
Rather than relying on chismis kung sino ang Bar examiner
sa ganitong subject, you must rely on a systematic approach
in reviewing for the Bar.
 
Read that again. Let that sink in.
 
As simple as that statement is, it caused a huge shift in how I
did my review.
 
And I’m forever grateful for that.
 
Remember, the Bar exam is the greatest battle of your life.
 
And para may maganda kang tsansang manalo…
 
…dapat meron kang sistema
 
Si Manny Pacquiao ba, makikipag boksing sa ring kapag
hindi siya nag ensayo, nag pakundisyon at nakipag
sparring..
 
Hindi ‘di ba?
 
Now, the technique I will show you will be useless kung
hindi mo rin lang naman pala gagamitin…
 
…kung ganoon, you might as well not read on kasi sayang
lang ang oras mo – sayang lang rin yung sinulat ko – huhu
 
I’m not here to entertain you.
 
Rather, I’m here to guide you to become a member of the
most noble profession…
 
Now, before we go to the technique, let’s first discuss the
common types of questions that you will encounter in the Bar
Exams.
 
In the Bar exams, you will certainly encounter objective
questions…
 
Maraming klaseng objective questions.
 
Let’s enumerate for a bit.
 
Merong mga objective – definitions
 
For example,
 
What is the rotational scheme of appointment in the
Comelec? (2010 Political Law)
 
What are the de minimis benefits and how are they
taxed? (2015 Taxation)
 
Meron din namang objective – distinctions
 
For example,
 
Distinguish civil and natural obligations. (2015 Civil
Law)
 
Distinguish between an accomplice and a conspirator
(2007 Criminal Law)
 
At meron din namang objective – enumerations
 
For example,
 
What are the three phases of the “Battered Woman
Syndrome?” (2010 Criminal Law)
 
What evidence of identity does the 2004 Rules on
Notarial Practice require before a notary public can
officially affix his notarial seal and sign a document
presented by an individual whom the notary public
does not personally know? (2007 Legal and Judicial
Ethics)
 
 
 
Now, what to do with these types of questions?
 
Simple…
 
…watch out for guide words such as distinguish, decide,
define, contrast, compare, and argue
 
…make sure to correctly recall the concept involved
 
…use the questionnaire as your scratch and quickly
scribble yung mga naisip mong key words and phrases (para
sure na masulat sa booklet)
 
…manage your time wisely kasi for a 2% question, I suggest na
up to 5 minutes mo lang siya sasagutan – MAX!
 
Otherwise, baka maubos ang oras mo.
 
Sa mga objective questions…
 
…wala, kailangan mo talagang magkabisa ng mga basic
definitions and distinctions
 
…study, study and study some more especially yung mga
common na itinatanong
 
….you’ll never go wrong with studying and preparing some
more arsenal – coz the Bar exams is WAR!!!
 
…wag kang uupo sa Bar nang wala kang dalang bala,
kakatayin ka ng buhay ng Bar Examiner pag nagkataon
 
Now, onto the strategy I’m talking about…
 
…Expand when you are sure of your answer
 
…Contract when you are unsure..
 
What do I mean by this?
 
.
 
.
 
.
 
For example, you were asked:
 
.
 
What are the requisites for a legal right of way? (Civil Law)
 
.
 
If you are sure of your answer, EXPAND:
 
 
 
According to established laws and jurisprudence, the following
are the requisites for a legal right of way:
 
1. The property is surrounded by estate of others and there is
no adequate outlet to a public highway;
 
2. It must be established at the point least prejudicial to the
servient estate and insofar as consistent with this rule, where
the distance from the dominant estate to a public highway may
be the shortest;
 
3. There must be payment of the proper indemnity; and
 
4. The isolation should not be due to the proprietor’s own acts.
 
.
 
Now, if you are unsure of your answer and hindi mo
kabisado, CONTRACT:
 
 
 
According to established laws and jurisprudence, the following
are the requisites for a legal right of way: The property is
surrounded by estate of others and there is no adequate outlet
to a public highway, it must be established at the point least
prejudicial to the servient estate and insofar as consistent with
this rule, where the distance from the dominant estate to a
public highway may be the shortest, and the isolation should
not be due to the proprietor’s own acts.
 
 
 
So…
 
kumpleto ba?
 
alin ang naiba?
 
meron bang walang requisite?
 
.
 
.
 
.
 
Kung marami kang time, mapapansin mo na wala yung
requirement na: there must be payment of the proper
indemnity…
 
I highly doubt if the examiner will be nitty gritty on the details
like this question..
 
