July 2015 Texas Bar Exam Forum

[Devlin]

No matter what the call of the question is on the CP topic the examiner is going to read my regurgitation of the elements of a negotiable instrument and elements of HDC.

[3L Student]

No matter what the call of the question is on the CP topic the examiner is going to read my regurgitation of the elements of a negotiable instrument and elements of HDC.

+1

[Devlin]

I was planning on using this entire today to go through every essay subject but I have absolutely hit a wall.

I cannot concentrate and I feel like I'm not making any progress today. I'll read an essay and it's either super simple or laughably hard. Not sure if I'm gaining anything by reading all these essays (besides scaring the shit out of me).

May just stick to watching some baseball today while looking at Texas essay flash cards.

[ladylawyer1221]

I was planning on using this entire today to go through every essay subject but I have absolutely hit a wall.

I cannot concentrate and I feel like I'm not making any progress today. I'll read an essay and it's either super simple or laughably hard. Not sure if I'm gaining anything by reading all these essays (besides scaring the shit out of me).

May just stick to watching some baseball today while looking at Texas essay flash cards.

Yeah -- that's how my entire weekend has been. I was reviewing my essay outlines yesterday and my nerves made me feel like I forgot everything I have learned. I had to step away from it because it was just making me panic. Today I haven't looked at any essay stuff, just doing practice MBE questions. I want to go over my essay outlines again but I'm scared it will make me panic lol. As soon as I check into my hotel tomorrow I plan on strictly reviewing P&E and reading some sample MPTs. Going to call it quits early and watch TV and hopefully be able to get some sleep.

[jamescastle]

Did a 50 MBE (#101-150 in the P.M. BARBRI Full-Day) and got rocked so I feel bad. Going to cram for consumer law a bit now.
Really not feeling like I'm going to pass.

[BVest]

Did a 50 MBE (#101-150 in the P.M. BARBRI Full-Day) and got rocked so I feel bad. Going to cram for consumer law a bit now.
Really not feeling like I'm going to pass.

That was a tough stretch for me. I missed 20 out of those but got 132 (66%) overall, which was 77th percentile.

[Neff]

I was planning on using this entire today to go through every essay subject but I have absolutely hit a wall.

I cannot concentrate and I feel like I'm not making any progress today. I'll read an essay and it's either super simple or laughably hard. Not sure if I'm gaining anything by reading all these essays (besides scaring the shit out of me).

May just stick to watching some baseball today while looking at Texas essay flash cards.

Hey it's alright. 95% of other test takers are feeling the same way, and the remaining 5% are just freaks. You'll do just fine.

[jamescastle]

Did a 50 MBE (#101-150 in the P.M. BARBRI Full-Day) and got rocked so I feel bad. Going to cram for consumer law a bit now.
Really not feeling like I'm going to pass.

That was a tough stretch for me. I missed 20 out of those but got 132 (66%) overall, which was 77th percentile.

How do you know percentile?

[Neff]

Did a 50 MBE (#101-150 in the P.M. BARBRI Full-Day) and got rocked so I feel bad. Going to cram for consumer law a bit now.
Really not feeling like I'm going to pass.

That was a tough stretch for me. I missed 20 out of those but got 132 (66%) overall, which was 77th percentile.

How do you know percentile?

It's on the website, if you mailed in your scantron or if you bubbled in your answers online.

Anyone getting 50% or higher on Barbri will pass MBE with little trouble. 135 scaled is a MUCH lower standard than you think. You'd have to do sub-100 on the midterm to be in any danger of not passing.

[ladylawyer1221]

Did a 50 MBE (#101-150 in the P.M. BARBRI Full-Day) and got rocked so I feel bad. Going to cram for consumer law a bit now.
Really not feeling like I'm going to pass.

That was a tough stretch for me. I missed 20 out of those but got 132 (66%) overall, which was 77th percentile.

How do you know percentile?

It's on the website, if you mailed in your scantron or if you bubbled in your answers online.

Anyone getting 50% or higher on Barbri will pass MBE with little trouble. 135 scaled is a MUCH lower standard than you think. You'd have to do sub-100 on the midterm to be in any danger of not passing.

This was available for the full-day exam? I thought the percentiles were only available for the simulated MBE... The full day & half day exam weren't even assigned on my PSP.

[BVest]

Oh, sorry. You're right. I heard full-day MBE and thought Simulated MBE. My bad. I didn't do the one called full-day.

[americanphaoah]

i recall that the sunday before the bar, i incurred a big-ass breakdown / wall-hitting episode such that i dedicated the day to nothing else but tv watching and getting "everything else" in line (admission ticket, writing utensils, earplugs, food, clothes, etc.) packed for the drive to the hotel the next morning. brain simply couldn't function on the sunday prior.

then, once settled into the hotel on monday, it was on to P&E review and skimming through my notes on MPT strategy.

[Neff]

Did a 50 MBE (#101-150 in the P.M. BARBRI Full-Day) and got rocked so I feel bad. Going to cram for consumer law a bit now.
Really not feeling like I'm going to pass.

That was a tough stretch for me. I missed 20 out of those but got 132 (66%) overall, which was 77th percentile.

How do you know percentile?

It's on the website, if you mailed in your scantron or if you bubbled in your answers online.

Anyone getting 50% or higher on Barbri will pass MBE with little trouble. 135 scaled is a MUCH lower standard than you think. You'd have to do sub-100 on the midterm to be in any danger of not passing.

This was available for the full-day exam? I thought the percentiles were only available for the simulated MBE... The full day & half day exam weren't even assigned on my PSP.

Oh my bad. I thought you were talking about the midterm. Not sure about percentiles for those.

