2017 Results Thread - February Exam Forum

[happyhour1122]

Hey guys don't want to leave the thread hanging just because I didn't get the news I wanted. Still pushing for those waiting on those results.

Good or bad you will feel the weight start to lift once you find out.

Hey Virgoyum, you do whatever you feel like doing for now.
Any plans?

If I take it again which I likely will because now it's a competition and I must win, I will be dropping Barbri. It's not ideal for those that work full time. Maybe because I was so many years out of law school and thus wary about taking the bar on so many years later I trusted in the Barbri method and felt I needed to do it exactly that way. But it didn't work for me. I understand now that I must take control because throwing a bunch of material at me clearly doesn't work. I will design my own schedule and think I should start studying within the next two weeks since I can't take a lot of time off from work. Only took a week and a half off for this exam which meant there were an overwhelming amount of sleepless nights. I'd cycle through up all night and straight to the office in the am which I'm sure affected me and my stamina.

My tentative plan would be to start with rereading the CMR outlines, since they are the good thing about Barbri, and supplement with the critical pass flash cards instead of using the phone app. I will still use babri's essays but I'm considering purchasing Ameribar's mee book from Amazon. Since I would need the mobility of answering questions online i will go ahead and purchase adaptibar as well. I also still have the Kaplan mbe book from last year I couldn't get too. If I start soon, the goal is to be much more solid on black letter by the time bar prep season commences and then use those 2-3 months preceding the exam for balls to the wall practice practice practice and further memorization. I know now more than ever I can't afford to simultaneously read and practice, work full time, live, relationship, and lose sleep as indicated by my last two tries. I think key for me this time around is to trust in my own ability to create my own strategy and schedule and to start way early so I can fit in proper sleep and healthier habits.

If I may add more, please consider Emanuel. Not only I've learned so much from this book, it is real questions and a lot cheaper than Adaptibar. If you can get Adaptibar, go with that of course.
Also, critical pass is great but try to use the flash cards. (take a bath while you look into it!)
Was it your MBE score that needed improvement or the essay? Ifs its MBE-> Emanuel.
If its the essays, literally write out the answer!!
I can tell you with more confidence once I pass. Do you have the lean sheet? heard thats helpful for the essays.

Also, if you score was above 260, you can always waive into other jurisdiction.

.

Do you have the link to the Emmanuel book you purchased? I don't know what my score is yet, we won't know for another 3 days.

Yes this time I was going to buy the full flash cards instaid of the paid app on my phone re: Critical pass. Hopefully the cards are better than the app because I didn't think the cards on the phone app were that great at 70 bucks. Everyone seems to swear by Critical pass ...

I don't have lean sheets I depended solely on Barbri but not any longer. I have to create my own schedule and I may see if anyone in Illinois would like to form a study group after business hours.

Per waiving in, provided I got 260 or above, can you waive in from MBE into UBE? I'm in an MBE state.

the flashcards on app and real cards should be exactly the same. The only difference would be that you can "touch it".
If you were not a UBE state, I don't think you can waive in the whole score, but I know some states will accept MBE score into UBE. For example I think NY accepts MBE scores from a non UBE state. Look into that.

Terms of Emanuel:

https://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Tacti ... ds=emanuel

There are two other versions which I used all-
if you can pick up some "used" it should work. Also, check your inbox

[Chevron Deference]

After I had enough time to calm down. I would like to say I wouldn't have passed this time around if it wasn't for this forum and all the knowledge on here, I consistently looked at old bar result threads from the past years to help me. I would like to say to all that did not pass, hang in there you will definitely pass the bar, you graduated law school so I know you can pass. Take a day or two off and really think about what your achilles heel is when it comes to the bar exam. Ask your self is it the MBE? is it the essay? or both. This is the time to be brutally honest with yourself.

I am a repeater so I decided to self study this time and supplement my old Barbri books with Adaptibar, Strategies and Tactics, and a Kaplan book that I ordered off of Amazon. I set a strict schedule but I started studying at the end of November. I spent the first two months really trying to understand the law and the different nuances through the Barbri CMR book. I created my own outlines from a mixture of the lecture handouts and the CMR, granted these outlines were long but they were the first draft of outlines.

In January I took every exam in the Barbri book except the full-day exam based on my schedule. I reviewed every question and wrote down the wrong answers, and subsequently added them to my outlines. Eventually after continuous review of the outlines, the nuances became so engrained in my thought process the tricks in questions became easier to point out. I could really read and understand the Bar questions as well as the Barbri questions.

