Official Kaplan July 2017 Bar Thread

[TheoO]

Does anyone know what the average score is for the Kaplan final MBE? In the review video they said we'd get an email with the average score, but I haven't gotten that yet and I'm not sure if it's because I'm only signed up for the final 3-day review instead of the entire Kaplan course.

national average is 120.

Thanks! Woooo got a 136

based on Doggett's response to a grade that was very close to the grade you got (~70%), "nearly impossible for a student with your scores not to pass." So either take comfort in that, or fear that you may be the "nearly" rather than "impossible," as I tend to do.

[stickershocked]

It seems like Kaplan keeps giving me these questions about risk of loss in construction contracts (there was one in the final practice MBE), and the answers invoke this special rule about whether or it's a new construction or a renovation. Anybody else confused about where this rule comes from?

[Desert rat]

I was pretty confident the whole week doing my 50 Qs with an overall of 75%. Today 52%. Kill me now.

nah, don't sweat an outlier, so long as you did decent on the midterm and final. Maybe take a break and just review the ones you missed on those.

And a big word of warning for the actual test...there will be some questions where they talk about something or use a term you've never heard of before. Just remind yourself that there are 25 questions that are NOT being scored and that it is likely one of them. Eliminate, guess, and then move on. I had to tell myself that about 15 times in Feb. yet I still did very well on the MBEs.

[Yugihoe]

based on Doggett's response to a grade that was very close to the grade you got (~70%), "nearly impossible for a student with your scores not to pass." So either take comfort in that, or fear that you may be the "nearly" rather than "impossible," as I tend to do.

AUTOPASS CREW

[Desert rat]

I was pretty confident the whole week doing my 50 Qs with an overall of 75%. Today 52%. Kill me now.

nah, don't sweat an outlier, so long as you did decent on the midterm and final. Maybe take a break and just review the ones you missed on those.

And a big word of warning for the actual test...there will be some questions where they talk about something or use a term you've never heard of before. Just remind yourself that there are 25 questions that are NOT being scored and that it is likely one of them. Eliminate, guess, and then move on. I had to tell myself that about 15 times in Feb. yet I still did very well on the MBEs.

Let me qualify that....if you are taking the Calif. exam, there are 25 that won't be scored. I don't know if this is different in other states?

[Yugihoe]

Looked at a family law essay and I don't remember anything at all besides do what's good for the children. And duress for prenup agreements. Lol so uh chances of family law and conflicts of laws is pretty slim right

[Asroma]

Let me qualify that....if you are taking the Calif. exam, there are 25 that won't be scored. I don't know if this is different in other states?

Yes, it's the same for every state.

Thanks! I got a 127 on the final. I hope that's enough even with crappy essays.

[tacocohcevoli]

Looked at a family law essay and I don't remember anything at all besides do what's good for the children. And duress for prenup agreements. Lol so uh chances of family law and conflicts of laws is pretty slim right

I think so.

On the other hand, secured transactions is pretty much guaranteed, and I absorbed exactly 0% of that lecture. Gonna be a great afternoon.

[iambify]

Secured transactions was tested in both the most recent July and February exams...would they really test it again in this one? Don't really know the frequency patterns of the MEE subjects though

[tacocohcevoli]

Secured transactions was tested in both the most recent July and February exams...would they really test it again in this one? Don't really know the frequency patterns of the MEE subjects though

viewtopic.php?f=41&t=278773

[chrisfrommsnewsuit]

What's the word on the "additional test"? I just finished it (149) and am thinking it's time to stop prepping MBE material.

Edit: Seems like it's a bit harder than the official final and should be scaled accordingly. I guess I should probably look at an MPT now.

[stannis]

I was pretty confident the whole week doing my 50 Qs with an overall of 75%. Today 52%. Kill me now.

Probably burnt out. Stop and relax. You know your shit by now. No need to psyche yourself out.

Also you're probably recognizing similar patterns and jumping to an answer without going over each fact. My scores went up and then went down. I realized this was going on and they bounced back up.

[los blancos]

real property is the worst

[Asroma]

Per stirpes and per capita mnemonics anyone? Thanks!

[TheoO]

I feel like I can't really get a solid grasp of the jurisdictional stuff for modification of support and custody issues. It seems so densely packed at the end of the outline and just seems like a lot of nonsense tests, a la Conflict of Laws.

[TheoO]

Per stirpes and per capita mnemonics anyone? Thanks!

Not a mnemonic, but "per capita" = "per head," capita = head. so look at how many heads are alive; divide by that. Per stirpes = strictly look at how many children, nothing more.

