July 2016 California Bar Exam Forum

[minkylowlife]

Big necklaces are fine, I basically wore rapper chains during mine. They made me tuck my hoodie hood down my back, though.

I was at Oakland. Bring food because they charge $15 for a salad at the CBX. Don't worry about registration, they'll just check for your admissions ticket when you arrive.

For lunch, get yourself a cupcake from Cupcake Cove. I recommend it. There's also a great quick sushi place called Sushi Valley at 17th st.

[rcharter1978]

Can you wear any jewelry into the testing center? Like a simple cross necklace that you always wear?

Yes, I saw many people touching their cross necklaces during pre-exam prayers.

I was praying too, but for some reason I never used a cross for it.

[rcharter1978]

Ah shit, I have silicone ear plugs. These rules, man.

If they take my earplugs because they're not foam, I'm gonna lose it

You just have to be like "what? I can't hear you! Whats that you said, good luck? thank you."

[rcharter1978]

For those that have taken the CBX before: are hoodies permitted, or no? I understand that I can't wear the hood, but I'm thinking, giving the language of the admittance ticket bulletin, that I will be permitted to wear my hoodie as planned.

To preempt some advice that I anticipate being given - I don't actually own a non-hooded sweatshirt, and my only non-hooded jackets are winter gear from when I lived in the Midwest. I also fully anticipate the hood of my hoodie being inspected, having to take it off, etc.

In ontario it was fine. I wore a velour tracksuit everyday that had a hood on the back of the jacket, no one said anything. I also saw people with hoodies.

[rcharter1978]

Got you. What center are you taking the test at?

That is something else. So basically we just come with a watch that is non digital and a pencil I'm assuming with our ticket and id.

You can leave it in the hall, but yeah, it's pretty shitty.

I know, its just weird

You can bring a gallon size ziploc bag into the actual testing area. It can have all the testing material you can bring in on the first day. Your pens, highlighters, pencils, cash and/or debit/credit cards, your travel sized analog clock or watch, your ticket and your ID. I'll post the link.

You have to walk your laptop and charger in though.

MBE day -- its pretty much your ID, your clock, cash (debit/CC) your pencils and your ticket

http://admissions.calbar.ca.gov/Portals ... 0616_R.pdf

By the grace of god I passed in February 2016 (credit to god, because I think my writing sucks monkey balls).

But I took it in Ontario (So. Cal)

[poundcr]

Big necklaces are fine, I basically wore rapper chains during mine. They made me tuck my hoodie hood down my back, though.

I was at Oakland. Bring food because they charge $15 for a salad at the CBX. Don't worry about registration, they'll just check for your admissions ticket when you arrive.

For lunch, get yourself a cupcake from Cupcake Cove. I recommend it. There's also a great quick sushi place called Sushi Valley at 17th st.

Was there a safe place for phones in Oakland? I don't care about having mine but I am going to be Ubering to and from the testing center and I am not exactly sure how I will get back without my phone. Also where would we put said food? There aren't any places in walking distance to eat something a little cheaper?

ETA: When someone mentioned no laptop cases does this mean we need to take the skins off of our laptops?

[minkylowlife]

What I did was leave my phone in my coat in the hall and pray it didn't get stolen. It was fine. There's a security guard in the hall and only bar testers and admins are allowed in and out.

There are plenty of places right outside the building, since you're at frank ogawa plaza. I was just giving personal recs since I work in the area.

Good luck all.

[rcharter1978]

Big necklaces are fine, I basically wore rapper chains during mine. They made me tuck my hoodie hood down my back, though.

I was at Oakland. Bring food because they charge $15 for a salad at the CBX. Don't worry about registration, they'll just check for your admissions ticket when you arrive.

For lunch, get yourself a cupcake from Cupcake Cove. I recommend it. There's also a great quick sushi place called Sushi Valley at 17th st.

Was there a safe place for phones in Oakland? I don't care about having mine but I am going to be Ubering to and from the testing center and I am not exactly sure how I will get back without my phone. Also where would we put said food? There aren't any places in walking distance to eat something a little cheaper?

ETA: When someone mentioned no laptop cases does this mean we need to take the skins off of our laptops?

