BarBri Thread: People taking Barbri for July 2013 exam Forum

[DwightSchruteFarms]

Just did my first practice CA Performance Test. Pretty damn tough.

Was it Farley v. Dunn or In re Black?

I though Black was pretty easy, but damn was Farley rough. My third issue was an absolute mess!

[Tangerine Gleam]

Farley. I found it quite challenging to organize and difficult to finish on time. I also thought the instructions were somewhat unclear...but I guess I should count on that being the case on exam day.

[tfer2222]

what does a "CA Performance Test" involve? Is it like the MPT

[DwightSchruteFarms]

what does a "CA Performance Test" involve? Is it like the MPT

Honestly, I don't know the difference between other states' tests and CA's PT. In CA, it comprises of 40+ pages where close to 25 make up a "Library" and 12 up the facts, depositions, memo, etc (3 are instruction pages and useless filler). The biggest problem I have is managing the 3 hour timeframe. It takes 1-1.5 hours to get through the damn file and outline. 1.5 hours should ideally be enough for typing...but in that 1.5 span, I'm prob typing for 1 hour and rechecking facts/organizing my essay for the other 30.

ANyone have any tips on PTs? Techniques that work well for them?

[5ky]

what does a "CA Performance Test" involve? Is it like the MPT

Honestly, I don't know the difference between other states' tests and CA's PT. In CA, it comprises of 40+ pages where close to 25 make up a "Library" and 12 up the facts, depositions, memo, etc (3 are instruction pages and useless filler). The biggest problem I have is managing the 3 hour timeframe. It takes 1-1.5 hours to get through the damn file and outline. 1.5 hours should ideally be enough for typing...but in that 1.5 span, I'm prob typing for 1 hour and rechecking facts/organizing my essay for the other 30.

ANyone have any tips on PTs? Techniques that work well for them?

That sounds miserable. The MPT is only 1.5 hours total, so the file + library is half of that, maybe even less

[tfer2222]

edited. ^what he said.

[shepdawg]

I just pulled 150 on the simulated mbe. No more studying for me.

[BCLS]

I just pulled 150 on the simulated mbe. No more studying for me.

Damn son

[tfer2222]

I just pulled 150 on the simulated mbe. No more studying for me.

just curious, what % were you averaging on practice q's?

[shepdawg]

just curious, what % were you averaging on practice q's?

I was anywhere from 65% (con law) to 87% (torts) on the practice sets.

[BaiAilian2013]

I am like 2 weeks behind. I think I'm going to skip the essay writing approach videos, essay analysis videos for each essay, and the mbe workshop videos...just do as many MBE questions as possible and outline as many essays as possible(don't write them out completely?) Thoughts?

General tips on what to skip on the paced program would be greatly appreciated. I am falling behind and feel like I should only do whats necessary. Already skipping on AMPS.

I think skipping the AMPs is a good call. I am also skipping the essay analysis videos and the PRE MBE workshop analysis videos, because I feel like they don't add anything whatsoever to the essay model answers and the MPQ answer explanations, respectively. But I watched the first essay writing workshop, like the intro or whatever, and felt it wasn't a waste of time.

[goodolgil]

Is anyone actually making "outlines" from notes in the way BarBri keeps suggesting? I'm having trouble seeing the point of doing more than just reading over the completed handout/read CMR/flash cards.

[kaiser]

Got back first graded essays and only got a 4. Not sure how much stock to put into these assessments. It was a K's essay, and that is easily my best subject. One issue was on economic duress. I got zero points since I used the phrase "economic duress", whereas the grader said that the issue is coercion (even though the lecture defined the situation as economic duress). My explanation got 0 points because I laid out economic duress precisely how it was in the lecture. Explanation was that I didn't lay out coercion (?). Then I saw circumstances that I felt weren't really in good faith. Grader (and BarBri explanation) said they seem like they were in good faith. So I get 0 on that part also.

Again, not sure how much stock to put into these assessments.

[5ky]

Got back first graded essays and only got a 4. Not sure how much stock to put into these assessments. It was a K's essay, and that is easily my best subject. One issue was on economic duress. I got zero points since I used the phrase "economic duress", whereas the grader said that the issue is coercion (even though the lecture defined the situation as economic duress). My explanation got 0 points because I laid out economic duress precisely how it was in the lecture. Explanation was that I didn't lay out coercion (?). Then I saw circumstances that I felt weren't really in good faith. Grader (and BarBri explanation) said they seem like they were in good faith. So I get 0 on that part also.

Again, not sure how much stock to put into these assessments.

The average is a 3, so that's probably pretty good. Also, I said economic duress instead of coercion and got some points for it, so who knows

[tfer2222]

Got back first graded essays and only got a 4. Not sure how much stock to put into these assessments. It was a K's essay, and that is easily my best subject. One issue was on economic duress. I got zero points since I used the phrase "economic duress", whereas the grader said that the issue is coercion (even though the lecture defined the situation as economic duress). My explanation got 0 points because I laid out economic duress precisely how it was in the lecture. Explanation was that I didn't lay out coercion (?). Then I saw circumstances that I felt weren't really in good faith. Grader (and BarBri explanation) said they seem like they were in good faith. So I get 0 on that part also.

Again, not sure how much stock to put into these assessments.

I did pretty much the same thing as you on this part of the question and got a 5. It was kind of annoying that the only "duress" we learned about in that lecture was economic duress. I would have gotten more points had I relied on my common sense 1L K knowledge rather than thinking I should try to apply that point from the lecture.

