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First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 1:49 pm
by mness
I'm taking the Kaplan prep course and just took my first MBE diagnostic. Haven't done any prep yet, and believe this was designed to be taken online before I start my class. I got 64% correct. I don't remember anything useful from my three years of law school. Am I in big trouble with this kind of score? What would this translate to as a scaled score?
How's everyone else doing?
Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 2:37 pm
by BarbellDreams
I think 61% passes or something like that so you're fine. No one really expects you to know anything from law school, its just a 3 year check mark.
Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 3:47 pm
by AMCD
Had two friends do Kaplan, and both said they did horribly on that diagnostic and found it very discouraging. Both passed the bar first time. Am half way through the Barbri diagnostic. Seems long!!
Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 3:49 pm
by lukertin
64% ~ 130 score.
You need like a 140 to pass.
Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 3:53 pm
by A. Nony Mouse
The whole point of diagnostic tests isn't really to show you where you need to improve, but to scare you into studying like a mad thing, so that you pass the exam the first time and then attribute your success entirely to Kaplan, who will then sign up more terrified law students and PROFIT. Don't freak out. I think I got 65% on mine (and ended up with a really high score on the actual MBE).
Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 3:55 pm
by Joe Quincy
lukertin wrote:64% ~ 130 score.
You need like a 140 to pass.
bad math
Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 5:52 pm
by lukertin
Joe Quincy wrote:lukertin wrote:64% ~ 130 score.
You need like a 140 to pass.
64 raw with a 12 point curve is a 140. (Barbri says the average curve is 12-14.) The median score of all takers is only a 142. (Average is a 141.)
And in some states where they aren't weighted equally (like VA for instance), you could pass with a much lower score. A 140 would require a 7.2 average on essays in VA versus a 7.0 at 145. Hell even Barbri's shaded passing goal box goes down to a 125 (7.8 average on essays). And Barbri helpfully isn't factoring into their essay average the fact that they curve the essays an undisclosed amount to equate to the NCBE curve on the MBE.
I'm suspicious that Barbri's chart omits the essay curve on purpose (and assumes 5/10 on short answer correct) simply to scare you into studying more.
While scoring as high as possible is TCR, it's hard to say that a 140 is REQUIRED to pass. At least in some states.
You take this way too seriously.
Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 5:58 pm
by Joe Quincy
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Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 6:07 pm
by Aqualibrium
MBE is super easy. Just do as many practice questions for each subject as you can and you'll be fine.
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Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 1:23 am
by Myself
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Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 12:05 am
by blong4133
A 64 of a pre-course diagnostic test is nothing to be upset with in my opinion. You said that you haven't studied at all yet and you're still getting a 64%, to me, means you're in pretty good shape. You get a 64 cold, just think about how many more you'll be getting right after 2 months of bar prep. You're fine.
Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 12:13 am
by Joe Quincy
ajax adonis wrote:I'm bad with math and all that jazz. Bottom line, what percentage of the 190 questions should we get right in order to pass the CA bar?
To get a 140, with a 12 point curve, you need 128 correct. That's 67.3% of the 190 scored questions.
Whether a 140 is sufficient for your jurisdiction or not, I have no idea. According to barbri's chart, for VA (which weights the essay/MBE 60/40) a 140 scaled MBE and 5/10 of the short-answer questions correct would require a 7.2/10 average on each of the 9 essays. For what its worth, barbri's shaded goal area stretches from 125 (requiring a 7.8 essay average) to 145 (requiring a 7.0 essay average).
Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 1:39 am
by 5ky
What are these charts you are referring to?
FWIW I got 46/100 right on Barbri's MBE diagnostic and am not terribly worried about that.
Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 3:01 am
by usuaggie
Barbri expects you to be at 50-55 half way through studying and around 62-65 by bar time. Saw these recently on a blog, but can't find which one. The median UBE mbe was 63% or something.
Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 8:29 am
by I.P. Daly
Just do whatever Chris Fromm says. That guys is awesome. Super motivational.
Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 5:03 pm
by NotMyRealName09
Aqualibrium wrote:MBE is super easy. Just do as many practice questions for each subject as you can and you'll be fine.
I hate to say it for some reason but this is dead on. I'll simply add that you have to actually review your answers, read the explanations for the right answers, and read the explanations for your wrong answers. You have to change your instincts, and that can only happen with real reflection on your work.
Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 1:04 am
by ndirish2010
I got an 87/150....felt kind of bad about it, but apparently this isn't awful for the diagnostic.
Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 3:14 pm
by courtneylove
71/140 here, whoops
Actually enjoying these Kaplan review sessions for some weird reason. Definitely better than law school.
Re: First MBE diagnostic for July Bar
Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 10:36 pm
by Aqualibrium
NotMyRealName09 wrote:Aqualibrium wrote:MBE is super easy. Just do as many practice questions for each subject as you can and you'll be fine.
I hate to say it for some reason but this is dead on. I'll simply add that you have to actually review your answers, read the explanations for the right answers, and read the explanations for your wrong answers. You have to change your instincts, and that can only happen with real reflection on your work.
This.