California February 2016 Bar Exam (Westside For Life) Forum

[lakers3peat]

where did you read that? oO

[MrMustache]

And apparently they will no longer be making the pass list public or releasing institutional breakdowns (at least for this feb.)?

If this is true, I am not sure how I feel about this. Are they going to fail so many people that they decided to hide the pass list to avoid further antagonizing them?

[Mr.PoPo]

got an email from the school asking us to report our results to them since they weren't going to be made available to the school. So I guess keep an eye out in your old school email?

Said it was a result of the CA legislature altering the Public Records Act, not a decision made by the State Bar.

[RoseBuddy]

A lot of my friends who failed the bar the first time ended up passing the second time around. Does anyone know the likelihood of passing the 2nd time if you failed by a few points the first time? Or what about people who failed by 50 points or 100 points or more? Just curious.

Like a few people have expressed, I wish I kept quiet on retaking the test. Like an idiot I told the people in my office.

[a male human]

A lot of my friends who failed the bar the first time ended up passing the second time around. Does anyone know the likelihood of passing the 2nd time if you failed by a few points the first time? Or what about people who failed by 50 points or 100 points or more? Just curious.

Like a few people have expressed, I wish I kept quiet on retaking the test. Like an idiot I told the people in my office.

If you failed by only a few points, that seems to me like validation that you do have the skills to pass.

I failed by 70+ points then passed the second time. I've seen people with 100 or more points deficit pass the next time. Once things click on how to approach your preparation, it's just a matter of putting in the work. "Just add practice."

[BrokenMouse]

I certainly prepared more for Feb but I feel equally unsure as the first. I think I overestimated how well I did the first time around. I think I am well aware that so much of my performance can hinge on who my grader is so I won't be surprised if I didn't pass again.

[RoseBuddy]

Thanks for your response, it's good to hear!

[jackbauer10]

So will results just be posted in the Admissions Status page where it currently says "requirement not satisfied" or is there some other page I'm missing? The reason I ask is because it took like a week from when I got a passing MPRE score on the NCBE website for the Cal Bar Admissions page to say "requirement satisfied." Does anyone know precisely how the checking works?

ETA: also, because I apparently hate myself, I'll ask this question: is there an actual number for the lowest score we could get on the MBE and still pass overall? Like would it be possible to totally bomb the MBE but make up for it in essays/PTs? Or is there a minimum passing score? I'm sure I knew this at one point but I don't remember specifically. TYIA.

[CAbarexamtaker]

This bar exam calculator is a pretty good way to estimate scores/torture yourself: https://one-timers.com/one-timers-bar-exam-calculator/

[BrokenMouse]

This bar exam calculator is a pretty good way to estimate scores/torture yourself: https://one-timers.com/one-timers-bar-exam-calculator/

This calculator is way too generous.

[CAbarexamtaker]

Adding to the torture.

This bar exam calculator is a pretty good way to estimate scores/torture yourself: https://one-timers.com/one-timers-bar-exam-calculator/

This calculator is way too generous.

[jackbauer10]

Adding to the torture.

This bar exam calculator is a pretty good way to estimate scores/torture yourself: https://one-timers.com/one-timers-bar-exam-calculator/

This calculator is way too generous.

Agree. So my question remains, could you still pass with a raw MBE of 115ish? The calculator seems to suggest that it's possible with strong enough written answers, but from what I've read here and elsewhere, people can "fail" the MBE portion. So does anyone know?

[CAbarexamtaker]

Your overall score is weighted between MBE and written, so yeah if your MBE score is very low your written portion has to be very high to pass. Nobody really knows in advance.

Adding to the torture.

This bar exam calculator is a pretty good way to estimate scores/torture yourself: https://one-timers.com/one-timers-bar-exam-calculator/

This calculator is way too generous.

Agree. So my question remains, could you still pass with a raw MBE of 115ish? The calculator seems to suggest that it's possible with strong enough written answers, but from what I've read here and elsewhere, people can "fail" the MBE portion. So does anyone know?

[AspiringCALawyer]

So will results just be posted in the Admissions Status page where it currently says "requirement not satisfied" or is there some other page I'm missing? The reason I ask is because it took like a week from when I got a passing MPRE score on the NCBE website for the Cal Bar Admissions page to say "requirement satisfied." Does anyone know precisely how the checking works?

ETA: also, because I apparently hate myself, I'll ask this question: is there an actual number for the lowest score we could get on the MBE and still pass overall? Like would it be possible to totally bomb the MBE but make up for it in essays/PTs? Or is there a minimum passing score? I'm sure I knew this at one point but I don't remember specifically. TYIA.