[kaiser]

Got back first graded essays and only got a 4. Not sure how much stock to put into these assessments. It was a K's essay, and that is easily my best subject. One issue was on economic duress. I got zero points since I used the phrase "economic duress", whereas the grader said that the issue is coercion (even though the lecture defined the situation as economic duress). My explanation got 0 points because I laid out economic duress precisely how it was in the lecture. Explanation was that I didn't lay out coercion (?). Then I saw circumstances that I felt weren't really in good faith. Grader (and BarBri explanation) said they seem like they were in good faith. So I get 0 on that part also.

Again, not sure how much stock to put into these assessments.

I did pretty much the same thing as you on this part of the question and got a 5. It was kind of annoying that the only "duress" we learned about in that lecture was economic duress. I would have gotten more points had I relied on my common sense 1L K knowledge rather than thinking I should try to apply that point from the lecture.

Not only is economic duress what we learned in lecture, but its exactly what is in the CMR as well. I can understand losing 1/3 point or losing 1/2 point here and there. But getting absolutely 0 points for that entire issue simply due to that differing term, and a conclusion that the seller wasn't really in totally good faith? Just doesn't make all that much sense to me.

[No Mystery]

Is anyone actually making "outlines" from notes in the way BarBri keeps suggesting? I'm having trouble seeing the point of doing more than just reading over the completed handout/read CMR/flash cards.

I haven't been making the outlines. I'm considering copying and pasting from the notes but removing the hypos; that at least could turn an 80 page handout into a more memorizable 40 pages.

[Rowinguy2009]

Is anyone actually making "outlines" from notes in the way BarBri keeps suggesting? I'm having trouble seeing the point of doing more than just reading over the completed handout/read CMR/flash cards.

I haven't been making the outlines. I'm considering copying and pasting from the notes but removing the hypos; that at least could turn an 80 page handout into a more memorizable 40 pages.

This is basically what I did with Con law (I removed hypos and changed stuff around a little bit to better suit my own personal organization preferences). I think writing it out, in and of itself, helped with memorization, plus I have a much more workable/searchable outline now. Took kind of a long time, but I think I'll be doing it with the other subjects soon.

[5ky]

Got back first graded essays and only got a 4. Not sure how much stock to put into these assessments. It was a K's essay, and that is easily my best subject. One issue was on economic duress. I got zero points since I used the phrase "economic duress", whereas the grader said that the issue is coercion (even though the lecture defined the situation as economic duress). My explanation got 0 points because I laid out economic duress precisely how it was in the lecture. Explanation was that I didn't lay out coercion (?). Then I saw circumstances that I felt weren't really in good faith. Grader (and BarBri explanation) said they seem like they were in good faith. So I get 0 on that part also.

Again, not sure how much stock to put into these assessments.

I did pretty much the same thing as you on this part of the question and got a 5. It was kind of annoying that the only "duress" we learned about in that lecture was economic duress. I would have gotten more points had I relied on my common sense 1L K knowledge rather than thinking I should try to apply that point from the lecture.

Not only is economic duress what we learned in lecture, but its exactly what is in the CMR as well. I can understand losing 1/3 point or losing 1/2 point here and there. But getting absolutely 0 points for that entire issue simply due to that differing term, and a conclusion that the seller wasn't really in totally good faith? Just doesn't make all that much sense to me.

The grading is just haphazard. I only got 5/6ths of the possible 3 points for issue 4, anticipatory repudiation, despite the fact I IRAC'd with a verbatim rule statement, missed nothing from the model answer, came to the right conclusion, and had "Good Analysis" as the comment from the grader.

Of course, she also earlier said that "Your righting would flow better if you followed IRAC more closely" so YOLO

[quakeroats]

Any rec's on good apps for this?

I've been using StudyDroid.com and the corresponding Android app. Quizzlet is another one I've used in the past. With StudyDroid, you can search archives of public flashcard packs, and I believe there were quite a few on bar exam stuff. So that can help for quizzing yourself on BLL if you don't have time to make your own. But I found the process of making the cards an effective form of review.

http://ankisrs.net/

[Tangerine Gleam]

I should be able to find this info on the BarBri site, but I can't: how are the BarBri practice CA PTs graded? I just got back my first practice performance test and I'm not sure where I should be, points-wise.

[BCLS]

Got back first graded essays and only got a 4. Not sure how much stock to put into these assessments. It was a K's essay, and that is easily my best subject. One issue was on economic duress. I got zero points since I used the phrase "economic duress", whereas the grader said that the issue is coercion (even though the lecture defined the situation as economic duress). My explanation got 0 points because I laid out economic duress precisely how it was in the lecture. Explanation was that I didn't lay out coercion (?). Then I saw circumstances that I felt weren't really in good faith. Grader (and BarBri explanation) said they seem like they were in good faith. So I get 0 on that part also.

Again, not sure how much stock to put into these assessments.

The average is a 3, so that's probably pretty good. Also, I said economic duress instead of coercion and got some points for it, so who knows

It's funny-- I did a con law essay and there was only one issue-- I wrote about the completely WRONG issue and got a 3.

[tfer2222]

It's funny-- I did a con law essay and there was only one issue-- I wrote about the completely WRONG issue and got a 3.

out of what? NY is out of 10

[BCLS]

It's funny-- I did a con law essay and there was only one issue-- I wrote about the completely WRONG issue and got a 3.

out of what? NY is out of 10

3/7

[Matteliszt]

I just pulled 150 on the simulated mbe. No more studying for me.

Damn son

Congrats. Did your pace program have you taking the simulate MBE this early? Mine isn't for like 3 weeks.