Barbri simulated exam Forum

[bgdddymtty]

Where did you get the information on the percentiles for the Texas Essays? I have been trying to find that info and couldn't locate it anywhere

[Thanks for the post, BTW. Helps put things in perspective.]

The Texas Board of Law Examiners' website (LinkRemoved) explains that they use the equipercentile method, which basically means that whatever the X percentile scaled score is on the MBE is also the X percentile scaled score on the other parts of the exam. I don't remember where i got the MBE percentile chart since I threw the numbers into an Excel workbook, but I'm sure those are easy to google as well.

[usuaggie]

Anybody know the goal for the simulated final exam? I got 68/100

[Foosters Galore]

Anybody know the goal for the simulated final exam? I got 68/100

I think its 60.

[kaiser]

138/200 on the simulated MBE today. I guess I should be halfway content with that. But a bit pissed that 1/3 of my errors, nearly 20 Q's wrong, all came from property. Guess I know what I need to improve on.

[kaiser]

138/200

I hate real property MBEs.

Apparently I could have just given a literal +1 to this post

[goodolgil]

138/200

I hate real property MBEs.

Apparently I could have just given a literal +1 to this post

Same score here.

I actually thought the property questions were surprisingly straightforward outside of a couple (this is coming from a guy who went 15/36 on prop set 5). I think I did the worst on torts--I fell for the trap answer like every time.

[Stinson]

Torts and property were worst for me, and it wasn't even close. Property gets the edge on being obnoxious for that ridiculous fixtures question and for that metes and bounds bullshit. I got metes and bounds right but damn, if your explanation has a diagram in it you're not writing a law question anymore.

[kaiser]

Yeah property was bad, and for some reason I did poorly on Ks, which I'm usually solid on. Torts I'm always good on and I think I got 27/34 on but yeah some tricky ones I'm pretty sure I guessed on.

[jawsthegreat]

Can someone tell me the % for 137? The link isn't working on my comp.

[kaiser]

Can someone tell me the % for 137? The link isn't working on my comp.

For the 2012 BarBri simulated MBE, 140 was 92nd percentile, and 130 is 82nd. So likely a high 80's percentile. Whatever the exact rank may be, its very good.

[de5igual]

152 was my raw score. I felt good about it until I heard about a 171 in our Barbri class.

no. comparing to the "best" score is so pointless. you should feel good about it.

PSA: goal is to pass. you're way above passing with that score. i got a 145 but i would have been completely stoked with a 120 or even a 112 which is average.

+Eleventy billion

To put this all in perspective, here's what you need to pass with that sort of an MBE score. These numbers are for Texas and use the July 2011 scale but should good enough to illustrate the general principle.

Passing Score: 675

MBE: 40%
152 simulated MBE = 76% = 144 raw MBE = 157.9 scaled MBE = 315.8 weighted score

MPT/Procedure & Evidence Exam: 20%
29th percentile performance = 135 scaled score = 135 weighted score
(You should obviously expect to do better than this, but this is kind of a "worst reasonable case" scenario.)

Essay Exam: 40%
675 - 315.8 - 135 = 224.2 weighted score = 112.1 scaled score
This score is somewhere between the 2nd and 4th percentiles

You're in a great spot. Don't burn out or freak out. Even if you get no better between the simulated MBE and the real thing, as long as you don't regress you're pretty much in "auto-pass" territory.

TY for this breakdown. I wish I knew what a 29%ile Civ/Crim Pro response looks like.

[bgdddymtty]

152 was my raw score. I felt good about it until I heard about a 171 in our Barbri class.

no. comparing to the "best" score is so pointless. you should feel good about it.

PSA: goal is to pass. you're way above passing with that score. i got a 145 but i would have been completely stoked with a 120 or even a 112 which is average.

+Eleventy billion

To put this all in perspective, here's what you need to pass with that sort of an MBE score. These numbers are for Texas and use the July 2011 scale but should good enough to illustrate the general principle.

Passing Score: 675

MBE: 40%
152 simulated MBE = 76% = 144 raw MBE = 157.9 scaled MBE = 315.8 weighted score

MPT/Procedure & Evidence Exam: 20%
29th percentile performance = 135 scaled score = 135 weighted score
(You should obviously expect to do better than this, but this is kind of a "worst reasonable case" scenario.)

Essay Exam: 40%
675 - 315.8 - 135 = 224.2 weighted score = 112.1 scaled score
This score is somewhere between the 2nd and 4th percentiles

You're in a great spot. Don't burn out or freak out. Even if you get no better between the simulated MBE and the real thing, as long as you don't regress you're pretty much in "auto-pass" territory.

TY for this breakdown. I wish I knew what a 29%ile Civ/Crim Pro response looks like.

Yeah, I guess that's true. According to this site (item #6), the vast majority of the questions on the P&E exam will be repeats of questions from past tests. Memorize all of those and you can expect to do quite well. Another way of looking at the numbers, though, is that with just the MBE and MPT scores listed above, you could pull a 119 on each of the P&E and essay exams--right around the 8th percentile--and still pass.

[de5igual]

Yeah, I guess that's true. According to this site (item #6), the vast majority of the questions on the P&E exam will be repeats of questions from past tests. Memorize all of those and you can expect to do quite well. Another way of looking at the numbers, though, is that with just the MBE and MPT scores listed above, you could pull a 119 on each of the P&E and essay exams--right around the 8th percentile--and still pass.

119 on the essay still means getting half right though, right? Seems impossible that 90%+ are even getting that much right based on the Barbri model answers.

[phonepro]

Got a 135 on practice test, so feel good about that. But I can't seem to get above a 4 on the essays. I know the rules when I see them in MC, but its hard to remember everything and write it cohesively in an essay - especially b/c NY has so many subjects.

[joeshmo39]

I took my practice MBE on the 29th and don't have my score yet. PA test taker. My Barbri says exams taken through the 30th are scored and in the system, but it still cannot find mine.

Anyone else?

[kaiser]

Got a 135 on practice test, so feel good about that. But I can't seem to get above a 4 on the essays. I know the rules when I see them in MC, but its hard to remember everything and write it cohesively in an essay - especially b/c NY has so many subjects.

I think barbri grades these things unrealistically harsh, so whatever barbri is giving you, you will likely get higher on the real thing. Its just another scare tactic. I've had issue statements and rules listed out almost word for word and gotten 0 for both, due to tiny wording differences (and we aren't talking key words here).

[tfer2222]

Got a 135 on practice test, so feel good about that. But I can't seem to get above a 4 on the essays. I know the rules when I see them in MC, but its hard to remember everything and write it cohesively in an essay - especially b/c NY has so many subjects.

I think barbri grades these things unrealistically harsh, so whatever barbri is giving you, you will likely get higher on the real thing. Its just another scare tactic. I've had issue statements and rules listed out almost word for word and gotten 0 for both, due to tiny wording differences (and we aren't talking key words here).

ditto. also, different graders are ridiculously inconsistent.