More or less, as long as makita niya yung pinaka essential
elements na hinahanap ng mata niya…
 
…ifufull credit ka na niya sa sagot mo
 
Remember, walong libong booklet ang mamarka-han ng
iisang tao.
This is not cheating because you are not repeating an
item…
 
.
 
.
 
.
 
Now, onto the mindset of a successful Bar Candidate.
 
Start mentally seeing yourself as a successful Bar
Candidate.
 
And as such you will never ever ever ever allow yourself to
prepare less than you should…
 
In less hours than you should…
 
In less quality than you should…
 
And less frequently than you should.
 
Because to do that is to breach your responsibility to yourself,
to your dreams, and to your family.
 
If you know, with certainty, that doing everything within your
power to adequately prepare for the Bar gonna produce an
additional 5 or 6 or 10 or even 15 % in your Bar rating,
then studying and preparing in a lesser way or not doing it
when you don’t feel like it is going to be a disservice to yourself
and your family.
 
Powerful, isn’t it?
 
The essence of this philosophy is that you’re not going to
wait for the feeling of motivation before you
start studying, and preparing yourself for the Bar Exams.
 

”I’m going to study and

prepare more than what is
necessary for the Bar
Exams…
 
 

And I’m not gonna wait for

motivation to kick in before I
study and prepare.”
 
 
 
 
Because of this…
 
I experimented with different ways of implementing this newly
found principle.
 
And one method that ‘worked’ for me was what I
called “Momentum towards the Bar.”
 
‘What’s that’ you say?
 
It’s about answering Bar Questions EVERY SINGLE DAY and
assessing myself on how I performed, and adjusted
accordingly.
 
By the time NovemBar comes (different now because of the
pandemic)...
I am already adequately prepared on how to attack Bar
problems using the ALE METHOD.
 
Hasang hasa na, kumbaga.
 
Another benefit is that by the time pre-week comes, I already
have an intimate knowledge of the nuances of the Bar…
 
…I already know the usual suspects - topics, questions and
concepts commonly asked in the Bar and how to attack them…
 
And attack them ferociously, I did.
 
Notice how it changes the whole Bar preparation?
 
How the focus isn’t about accumulating as much in-depth
legal knowledge as possible, attending special lectures
of patok bar reviewers, nor buying the latest patok book na
ginawa nung rumored examiner?
 
Because before I can study topics and concepts…
 
…I need to find out how to attack them
 
…I need to practice on a regular basis
 
…I need to improve, day in and day out
 
And each time I answer at least 20 Bar Questions, I get at least
one or two (sometimes I cannot answer anything correctly.
lol!) questions giving me more insight to as to how the Bar
exam works.
 
But here’s where it gets interesting…
 
Although, I wasn’t actively studying the patter of the Bar
exams, the regular testing  has directly resulted in a
nuanced understanding of the common Bar topics…
 
…Such that kapag may lecture na, masasabi mo sa sarili mo na
 
“Itong topic na to, importante, natanong to
noong 2007, 2009 and 2014… baka matanong ulit
ngayong 2019!”
 
Let that sink in.
 
No purchase of any new material.
 
No attending of regurgitated lectures.
 
There was literally nothing…
 
Yet it resulted to a nuanced understanding of the common Bar
topics.
 
And quickly, this “Momentum towards the Bar” became
my new secret weapon.
 
It completely changed how I studied and prepared for the Bar.
 
It became method of practicing the ALE METHOD even
before the scheduled mock bar exams in the review center.
 
And that right there is a Bar-focused process.
 
All I really did is answer previous Bar questions and
prepared fact-pattern problems of recent
jurisprudence …
 
Simple.
 
Straightforward.
 
After that, I’ll then have my mentor assess how I performed…
 
…then adjusted accordingly
 
…whether it is a matter of form (how to answer) or substance
(what to answer)
 
The secret is in the daily improvement…
 
Now make sure you didn’t miss this bit…
 
“Doing these activities even without motivation”
 
The moment you start acting like you need motivation before
you study, things will go south – that’s a guarantee.
 
Well, the beautiful thing about having a Bar-centric approach
is that it is never about you.
 
So whenever I cannot answer a question, I simply study the
topic thoroughly para next time kuha mo na.
 
Because it’s your chance to improve or tweak your way of
answer and your knowledge…  
 
And in many cases…
 
The feedback of your Bar coach or mentor is what
makes your Bar answers stronger and much more
irresistible to your Bar examiner.
 