I did the Barbri Simulated Midterm in mid January and scored a 130 raw score. I continued doing the my daily MBEs from Barbri and Adapitbar combined, I did not focus on a set number but I focused more on understanding the question and what the bar examiners were specifically testing on.
I shifted my focus to essays in the last two weeks of the exam, I outlined about 12 essays from each major MEE subject and I outlined 12 essays from Illinois Civil Procedure and Equity and extracted all the rules from those subjects. I think I wrote maybe 4 essays out total.

I think as a repeater it is good to know the Illinois distinctions to set you apart from the other examinees, I spent very little time on the distinctions but I knew enough to recognize them in every essay (even the worker's comp Illinois statute question).

I created a spreadsheet for my self, that way while I was waiting for the results I could look at my numbers and attempted to find peace while waiting.

In sum, I spent about 80%-90% on the MBE and really tried to understand the law and nuances and I spent maybe 10%-20% on essays.

If anyone would like to message me I am willing to help.

[happyhour1122]

After I had enough time to calm down. I would like to say I wouldn't have passed this time around if it wasn't for this forum and all the knowledge on here, I consistently looked at old bar result threads from the past years to help me. I would like to say to all that did not pass, hang in there you will definitely pass the bar, you graduated law school so I know you can pass. Take a day or two off and really think about what your achilles heel is when it comes to the bar exam. Ask your self is it the MBE? is it the essay? or both. This is the time to be brutally honest with yourself.

I am a repeater so I decided to self study this time and supplement my old Barbri books with Adaptibar, Strategies and Tactics, and a Kaplan book that I ordered off of Amazon. I set a strict schedule but I started studying at the end of November. I spent the first two months really trying to understand the law and the different nuances through the Barbri CMR book. I created my own outlines from a mixture of the lecture handouts and the CMR, granted these outlines were long but they were the first draft of outlines.

In January I took every exam in the Barbri book except the full-day exam based on my schedule. I reviewed every question and wrote down the wrong answers, and subsequently added them to my outlines. Eventually after continuous review of the outlines, the nuances became so engrained in my thought process the tricks in questions became easier to point out. I could really read and understand the Bar questions as well as the Barbri questions.

I did the Barbri Simulated Midterm in mid January and scored a 130 raw score. I continued doing the my daily MBEs from Barbri and Adapitbar combined, I did not focus on a set number but I focused more on understanding the question and what the bar examiners were specifically testing on.
I shifted my focus to essays in the last two weeks of the exam, I outlined about 12 essays from each major MEE subject and I outlined 12 essays from Illinois Civil Procedure and Equity and extracted all the rules from those subjects. I think I wrote maybe 4 essays out total.

I think as a repeater it is good to know the Illinois distinctions to set you apart from the other examinees, I spent very little time on the distinctions but I knew enough to recognize them in every essay (even the worker's comp Illinois statute question).

I created a spreadsheet for my self, that way while I was waiting for the results I could look at my numbers and attempted to find peace while waiting.


Thanks for the info. Wish we knew how many points you increased. But overall- I did it very similar to what you did. fingers crossed for me...
In sum, I spent about 80%-90% on the MBE and really tried to understand the law and nuances and I spent maybe 10%-20% on essays.

If anyone would like to message me I am willing to help.

[virgoyum]

After I had enough time to calm down. I would like to say I wouldn't have passed this time around if it wasn't for this forum and all the knowledge on here, I consistently looked at old bar result threads from the past years to help me. I would like to say to all that did not pass, hang in there you will definitely pass the bar, you graduated law school so I know you can pass. Take a day or two off and really think about what your achilles heel is when it comes to the bar exam. Ask your self is it the MBE? is it the essay? or both. This is the time to be brutally honest with yourself.

I am a repeater so I decided to self study this time and supplement my old Barbri books with Adaptibar, Strategies and Tactics, and a Kaplan book that I ordered off of Amazon. I set a strict schedule but I started studying at the end of November. I spent the first two months really trying to understand the law and the different nuances through the Barbri CMR book. I created my own outlines from a mixture of the lecture handouts and the CMR, granted these outlines were long but they were the first draft of outlines.