Excerpt from CA bar email:

Results from the February 2016 administration of the California Bar Examination are scheduled to be mailed to the applicants who took the examination on Friday, May 13, 2016; results will be sent to the addresses that applicants have on file as of May 4, 2016. In addition, applicants will be able to determine whether their names appear on the pass list beginning Friday, May 13, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. (Pacific Time), through the State Bar’s website at http://admissions.calbar.ca.gov. Applicants will need their File Numbers and Applicant Numbers as shown on their admittance tickets and ID badges to access the pass list.

[BrokenMouse]

Agree. So my question remains, could you still pass with a raw MBE of 115ish? The calculator seems to suggest that it's possible with strong enough written answers, but from what I've read here and elsewhere, people can "fail" the MBE portion. So does anyone know?

There's no such thing as failing a portion. You either pass or fail the exam. I think people say that when they were banking on transferring their high enough MBE score to get waived in at some other jrx without retaking the text.

[gaagoots]

A lot of my friends who failed the bar the first time ended up passing the second time around. Does anyone know the likelihood of passing the 2nd time if you failed by a few points the first time? Or what about people who failed by 50 points or 100 points or more? Just curious.

Like a few people have expressed, I wish I kept quiet on retaking the test. Like an idiot I told the people in my office.

I passed the second time too and by a mile. My first score I bombed, like 1313 bombed, so it's possible to improve. Second time I didn't cut corners, I worked full time and did maybe 2,000 MBEs (Adaptibar) My mbe scores didn't save the day (I paid NCBE to get a range) but it was my written that saved my ass. No tutor, half-assed watched lectures on weak areas. I memorized my bar essay cheat sheets, my lean sheets and critical pass. I hand wrote all practice essays in blue books, somehow that forced me to outline first, to get to the point and not ramble. I did it on the bar and typed the PTs. It was a risky strategy but it worked.

I stressed out the second time much much more waiting for results because I had to overcome a nasty fail the first time. When I read the, "oh you failed by 12 points, you got what it takes", I instantly thought, great I don't have what it takes because I failed by 127 points.

My first time was my dress rehearsal, and the second time the fear of the unknown was removed. The State Bar gives stats for just about everything but not 'second time' repeaters which I suspect is higher than we know.

The next ten days you will read every damn bar exam post, I did. I searched for the poor souls like me who killed it the second time since I had hoped for a miracle. Best of luck to all.

[Metal_Inquisition]

A lot of my friends who failed the bar the first time ended up passing the second time around. Does anyone know the likelihood of passing the 2nd time if you failed by a few points the first time? Or what about people who failed by 50 points or 100 points or more? Just curious.

Like a few people have expressed, I wish I kept quiet on retaking the test. Like an idiot I told the people in my office.

I passed the second time too and by a mile. My first score I bombed, like 1313 bombed, so it's possible to improve. Second time I didn't cut corners, I worked full time and did maybe 2,000 MBEs (Adaptibar) My mbe scores didn't save the day (I paid NCBE to get a range) but it was my written that saved my ass. No tutor, half-assed watched lectures on weak areas. I memorized my bar essay cheat sheets, my lean sheets and critical pass. I hand wrote all practice essays in blue books, somehow that forced me to outline first, to get to the point and not ramble. I did it on the bar and typed the PTs. It was a risky strategy but it worked.

I stressed out the second time much much more waiting for results because I had to overcome a nasty fail the first time. When I read the, "oh you failed by 12 points, you got what it takes", I instantly thought, great I don't have what it takes because I failed by 127 points.

My first time was my dress rehearsal, and the second time the fear of the unknown was removed. The State Bar gives stats for just about everything but not 'second time' repeaters which I suspect is higher than we know.

The next ten days you will read every damn bar exam post, I did. I searched for the poor souls like me who killed it the second time since I had hoped for a miracle. Best of luck to all.

Thank you so much for posting your success story. Wow!! I'm going to come back and read your post multiple times before May 13th! Cheers!

[MailboxCrusher]

So here we are......May 3rd - about ten days away. All I want is the wait to be over. I want to know what my fate will be. Will I be done........and patiently await documents to be sworn in.....or will I need to figure out how I can study and work and pass......The idea of working this time and passing seems impossible because I could not pass the first two times with 3 months off and then 7 weeks off.

Its absolutely brutal. The waiting is far worse than the routine of studying or actually taking the exam. I hope that I will be pleasantly surprised so I can start making some money and move on

[BrokenMouse]

I didn't fail by a lot the first time around and I feel like I did better on my second try. That doesn't say much though because I am scared that I might get a bad grader or that I am completely bullshitting myself and overestimating how I did the second time around.