[Asroma]

Per stirpes and per capita mnemonics anyone? Thanks!

Not a mnemonic, but "per capita" = "per head," capita = head. so look at how many heads are alive; divide by that. Per stirpes = strictly look at how many children, nothing more.

Thanks!!

[los blancos]

finally got around to taking the final practice MBE (working full-time, this is my 2d bar exam, 30% completion lol)... is it my imagination or did i see somewhere in here that you can roughly expect to take your final score and add 20 for your scaled score on test day?

[stannis]

finally got around to taking the final practice MBE (working full-time, this is my 2d bar exam, 30% completion lol)... is it my imagination or did i see somewhere in here that you can roughly expect to take your final score and add 20 for your scaled score on test day?

I believe Fromm said that in the review video. He might have been talking about the midterm but I think it was the final.

[Yugihoe]

finally got around to taking the final practice MBE (working full-time, this is my 2d bar exam, 30% completion lol)... is it my imagination or did i see somewhere in here that you can roughly expect to take your final score and add 20 for your scaled score on test day?

I believe Fromm said that in the review video. He might have been talking about the midterm but I think it was the final.

The email sent by kaplan on 7/12 said:

The national raw score average for the Final MBE Practice Exam is 120. On the actual exam, your raw score will be scaled, adding between 10 and 20 points to the raw score.

For the MBE exam, we usually recommend that you aim to get about two-thirds (67%) of the questions correct. This gives you a cushion; in case you fall a little short of that goal, you will still likely be in passing range, given adequate performance on other sections of your bar exam.

Your Final MBE score is a status report of where you are in terms of your ultimate goal and a tool for improving your Exam-day performance. As Professor Chris Fromm points out in his Final Review videos, a purposeful review of the Final Practice Exam's questions should itself add several points to your Exam-day performance. Indeed, learning to avoid some common pitfalls or gaining insight into a 'Big Ticket Item' can translate into significant improvement. So, even if you are below the 120 average, you are on track to succeed if you can hone in on those extra 10 to 20 points that every one of you can find by working through the Final Review sessions, using your Final Study Plan (which will appear after you complete the Final Review) and staying focused over these last weeks of study.

[los blancos]

thank you both

let's hope it's closer to 20... i'm going to need it with how my essays are going to look...

[JShades33]

137 Raw on the Kaplan Final MBE, how should I feel?

Tried to Self-Study for the February exam because I didn't wanna spend the money and got a 264.
Needless to say it's been a rough few months.

[jdk]

In terms of confidence, you guys who have landed with final simulated MBE scores in the 130+ range should feel very good...you've put in the work and at this point you have every reason to expect it will pay off. My final score was in that range and my actual MBE score was roughly in the 98th percentile for February 2017 (according to the chart released by Illinois, which I believe is based on national data).

BUT...the MBE is a hard test. Don't kid yourself into thinking you're going to waltz out of there feeling like you crushed it and everyone should just skip the formalities and hand over your license now. The experimental questions will shake your confidence during the exam - they will slow you down and make you feel like you don't know the law as well as you thought. I honestly didn't know whether I passed or not after I put my pencil down. I pegged my odds at 50/50.

I'm not trying to scare you - just trying to prepare you for the psychological aspect of test day. You should feel confident! - just not so much that you trip yourself up by having unrealistic expectations about how you'll feel walking out of the exam room. The "autopass" commentary might tend to do that.

[stannis]

In terms of confidence, you guys who have landed with final simulated MBE scores in the 130+ range should feel very good...you've put in the work and at this point you have every reason to expect it will pay off. My final score was in that range and my actual MBE score was roughly in the 98th percentile for February 2017 (according to the chart released by Illinois, which I believe is based on national data).

BUT...the MBE is a hard test. Don't kid yourself into thinking you're going to waltz out of there feeling like you crushed it and everyone should just skip the formalities and hand over your license now. The experimental questions will shake your confidence during the exam - they will slow you down and make you feel like you don't know the law as well as you thought. I honestly didn't know whether I passed or not after I put my pencil down. I pegged my odds at 50/50.

I'm not trying to scare you - just trying to prepare you for the psychological aspect of test day. You should feel confident! - just not so much that you trip yourself up by having unrealistic expectations about how you'll feel walking out of the exam room. The "autopass" commentary might tend to do that.

Thank you for this.

I put most of my eggs in the MBE basket so this post should help if I leave the exam feeling shook.

[Biglawprettyplease]

Does anyone know, for statute of limitations purposes, do you have to file by the SOL period, or serve process by the SOL period?

Thanx!