California Bar Exam (July 2014) thread Forum

[Carryon]

Question - how do you check if you passed on 11/21? Do you just check your Admission Status or is there a different website that you use to check? Thanks.

There should be a link in cal bar's website that takes you to a login page or portal for the exam results. You enter the number that is on your badge that allowed you access to the exam room. It then tells you whether you were successful in passing the bar.

[CBXfail]

Wait so does anyone know how the lower national MBE score trend, if it holds true in CA, will affect our pass rates? I also thought that the test was curved, so if everyone scored lower on the MBE, it would even out--but the ATL article linked above indicates lower MBE scores across the board will lower our pass rate.

[imacpa]

Wait so does anyone know how the lower national MBE score trend, if it holds true in CA, will affect our pass rates? I also thought that the test was curved, so if everyone scored lower on the MBE, it would even out--but the ATL article linked above indicates lower MBE scores across the board will lower our pass rate.

I think the best comparison for the projected Calbar performance for July 2014 is to look at July 2004 because that was the last year the MBE average performance was below historical levels in comparison to the last 10 years. In that year, the July 2004 Cal bar passage rate was 48%. Given this summer's MBE performance and Cal's scaling its essay to the MBE I would not be the least surprise if the Calbar passage rate was no more than 50%.

http://www.ncbex.org/assets/media_files ... 4stats.pdf

[CBXfail]

Wait so does anyone know how the lower national MBE score trend, if it holds true in CA, will affect our pass rates? I also thought that the test was curved, so if everyone scored lower on the MBE, it would even out--but the ATL article linked above indicates lower MBE scores across the board will lower our pass rate.

I think the best comparison for the projected Calbar performance for July 2014 is to look at July 2004 because that was the last year the MBE average performance was below historical levels in comparison to the last 10 years. In that year, the July 2004 Cal bar passage rate was 48%. Given this summer's MBE performance and Cal's scaling its essay to the MBE I would not be the least surprise if the Calbar passage rate was no more than 50%.

http://www.ncbex.org/assets/media_files ... 4stats.pdf

I'm sorry for being dense, but is the test curved or not? If it's curved and we all miss more questions, I don't understand why the passing score isn't curved down to compensate for the NCBE's unchararistically hard test this time around. I don't dispute that you're right, and that we'll have a lower pass percentage for July 2014, but I don't understand how the harder MBE works against us.

[imacpa]

Wait so does anyone know how the lower national MBE score trend, if it holds true in CA, will affect our pass rates? I also thought that the test was curved, so if everyone scored lower on the MBE, it would even out--but the ATL article linked above indicates lower MBE scores across the board will lower our pass rate.

I think the best comparison for the projected Calbar performance for July 2014 is to look at July 2004 because that was the last year the MBE average performance was below historical levels in comparison to the last 10 years. In that year, the July 2004 Cal bar passage rate was 48%. Given this summer's MBE performance and Cal's scaling its essay to the MBE I would not be the least surprise if the Calbar passage rate was no more than 50%.

http://www.ncbex.org/assets/media_files ... 4stats.pdf

I'm sorry for being dense, but is the test curved or not? If it's curved and we all miss more questions, I don't understand why the passing score isn't curved down to compensate for the NCBE's unchararistically hard test this time around. I don't dispute that you're right, and that we'll have a lower pass percentage for July 2014, but I don't understand how the harder MBE works against us.

I don't claim to be a mathematician but from what I understand the essays raw scores, like in most other states, are curved to the MBE distribution scale. For example, if 30% of the test takers score below a scale score of 130 on the MBE, then the grading curve on the essay will reflect the same for raw essay scores with a scale score equivalency of less than 130 falling below 30%.

The bottom line is that the essay grading curve is designed to mimic the MBE grading scale. So when you have a greater number of people performing poorly on the MBE then that's going to translate over to the essays. Which ultimately will result in a greater number of people failing the bar exam.

[Deschutes]

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[imacpa]

[/quote]If I'm reading this correctly, this would favor people who do better on the MBE and worse on essays, right?[/quote]

Not necessarily. Keep in mind that the MBE and essays are scored separately even though from my understanding they are graded on identical curves. It is possible for someone to do well on the MBE and worse on the essay but still pass assuming if you're in a jx that weighs the MBE and essays equally. But with the Calbar, that's not going to be true most of the time due to the 65/35 split between essay and MBE unless you happen to score well above average on the MBE (like 160+ scale). In such an event, you'll have more margin of error on the essays. However, I think there's a much lesser threshold with the current curve for July 2014 where it might take a higher average score to pass on the essays than in previous years.

