Nico Valderrama to Bar takers: Find the issue, long questions don’t mean long answers

September 8, 2026

By ABOGADO.COM.PH Staff

Lawyer Nico Valderrama advised Bar exam takers not to panic over long questions and reminded them that the length of the question does not mean they have to give a lengthy answer.

“When you see a long problem, resist the urge to immediately recall every doctrine related to the general topic and write everything you know,” Valderrama said in a post on X.

He instead urged them to read the question carefully to determine what they are being asked to decide.

It would help to determine which fact triggers a particular legal rule, he said.

“Filter out the rest. Not every fact deserves a place in your answer,” he said.

Valderrama said that once they find the legal issue, it would be easier to answer the question.

He also said their answer should frame the issue precisely, stating the legal conclusion and legal basis.

“Do not answer the story. Answer the legal issue that the story was written to test,” he said.

He also reminded Bar takers that the exam tests not just how much law you remember, but whether they know which law matters.

MAHABA ANG TANONG. HINDI IBIG SABIHIN MAHABA RIN ANG SAGOT.

When you see a long problem, resist the urge to immediately recall every doctrine related to the general topic and write everything you know.

Instead:
– Read the question carefully. What exactly are you being asked to…

— Nico B. Valderrama (@nbvneverquits) September 7, 2026