July 2017 Texas Bar Exam Forum

[TheJanitor6203]

Who else is over this? My motivation has slackened considerably this las week. I'm nervous, but I want to get it over with even more so.

I'm totally in this boat. Can't hardly bring myself to study anymore. Got drunk today.

[leib10]

I studied for 6 hours tops today. Watched TV the rest of the time. Always heard about the "10-hour days" during the last 2 weeks, but I guess those never showed up. Oh well. I seriously doubt that there's much I can do in the next 4 days to make a difference, so might as well try to enjoy it and get some rest in before it all goes down.

[irishballa]

Who else is over this? My motivation has slackened considerably this las week. I'm nervous, but I want to get it over with even more so.

I think everyone is in this boat. I'm just accepting my essays are going to be awful.

If I completely miss 3 essay questions, and then do average on the rest, could I still pass? That seems about best case scenario at this point.

[BVest]

This is a couple days late, but still of use:

Okay gang, you're one week out. In studying, you know by now where you're in good shape and you know what you still have to work on. This thread is not about that. This is about the other shit you need to do between now and then.

(1) Go the fuck to sleep. No more studying until 3 AM, even if you feel like you're more productive at that time. Guess what time the bar examiners don't let you take the exam: 3 AM. So if you're still sleepy at 6:30 or 7 AM when you need to be getting out of bed on test days, you're going to have trouble focusing. Fix your schedule now.

(2) Plan your route. This consists of two things: (i) follow the route to the exam location at any point in the day; and (ii) look up the route on google maps putting in your desired arrival time so you have some sense of how long the route will take during morning traffic.

(3) Plan your meals. Don't waste any brain power during the week of the exam trying to decide what to eat. Decide now what you're going to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus snacks, on exam days and be sure you have it in your house. And make your breakfast and lunch the night before each day.

(4) Plan your attire. I'm serious. Set your clothes out in two (or three if you're in a three-day state) stacks so that you can just go to the Tuesday stack that morning without any thought whatsoever.

(5) Plan your day. Make a separate list of all the things you need to take with you for each day. This includes your test supplies (pencils/pens), laptop, admission ticket, ID, and food. Put each list under that day's pile of clothes, so when you get fully dressed your list is staring back at you.

(6) Schedule your sleep. Work backwards from what time you have to wake up to get to the exam center in a timely fashion. Allow no less than 7-8 hours in bed, so even if you have a hard time falling asleep you should get a decent rest. At this point rest has a much higher marginal value than sleep. If this means you have to be in bed by 11, then go to bed at 11.

(7) Don't Panic. Panic is counterproductive. Yeah, I know "That's easy to say but not to do." But if you plan how to deal with panic, then you just go to your plan -- Even if you're completely stumped, just start typing something that makes sense to you and move on. And always watch the clock.

And here's what my pre-set daily stacks looked like:

On Sunday or Monday, set up your stuff to reduce the amount of non-bar thinking you'll have to do on test days. I could go into detail but it's easier to just show you:

eta: The stickied thread on how to BS essays is good. Here's my take on it:

If a question on the exam is outside your ken, well that's the luck of the draw, but a lot of people are in the same boat you are so just take 5-10 seconds to relax and not panic, make up the law, and answer the question using that.

How to make up the law: (1) Decide what the fairest result would be. (2) Make up a general rule that sounds good. If your general rule would result in the case coming out in favor of your pre-determined fairest result (3a) make up an exception to the general rule that will not be applicable in this case. If your general rule would prevent your fairest result, (3b) make up an exception to the general rule that applies to these facts. (4) State and apply your made up law and exception to the case in proper CRAC/CIRAC form.

Being cool and calm about making up the law is critical. There will be at least one question where you have no clue. Maybe more. You're not alone. Whatever you do, don't spend more time on that question than the exam has allotted. Don't spend more than 30 minutes on a question you don't actually know the answer to and are just BSing. That takes away time you could be spending on questions you DO know the answer to, and even though BSing will get you points, you're going to get a lot more points answering the questions you do know than you are answering the questions you don't

[np1211]

Who else is over this? My motivation has slackened considerably this las week. I'm nervous, but I want to get it over with even more so.