So to answer your question....I don't think the curve is going to favor anyone per se. However, I do believe you have to really kill it on the essays score wise in order to have a chance if your MBE performance is below the median.

[scrowell]

The essays are graded on a curve? I was never aware of that. I always assumed there was no curve since pass rates vary from year to year

[chass]

You still get raw essay score from 40-100, but the curve comes when they scale the essay score to correlate with the MBE average.

[adonai]

You still get raw essay score from 40-100, but the curve comes when they scale the essay score to correlate with the MBE average.

So they don't actually curve the essays to make up for a poor mbe average, but will actually scale down the scores to match a poor mbe average?

[injun]

You still get raw essay score from 40-100, but the curve comes when they scale the essay score to correlate with the MBE average.

I was interested in learning more about this. I was under the impression that essay scores were not curved after they receive a raw score. So is possible that we can receive an extra boot in essay scores based on MBE scaling? Thanks for any info!

[MBAtoJD]

This video also explains the correlation between written and MBE scaling. Sounds like MBE sets the tone to determine the written scaling.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2kD9uAUlgOs

[LSATNightmares]

Does anyone know about the Cali swearing in? Assuming I pass (I know, a big if), I'm trying to figure out what happens if I can't make the swearing in ceremony due to a need to be out of state the second week of December. I may call the bar, but my work has been keeping me really busy.

[Teoeo]

Does anyone know about the Cali swearing in? Assuming I pass (I know, a big if), I'm trying to figure out what happens if I can't make the swearing in ceremony due to a need to be out of state the second week of December. I may call the bar, but my work has been keeping me really busy.

You don't have to go to any swearing in ceremony. The bar sends you a card which you have to sign (notarized) and send back. Once the card hits the mail, you are a member of the bar.

[camelcrema]

So if you try to register for the February exam and it lets you register, that doesn't mean you failed, right?

[a male human]

So if you try to register for the February exam and it lets you register, that doesn't mean you failed, right?

Right. I would not rely on such inferences. I think some of us last time all had the same result where we were able to or not able to sign up for the next bar (forgot which one).

[adonai]

So if you try to register for the February exam and it lets you register, that doesn't mean you failed, right?

Right. I would not rely on such inferences. I think some of us last time all had the same result where we were able to or not able to sign up for the next bar (forgot which one).

I wonder if this would only work on Nov. 21 at 6PM, or if results are technically in and just not publicly listed. Anyone who has a spare $800 care to try and tell us the results? I'd assume if results were already inputted into their server and you passed, you technically wouldn't be allowed to register for the Feb. bar.

[jarofsoup]

So if you try to register for the February exam and it lets you register, that doesn't mean you failed, right?

Right. I would not rely on such inferences. I think some of us last time all had the same result where we were able to or not able to sign up for the next bar (forgot which one).

I agree. Don't put this much faith in the states' computer programmers. I am also guessing that the results are not all uploaded yet.

[jarofsoup]

I have started to have bar exam nightmares. The one I had last night, I was late to the bar exam and missed it. When I woke up I was like "I have already taken the bar its ok." The second one is that the bar is a giant statistics exam and has drawings of weird shapes on it and I have no idea what is going on.

[chass]

You still get raw essay score from 40-100, but the curve comes when they scale the essay score to correlate with the MBE average.

So they don't actually curve the essays to make up for a poor mbe average, but will actually scale down the scores to match a poor mbe average?

The essays will be scaled no matter what. A poor MBE average means the scale isn't going to be as high thus harder for you to get 1440. A better than average MBE means a bigger scale, thus making it easier to get to 1440.

[a male human]

I have started to have bar exam nightmares. The one I had last night, I was late to the bar exam and missed it. When I woke up I was like "I have already taken the bar its ok." The second one is that the bar is a giant statistics exam and has drawings of weird shapes on it and I have no idea what is going on.

Ah, so the dream journey begins for you.

[barexamcollector]

i can't help but wonder whether i should have opted to take the MBE portion as well rather than relying on just the essays. I'll guess I'll find out in 10 days.

[camelcrema]

So, ten days and four hours. How's everyone holding up?

[glitter178]

So, ten days and four hours. How's everyone holding up?

Not so well. Getting to witness every other state's results come out (and being able to anticipate a low passage rate) has been just horrific.

[ilovesf]

I don't think about it at all except for when this thread gets bumped, so thanks.