I really wouldn't stress -- and I'm not just mindlessly saying "don't worry lol you'll pass lol." Really, the odds of failing if you did median or better on the midterm are astronomically low. The later Barbri questions are designed to induce panic so you won't slack off. I have done every question in Emanuel (real questions) cover-to-cover and they are just not as hard as Barbri. I didn't do any Barbri MBE assignments after the midterm, and I got 145/200 in Emanuel's full day test, which is probably about 160 scaled. And I'm pretty sure 90% of the people on TLS have done more prep than me. So you all are going to be fine.

[Neff]

Yeah, I think the only prep for today or tomorrow that I can see being helpful is reviewing MPT and P&E, just so you get the first day off to a good start. Anything else can lead to physical exhaustion/mental breakdown which could be MUCH worse than skipping some last second review.

[americanphaoah]

No matter what the call of the question is on the CP topic the examiner is going to read my regurgitation of the elements of a negotiable instrument and elements of HDC.

+1

maybe you'll get (lucky?) and be able to regurgitate already-known MBE material / UCC rules on a sale of goods, instead. could happen...

[Devlin]

Yeah I really hope that happens. Also hoping to regurgitate some MBE knowledge on a property question.

[Velours]

What time do you guys plan on showing up at the testing site? The admission ticket says we have to be in our seats by 8:30 but I'm not sure how long security and everything will take. With the MPRE they told us to be there like an hour before, but I couldn't find anything for the bar.

[jamescastle]

I would feel better about stuff but the more I realize the more I realize I'm essentially just below average in pretty much every category.
And being just below average in everything doesn't mean 40 percentile either because most everyone is above average at something. Below average at everything is around 30 percentile overall which is borderline passing. I'm nervous as all hell for this week and can't wait for it to be over.

[TXLawHopeful15]

What time do you guys plan on showing up at the testing site? The admission ticket says we have to be in our seats by 8:30 but I'm not sure how long security and everything will take. With the MPRE they told us to be there like an hour before, but I couldn't find anything for the bar.

My laptop instructions say that they will start checking folks in at 0730...so I was thinking i better be there by then.....

[TXLawHopeful15]

Yeah, I think the only prep for today or tomorrow that I can see being helpful is reviewing MPT and P&E, just so you get the first day off to a good start. Anything else can lead to physical exhaustion/mental breakdown which could be MUCH worse than skipping some last second review.

That is what i did all day, but I am hitting a wall...and I have only been studying for three weeks! totally screwed!

[BVest]

In case anyone is wondering about 2.5 gallon ziploc bags (for bringing your laptop and charger), I did not find them at Walmart or HEB (though admittedly kind of rinky-dink versions of both). However, Walmart did have the 2 gallon size, which is 13" by 15" nominally and fits my 13" MacBook Pro (measuring 12.5" x 8.75" x .75"), and it looks like it would just barely fit a 15" version of the same.

(I don't feel like I need a bag to carry my laptop in, but the instructions weren't clear as to whether it's required. They say "Bring your laptop in a 2.5 gallon clear ziploc or hefty plastic bag. Do not bring your laptop in

• ." I figured I'd get one just to be safe.)

[unlicensedpotato]

So, because the instructions are incredibly unclear, is this what we need to bring? I really don't want to forget something.

2.5 Gallon Bag with Laptop and Charger

Plastic Bag (1 gallon?) with Pencils, Black Pens, Photo ID, Admission Ticket

Thanks in advance!

[jamescastle]

In case anyone is wondering about 2.5 gallon ziploc bags (for bringing your laptop and charger), I did not find them at Walmart or HEB (though admittedly kind of rinky-dink versions of both). However, Walmart did have the 2 gallon size, which is 13" by 15" nominally and fits my 13" MacBook Pro (measuring 12.5" x 8.75" x .75"), and it looks like it would just barely fit a 15" version of the same.

(I don't feel like I need a bag to carry my laptop in, but the instructions weren't clear as to whether it's required. They say "Bring your laptop in a 2.5 gallon clear ziploc or hefty plastic bag. Do not bring your laptop in

• ." I figured I'd get one just to be safe.)

Going to Walmart tomorrow. Biggest I saw that was under 2.5 gallon at HEB was 1 gallon which is not enough for a laptop.
I emailed the Texas bar people on Friday about a question of if I could bring stuff for my contacts and they haven't replied. Hopefully I get an answer tomorrow but I'm honestly not expecting it.

[BVest]

So, because the instructions are incredibly unclear, is this what we need to bring? I really don't want to forget something.

2.5 Gallon Bag with Laptop and Charger

Plastic Bag (1 gallon?) with Pencils, Black Pens, Photo ID, Admission Ticket

Thanks in advance!

I don't really know more than you do from the instructions, but your understanding matches mine. As far as the second bag, I also chose a 1-gallon because our bar admission tickets don't fit in the quart size without folding them, which I was unwilling to do.

[BVest]

Going to Walmart tomorrow. Biggest I saw that was under 2.5 gallon at HEB was 1 gallon which is not enough for a laptop.
I emailed the Texas bar people on Friday about a question of if I could bring stuff for my contacts and they haven't replied. Hopefully I get an answer tomorrow but I'm honestly not expecting it.

It's possible they reply tomorrow, but the office is technically closed for the week so probably not. If you don't hear back, I'd bring the contact stuff in your car and leave it there and bring your glasses into the testing center (they're specifically permitted without a case). If something goes wrong with your contacts during the exam and you can't wait until lunch/end of day, just pull them out and put on your glasses (I'm assuming you wear disposables).

ETA: Walmart theoretically let's you check stock online (by clicking "free pickup" to check stock) if you don't want to be searching high and low tomorrow for large bags, but my walmart shows them out of stock (which they're not). Here are the two and 2.5 gallon bags:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ziploc-Freeze ... t/12166312
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hefty-OneZip- ... t/11027203