So why does this process work so well?
 
That’s because of the activities I did way BEFORE I was asked
and tasked to do it: that is – being asked that question in a
mock bar or in the actual Bar itself.
 
The aim of Bar preparation is to understand the key concepts
and topics so well that whatever it is na matanong sa’yo, more
or less masasagot mo using that key concepts and topics…
 
Which is exactly what I was doing.
 
We try to understand how the Bar exam works that the
solution we suggested fits perfectly like a missing piece to the
jigsaw puzzle.
 
And it’s the exact same process, that I tell my mentees to this
day
 
Now, let me ask you…
 
How much would your life change if you know you can pass
the Bar, take your oath and sign the Roll next year?
 
Would it allow you to live a life of freedom?
 
Would your family appreciate that extra time you get to spend
with the kids?
 
Would it make your family proud?
 
How much stress would it take off your shoulders knowing…
 you could protect your family from anyone who wants to take
advantage of them,
pursue the administration of justice,
and have a good and financially worthwhile career at the same
time?
 
I have to be honest though, all this didn’t happen instantly.
 
It was more a gradual realization born from lots of ‘failed
tests.’
 
But pushing through it was worth it.
 
I came out of the other side armed with a whole different
way of operating — a very different set of beliefs that were
taught in law school.
 
And it suddenly became crystal clear, to me at least, that by
operating with a Bar-centric approach, I would (eventually)
achieve the results I desire.
 
With this new mindset, I knew that the sky is the limit…
 
So listen…
 
In Lesson #1 of this workshop we’ve already busted some
myths and discovered a shortcut to answer Bar
problems without being the Bar bet of your school – saktong
estudyante lang… average lang like me…
 
In Lesson # 2, we talked about the the not-so-secret
process for having a sustainable, predictable, and consistent
responsive bar exam answer.
 
In this lesson, we learned a whole new way of approaching
the Bar question when you are sure and unsure of your
answer..
 
We also tackled the Bar-centric approach and how it enables
you to understand the nuances of the Bar exam.
 
Apply this to what you’re doing now and you’ll begin to see
(and feel) an immediate shift towards how you deal with Bar
problems…
 
…of course using the ALE METHOD
 
It’s been a jammed packed lesson so make sure you review
your notes and take action immediately.
 
I’ll see you on the next lesson which para sa akin ay
ang pinaka simple pero hands down pinaka
impactful sa aking Bar Exams out of all the
lessons combined.
 
 
 
Rooting for you,
 
Atty. Aldrin a.k.a. “suma-sideline sa pagiging mindset
coach”
 
 
 
 

Lesson 4 of 4:
 
“The Fundamental Rule for
Crafting Outstanding Bar Exam
Answers and Making Your Bar
Examiner Happy In Correcting
Your Booklet…”
 
Plus HOW the Bar Exams breaks the spirit of
most people and WHAT to do about it”
 
