July 2018 Texas Bar Exam Forum

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OMLS48

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by OMLS48 » Wed Oct 24, 2018 11:19 am

Now we're talking. Come one, come all, lurkers. I have the worst self discipline, but i could safely say that I wouldn't go anywhere near the model answers if they were released before results. Don't need that sort of panic.

airtexas13

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by airtexas13 » Wed Oct 24, 2018 12:01 pm

For myself, I tried to forget everything I wrote down or encountered after taking this bar. Otherwise, I knew the moment I got home I would try and go looking for answers, and that won't do a lick of good. I also knew that, washing my hands after the exam, that I could not possibly take another bar exam. Never have I been so sure of anything! So this one has some big stakes - if results are bad, my wife and I are packing up our lives in TX and moving to TN, where I managed to get licensed first try, somehow.

This season has been odd, in that it's the first waiting period where I've heard absolutely nothing from the processor, nor have I received any messages from the BLE. The absolute lack of any type of message or communication puts me even more on edge! Especially knowing that right now, somewhere out there, our grades are pretty much finalized and assembled, waiting to be released into the wild. How's that for anxiety?

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Electricella

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by Electricella » Wed Oct 24, 2018 12:29 pm

Thanks for coming out, guys! Somehow it helps seeing that I'm not alone in this despair.
We have about 10 law clerks at work, most of them sat this July, and everyone is so calm!

I somehow managed to distract myself enough for the first months, but these weeks are the worst. I feel bad, because I can't really function fully, although, as you mentioned, we all have family/work responsibilities. I am always NOT THERE fully with my mind. That's why just want this thing to be over, even if I didn't pass, just to be clear and make plans.

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Electricella

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by Electricella » Wed Oct 24, 2018 12:32 pm

How many times have you tried, if you don't mind me asking?
Hopefully this time it will be +.

Also, could the fact that you've sat before matter in re to not getting any messages? The BLE has probably cleared you already fully, and did not really need anything else from you this time around.
airtexas13 wrote:For myself, I tried to forget everything I wrote down or encountered after taking this bar. Otherwise, I knew the moment I got home I would try and go looking for answers, and that won't do a lick of good. I also knew that, washing my hands after the exam, that I could not possibly take another bar exam. Never have I been so sure of anything! So this one has some big stakes - if results are bad, my wife and I are packing up our lives in TX and moving to TN, where I managed to get licensed first try, somehow.

This season has been odd, in that it's the first waiting period where I've heard absolutely nothing from the processor, nor have I received any messages from the BLE. The absolute lack of any type of message or communication puts me even more on edge! Especially knowing that right now, somewhere out there, our grades are pretty much finalized and assembled, waiting to be released into the wild. How's that for anxiety?

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Electricella

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by Electricella » Wed Oct 24, 2018 12:35 pm

I agree, seeing model answers would have driven me nuts!
:roll:
OMLS48 wrote:Now we're talking. Come one, come all, lurkers. I have the worst self discipline, but i could safely say that I wouldn't go anywhere near the model answers if they were released before results. Don't need that sort of panic.

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Electricella

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by Electricella » Wed Oct 24, 2018 12:37 pm

Thanks!
I'm finding some piece looking at the thread with "final mbe practice results v actual mbe results". I did very poorly on the Barbri midterm, so some of those are encouraging..
Great posts: "scored 99 on Barbri midterm, scored 140 on the actual exam, passed".
Does not help: "scored 170 on the midterm, scored 180 on the actual exam"
lol
I10attorney wrote:Rest assured you are not alone, Electricella! Your post prompted me to FINALLY register an account and post after years of lurking. Like many, I have numerous family and work obligations, yet I can't focus on anything not bar related. The last few months have been excruciating. They could, at the very least, post the model answers...geez :|
In solidarity

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by airtexas13 » Wed Oct 24, 2018 12:40 pm

[quote="Electricella"]How many times have you tried, if you don't mind me asking?
Hopefully this time it will be +.

Also, could the fact that you've sat before matter in re to not getting any messages? The BLE has probably cleared you already fully, and did not really need anything else from you this time around.


I sat for Texas twice (did a winter exam. Never do a winter exam), then moved to TN (where I went to school) deciding I would continue my search for work (was fired from job after first bar attempt, and spent a year and a half on job search) where I found work...back near my hometown in Texas. So I moved again and this summer's attempt is lucky number three for Texas, four total.

Yes, the fact that I've done reapplications and have had nothing to report to the BLE is likely why it's so quiet. No news is often good news, but that doesn't change the fact that the silence can also be eerie.