In January I took every exam in the Barbri book except the full-day exam based on my schedule. I reviewed every question and wrote down the wrong answers, and subsequently added them to my outlines. Eventually after continuous review of the outlines, the nuances became so engrained in my thought process the tricks in questions became easier to point out. I could really read and understand the Bar questions as well as the Barbri questions.

I did the Barbri Simulated Midterm in mid January and scored a 130 raw score. I continued doing the my daily MBEs from Barbri and Adapitbar combined, I did not focus on a set number but I focused more on understanding the question and what the bar examiners were specifically testing on.
I shifted my focus to essays in the last two weeks of the exam, I outlined about 12 essays from each major MEE subject and I outlined 12 essays from Illinois Civil Procedure and Equity and extracted all the rules from those subjects. I think I wrote maybe 4 essays out total.

I think as a repeater it is good to know the Illinois distinctions to set you apart from the other examinees, I spent very little time on the distinctions but I knew enough to recognize them in every essay (even the worker's comp Illinois statute question).

I created a spreadsheet for my self, that way while I was waiting for the results I could look at my numbers and attempted to find peace while waiting.

In sum, I spent about 80%-90% on the MBE and really tried to understand the law and nuances and I spent maybe 10%-20% on essays.

If anyone would like to message me I am willing to help.

This is really great advice. Did you create a schedule? If you have a template that would be great.

[virgoyum]

Hey guys don't want to leave the thread hanging just because I didn't get the news I wanted. Still pushing for those waiting on those results.

Good or bad you will feel the weight start to lift once you find out.

Hey Virgoyum, you do whatever you feel like doing for now.
Any plans?

If I take it again which I likely will because now it's a competition and I must win, I will be dropping Barbri. It's not ideal for those that work full time. Maybe because I was so many years out of law school and thus wary about taking the bar on so many years later I trusted in the Barbri method and felt I needed to do it exactly that way. But it didn't work for me. I understand now that I must take control because throwing a bunch of material at me clearly doesn't work. I will design my own schedule and think I should start studying within the next two weeks since I can't take a lot of time off from work. Only took a week and a half off for this exam which meant there were an overwhelming amount of sleepless nights. I'd cycle through up all night and straight to the office in the am which I'm sure affected me and my stamina.

My tentative plan would be to start with rereading the CMR outlines, since they are the good thing about Barbri, and supplement with the critical pass flash cards instead of using the phone app. I will still use babri's essays but I'm considering purchasing Ameribar's mee book from Amazon. Since I would need the mobility of answering questions online i will go ahead and purchase adaptibar as well. I also still have the Kaplan mbe book from last year I couldn't get too. If I start soon, the goal is to be much more solid on black letter by the time bar prep season commences and then use those 2-3 months preceding the exam for balls to the wall practice practice practice and further memorization. I know now more than ever I can't afford to simultaneously read and practice, work full time, live, relationship, and lose sleep as indicated by my last two tries. I think key for me this time around is to trust in my own ability to create my own strategy and schedule and to start way early so I can fit in proper sleep and healthier habits.

If I may add more, please consider Emanuel. Not only I've learned so much from this book, it is real questions and a lot cheaper than Adaptibar. If you can get Adaptibar, go with that of course.
Also, critical pass is great but try to use the flash cards. (take a bath while you look into it!)
Was it your MBE score that needed improvement or the essay? Ifs its MBE-> Emanuel.
If its the essays, literally write out the answer!!
I can tell you with more confidence once I pass. Do you have the lean sheet? heard thats helpful for the essays.

Also, if you score was above 260, you can always waive into other jurisdiction.

.

Do you have the link to the Emmanuel book you purchased? I don't know what my score is yet, we won't know for another 3 days.

Yes this time I was going to buy the full flash cards instaid of the paid app on my phone re: Critical pass. Hopefully the cards are better than the app because I didn't think the cards on the phone app were that great at 70 bucks. Everyone seems to swear by Critical pass ...

I don't have lean sheets I depended solely on Barbri but not any longer. I have to create my own schedule and I may see if anyone in Illinois would like to form a study group after business hours.

Per waiving in, provided I got 260 or above, can you waive in from MBE into UBE? I'm in an MBE state.

the flashcards on app and real cards should be exactly the same. The only difference would be that you can "touch it".
If you were not a UBE state, I don't think you can waive in the whole score, but I know some states will accept MBE score into UBE. For example I think NY accepts MBE scores from a non UBE state. Look into that.

