Post
by passed2ndtime19 » Wed Jul 17, 2019 7:37 pm
Hi fellow Themis takers. I took the CA bar and failed with BarBri in July '18. Took it second time in Feb '19 with Themis + Adaptibar (completed around 1500 qs). I just wanted to give some tips in hopes at least one person benefits from it. I used TLS and people's comments really helped me keep a level head in my darkest moments.
1. Your essays do not have to be perfect, but need to be well organized, which is something I think is what really brought me down last time. Use lots of headings and break out each element as if you're explaining it to your client. I was so focused on having the perfect rule statements and sounding smart. NO. It is true you can't miss big sticker issues (ie. strict liability when your wild animal bites someone on your property), but you can miss quite a few points and still be fine! Remember, 65 is passing. I just checked the model Feb answers and I missed some issues and still passed despite being totally obliterated by Q1.
2. Get good nights rest leading up to test day. I know it's hard, but I cut myself off after 6pm the three nights leading up to the test and felt better rested mentally. I also did not review any answers during or after the bar. I made that mistake the first time and I psyched myself out for Day 2 in July. The first time, I was studying past 10pm. Do not do this to yourself. You must be ready for critical thinking early in the mornings.
3. I did nothing but mixed PQ sets in the final two weeks leading up to the test. I also reviewed subsections of areas where I felt weakest or hesitant about (i.e. civ pro, con law, mortgages, & fees) I checked my Adaptibar scores to identify my weak parts and kept doing those types of questions over and over until I improved. I believe this contributed to my success the second time around. I remember the mortgages questions were quite nuanced so I made sure to pay special attention the second time. Remember, the MBE will have mixed subjects and varying difficultly throughout!
4. Review PR! It's almost guaranteed to show up in some form on the essays. You'll thank yourself during the exam that you took that extra time to review your outline; you'll likely secure yourself a high score on this essay to make up for other areas.
5. This might be controversial, but just a personal opinion. I wrote the PT first the second time around because I felt like I would be mentally fresher to figure it out. I also spent an extra 10 minutes on it to do a little extra comparing/contrasting/editing. Honestly, I think it was worth it. I had quickly scanned Q4 and Q5. I saw that one was PR and one was evidence (likely a racehorse). So I decided to shave off 10 minutes from the PR essay, because I felt confident I could knock out a 65 in 50 minutes. And I did. I'm not sure what I would have done if I felt both essays were racehorses, but I strongly believe that doing the PT first helped me pass since I probably scored higher on it and it was worth two essays. Furthermore, the PT is almost like a puzzle and requires critical thinking. The first time around, I could not figure out the PT for the life of me, and I was so mentally tired by the end of the day, I basically was defeated and knew I had failed. Do the PT first and score those extra points!!
6. Stay cool and avoid discussing Qs during the test days. Don't worry about anyone else. You are there to accomplish one goal--get a passing score. Focus. You worked hard. You got this!!!!!!