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by I10attorney » Wed Oct 24, 2018 1:02 pm

I frequent that page throughout the day :). It's comforting to see others with low numbers who managed to pull it off.

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Electricella

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by Electricella » Wed Oct 24, 2018 1:22 pm

What's your insight on winter v. summer exam in Texas?
Would really appreciate your thoughts.

Yeah, no news is good news! Trust me.. I kept getting messages after the exam itself re my character/fitness that I had to answer over and over again, provide multiple additional docs and explanations (probably bc I went to law school and practiced overseas). I applied in December, and all those questions just arose after the exam, which made me start thinking they know I failed and just want to deny C/F together as well by any means.
airtexas13 wrote:
Electricella wrote:How many times have you tried, if you don't mind me asking?
Hopefully this time it will be +.

Also, could the fact that you've sat before matter in re to not getting any messages? The BLE has probably cleared you already fully, and did not really need anything else from you this time around.


I sat for Texas twice (did a winter exam. Never do a winter exam), then moved to TN (where I went to school) deciding I would continue my search for work (was fired from job after first bar attempt, and spent a year and a half on job search) where I found work...back near my hometown in Texas. So I moved again and this summer's attempt is lucky number three for Texas, four total.

Yes, the fact that I've done reapplications and have had nothing to report to the BLE is likely why it's so quiet. No news is often good news, but that doesn't change the fact that the silence can also be eerie.

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OMLS48

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by OMLS48 » Wed Oct 24, 2018 1:39 pm

My character and fitness was approved finally. Was delayed far too long for a small, disclosure issues. Now just have to pass the damn thing.

airtexas13

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by airtexas13 » Wed Oct 24, 2018 2:11 pm

Electricella wrote:What's your insight on winter v. summer exam in Texas?
Would really appreciate your thoughts.

Yeah, no news is good news! Trust me.. I kept getting messages after the exam itself re my character/fitness that I had to answer over and over again, provide multiple additional docs and explanations (probably bc I went to law school and practiced overseas). I applied in December, and all those questions just arose after the exam, which made me start thinking they know I failed and just want to deny C/F together as well by any means.
airtexas13 wrote:
Electricella wrote:How many times have you tried, if you don't mind me asking?
Hopefully this time it will be +.

Also, could the fact that you've sat before matter in re to not getting any messages? The BLE has probably cleared you already fully, and did not really need anything else from you this time around.


I sat for Texas twice (did a winter exam. Never do a winter exam), then moved to TN (where I went to school) deciding I would continue my search for work (was fired from job after first bar attempt, and spent a year and a half on job search) where I found work...back near my hometown in Texas. So I moved again and this summer's attempt is lucky number three for Texas, four total.

Yes, the fact that I've done reapplications and have had nothing to report to the BLE is likely why it's so quiet. No news is often good news, but that doesn't change the fact that the silence can also be eerie.

The winter passage rates are abysmal, especially if you're repeating. I seem to recall not having the same sort of predictable questions (essay and short answer) like I'd had on the summer exam, which may have just been coincidence. My friend who sat with me agreed that things overall just seemed more difficult. However, statistically speaking, if you're already fighting an uphill battle with the bar, and passage rates for the winter exam are always lower, why not give yourself every fighting chance you can? Of course, take my advice with a grain of salt, because I've not passed the Texas bar. I opted to skip the opportunity to take the Feb bar this year, despite wanting to move my life along, in order to have the best possible chance of passage in the summer. Also because after three in a row my head was a little fried.

As per the messages, you're right about that. Whenever I receive an email from them, I've had a minor heart attack.

Is this your first time? Of course with anything, your mileage may vary. I hope all of us have passed!

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Electricella

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by Electricella » Thu Oct 25, 2018 11:08 am

It is comforting, indeed.
Did you also see the thread called smth like "epic fail on the bar and still passed"? It's from previous years, but gets bumped up frequently.
Gives hope..
I10attorney wrote:I frequent that page throughout the day :). It's comforting to see others with low numbers who managed to pull it off.

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Electricella

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by Electricella » Thu Oct 25, 2018 11:12 am

Oh, great! At least one thing off the list!
OMLS48 wrote:My character and fitness was approved finally. Was delayed far too long for a small, disclosure issues. Now just have to pass the damn thing.

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Electricella

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by Electricella » Thu Oct 25, 2018 11:14 am

7 days you all.................
:shock:

OMLS48

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by OMLS48 » Thu Oct 25, 2018 11:56 am

Is the general consensus that we're to expect an email the day the results are released prior to the list going public? I know in years past, the list was the first opportunity to view if you passed, but in Feb 2018, candidates received an email with scores. Not sure if that new practice will continue going forward. Thoughts?

