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Corwyn
Certified Illinois Bar Exam Tutor
Corwyn
MS The Ohio State University • BA Rockford College
5+ Years Tutoring

I am passionate about helping students because I experienced many difficulties as a student. I enjoy helping students overcome learning difficulties. This led me to teaching. I have been in education for over 20 years. I have taught in K-12, college, in the U.S., and abroad.

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Matthew
Certified Illinois Bar Exam Tutor
Matthew
BA University
1+ Years Tutoring

I am a lawyer, an English major, and former educational administrator who recently started a business. I live in Brooklyn and I'm originally from Jacksonville, Florida. I've lived all over the country in Los Angeles, Chicago, Florida, and NYC. Formerly I practiced bankruptcy law.

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Certified Illinois Bar Exam Tutor
Aaron
BA The University of Texas at Dallas • Current Grad Student, Mechanical Engineering Duke University
10+ Years Tutoring

I'm not tutoring or buried in my textbooks, you will either find me rock climbing at the Triangle Rock Club, playing Ultimate Frisbee, working on my car, or enjoying the great outdoors (beaches, mountains, forests--you name it, I love it). On rainy weekends I enjoy tinkering with computers and old electronics, playing Pokemon, or picking at my guitar.

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Certified Illinois Bar Exam Tutor
Mimi
MS Harvard University • BA Dartmouth College
6+ Years Tutoring

I am an interdisciplinary educator with an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. My background is primarily in integrated arts learning and museum education and I specialize in visual arts, history and art history, and object-based learning. In all subjects, I take a creative, inquiry-based and learner-centered approach, designing opportunities for each unique individual to meet their learning goals.

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Certified Illinois Bar Exam Tutor
Nina
MS Columbia University • BA Northwestern University
10+ Years Tutoring

I am a recent graduate from a masters program in biostatistics at Columbia University. I received my Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences, with a focus in neurobiology at Northwestern University. In August, I will be starting a doctoral program in biostatistics at NYU. I was a teaching assistant at Columbia University in my department and also have tutored graduate students and undergraduates privately as well. My primary areas of tutoring are math and statistics coursework in addition to math sections on standardized tests such as the GRE and GMAT. I am very passionate about helping students feel more confident and excited about math. In my spare time, I enjoy running, playing piano, and spending time with friends and family.

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Certified Illinois Bar Exam Tutor
Reid
PhD Harvard University • BA Wesleyan University
1+ Years Tutoring

I am a graduate of Wesleyan University, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with High Honors. With eight years of experience working in education, I've tutored students in math, science, history, and English, as well as helped students prepare for standardized tests. I've guided adults towards passing the US Citizenship Exam and taught English in India, where I lived for six months. Whenever I work with a student I personalize the lessons to fit their particular learning style, since I know every student is unique and having the right fit can make all the difference in making learning fun and effective. My strengths are tutoring the social sciences and humanities, as well as making math and standardized tests approachable to students that normally don't like those subjects. In my spare time I like traveling, spending time in the outdoors (climbing & backpacking), meditation, and playing soccer. Next fall I will be beginning my PhD in Education at Harvard University.

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Certified Illinois Bar Exam Tutor
Liz
MS Simmons College • BA Washington University in St. Louis
1+ Years Tutoring

I am a graduate of Washington University in St Louis, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in Humanities and Anthropology. Since graduation, I have worked as a tutor, teacher, and director of tutors at a charter public middle school in Boston. During this time I also received my Masters in Mild to Moderate Disabilities from Simmons College. I have worked extensively with students with a range of abilities, including students with specific learning disabilities, emotional impairments, dyslexia, and ADHD. My teaching experience has given me a deep understanding of the knowledge and habits essential to academic success and has given me the opportunity to hone a variety of strategies that ensure students at each level can achieve their academic goals. While I tutor a broad range of subjects, my favorite ones are Reading, Elementary/Middle School Math, History, and Test Prep. In my experience, tutoring is the most rewarding when a student has that "aha!" moment and achieves a new level of understanding and confidence in his/her abilities. I am a firm believer in the transformative power of education, and I see my role to be that of a facilitator and coach who is there to help the student reach his/her goals through individualized support and rigorous practice. In my free time, I enjoy reading, running, practicing my Spanish, and discovering new music. I am also an avid traveler and just got back from a 3 month trip to South America. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you!