Terms of Emanuel:

https://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Tacti ... ds=emanuel

There are two other versions which I used all-
if you can pick up some "used" it should work. Also, check your inbox

I'll take another look at the flash cards again. I think I remember Amazon had more cards than I did on the app.

I saved the Emmanuel book on my list. I think I'm going to take a look at my investment thus far and make sure I'm making the right choices.

Yes I'm in an MBE state and I figured as much. IL has talked about UBE for the last two years it seems and no dice yet.

Now I have to look forward to an increased passing score

[lawst_]

Hey guys don't want to leave the thread hanging just because I didn't get the news I wanted. Still pushing for those waiting on those results.

Good or bad you will feel the weight start to lift once you find out.

Hey Virgoyum, you do whatever you feel like doing for now.
Any plans?

If I take it again which I likely will because now it's a competition and I must win, I will be dropping Barbri. It's not ideal for those that work full time. Maybe because I was so many years out of law school and thus wary about taking the bar on so many years later I trusted in the Barbri method and felt I needed to do it exactly that way. But it didn't work for me. I understand now that I must take control because throwing a bunch of material at me clearly doesn't work. I will design my own schedule and think I should start studying within the next two weeks since I can't take a lot of time off from work. Only took a week and a half off for this exam which meant there were an overwhelming amount of sleepless nights. I'd cycle through up all night and straight to the office in the am which I'm sure affected me and my stamina.

My tentative plan would be to start with rereading the CMR outlines, since they are the good thing about Barbri, and supplement with the critical pass flash cards instead of using the phone app. I will still use babri's essays but I'm considering purchasing Ameribar's mee book from Amazon. Since I would need the mobility of answering questions online i will go ahead and purchase adaptibar as well. I also still have the Kaplan mbe book from last year I couldn't get too. If I start soon, the goal is to be much more solid on black letter by the time bar prep season commences and then use those 2-3 months preceding the exam for balls to the wall practice practice practice and further memorization. I know now more than ever I can't afford to simultaneously read and practice, work full time, live, relationship, and lose sleep as indicated by my last two tries. I think key for me this time around is to trust in my own ability to create my own strategy and schedule and to start way early so I can fit in proper sleep and healthier habits.

If I may add more, please consider Emanuel. Not only I've learned so much from this book, it is real questions and a lot cheaper than Adaptibar. If you can get Adaptibar, go with that of course.
Also, critical pass is great but try to use the flash cards. (take a bath while you look into it!)
Was it your MBE score that needed improvement or the essay? Ifs its MBE-> Emanuel.
If its the essays, literally write out the answer!!
I can tell you with more confidence once I pass. Do you have the lean sheet? heard thats helpful for the essays.

Also, if you score was above 260, you can always waive into other jurisdiction.

.

Do you have the link to the Emmanuel book you purchased? I don't know what my score is yet, we won't know for another 3 days.

Yes this time I was going to buy the full flash cards instaid of the paid app on my phone re: Critical pass. Hopefully the cards are better than the app because I didn't think the cards on the phone app were that great at 70 bucks. Everyone seems to swear by Critical pass ...

I don't have lean sheets I depended solely on Barbri but not any longer. I have to create my own schedule and I may see if anyone in Illinois would like to form a study group after business hours.

Per waiving in, provided I got 260 or above, can you waive in from MBE into UBE? I'm in an MBE state.

the flashcards on app and real cards should be exactly the same. The only difference would be that you can "touch it".
If you were not a UBE state, I don't think you can waive in the whole score, but I know some states will accept MBE score into UBE. For example I think NY accepts MBE scores from a non UBE state. Look into that.

Terms of Emanuel:

https://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Tacti ... ds=emanuel

There are two other versions which I used all-
if you can pick up some "used" it should work. Also, check your inbox

I'll take another look at the flash cards again. I think I remember Amazon had more cards than I did on the app.

I saved the Emmanuel book on my list. I think I'm going to take a look at my investment thus far and make sure I'm making the right choices.

Yes I'm in an MBE state and I figured as much. IL has talked about UBE for the last two years it seems and no dice yet.

Now I have to look forward to an increased passing score

FWIW I've heard the law school deans from IL schools are fighting the score being raised. Dunno what the outcome will be, but fingers crossed for y'all. 25 experimental questions AND the score going up seems unfair.

[Anderson88]

FWIW I've heard the law school deans from IL schools are fighting the score being raised. Dunno what the outcome will be, but fingers crossed for y'all. 25 experimental questions AND the score going up seems unfair.