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Electricella

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by Electricella » Thu Oct 25, 2018 12:13 pm

Wow, that's harsh!
And I can't even imagine doing it 3 times in a row.. so much stress with no brake..
Initially I thought it's even better to do in February, since there are less people, and the passage rates are worse meaning there are less brilliant minds to compete with lol. But, after reading this forum a lot and your response in particular, I realize it's not that simple at all.

Yes, that was my first time, and I don't have much hope. Everything is just so different from how we used to study back at home, I've never ever done an MBE test until last year. And on this test MBE is crucial. Also foreigners used to have about a 20% passage rate on the first try in Texas. This year it improved a bit, I guess, but still you can see the odds.
:?

But there is still hope, even if a very weak one;)
I really hope in a week this thread is a very happy place.
airtexas13 wrote: The winter passage rates are abysmal, especially if you're repeating. I seem to recall not having the same sort of predictable questions (essay and short answer) like I'd had on the summer exam, which may have just been coincidence. My friend who sat with me agreed that things overall just seemed more difficult. However, statistically speaking, if you're already fighting an uphill battle with the bar, and passage rates for the winter exam are always lower, why not give yourself every fighting chance you can? Of course, take my advice with a grain of salt, because I've not passed the Texas bar. I opted to skip the opportunity to take the Feb bar this year, despite wanting to move my life along, in order to have the best possible chance of passage in the summer. Also because after three in a row my head was a little fried.

As per the messages, you're right about that. Whenever I receive an email from them, I've had a minor heart attack.

Is this your first time? Of course with anything, your mileage may vary. I hope all of us have passed!

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Electricella

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by Electricella » Thu Oct 25, 2018 12:15 pm

I didn't know this Feb you actually got an e-mail with scores, I was preparing myself to run through the list on the website.
Maybe someone more experienced will comment on this.
OMLS48 wrote:Is the general consensus that we're to expect an email the day the results are released prior to the list going public? I know in years past, the list was the first opportunity to view if you passed, but in Feb 2018, candidates received an email with scores. Not sure if that new practice will continue going forward. Thoughts?

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by Trekie25 » Thu Oct 25, 2018 12:50 pm

As someone who took the February Bar in 2018 and failed by 14 points....I do NOT recommend taking the bar in February. It was the biggest mistake I could have done. I had failed the July Bar in 2017 by 25 points and I thought I had a good chance of passing the February Bar in 2018 bc of the low passage rate....how wrong I was. The curve is set against you in February. Plus the essays are harder in February than in July and you get really weird essays as well. Although I personally felt that the MBE was easier in February than it was in July 2017/July 2018. Although the MBE was way longer. This is my third retake, and to be honest, I have no idea if I passed. I am going to be upset if I fail again by so few points. I keep thinking to myself, I knew part (a) of essay ## but I know I fucked up part (b) of essay ## so I have no idea how they are going to allocate the points. I think this will be final attempt to take the bar. I am burned out and to be honest, the pay for baby attorneys generally suck. I don't know how I will feel six months from now, but as of right now, I am already making plans to use by Bachelor's as my back up if I fail the bar again.

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Electricella

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by Electricella » Thu Oct 25, 2018 1:05 pm

HAHAHA. Decided to give myself some comfort and tried Joe Seperac's estimator for the bar exam. It says I probably failed. That was not a good idea lol.
:roll: :roll: :roll:

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Electricella

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by Electricella » Thu Oct 25, 2018 1:22 pm

So sorry you've been going through this, failing by few points is painful, but, on the other hand, it shows you're on the correct track!
I just learned of a person in a Whatsapp group who failed July 18 Arizona bar by 1 point!
Gee.

How does the curve work against you? Is it because the general results are lower, so they add less points to scale your score?

What's your Bachelor if you don't mind me asking?
I don't even have any other choice, law school is all I've done (in our system it's connected to bachelor altogether, one big 5yrs law degree).
Trekie25 wrote:As someone who took the February Bar in 2018 and failed by 14 points....I do NOT recommend taking the bar in February. It was the biggest mistake I could have done. I had failed the July Bar in 2017 by 25 points and I thought I had a good chance of passing the February Bar in 2018 bc of the low passage rate....how wrong I was. The curve is set against you in February. Plus the essays are harder in February than in July and you get really weird essays as well. Although I personally felt that the MBE was easier in February than it was in July 2017/July 2018. Although the MBE was way longer. This is my third retake, and to be honest, I have no idea if I passed. I am going to be upset if I fail again by so few points. I keep thinking to myself, I knew part (a) of essay ## but I know I fucked up part (b) of essay ## so I have no idea how they are going to allocate the points. I think this will be final attempt to take the bar. I am burned out and to be honest, the pay for baby attorneys generally suck. I don't know how I will feel six months from now, but as of right now, I am already making plans to use by Bachelor's as my back up if I fail the bar again.