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Certified Illinois Bar Exam Tutor
Solange
BA Harvard University
8+ Years Tutoring

I'm Solange - a recent graduate from Harvard where I studied Sociology & Women's Studies. I've been tutoring for eight years now, and have worked with a wide range of ages and in a wide range of subjects. Some of my specialties are college prep/test taking II worked in the admissions office on campus); social sciences; and literature/writing.

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Certified Illinois Bar Exam Tutor
Christopher
BA Harvard College
1+ Years Tutoring

I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College and am about to declare as a Mechanical Engineering concentrator, working towards a Bachelor of Science degree. I've always enjoyed sharing my knowledge with my peers and those around me and have done so in both formal and informal settings. I've been a tutor for both Math and Spanish programs in high school and enjoyed the strides I made with students. I am willing to tutor any subject I have a background in, but am strong in mathematics, the sciences, Spanish, history, writing, and ACT prep. I enjoy teaching mathematics most due to the joy I can see in children once they master a topic and can answer even pointed questions meant to stump them, and maybe even put their knowledge to real world use. As a tutor, I like to give a strong foundation to orient my student, and then gradually grant them more freedom and independence until they can feel themselves grasp the concept, pointing out pitfalls or common errors along the way; teachers who used these methods on me always left the most lasting impressions. Outside of my studies, I really enjoy listening to music, both old favorites and new interests, reading classics, and gaming/playing basketball with my friends.

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Certified Illinois Bar Exam Tutor
Michelle
MD Baylor College of Medicine • BA Rice University
1+ Years Tutoring

I am proud to be a part of Varsity Tutors! I am originally from San Antonio, TX; I completed my undergraduate education at Rice University in Houston where I received a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Currently, I am in my second year of medical school at Baylor College of Medicine.

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Certified Illinois Bar Exam Tutor
Charles
BA Yale University
1+ Years Tutoring

I am a junior Mechanical Engineering major at Yale, and I hope to become a Naval Aviator after college. I am also a varsity sailor, and enjoy playing music with friends when I can get some free time. I have been tutoring my fellow students throughout my entire academic career, and I would best describe my tutoring style as one that adapts to each students' needs. For example, I have always tried to frame questions in a different way so that the student can better understand the question. Some students need visual representations of numbers and systems to understand them, and others benefit more by understanding the concepts behind each formula. I prefer to tutor in math and physics, and especially with real world application problems. I hope to help students improve their standardized test scores and their understanding of the math and sciences so that they can achieve their academic goals!

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Certified Illinois Bar Exam Tutor
Justin
BA Washington University in St. Louis • Doctor of Philosophy, Computational Mathematics University of Chicago
9+ Years Tutoring

I am an aspiring applied mathematician, with particular interest in image processing and climate science. I graduated in May 2017 from Washington University in St. Louis with a bachelor's in physics and mathematics, and am beginning a PhD program in September 2017 at the University of Chicago in Computational and Applied Mathematics. I've tutored introductory physics students for three years and enjoyed it thoroughly, as a chance to help other students while revisiting fundamental concepts to enhance my own knowledge. I'm eager to continue reaching out and helping students of math and physics to succeed and, furthermore, to appreciate the beauty and power of these subjects.

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Testimonials

Because the right Illinois Bar Exam tutor makes all the difference.

4.9

Average Session Rating – Based on 3.4M Learner Ratings

Worked with an Illinois Bar Exam Tutor

Your customer interface is A+, being your agents or your site, The tutor you found for me is perfect, no formulas or canned lectures but easy flowing lecture addressing my needs. Congratulations for a job well done.

JA
Julio Aranovich
Worked with an Illinois Bar Exam Tutor

Heejin has been very patient with me. I work a full time job sometimes even on the weekends. It has been a slow process with my Korean classes, but Heejin has been wonderful and patient.

AH
Angela Hussein
Worked with an Illinois Bar Exam Tutor

My son has had many quality tutors through this convenient service, and he can hop on at any time of day to get support for a homework assignment or test. It's very convenient and effective.

TR
Tara R
Worked with an Illinois Bar Exam Tutor

I've been working with my tutor for a few months now and the progress has been remarkable. The personalized attention and tailored lessons made all the difference compared to in-classroom learning.

