February 2015 Bar Exam Forum

[46-and-2]

Have the problem now of having to grab beers with everyone I've been avoiding in order to study. In nyc, this is an expensive problem.

[februarybartaker]

Question regarding the MBE. I have a suspicion that I mis-bubbled on the answer sheet. Does anyone know what the procedure would be to contest this and/or whether there are automatic computerized screenings to identify these types of errors?

Also, anyone else believe they have this problem (or had this problem in the past)? What are you planning to do about it (or did you do about it)?

[Holly Golightly]

I had cold medicine induced bar nightmares last night. I wish they could just run the scantron and tell me my MBE score now, since that's what will determine whether or not I passed.

[Bar Slayer]

Just curious to see how everyone is doing almost a week after the big event. I'm still having dreams about MBE questions.

Any tips on forgetting about it for the next couple months? Trying to focus on work and stay busy...

Forgetting is probably unrealistic, although you'll go through times where you temporarily forget about it. This won't happen for weeks.

For now, assume that you failed. You'll be prepared for bad news, and if you passed, you will feel euphoric. I failed my first bar exam, and was blindsided. The second time I assumed it would not go well, and was pretty happy when I learned I passed.

[sparty99]

I had cold medicine induced bar nightmares last night. I wish they could just run the scantron and tell me my MBE score now, since that's what will determine whether or not I passed.

+110,000

[1234567888]

Just curious to see how everyone is doing almost a week after the big event. I'm still having dreams about MBE questions.

Any tips on forgetting about it for the next couple months? Trying to focus on work and stay busy...

Forgetting is probably unrealistic, although you'll go through times where you temporarily forget about it. This won't happen for weeks.

For now, assume that you failed. You'll be prepared for bad news, and if you passed, you will feel euphoric. I failed my first bar exam, and was blindsided. The second time I assumed it would not go well, and was pretty happy when I learned I passed.

Good advice, thanks (:

[JoanSloan]

+110,000

I don't have nightmares about the MBE.
But, I do dream about this number every night.
Sigh. One day...

[ilovetypos]

+110,000

I don't have nightmares about the MBE.
But, I do dream about this number every night.
Sigh. One day...

what's the significance of this number? did i miss something

[Jimothy]

I'm guessing it's a reference to a desired salary?

[barexaminee123]

Would someone mind explaining how states scale their essay raw scores to the MBE? If I need a 135 on BOTH the MBE and essays INDIVIDUALLY to pass, and the essays are scaled to the MBE, how does the state bar determine what a 135 is for the essays? The relevant exam rules state that a "standard deviation method is used." In July, the mean MBE score was a 141 or so, and the raw passing essay score was a 17. Somehow this 17 was converted to a 135. Any idea how that's computed?

If I'm worried about the essays, am I hoping for a low mean MBE, because that would equal a lower passing essay score? Or am I hoping for a higher mean MBE? If July's mean MBE of 141 = a raw passing essay of 17, how much would the MBE mean rising or falling by a point in February affect the raw passing essay score, and in which direction?

Thanks to anyone who might be able to offer some insight.

[encore1101]

+110,000

I don't have nightmares about the MBE.
But, I do dream about this number every night.
Sigh. One day...

what's the significance of this number? did i miss something

people type +1 to indicate they agree with the quoted text. in this case, the person vehemently agreed because they typed +110,000

[JoanSloan]

I'm guessing it's a reference to a desired salary?

You're a mind-reader. What are you doing in the legal industry?

[underthirty]

.

[fslexcduck]

Last Friday I flew all the way from NY to California to play a poker tournament and then got there and decided my mind was still jelly and I was too burned out to play and just skipped it. That was expensive and stupid trip. Goddamn it bar exam, you're still getting me.

[mornincounselor]

Post removed.

[Holly Golightly]

lol I had a dream that I got a 2 on the MBE. Then I had a dream that I passed but didn't believe it and was going insane. JUST TELL ME I FAILED ALREADY

[ASTLS]

edited

[Holly Golightly]

The real answers to essays don't matter.

[Homiemomma]

I had cold medicine induced bar nightmares last night. I wish they could just run the scantron and tell me my MBE score now, since that's what will determine whether or not I passed.

Is it common to get sick after the exam? I'm battling a cold that keeps moving to different parts of my body. I'm guessing it's because I was quarantined for 2 months while I studied, then stayed in a hotel & exposed myself to all the germs during the exam. Regardless, I had a dream about procedural due process last night. Don't ask me how that's even possible - I don't remember the details. I just remember waking up & thinking, of all the law-related topics I could have dreamed about, my brain chose the super boring one.

[Homiemomma]

Would someone mind explaining how states scale their essay raw scores to the MBE? If I need a 135 on BOTH the MBE and essays INDIVIDUALLY to pass, and the essays are scaled to the MBE, how does the state bar determine what a 135 is for the essays? The relevant exam rules state that a "standard deviation method is used." In July, the mean MBE score was a 141 or so, and the raw passing essay score was a 17. Somehow this 17 was converted to a 135. Any idea how that's computed?

If I'm worried about the essays, am I hoping for a low mean MBE, because that would equal a lower passing essay score? Or am I hoping for a higher mean MBE? If July's mean MBE of 141 = a raw passing essay of 17, how much would the MBE mean rising or falling by a point in February affect the raw passing essay score, and in which direction?

Thanks to anyone who might be able to offer some insight.