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by airtexas13 » Thu Oct 25, 2018 2:01 pm

For all the hassle of the degrees, the cost, and now the record low starting pay and scarcity of jobs (plus high risk and overhead of going solo), I should have been an electrician or gone back to ranching!

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MBernard

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by MBernard » Thu Oct 25, 2018 2:04 pm

Trekie25 wrote:As someone who took the February Bar in 2018 and failed by 14 points....I do NOT recommend taking the bar in February. It was the biggest mistake I could have done. I had failed the July Bar in 2017 by 25 points and I thought I had a good chance of passing the February Bar in 2018 bc of the low passage rate....how wrong I was. The curve is set against you in February. Plus the essays are harder in February than in July and you get really weird essays as well. Although I personally felt that the MBE was easier in February than it was in July 2017/July 2018. Although the MBE was way longer. This is my third retake, and to be honest, I have no idea if I passed. I am going to be upset if I fail again by so few points. I keep thinking to myself, I knew part (a) of essay ## but I know I fucked up part (b) of essay ## so I have no idea how they are going to allocate the points. I think this will be final attempt to take the bar. I am burned out and to be honest, the pay for baby attorneys generally suck. I don't know how I will feel six months from now, but as of right now, I am already making plans to use by Bachelor's as my back up if I fail the bar again.
Wanted to weigh in. Took and passed the TBX February 2018 (out of stater, passed first time). I do tend to agree that last February’s test was particularly tricky. However, there is still room for error. I made numerous errors in my essays yet still managed to pass. I sincerely believed I had failed. Yet I made up the point defecit from my bad essays via the MBE and other good essays.

Don’t count yourself out just because you made mistakes, everyone does. The TBX definitely is a beast; I took the CBX this July and it felt nowhere near as bad as TX (In terms of difficulty of the subject matter + three day format). Wish you guys the best of luck and hope all the hard work pays off. My presumption is that the July pass rate will be much healthier than Feb.

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Electricella

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by Electricella » Thu Oct 25, 2018 2:13 pm

Not to mention depression/substance abuse/mental health issues!
airtexas13 wrote:For all the hassle of the degrees, the cost, and now the record low starting pay and scarcity of jobs (plus high risk and overhead of going solo), I should have been an electrician or gone back to ranching!

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Electricella

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by Electricella » Thu Oct 25, 2018 2:17 pm

Thank you for those encouraging words!
Good luck on the Californian Bar!!
MBernard wrote: Don’t count yourself out just because you made mistakes, everyone does. The TBX definitely is a beast; I took the CBX this July and it felt nowhere near as bad as TX (In terms of difficulty of the subject matter + three day format). Wish you guys the best of luck and hope all the hard work pays off. My presumption is that the July pass rate will be much healthier than Feb.

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Re: July 2018 Texas Bar Exam

Post by Raisingthebar1 » Thu Oct 25, 2018 7:53 pm

For those on here proclaiming that the February bar is for some reason more difficult than the July bar exam, I am sure the BLE would love to hear how you reached this grand conclusion. The BLE takes painstaking efforts to make sure the bar exam remains consistent across multiple exam periods to ensure one exam is not "harder" to pass. The questions themselves go through multiple levels of review and the BLE generally aims to draft consistent questions. Additionally, scores are ultimately tied to a curve that relates back to the MBE. The MBE model has multiple checkpoints to ensure consistency across exams developed by a team of statisticians and experts in the field. I can assure you there is no grand conspiracy at the BLE or NCBE to make February exams more difficult. February exams historically will always be lower (and for good reason). Most people taking their first bar exam will sit in July. The February pool includes substantially more repeaters, people who delayed taking the bar exam, and people sitting for a second bar exam (and therefore spent a greater time period removed from law school). All of these factors in the applicant pool correlate with lower bar passage, so it is no surprise the February rates should be substantially lower than July. I would love to be enlightened how your anecdotal negative experience with a February exam has more persuasive weight than years of meticulous effort by the BLE and experts in the field to produce fair and consistent exams.

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