Official Kaplan July 2017 Bar Thread Forum

[TheoO]

Is there any value in doing more MPTs? Feel like my time is limited. Want to knock out as many essays as possible atm. Have done like 24 or so? I keep getting stumped when doing the different topics, however, and feel like I can't memorize anything.

[soonerfreak]

Is there any value in doing more MPTs? Feel like my time is limited. Want to knock out as many essays as possible atm. Have done like 24 or so? I keep getting stumped when doing the different topics, however, and feel like I can't memorize anything.

If you are confident in your timing for the MPT then I wouldn't bother. At most I will look at a few sample answers just to get an idea of what they look like. But if you are having issues with timing would be worth it to practice.

[Nonconsecutive]

Yeah at this point I honestly wouldn't spend a lot of time on MPTs since they are the only closed-universe portion of the exam and thus once you've got the basic premise, you've got the tools you need. Though the above advice about timing is good, but even then if you have to cut your MPT answer short, but end up doing better on the MBE or essays because you more spent the time on non-MPT studying, then you've gained points (at least in my jurisdiction).

[mandyjay11]

I did well on the final but am not doing so well on the QB questions (like solidly within the 60-70% range), if that's any consolation. I don't know what that means for me come next week, but probably more important to be doing well on the QB than getting most of the hard questions right.

Was there a post that said what we "should" be getting on QBank question sets?

It depends on your strategy; I'm working while studying, so I made the decision to try to rely primarily on a good MBE score to get me into passing range. If you have the time to do good MEE/MPT prep, you don't need to be scoring 70%+ on the MBE to pass.

Ahhh ok. I totally understand that! Thanks!

[stannis]

I did well on the final but am not doing so well on the QB questions (like solidly within the 60-70% range), if that's any consolation. I don't know what that means for me come next week, but probably more important to be doing well on the QB than getting most of the hard questions right.

Was there a post that said what we "should" be getting on QBank question sets?

It depends on your strategy; I'm working while studying, so I made the decision to try to rely primarily on a good MBE score to get me into passing range. If you have the time to do good MEE/MPT prep, you don't need to be scoring 70%+ on the MBE to pass.

Ahhh ok. I totally understand that! Thanks!

Shoot Fromm an email and he'll give you a quick call and give you some more personalized feedback.

[Stephie248]

Is anyone else finding that the prep course has completely skipped over significant areas of law? This has come up several times in my essay practice - where half of an actual previous MEE essay is on a topic that was never mentioned anywhere in the notes or several hours of videos I watched - for example, Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act, how to determine who will be appointed representative of an estate, federal securities laws (apparently supposed to be included in corporations), and factors to consider when determining discovery sanctions. They're also not in the MEE Bar Points book, but some of the information is in the MEE Subject Outline Materials.

I don't have time to read that entire thing and figure out what else is missing. Has anyone found any other areas we should maybe be aware of and read up on over the next week?

I'm taking UBE, btw.

[TheoO]

Yea, I came across the land restoration issue in contract law and that never came up in my outline, as far as I remember (whether a breaching party has to pay for the full recovery of the land or just the land value reduction).

[torilynn]

Is anyone else finding that the prep course has completely skipped over significant areas of law? This has come up several times in my essay practice - where half of an actual previous MEE essay is on a topic that was never mentioned anywhere in the notes or several hours of videos I watched - for example, Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act, how to determine who will be appointed representative of an estate, federal securities laws (apparently supposed to be included in corporations), and factors to consider when determining discovery sanctions. They're also not in the MEE Bar Points book, but some of the information is in the MEE Subject Outline Materials.

I don't have time to read that entire thing and figure out what else is missing. Has anyone found any other areas we should maybe be aware of and read up on over the next week?

I'm taking UBE, btw.

This is my biggest issue with Kaplan. I noticed that on the exact same essays. Especially when they are such large percentage of the essay question, baffles me that they wouldn't provide us with that information.

[-dasein-]

Took the final today. Yep, it definitely has a lot of tricky questions.

[nybar2017]

Can someone please explain what happens to a trust where one of the beneficiaries (say in a class or specified person) passes away before the settlor (or whoever had a life estate) dies, and the beneficiary was to then receive under the trust? I've looked at a couple essays, but they seem to suggest contrary answers on what is the majority/minority positions. Thanks!

[p3aceandl0v3]

I've noticed that the model answers for some essay questions contradict the information in the outlines. Anyone else?

[iambify]

Not for the essays specifically, but that's because I haven't been reading the sample outlines/answers all that carefully. But I did notice quite a bit of inconsistent information throughout the outlines and explanations to MBE questions

[lawstudent212]

How many Q's does everyone have left in the Qbank? I'm trying to aim to finish them all before the test and was wondering if that was a similar strategy. Also how many MEE essays have you guys submitted?