I have zero answers for you, but dude, that BLOWS. I've always been stronger in essays & I'm hoping my essay score makes up for my MBE. We pass if the total is 270, regardless of the scores for the individual sections. That's a new level of stress. So sorry for everyone in jurisdictions that score that way. :/

[barexaminee123]

I have zero answers for you, but dude, that BLOWS. I've always been stronger in essays & I'm hoping my essay score makes up for my MBE. We pass if the total is 270, regardless of the scores for the individual sections. That's a new level of stress. So sorry for everyone in jurisdictions that score that way. :/

Indeed. And you have to pass both concurrently, so no passing one and carrying it over to the next administration. This is Vermont, btw.

Can't seem to get an answer to this. Pretty sure my fate rests on how low the passing essay score is. Hoping that the passing score is as low as it was in July, but not sure how much the MBE mean will shift from July to Feb, nor what the implications would be. Assuming I'm hoping for a low mean MBE because that would equal a lower passing score, but I could be wrong? This of course depends on also squeaking by the MBE...fingers crossed despite a third of the questions involving nuances I was relatively (totally) unfamiliar with.

[waxecstatic]

I have zero answers for you, but dude, that BLOWS. I've always been stronger in essays & I'm hoping my essay score makes up for my MBE. We pass if the total is 270, regardless of the scores for the individual sections. That's a new level of stress. So sorry for everyone in jurisdictions that score that way. :/

Indeed. And you have to pass both concurrently, so no passing one and carrying it over to the next administration. This is Vermont, btw.

Can't seem to get an answer to this. Pretty sure my fate rests on how low the passing essay score is. Hoping that the passing score is as low as it was in July, but not sure how much the MBE mean will shift from July to Feb, nor what the implications would be. Assuming I'm hoping for a low mean MBE because that would equal a lower passing score, but I could be wrong? This of course depends on also squeaking by the MBE...fingers crossed despite a third of the questions involving nuances I was relatively (totally) unfamiliar with.

How many essays did you have and what is the scale? In Mass, we have 10 essays, on a scale of 1-7. I've heard a composite of 70 translates to somewhere around a 140 but I don't know of any formula. I however *wish* I knew what the formula was!

[barexaminee123]

I have zero answers for you, but dude, that BLOWS. I've always been stronger in essays & I'm hoping my essay score makes up for my MBE. We pass if the total is 270, regardless of the scores for the individual sections. That's a new level of stress. So sorry for everyone in jurisdictions that score that way. :/

Indeed. And you have to pass both concurrently, so no passing one and carrying it over to the next administration. This is Vermont, btw.

Can't seem to get an answer to this. Pretty sure my fate rests on how low the passing essay score is. Hoping that the passing score is as low as it was in July, but not sure how much the MBE mean will shift from July to Feb, nor what the implications would be. Assuming I'm hoping for a low mean MBE because that would equal a lower passing score, but I could be wrong? This of course depends on also squeaking by the MBE...fingers crossed despite a third of the questions involving nuances I was relatively (totally) unfamiliar with.

How many essays did you have and what is the scale? In Mass, we have 10 essays, on a scale of 1-7. I've heard a composite of 70 translates to somewhere around a 140 but I don't know of any formula. I however *wish* I knew what the formula was!

Six essays, highest score per essay is a six. So, raw essay score is out of 36. Passing scaled essay score is a 135 (scaled to MBE). Passing raw essay score in July was roughly a 17. So, a 17/36 equaled a 135 on the essays. Yes, this sounds absurdly low but I've realized getting a 3/6 on an essay can be more challenging than it sounds.

[waxecstatic]

I have zero answers for you, but dude, that BLOWS. I've always been stronger in essays & I'm hoping my essay score makes up for my MBE. We pass if the total is 270, regardless of the scores for the individual sections. That's a new level of stress. So sorry for everyone in jurisdictions that score that way. :/

Indeed. And you have to pass both concurrently, so no passing one and carrying it over to the next administration. This is Vermont, btw.

Can't seem to get an answer to this. Pretty sure my fate rests on how low the passing essay score is. Hoping that the passing score is as low as it was in July, but not sure how much the MBE mean will shift from July to Feb, nor what the implications would be. Assuming I'm hoping for a low mean MBE because that would equal a lower passing score, but I could be wrong? This of course depends on also squeaking by the MBE...fingers crossed despite a third of the questions involving nuances I was relatively (totally) unfamiliar with.

How many essays did you have and what is the scale? In Mass, we have 10 essays, on a scale of 1-7. I've heard a composite of 70 translates to somewhere around a 140 but I don't know of any formula. I however *wish* I knew what the formula was!

Six essays, highest score per essay is a six. So, raw essay score is out of 36. Passing scaled essay score is a 135 (scaled to MBE). Passing raw essay score in July was roughly a 17. So, a 17/36 equaled a 135 on the essays. Yes, this sounds absurdly low but I've realized getting a 3/6 on an essay can be more challenging than it sounds.

Okay, yeah, so basically a 4 or 5 is what you shoot for on each essay. I wish someone could explain to me what the distribution looks like for essays. I think on my essays, since we were allowed to bring on the questions home I got something like a composite between 40 and 50. No idea what any of this translates to. And has anyone mentioned how much luck on matters on the bar exam? On the Mass bar, we didn't even have an evidence question, but we did have this absurd professional responsibility (I know it sounds easy but it was wicked weird!) that I totally bombed due to having 20 minutes left and having to read it three times just to figure out what kind of law it was. And this waiting period really sucks and I'm losing my mind.

[cooperlaserpup]

Even though we only took that thing three weeks ago, getting an email from new york about how to start my character application gave me an absolute goddamn heart attack and I had to read it three times to be sure it wasn't results. That is super mean of them.

Also, no way in hell am I starting that before I find out my results. It just seems like bad karma to be presumptuous...