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A tabbing service saves hours of physical work and delivers a sensible structure. It does not give you the memory of having placed the tab, which is what makes retrieval fast under time pressure.
A reasonable purchase misunderstood as a substitute for preparation.
What they do give you
- Hours of cutting and placing you do not have to do
- A structure across two dozen references, which is genuinely hard to design from scratch
- Consistency, so the same kind of thing is in the same place in every book
- A starting point on titles you would otherwise leave untabbed
What they do not
The reason a tab works is that you placed it while looking something up, so seeing it recalls the search. A tab placed by a stranger is a label you have to read. Under time pressure that difference is seconds per lookup across 125 questions.
The compromise that works
Buy them tabbed, then add your own as you practice. The bought tabs give you the structure and yours mark what you actually looked up.
Use a different color for your own. Then in the exam room you know at a glance which tabs came from your own practice, and those are the ones you trust.
Check the rules and the editions
Tabs must be permanently affixed and the bulletin governs what is acceptable. Confirm that what you are buying complies rather than assuming a product sold for the exam does.
Confirm the tabs were made for your edition. Tabs cut for a previous edition will land on the wrong pages, which is worse than no tabs at all.
The verdict
Worth it as a time saver on top of your own tabbing. Not worth it as a replacement for it, and a candidate who buys tabbed books and never opens them has bought a decorated set of references.
Common questions
Are pre-tabbed NASCLA books worth buying?
As a time saver and a structure, yes. As a replacement for your own tabbing, no.
Why does placing your own tabs matter?
You placed it while looking something up, so seeing it recalls the search. A stranger's tab is a label you have to read.
What is the best approach?
Buy them tabbed and add your own in a different color as you practice.
What should I check before buying?
That the tabs comply with the bulletin and were cut for your edition.
What is the risk?
Tabs cut for a previous edition land on the wrong pages, which is worse than none.