[stannis]

How many Q's does everyone have left in the Qbank? I'm trying to aim to finish them all before the test and was wondering if that was a similar strategy. Also how many MEE essays have you guys submitted?

I have about 1100 left. Probably going to do 50 a day until the test.

I've submitted 5 MEE essays.

[soonerfreak]

What legal issues have yall gotten in essays but weren't covered? I have run into a few MBE questions where that happened but so far not an essay.

Also down to about 1000 qBank questions and I have submitted 7 essays for grading, outlined about another 20-25.

[Asroma]

Down to 800 Q. Submitted 4 essays for grading. Outlined less than 10. I'm just reviewing them at this point.

[Damage Over Time]

I've noticed that the model answers for some essay questions contradict the information in the outlines. Anyone else?

When I was doing Kaplan bar prep, my biggest issue with Kaplan was the inconsistency in the quality/correctness of the model answers. You're not alone.

[TheoO]

About 1100 MBE Qs left. I'll do about 50 a day or so from here, maybe 100 on the weekend prior. I've submitted maybe 20 essays and outlined maybe 10? Still feel like I get tripped up, but worried about ignoring MBEs at this point. I feel pretty comfortable with my performances there, though. My memory is absolute shit.

[TheoO]

I've noticed that the model answers for some essay questions contradict the information in the outlines. Anyone else?

When I was doing Kaplan bar prep, my biggest issue with Kaplan was the inconsistency in the quality/correctness of the model answers. You're not alone.

It's pretty shitty for them to have the law wrong on the model essays, but you can also say that it goes to the fact that for the essay section: it's really your organization and clarity that really counts.

[tacocohcevoli]

Is anyone else finding that the prep course has completely skipped over significant areas of law? This has come up several times in my essay practice - where half of an actual previous MEE essay is on a topic that was never mentioned anywhere in the notes or several hours of videos I watched - for example, Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act, how to determine who will be appointed representative of an estate, federal securities laws (apparently supposed to be included in corporations), and factors to consider when determining discovery sanctions. They're also not in the MEE Bar Points book, but some of the information is in the MEE Subject Outline Materials.

I don't have time to read that entire thing and figure out what else is missing. Has anyone found any other areas we should maybe be aware of and read up on over the next week?

I'm taking UBE, btw.

I think the point Kaplan's trying to drill into us is that for the MEE it literally does not matter if you know every rule of a given subject; you can pass the exam without knowing the BLL of any essay, so long as you properly organize your arguments and make sure they are easy to follow. Which isn't to say there's not a value in learning the BLL, but to say you don't need to panic if the essays on the actual exam happen to ask you about some esoteric part of the law you didn't learn while studying.

[Stephie248]

Is anyone else finding that the prep course has completely skipped over significant areas of law? This has come up several times in my essay practice - where half of an actual previous MEE essay is on a topic that was never mentioned anywhere in the notes or several hours of videos I watched - for example, Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act, how to determine who will be appointed representative of an estate, federal securities laws (apparently supposed to be included in corporations), and factors to consider when determining discovery sanctions. They're also not in the MEE Bar Points book, but some of the information is in the MEE Subject Outline Materials.

I don't have time to read that entire thing and figure out what else is missing. Has anyone found any other areas we should maybe be aware of and read up on over the next week?

I'm taking UBE, btw.

I think the point Kaplan's trying to drill into us is that for the MEE it literally does not matter if you know every rule of a given subject; you can pass the exam without knowing the BLL of any essay, so long as you properly organize your arguments and make sure they are easy to follow. Which isn't to say there's not a value in learning the BLL, but to say you don't need to panic if the essays on the actual exam happen to ask you about some esoteric part of the law you didn't learn while studying.

Makes sense, I guess. It's just frustrating! Especially to know those topics have previously showed up on the bar, and Kaplan chose not to cover them...oh well.

[torilynn]

How many Q's does everyone have left in the Qbank? I'm trying to aim to finish them all before the test and was wondering if that was a similar strategy. Also how many MEE essays have you guys submitted?

Ive submitted 16 essays. And outlined/issue spotted/read a bunch more. I have 806 q's left but I've also completed 800 on adaptibar. I plan to jut strictly do adaptibar and do at least 50 a day.

[mbc106]

I am consistently scoring in the 60-65% range on the qbank and purple book questions and feeling very discouraged. Is this going to be enough for me to get a 266 on the UBE?

[Yugihoe]

I am consistently scoring in the 60-65% range on the qbank and purple book questions and feeling very discouraged. Is this going to be enough for me to get a 266 on the UBE?

Yea that is enough. You should check out the calculator on the MBE auto pass thread. You could be like bottom quarter of MEE and still pass. Keep grinding and do the questions you haven't done yet. You got this.

[np1211]

Anyone have any advice on how to approach Commercial Paper? I feel completely lost, I am getting very lost in the language and just can't seem to get hold of this one subject.