They objected to raising the cut score from 264 to 272. 268 is the "compromise".
http://www.chicagolawbulletin.com/Archi ... 27-15.aspx

25 experimental questions AND the score going up is quite unfair indeed.

[Chevron Deference]

After I had enough time to calm down. I would like to say I wouldn't have passed this time around if it wasn't for this forum and all the knowledge on here, I consistently looked at old bar result threads from the past years to help me. I would like to say to all that did not pass, hang in there you will definitely pass the bar, you graduated law school so I know you can pass. Take a day or two off and really think about what your achilles heel is when it comes to the bar exam. Ask your self is it the MBE? is it the essay? or both. This is the time to be brutally honest with yourself.

I am a repeater so I decided to self study this time and supplement my old Barbri books with Adaptibar, Strategies and Tactics, and a Kaplan book that I ordered off of Amazon. I set a strict schedule but I started studying at the end of November. I spent the first two months really trying to understand the law and the different nuances through the Barbri CMR book. I created my own outlines from a mixture of the lecture handouts and the CMR, granted these outlines were long but they were the first draft of outlines.

In January I took every exam in the Barbri book except the full-day exam based on my schedule. I reviewed every question and wrote down the wrong answers, and subsequently added them to my outlines. Eventually after continuous review of the outlines, the nuances became so engrained in my thought process the tricks in questions became easier to point out. I could really read and understand the Bar questions as well as the Barbri questions.

I did the Barbri Simulated Midterm in mid January and scored a 130 raw score. I continued doing the my daily MBEs from Barbri and Adapitbar combined, I did not focus on a set number but I focused more on understanding the question and what the bar examiners were specifically testing on.
I shifted my focus to essays in the last two weeks of the exam, I outlined about 12 essays from each major MEE subject and I outlined 12 essays from Illinois Civil Procedure and Equity and extracted all the rules from those subjects. I think I wrote maybe 4 essays out total.

I think as a repeater it is good to know the Illinois distinctions to set you apart from the other examinees, I spent very little time on the distinctions but I knew enough to recognize them in every essay (even the worker's comp Illinois statute question).

I created a spreadsheet for my self, that way while I was waiting for the results I could look at my numbers and attempted to find peace while waiting.

In sum, I spent about 80%-90% on the MBE and really tried to understand the law and nuances and I spent maybe 10%-20% on essays.

If anyone would like to message me I am willing to help.

This is really great advice. Did you create a schedule? If you have a template that would be great.

I created a schedule in the beginning but closer and closer I got to the exam the more I drifted away from my own schedule.

[lolabear727]

Hey guys don't want to leave the thread hanging just because I didn't get the news I wanted. Still pushing for those waiting on those results.

Good or bad you will feel the weight start to lift once you find out.

Sorry to hear that. Keep your spirits up! I've been there. I hope i'm not there again. Practicing in FL now, waiting on NY results.

[virgoyum]

If I take it again which I likely will because now it's a competition and I must win, I will be dropping Barbri. It's not ideal for those that work full time. Maybe because I was so many years out of law school and thus wary about taking the bar on so many years later I trusted in the Barbri method and felt I needed to do it exactly that way. But it didn't work for me. I understand now that I must take control because throwing a bunch of material at me clearly doesn't work. I will design my own schedule and think I should start studying within the next two weeks since I can't take a lot of time off from work. Only took a week and a half off for this exam which meant there were an overwhelming amount of sleepless nights. I'd cycle through up all night and straight to the office in the am which I'm sure affected me and my stamina.

My tentative plan would be to start with rereading the CMR outlines, since they are the good thing about Barbri, and supplement with the critical pass flash cards instead of using the phone app. I will still use babri's essays but I'm considering purchasing Ameribar's mee book from Amazon. Since I would need the mobility of answering questions online i will go ahead and purchase adaptibar as well. I also still have the Kaplan mbe book from last year I couldn't get too. If I start soon, the goal is to be much more solid on black letter by the time bar prep season commences and then use those 2-3 months preceding the exam for balls to the wall practice practice practice and further memorization. I know now more than ever I can't afford to simultaneously read and practice, work full time, live, relationship, and lose sleep as indicated by my last two tries. I think key for me this time around is to trust in my own ability to create my own strategy and schedule and to start way early so I can fit in proper sleep and healthier habits.