I think the skins are fine, they just don't want you walking in with a giant bag you can hide all the answers in

[loh]

GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL. FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS. FORGET ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST DID. PUT THAT BEHIND U. FINISH THE DAY STRONG.

[Barebones]

How long have everyone's PTs been? I always, always, always struggle to get a decent word count. My tutor told me that PTs should be 2300 words at minimum...and today's PT was shorter than I would have liked. Does this mean that it's a guaranteed bad score? How is everyone else writing so much? I feel like I'm always sacrificing word count for a decently coherent answer or vice versa aghhhh

[KD35]

How long have everyone's PTs been? I always, always, always struggle to get a decent word count. My tutor told me that PTs should be 2300 words at minimum...and today's PT was shorter than I would have liked. Does this mean that it's a guaranteed bad score? How is everyone else writing so much? I feel like I'm always sacrificing word count for a decently coherent answer or vice versa aghhhh

Mine was shorter than usual today. Clear answer > lots of words. Just need to make sure to get certain stuff in there, which requires a certain number of words to begin with.

[Interpretationc]

Edited

[emptyflare]

Don't feel great about the PT here myself. Think I did pretty well on the first section but ran out of time on the second section and it's really bare bones.

What's the lowest possible PT score you can get? I've heard 40 as long as you do something. Anyone know if there's backing to this?

[Spartan_Alum_12]

Not going to talk too much about the exam or spend time on here but CA Civ Pro finally made an appearance. What a way to lead off.

[2TimesTheCharm]

For pt part, I miss the argument of gift nature of a dedication(which I assume as a big issue in this case), I just wonder how serious it will be, below 60 for this miss? and what is counter argument for two dedicated words have the same meaning? I am not sure about my reading of two sections...

Knowing me, I flunked again. Left feeling like crap about essay 2. I'm so fired. Messed up one part of essay 1 too and pretty badly.

I don't know how much we're allowed to say about context, so I'll trying to be vague. Edited because I didn't know people hadn't taken the PT yet

[teabreeze]

Not going to talk too much about the exam or spend time on here but CA Civ Pro finally made an appearance. What a way to lead off.

Phew, thanks for confirming that that was CA civ pro. Was just second guessing myself and gettig myself worked up over it.

That PT was no bueno. I used everything that was given to us in the library but I don't think I applied the law correctly. I couldn't figure out what they wanted us to do with the cases urgh.

[loh]

compared to the last Feb and July tests, this exam thread is awfully quiet.

[teabreeze]

Edited. The fuck. Why haven't people taken the pt yet

[superabogadisima]

Not going to talk too much about the exam or spend time on here but CA Civ Pro finally made an appearance. What a way to lead off.

Phew, thanks for confirming that that was CA civ pro. Was just second guessing myself and gettig myself worked up over it.

That PT was no bueno. I used everything that was given to us in the library but I don't think I applied the law correctly. I couldn't figure out what they wanted us to do with the cases urgh.

OMG!!!! I'm so relieved by that as well, I kept thinking afterwards, what if it was federal and I read to quickly

So, for purposes of the MBE can somebody please confirm what the citizenship of an Alien is?

Thanks!

[poundcr]

Edited b/c I didn't know people hadn't taken the PT

[loh]

What were the essay subjects tested today?

[plurilingue]

There are a lot of people who have not yet taken the PT. People with accommodations are doubtlessly trolling this board for information.

[poundcr]

Not going to talk too much about the exam or spend time on here but CA Civ Pro finally made an appearance. What a way to lead off.

Phew, thanks for confirming that that was CA civ pro. Was just second guessing myself and gettig myself worked up over it.

That PT was no bueno. I used everything that was given to us in the library but I don't think I applied the law correctly. I couldn't figure out what they wanted us to do with the cases urgh.

OMG!!!! I'm so relieved by that as well, I kept thinking afterwards, what if it was federal and I read to quickly

So, for purposes of the MBE can somebody please confirm what the citizenship of an Alien is?

Thanks!

Same here, I was so relieved to hear someone say it.

Also does anyone remember what question two was. I can't remember if it was PJ or SMJ.

[poundcr]

What were the essay subjects tested today?

CA CIv Pro
Property/Contracts
Contracts

(unless I really fucked up)

[plurilingue]

Edited b/c I didn't know people hadn't taken the PT

Thanks for this.