I think everyone is in this boat. I'm just accepting my essays are going to be awful.

I think everyone feels like that about the essays

[lovesthelaw]

Did you guys study Sales, Bankruptcy, or Tax all that much? I kind of just skimmed the info for those, but that's about it. Hoping that's good enough.

[leib10]

Did you guys study Sales, Bankruptcy, or Tax all that much? I kind of just skimmed the info for those, but that's about it. Hoping that's good enough.

That's all Barbri assigned, so that's all I did. Bankruptcy was on last July's exam, so I kinda doubt it will show up again.

[np1211]

so in February 2017 UCC Art 2 and Art 3 were tested what are the chances of Art 2 being tested again vs. Art 3 and Art 9?

[BVest]

so in February 2017 UCC Art 2 and Art 3 were tested what are the chances of Art 2 being tested again vs. Art 3 and Art 9?

[+] Spoiler

eta: For UCC and Trusts/Guardianship (where one topic is likely not going to be tested), here's the breakdown of what they've chosen to test in the past:



And here are past MPT assignments:

[CAstudent2036]

Silly question to be asking this late in the game but I suppose it would not have changed my studying anyways... Is there a minimum scaled score you must get on the MBE in Texas to pass regardless of your total score? I always thought there was and it was 135 but I think I may have just made that up.

[BVest]

No minimum scaled score for any section, as long as you hit 675.

[lovesthelaw]

Do we need to download anything to our desktop if we are using ExamSoft? Or, if we did everything it told us to already and successfully took a practice test, we are good to go?

[TheJanitor6203]

Do we need to download anything to our desktop if we are using ExamSoft? Or, if we did everything it told us to already and successfully took a practice test, we are good to go?

What's the password for the practice test? I tried but it wouldn't let me w/o the password.

[Slow Your Roll]

Does anyone know where we put our stuff (phone, backpack) when we are taking the test? Or are we just not supposed to bring those things.

[Leprechaun]

Does anyone know where we put our stuff (phone, backpack) when we are taking the test? Or are we just not supposed to bring those things.

In February, we just threw them into piles or stacked them onto tables in the corridors outside the exam room.

I left my phone, hat, notes, laptop bag etc out there and it was all still there when I went to retrieve it at the end of the day.

[Pneumonia]

Can we use mechanical pencils on the MBE? ETA - No, we cannot use mechanical pencils. This is a NEW rule as indicated in the FAQs PDF.

And for the MPT/Essays, are we allowed to write in the test booklets, and if so, with what implements? I'm assuming that scratch paper is prohibited. Is there usually a blank page to write on for the MPT/Essays?

[np1211]

Can we use mechanical pencils on the MBE? ETA - No, we cannot use mechanical pencils. This is a NEW rule as indicated in the FAQs PDF.

And for the MPT/Essays, are we allowed to write in the test booklets, and if so, with what implements? I'm assuming that scratch paper is prohibited. Is there usually a blank page to write on for the MPT/Essays?

i think you are allowed to mark up the booklets plus they do provide you with scratch paper that you must turn back to them when you hand in the booklets.

[checkers]

1 sheet of scratch paper for the MPT only. No sheets for the essays.

Other questions answered here: https://ble.texas.gov/bar-exam-general-instructions

[nothingtosee]

instead of studying im cobbling together worst case scenarios...

is it possible to score lower than 100 out of 200 on the scaled essays?

[RumHam]

Solicitors, I have still not received my admission ticket for the July 2017 exam (i.e., starting on Tuesday !!!!).


I received confirmation that everything about my application looking good in ATLAS, and I've paid the fees, etc.....


Yet no admission tick.


Now it looks like their office is closed today, so I do not even know who to contact right to sort this out.

Needless to say, I'm hyperventilating.

Any thoughts/suggestions on what I should do!

... am I basically just f*****?


Thanks

[mendianne]

If any one knows the answer to this question please feel free to respond. So I'm not 100% clear one the grading of the bar exam. I do know that each essay on the Texas exam has a score scale between 0 - 25. If I were to get a score between 12-15 on each of the 12 essays would I effectively be able to "pass" the exam section or get a passing grade on that section?