If I may add more, please consider Emanuel. Not only I've learned so much from this book, it is real questions and a lot cheaper than Adaptibar. If you can get Adaptibar, go with that of course.
Also, critical pass is great but try to use the flash cards. (take a bath while you look into it!)
Was it your MBE score that needed improvement or the essay? Ifs its MBE-> Emanuel.
If its the essays, literally write out the answer!!
I can tell you with more confidence once I pass. Do you have the lean sheet? heard thats helpful for the essays.

Also, if you score was above 260, you can always waive into other jurisdiction.

.

Do you have the link to the Emmanuel book you purchased? I don't know what my score is yet, we won't know for another 3 days.

Yes this time I was going to buy the full flash cards instaid of the paid app on my phone re: Critical pass. Hopefully the cards are better than the app because I didn't think the cards on the phone app were that great at 70 bucks. Everyone seems to swear by Critical pass ...

I don't have lean sheets I depended solely on Barbri but not any longer. I have to create my own schedule and I may see if anyone in Illinois would like to form a study group after business hours.

Per waiving in, provided I got 260 or above, can you waive in from MBE into UBE? I'm in an MBE state.

the flashcards on app and real cards should be exactly the same. The only difference would be that you can "touch it".
If you were not a UBE state, I don't think you can waive in the whole score, but I know some states will accept MBE score into UBE. For example I think NY accepts MBE scores from a non UBE state. Look into that.

Terms of Emanuel:

https://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Tacti ... ds=emanuel

There are two other versions which I used all-
if you can pick up some "used" it should work. Also, check your inbox

I'll take another look at the flash cards again. I think I remember Amazon had more cards than I did on the app.

I saved the Emmanuel book on my list. I think I'm going to take a look at my investment thus far and make sure I'm making the right choices.

Yes I'm in an MBE state and I figured as much. IL has talked about UBE for the last two years it seems and no dice yet.

Now I have to look forward to an increased passing score

FWIW I've heard the law school deans from IL schools are fighting the score being raised. Dunno what the outcome will be, but fingers crossed for y'all. 25 experimental questions AND the score going up seems unfair.

I hope so. It's a lot in one year especially given the pass rates. You don't need to worry about that anymore. I hope you're celebrating tonight. Go crazy!

[lolabear727]

Does anyone know if the simulated MBE scores for practice tests are really indicative of scores?

I would assume that they are. However, the highest that I ever scored on a simulated score was 108/200. I passed with a 140 in FL 2 years ago.

[virgoyum]

FWIW I've heard the law school deans from IL schools are fighting the score being raised. Dunno what the outcome will be, but fingers crossed for y'all. 25 experimental questions AND the score going up seems unfair.

They objected to raising the cut score from 264 to 272. 268 is the "compromise".
http://www.chicagolawbulletin.com/Archi ... 27-15.aspx

25 experimental questions AND the score going up is quite unfair indeed.

It really feels unfair. Do you plan on trying again?

[virgoyum]

Hey guys don't want to leave the thread hanging just because I didn't get the news I wanted. Still pushing for those waiting on those results.

Good or bad you will feel the weight start to lift once you find out.

Sorry to hear that. Keep your spirits up! I've been there. I hope i'm not there again. Practicing in FL now, waiting on NY results.

It's a bit surreal now. Keeping my mind busy and figuring out what I want to do is helping to hold back the wallowing spirit.

[KungPowEnterTheFist]

Wow....I passed!! Never knew what tears of joy felt like until today...long time coming...

I'm a retaker and felt all the odds were against me this time around...but it's doable. To those you who didn't make it this time, stay strong because you will get it next round. Really.

I'm a retaker too and I cried too!! Missed it by 14 points the first time and by 3 points the second time. I was so far gone in my negative downward spiral, that I had resigned myself to thinking I'd just see another "I regret to inform you...." BUT not this time!! The weight of it all took a full day to go away, but omg did I cry. They weren't tears of happiness exactly. I think I was just so overwhelmed and soooo expecting to see another "I regret" phrasing, that I was going to cry no matter what.

Congratulations to you!!

Hi there,
can you tell me what you did in your first, second studies and what you did in the third try?

Hey! Of course! I started writing out what I did and then I realized that probably not many people would want to read how sorry my story is, even though I finally pulled through in the end. I actually have never posted on this forum before, but I see that there is a private messaging function. I'll private message you!

[AP5623]

Does anyone know if the simulated MBE scores for practice tests are really indicative of scores?