 
From :  Atty. Aldrin
 
Pasig City, Metro Manila
Now brace yourself because this is gonna be a meaty and info-
packed lesson.
Kung meron kang ginagawa, I suggest na you put it down
muna and focus on the lesson at hand.
By now, siguro alam mo na that I was a Bar flunker…
I flunked the Bar the first time I took it…
...and pass the next time I did.
But boy, I'm proud and wear it like a badge of honor!
...I am a proud Bar flunker because it made me realize that
failing the Bar exam is NOT everything
...I am a proud Bar flunker because I proved that failing the
Bar exam is a setback - a set up for a GREAT COMEBACK
...I am a proud Bar flunker because I proved that failing the
Bar is not a death sentence.
Now, most people would be quick to say that I'm smart and
probably…
...minalas lang 'nong unang take ko.
But that is besides the point.
My 2 year Bar exam Journey does not tell the whole story.
Because any Bar candidate could have had the same results I
had (if not better) - if only they knew the Bar strategy
What is this Bar strategy I'm talking about?
First, let's start things off by telling you two things
EXCEPTIONAL Bar candidates do…
Things that if combined with the first lesson, can explode your
potential in such a short amount of time.
Here they are in no particular order…
1. Increasing the Perceived Value of your answer
2. Exhaustive preparation.
And I'm telling you this because of one simple fact…
That no matter how many Bar exam tactics you apply in
answering Bar questions…
Your answer will not be appreciated by the examiner unless
you give valuable and responsive answers.
So the purpose of this final lesson is to help you craft
outstanding Bar exam answers earning you the examiner's
appreciation.
Which for me is the holy grail of the Bar exam.
Let's start with the first one…
Increasing the Perceived Value of
your answer
It only makes sense that in order to succeed in the Bar
exam, you have to provide good and valuable answers.
But don't worry, this isn't as hard as it sounds.
Because one thing I've noticed during my Bar journey is that
the focus to QUALITY of your answers and
not QUANTITY is the most important thing in the world.
In fact, kung nakapag QUALITY answer ka…
Papalagan mo 'yung Bar exams kahit na 2-3
sentences lang sagot mo.
Does this mean na tsamba lang pumasa dahil mahigsi ka
lang sumagot?
Nope.
And the difference between my first take in the Bar…
...and my second take is this
I have learned to increase the quality of my answers in such a
way na kahit mahigsi lang ang sagot…
...maappreciate ni Examiner
You see, whoever your Bar examiner is, their goal is to either
PASS you or FAIL you…
So if you're a Bar candidate…
You can make the Bar answer very wordy.
You can add fancy, long and needless words.
You can write kilometric answers.
You can add hifalutin words na ikaw lang nakakaintindi.
You can add case titles and case numbers (GR #s)
You can even put all latin maxims na minemorize mo noong
Statutory Construction.
Yet the only reason the examiner would
appreciate your answer in the first place is if
your answer appears to be one written by a
first year lawyer.
In other words, yung sagot mo ay dapat mukhang isinulat ng
isang abugado.
Legalese ang atake.
(legalese but not to the point na super complicated na 'yung
sinasabi mo)
K.I.S.S.
Keep It Simple, Student!
Use basic english but be precise with the legal terms.
Remember, it is YOU who are trying to convince the other…
...YOU are in effect trying to convince the examiner that you
have what it takes to succeed in the practice of law
...Eh kung kausap mo lang 'yung kapitbahay mo, pwede
mong banggitin ang batas in your own words
BUT NOT IN THE BAR EXAMS
Think like a lawyer.
Analyze like a lawyer.
Answer like a lawyer.
Anyway, how do you do that?
One thing you can do is to  use prepared lines…
For example…
...in the second paragraph of your answer (forming your LAW
- in the ALE Method)
And you want to state a rule, you can say that:
 It is an elementary rule in International Law that...
 Well settled is the rule in this jurisdiction that...
 The established rule is that...
 According to the well-entrenched doctrine of…
And if you want to state a jurisprudential doctrine, you can say
that:
 In a catena of cases, the Supreme Court held that..
 In several notable decisions of the Supreme Court...
 In a long line of cases, the Highest Court of the land have
consistently ruled that...
 According to the High Court,...
And if you want to state a legal provision, you can say that…
 Under the Law on Obligations,...
 Squarely in point is the Family Code of the Philippines
which provides that...
 A cursory reading of the provisions of the Revised Penal
Code...
Words and Sentences
Another tip I would give you is to write w i d e r and b igg
e r words and sentences…
...avoid answering with too small words and sentences kasi
Ang mga examiner usually not so young na…
So, malalabo na ang mata
So kung pahirapan mo sila sa pagbabasa ng sagot mo,
although tama ang sagot
What do you think will be the result?
Alam mo na!
Bottomline is this…
...hindi nila pagtyatyagaang basahin 'yan!
On correcting mistakes
sa pag kokorek ng mga maling sagot:
draw a line across doon sa word or words na mali mo.
hwag na hwag ka magpipilas ng papel
hwag na hwag mo rin isusulat ang pangalan mo sa booklet
lalong hwag na hwag mag lalagay ng unnecessary marks na
pwedeng maging sanhi na pagkilala sa iyo o sa school mo
On starting a new page
This is just a general tip, so be sure to carefully read the