[BVest]

If any one knows the answer to this question please feel free to respond. So I'm not 100% clear one the grading of the bar exam. I do know that each essay on the Texas exam has a score scale between 0 - 25. If I were to get a score between 12-15 on each of the 12 essays would I effectively be able to "pass" the exam section or get a passing grade on that section?

A) Don't worry about how it's graded at this point. Knowing how it's graded can inform your study strategy, but that boat has sailed. Today is better spent with light P/E review and preparing your stacks for what to take to the exam each day.

B) If you must, there is no required passing score for each section. Passing relies solely on total score. Here's scoring described in detail.

[mendianne]

If any one knows the answer to this question please feel free to respond. So I'm not 100% clear one the grading of the bar exam. I do know that each essay on the Texas exam has a score scale between 0 - 25. If I were to get a score between 12-15 on each of the 12 essays would I effectively be able to "pass" the exam section or get a passing grade on that section?

A) Don't worry about how it's graded at this point. Knowing how it's graded can inform your study strategy, but that boat has sailed. Today is better spent with light P/E review and preparing your stacks for what to take to the exam each day.

B) If you must, there is no required passing score for each section. Passing relies solely on total score. Here's scoring described in detail.

A. No need be to rude. I wanted to know for my own personal reason and my day today will be spent doing as I please.

B. Ive already looked at the scoring described in detail and I stated that it was unclear to me and was seeking clarity.

If you didn't want to answer my question directly and positively it was probably best you didn't respond to me at all. Thanks

[nothingtosee]

If any one knows the answer to this question please feel free to respond. So I'm not 100% clear one the grading of the bar exam. I do know that each essay on the Texas exam has a score scale between 0 - 25. If I were to get a score between 12-15 on each of the 12 essays would I effectively be able to "pass" the exam section or get a passing grade on that section?

A) Don't worry about how it's graded at this point. Knowing how it's graded can inform your study strategy, but that boat has sailed. Today is better spent with light P/E review and preparing your stacks for what to take to the exam each day.

B) If you must, there is no required passing score for each section. Passing relies solely on total score. Here's scoring described in detail.

A. No need be to rude. I wanted to know for my own personal reason and my day today will be spent doing as I please.

B. Ive already looked at the scoring described in detail and I stated that it was unclear to me and was seeking clarity.

If you didn't want to answer my question directly and positively it was probably best you didn't respond to me at all. Thanks

You sound like an entitled child. That was a helpful answer, just not the answer you wanted to hear. And beggars can't be choosers

[BVest]

If any one knows the answer to this question please feel free to respond. So I'm not 100% clear one the grading of the bar exam. I do know that each essay on the Texas exam has a score scale between 0 - 25. If I were to get a score between 12-15 on each of the 12 essays would I effectively be able to "pass" the exam section or get a passing grade on that section?

A) Don't worry about how it's graded at this point. Knowing how it's graded can inform your study strategy, but that boat has sailed. Today is better spent with light P/E review and preparing your stacks for what to take to the exam each day.

B) If you must, there is no required passing score for each section. Passing relies solely on total score. Here's scoring described in detail.

A. No need be to rude. I wanted to know for my own personal reason and my day today will be spent doing as I please.

B. Ive already looked at the scoring described in detail and I stated that it was unclear to me and was seeking clarity.

If you didn't want to answer my question directly and positively it was probably best you didn't respond to me at all. Thanks

I was not trying to be rude. The truth is no one can really tell you. The scores will vary from question to question because the grader for a UCC question is not the same as the grader for a property question. Once the scorers assign a 0-25 to each question, those questions will be scaled against each other so that if, for example, the DTPA grader is more lenient than the Business Orgs grader, that will not be to the advantage of someone who writes a 90th percentile answer for DTPA over someone who writes a 90th percentile answer for Business Orgs. This internal scaling is called "conversion." Then all the converted scores are added together and that sum is then scaled to the MBE scale. So, the 0-25 scale does not determine what your essay score will be (and certainly not whether you would hit 135 for your essays), and actually is two degrees of separation removed from your final essay score. Further, assuming you pass, you will never know your essay score; you'll only get MBE and total score.