I would assume that they are. However, the highest that I ever scored on a simulated score was 108/200. I passed with a 140 in FL 2 years ago.

I got a high practice MBE last exam and then on the scaled score bombed and got a 127....this time I got around 146 for Kaplan practice and am nervous I could have bombed again with the new grading situation.

[Anderson88]

FWIW I've heard the law school deans from IL schools are fighting the score being raised. Dunno what the outcome will be, but fingers crossed for y'all. 25 experimental questions AND the score going up seems unfair.

They objected to raising the cut score from 264 to 272. 268 is the "compromise".
http://www.chicagolawbulletin.com/Archi ... 27-15.aspx

25 experimental questions AND the score going up is quite unfair indeed.

It really feels unfair. Do you plan on trying again?

I am definitely skipping this next administration. I've been unemployed while studying for the past 3 exams so the time off is taking a toll on my resume and my mental & financial state, I can't do it for another 6 or 7 months. I need a break from this thing, but I'm sure I will end up taking it again in a year or so..I'm too competitive to let the test win!

[virgoyum]

Wow....I passed!! Never knew what tears of joy felt like until today...long time coming...

I'm a retaker and felt all the odds were against me this time around...but it's doable. To those you who didn't make it this time, stay strong because you will get it next round. Really.

I'm a retaker too and I cried too!! Missed it by 14 points the first time and by 3 points the second time. I was so far gone in my negative downward spiral, that I had resigned myself to thinking I'd just see another "I regret to inform you...." BUT not this time!! The weight of it all took a full day to go away, but omg did I cry. They weren't tears of happiness exactly. I think I was just so overwhelmed and soooo expecting to see another "I regret" phrasing, that I was going to cry no matter what.

Congratulations to you!!

Hi there,
can you tell me what you did in your first, second studies and what you did in the third try?

Hey! Of course! I started writing out what I did and then I realized that probably not many people would want to read how sorry my story is, even though I finally pulled through in the end. I actually have never posted on this forum before, but I see that there is a private messaging function. I'll private message you!

Could you copy and paste to me too just so you don't have to rewrite it.

[virgoyum]

FWIW I've heard the law school deans from IL schools are fighting the score being raised. Dunno what the outcome will be, but fingers crossed for y'all. 25 experimental questions AND the score going up seems unfair.

They objected to raising the cut score from 264 to 272. 268 is the "compromise".
http://www.chicagolawbulletin.com/Archi ... 27-15.aspx

25 experimental questions AND the score going up is quite unfair indeed.

It really feels unfair. Do you plan on trying again?

I am definitely skipping this next administration. I've been unemployed while studying for the past 3 exams so the time off is taking a toll on my resume and my mental & financial state, I can't do it for another 6 or 7 months. I need a break from this thing, but I'm sure I will end up taking it again in a year or so..I'm too competitive to let the test win!

I understand. It's a lot to deal with and a big chunk of your life. I'm not super religious but I believe God has our back. The fact you're not giving up is a testimony to your will.

[KungPowEnterTheFist]

Wow....I passed!! Never knew what tears of joy felt like until today...long time coming...

I'm a retaker and felt all the odds were against me this time around...but it's doable. To those you who didn't make it this time, stay strong because you will get it next round. Really.

I'm a retaker too and I cried too!! Missed it by 14 points the first time and by 3 points the second time. I was so far gone in my negative downward spiral, that I had resigned myself to thinking I'd just see another "I regret to inform you...." BUT not this time!! The weight of it all took a full day to go away, but omg did I cry. They weren't tears of happiness exactly. I think I was just so overwhelmed and soooo expecting to see another "I regret" phrasing, that I was going to cry no matter what.

Congratulations to you!!

Hi there,
can you tell me what you did in your first, second studies and what you did in the third try?

Hey! Of course! I started writing out what I did and then I realized that probably not many people would want to read how sorry my story is, even though I finally pulled through in the end. I actually have never posted on this forum before, but I see that there is a private messaging function. I'll private message you!

Could you copy and paste to me too just so you don't have to rewrite it.

Hey! Of course. I'm almost done writing it up. I'll send it to you as well. It's pretty cathartic writing it out tbh.

[virgoyum]

Wow....I passed!! Never knew what tears of joy felt like until today...long time coming...

I'm a retaker and felt all the odds were against me this time around...but it's doable. To those you who didn't make it this time, stay strong because you will get it next round. Really.