MC
Michael Chen
Worked with an Illinois Bar Exam Tutor

The flexibility of scheduling combined with the quality of instruction is unmatched. I can get help exactly when I need it, whether that's late at night or early in the morning before a test.

PP
Priya Patel
Worked with an Illinois Bar Exam Tutor

My daughter went from dreading her sessions to looking forward to them. The tutor made the material engaging and built her confidence in ways I never thought possible. Highly recommend.

RW
Rebecca Williams

Frequently Asked Questions

The Illinois Bar Exam combines the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) with Illinois-specific components, requiring mastery of both multistate law and state-specific procedures. Students typically struggle most with time management across the essay portion (where they must write multiple essays covering different subjects in limited time), the multiple-choice questions that test deep conceptual understanding rather than surface-level knowledge, and the Illinois-specific performance test that requires practical legal problem-solving. Many test-takers underestimate how much the performance test demands—it's not just about knowing the law, but applying it under pressure with unfamiliar fact patterns.

A tutor can identify your specific weak areas across the seven UBE subjects and Illinois-specific content, then create a targeted study plan rather than having you review everything equally. For example, if you struggle with the performance test's time pressure, a tutor can work with you on strategic reading, outlining techniques, and practice under timed conditions—skills that generic bar prep courses often don't address adequately. Tutors also help you understand the "why" behind multistate law principles, which is critical for the essays and multiple-choice questions that test application and synthesis rather than memorization.

Successful bar exam essays require more than knowing the law—you need to spot issues quickly, apply the correct legal framework, and communicate your analysis clearly under time pressure. The biggest gaps students have are in issue spotting (missing subtle facts that trigger different legal rules) and in organizing multi-issue answers so graders can follow your reasoning. A tutor can teach you to read fact patterns strategically, develop templates that help you structure answers consistently, and practice writing timed essays with feedback on both substance and presentation—things that are hard to get right through self-study alone.

The MBE tests not just knowledge but the ability to distinguish between similar legal rules and apply them to complex fact patterns—a skill that requires more than reading outlines. Effective tutoring focuses on understanding the underlying principles in Civil Procedure, Criminal Law, Evidence, and other tested subjects so you can reason through unfamiliar questions rather than relying on memorization. A tutor can help you identify patterns in how the bar examiners test each subject, teach you to spot common distractors in multiple-choice answers, and build your speed and accuracy through targeted practice with detailed feedback on why you're missing questions.

The best Illinois Bar Exam tutors have recent bar exam experience (ideally passed within the last few years), understand the current UBE format and Illinois-specific requirements, and have experience teaching bar prep content—not just practicing law. Look for tutors who can explain the "why" behind legal rules, have a track record helping students improve their weak areas, and understand the psychology of test-taking under pressure. Ideally, they should be familiar with common student mistakes and have strategies for addressing them, whether that's issue spotting gaps, time management problems, or anxiety management during the exam.

Most students benefit from starting tutoring 8-12 weeks before their bar exam date, though this depends on your baseline knowledge and confidence level. If you're struggling with specific subjects or the performance test, starting earlier (3-4 months out) allows time for deeper skill-building rather than just last-minute review. A tutor can assess your current level early on and help you prioritize—for example, if you're weak in Evidence or Civil Procedure, you might need more time on those subjects than on areas where you're already strong.

The performance test is where many strong students lose points because it requires a different skill set than essays and multiple-choice—you must read a file of documents, identify the legal issue, research it, and produce a work product (memo, letter, etc.) in 90 minutes. Tutors can teach you how to read efficiently through unfamiliar materials, spot what's legally relevant versus background noise, and structure your work product to address the client's actual problem. Practice with feedback is critical here; a tutor can grade your performance test attempts the way bar examiners do and show you exactly where you're losing points.

Clear metrics include higher scores on practice essays and MBE questions (typically a 10-15 point improvement on MBE practice tests within 4-6 weeks of focused tutoring), faster completion times on performance tests, and improved issue spotting—meaning you catch legal issues you previously missed. You should also see more consistent performance across different subject areas and better accuracy on higher-difficulty questions. Beyond scores, you'll develop the confidence and strategic approach to tackle unfamiliar fact patterns, which is what separates passing from strong passing on the actual exam.

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