[FinallyPassedTheBar]

I am prepping myself for the possibility that I failed. Of course I will be disappointed, but not severely devastated. Because on Monday night I only had about 2 hours of sleep...tossing and turning...which is strange for me because I usually sleep very well. The first day of the exam I was in a foggy mental state due to lack of sleep.

Yeah its good to have a positive attitude, but in this situation, it doesn't really matter. Everything has already been graded regardless of my feelings.

BTW I have already started my bar study...though only half heartedly. Planning to step it up these two weeks before results.

[CAbarexamtaker]

I also had unusual struggles with lack of sleep Monday night. I think it made me not as sharp as I should have been during PT1 - but then it seemed like a lot of people struggled with PT1 so maybe I was just fairly normal. Had a hard time connecting the dots there and I usually do not.

Preparing to fail. I think 4 essays were pretty good, and I struggled during 2. I just hope I'm not overly optimistic about the 4 and am being a little hard on myself regarding the 2. I think my PT2 was very good, but we'll see maybe.

Felt very good about the MBE, but I also did the first time around and then found out my score wasn't quite as high as I thought.

I've been able to dive into work life post-bar, so the wait has not been excruciating. However, the thought of doing it all again for the July exam is absolutely horrifying. Buying a different review course thinking maybe that's the magic bullet I need to get over the hump. Countless hours reading multiple choice questions. It's just awful.

[RoseBuddy]

Thanksand congrats! This is great to hear Im hoping that I pulled it off the second time despite my first score.

[minkylowlife]

A lot of my friends who failed the bar the first time ended up passing the second time around. Does anyone know the likelihood of passing the 2nd time if you failed by a few points the first time? Or what about people who failed by 50 points or 100 points or more? Just curious.

Like a few people have expressed, I wish I kept quiet on retaking the test. Like an idiot I told the people in my office.

I passed the second time too and by a mile. My first score I bombed, like 1313 bombed, so it's possible to improve. Second time I didn't cut corners, I worked full time and did maybe 2,000 MBEs (Adaptibar) My mbe scores didn't save the day (I paid NCBE to get a range) but it was my written that saved my ass. No tutor, half-assed watched lectures on weak areas. I memorized my bar essay cheat sheets, my lean sheets and critical pass. I hand wrote all practice essays in blue books, somehow that forced me to outline first, to get to the point and not ramble. I did it on the bar and typed the PTs. It was a risky strategy but it worked.

I stressed out the second time much much more waiting for results because I had to overcome a nasty fail the first time. When I read the, "oh you failed by 12 points, you got what it takes", I instantly thought, great I don't have what it takes because I failed by 127 points.

My first time was my dress rehearsal, and the second time the fear of the unknown was removed. The State Bar gives stats for just about everything but not 'second time' repeaters which I suspect is higher than we know.

The next ten days you will read every damn bar exam post, I did. I searched for the poor souls like me who killed it the second time since I had hoped for a miracle. Best of luck to all.

This is really comforting to hear. I failed by nearly 200 points in July but was totally underprepared...I felt ready February, and am trying not to let nerves sabotage me this work week.

[AspiringCALawyer]

To all my CA peeps, one more week to go. The wait has been torture. I'm keeping the faith that all of us passed and will be poppin' some corks next Friday!

[MailboxCrusher]

To all my CA peeps, one more week to go. The wait has been torture. I'm keeping the faith that all of us passed and will be poppin' some corks next Friday!

I now understand why people who walked this road before I did want to know either way, just to move on from the waiting. I wasn't really concerned with the waiting as much the first time I took the exam because I was confident I passed, because I do not fail tests. However, drinking the barbri lecture koolaid and failing to adequately prepare for the written portion was my demise.

The second time I hired a tutor studied 6 days a week for 7 weeks with a couple days off, but what I did was different. I only used the barbri conviser mini review (albeit it was still to much information). And I wrote and wrote and did pts and mbes - I wrote and rewrote issues. I think I practiced 50+ essays and like 6-8 pts and did around 1500-1600 mbes (and reviewed and made a mbe rule sheet for the ones I missed.)

So what I'm really saying is I did everything differently. So bottle poppin for everyone on Friday. The fate of the next few months rests on a click of a computer.......what a total shitshow. But I have heard and imagine - once we cross into the profession and not having to prepare for another bar exam will MAKE IT ALL WORTH IT.

LETS BE PROUD AND WELCOME BLESSINGS FROM OUR HARD WORK.