instruction page upon receipt of the Bar exam questionnaire in
your Bar exam
Generally speaking…
...You are to start writing your answer for the first question on
the page of the Bar exam booklet where the
words 𝗕𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗔𝗚𝗘 appears
...In case of an item with multiple questions - you are to
answer them continuously on the same page
HOWEVER, I strongly suggest na sa next page mo na lang
ilagay for better outlining of the answers and who
knows baka pag review mo may mali pala so madaling i
adjust ang sagot mo if ever
On numbering
Some Bar candidates are careless
Ang question ay Roman Numeral (I.a, I.b II., III.a., III.b., IV.,
etc) tapos sasagutin ng Arabic (1.a., 1.b., 2., 3.a., 3.b., etc)...
...Or Arabic ang question tapos sasagutin ng Roman
Numeral
Make sure to follow the numbering your Bar examiner used.
Help him help you.
Okay?
On indentions and number of words
Generally speaking, use an indention of 1/2 each on the right
side and 1 inch on the left side.
Also, write 5 to 6 words per line.
This way, mapipilitan kang lakihan 'yung sulat mo.
 Exhaustive BAR preparation
Another tip I’ll give you is to take mock bar exams
This will practice your so-called quick recall of the
principles and matters you previously studied.
If you cannot take mock bar exams in a review center…
…you can take an exam in the comfort of your own
home prepared by a Bar coach numbering 20-30
questions with subquestions and have him correct your
work and give you VALUABLE FEEDBACK
I know na at this point in time, sobrang busy mo na…
… you might feel that taking an exam is a waste of time
… you might feel na mas importante na magbasa
nang magbasa
… you might feel that it is UNNECESSARY altogether
Consider however that the objective of this mock tests
are three fold:
1. To test the level of your knowledge AT THIS POINT
IN TIME
2. To anticipate possible Bar questions and Bar topics
3. To prepare HOW to answer Bar Questions in 10
minutes or less
4. To prepare HOW to answer objective Questions
5. To prepare HOW to answer essay Questions
Remember, it is never enough to know the answers –
you must be able to articulate them like a lawyer under
intense time pressure in the  Bar examination room.
The mock tests will physically, emotionally and
psychologically prepare you to take the Real Bar Exams
And in addition to that, you will be able to test your
handwriting, your sentence construction and your
English grammar… and obtain valuable feedback from
that..
So I advise you to have a Bar exam coach and mentor…
Personally, I believe this is what separates the
Successful Bar Candidate from the struggling, which is
why I purposely made it the last lesson.
HOW the Bar Exams breaks the
spirit of most people and WHAT
to do about it
Let’s face it…
… the Bar exams breaks the hearts of the majority of
the people who takes it (and their families)
At some point, yung iba, they put their head down and
just accept defeat
Sumusuko – losing the will to fight.
Naniniwala sila na the Bar Exam dragon is too great
an enemy to slay…
…that the odds are against them or simply not for
them ang legal profession
Makikita mo sa mga mata nila na nagsipagsuko na…
and sometimes, they become haters of those na
patuloy na lumalaban…
If you ever feel the impulse to hate on those who try to
make their way to the legal profession, please stop
Stop right here.
Hindi mo alam kung anong pinagdadaanan nila
Kung anong dahilan nila sa pangarap nila
At kung ano ang magiging kapalaran nila sa
hinaharap
The truth is…
…passing the Philippine Bar exams is an extraordinary
feat
You have to study your ass off.
kung uupo ka sa Bar exam –  wala ka nang
buhay kungdi ang magreview – and this
my friend is still an understatement!
You have to be unreasonable in your study sessions.
Lagariin mo ang aral!
Maniwala ka na you will be able to defy the odds.
In every 10 examinees, only 2 become lawyers.
Isa ka doon sa dalawa na yon.
Kailangan maniwala ka na kaya mo
Believe in yourself
More than your professors believe in you
More than your family believes in you
More than I believe in you
Coz’ you have the capacity to become a great lawyer of
this nation.
Passing the Bar is always a possibility.
But it only goes to those who study unreasonably.
So my advice to you is this:
Study like it’s the last day
of the Bar Review.
 
So that’s it!
In Lesson #1 of this workshop we’ve already busted some
myths and discovered a shortcut to answer Bar
problems without being the Bar bet of your school – saktong
estudyante lang… average lang like me…
In Lesson # 2, we talked about the the not-so-secret
process for having a sustainable, predictable, and consistent
responsive bar exam answer.
 In Lesson # 3, we learned a whole new way of approaching
the Bar question when you are sure and unsure of your
answer..
 Lesson #4 is a culmination of all that and more.

You’ve now reached

the tipping point.
The four lessons you’ve just consumed is already enough for
you to internalize what it actually takes to be a successful Bar
candidate.
I’ve given you enough real-world insights and info to go and
do this yourself.
If that’s you, awesome. I wish you the best of luck.
And so far, everything has been fixed in your favor, just like
what I teach…
And if you’d like to know more about the substantive
part of your Bar examination answer…
Just click this link below…
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mACtOdwoFU
gHCw18DOHr9CP1V-1MmUf0Utr8yD16YOU/edit?
usp=sharing
To your Bar Exam Success,
 
Atty. Aldrin