I'm a retaker too and I cried too!! Missed it by 14 points the first time and by 3 points the second time. I was so far gone in my negative downward spiral, that I had resigned myself to thinking I'd just see another "I regret to inform you...." BUT not this time!! The weight of it all took a full day to go away, but omg did I cry. They weren't tears of happiness exactly. I think I was just so overwhelmed and soooo expecting to see another "I regret" phrasing, that I was going to cry no matter what.

Congratulations to you!!

Hi there,
can you tell me what you did in your first, second studies and what you did in the third try?

Hey! Of course! I started writing out what I did and then I realized that probably not many people would want to read how sorry my story is, even though I finally pulled through in the end. I actually have never posted on this forum before, but I see that there is a private messaging function. I'll private message you!

Could you copy and paste to me too just so you don't have to rewrite it.

Hey! Of course. I'm almost done writing it up. I'll send it to you as well. It's pretty cathartic writing it out tbh.

I bet it is. Honestly, reading everyone's feedback and good news is super helpful and uplifting to me. Maybe someone will benefit from you posting it public if you so choose.

Congratulations again

[shc63]

To all that passed - congrats to you all. I don't ever remember being so happy..ever. To those that didn't make it this time around, really really just hang in there. I know for a fact that this exam is no reflection on one's intelligence or aptitude. Several undoubtedly bright and top-ranked students of my class joined me in retaking this thing. You'll kill it for sure next time. It's a completely different animal - and it just comes easier to some more than others. Having been there, I know nothing anyone says will really make you feel that much better. But it'll all work out.

What I did differently:
The first time around, I used Barbri and did everything they wanted me to do. Viewed/listened to the lectures, did the online questions and practice questions, etc. Maybe this works for many, but just didn't work for me. The second time around, I ditched Barbri completely. I only used Barbri's outline. Read through it line by line, and outlined like a mofo to get the big picture not for memory. Did this over the course of 3 months according to a schedule I made for myself while working full time at a very demanding law firm. I started in October and was done outlining each of the 7 MBE topics by December 31.

Then I practiced what I learned via the Emanuel books everyone recommended. Here are the books I used:
- Strategies & Tactics for the MBE 2, Second Edition (Emanuel Bar Review Series) Emanuel Bar Review Series
- Strategies & Tactics for the MBE (Emanuel Bar Review) Emanuel Bar Review
I read through each book, did each question, and read each answer explanation.

I also tried Critical Pass Flash Cards (the app not hard copies), but did not really end up using them. With less than 2 weeks remaining, I ran out of questions and signed up for Adaptibar at the last minute. What a godsend. I think these are great if you have a grasp on the substantive materials, and you just want to crank through questions for practice/rhythm. They're also so convenient (on your computer or phone) and easily accessible. Yes, after doing Emanuel, you'll see many repeat Qs while doing Adaptibar. But, it still helps you get into the rhythm of the MBE. Plus, I found Emanuel and Adaptibar to be much more closer to the real MBEs than Barbri, so that was an added bonus.

Initially, I figured the MBEs would be the best place to squeeze out more points. I spent about 90% of my focus/time on the MBE. But, even after all of the above, I was still missing a lot. I was at about 65-75% accuracy, which did not feel great after devoting 4 months of prep to MBEs. As the exam neared, I panicked because I focused so much on the MBE and felt ill-prepared for the essays. If I were to do this again, I would've done many more Adaptibar questions (only did about 700), and much more essay practice.

Final tip - look for MEE topic predictions online. I forget exactly where, but there was some blog/site that predicted trusts and family law. With so little time left, I took a chance and prepped only for those, among some other usual topics. And guess what topics popped up...family law and trusts. I still felt like I bombed on the other essays, but I guess it was enough. Of course, these predictions can be way off the mark at times. But if you're tight on time, this is a good way to increase your chances of success.

I'm sorry if this post was very long and all over the place - I have a lot going on at work today. But I wanted to at least try to give something back to the forums as I picked up so much from everyone else on here. And feel free to send a note if there's anything I can do to help!

[sheppard]

Kansas scores are posted. Looks like 66% pass rate (UBE State)

[AP5623]

Arkansas was just released also.

[maxmartin]

Kansas scores are posted. Looks like 66% pass rate (UBE State)

Thanks. That is somewhat good news considering the Feb 2016 passing rate is 56%.

[maxmartin]

Arkansas was just released also.

Passing rate?