Post
by zenotheelder » Mon May 16, 2016 1:02 am
I passed, 2nd time. For what it's worth, here's my advice:
MBE's:
Obviously, practicing and reading the explanations is the best way to get better at these. I studied with BarBri, and I've seen a lot of complaints on here about the BarBri MBE questions, but they worked for me, even the first time. In July, I failed every essay and both PT's, but still almost passed because of a good MBE score. If you can good at these, they can give you an edge. Also, they take out the subjective component inherent in essay grading. There's only one answer, so if you get it, no one can give you a different score based on their interpretation.
I think barbri's questions are designed to be a little more difficult than the actual questions. They also give a lot of tricks in the CMR and videos (i.e., how to narrow down answers, answers that are always wrong, etc.). Also, they taught me to do this:
-For both morning and afternoon sessions, set your watch to noon. It will be easier to keep track of the time, as one hour = 1:00, 2 hours = 2:00, etc., and helps with the next step.
-As soon as the test starts, go through and write 12:30 next to question 17, 1:00 next to question 35, 1:30 next to question 52, 2:00 next to question 70, 2:30 next to 85 (i think). If you keep to this schedule, it should give you the time you need.
-If you get to any of the milestones and you're more than 5 minutes behind, only use 1 minute per question until you get back on track on the next milestone.
-I think he also said to start guessing when you have 2 minutes left, in case your clock is out of sync with theirs.
ESSAY's:
Again, practice is best, but also read the model answers. I mean the model answers from the bar prep, not the model answers by test takers. Barbri's model answers are updated and legally accurate, so they can be used as substantive review as well. Test takers' model answers can be used to learn the structure and what they're looking for. I read the entire essay book for barbri, every question and every model answer, even though I didn't actually do as many practice essays as I should have. It helps you understand how your answer should look, and it's good substantive review, which can be easier to memorize as it's basically in the form of a story. Just keep in mind that you won't have time to write answers like that, so practice getting it in the same format and hitting the issues, knowing you won't be able to get as much text in.
PT's:
Not really sure how to practice for these. I didn't really do much practice with PT's because I had limited time and didn't want to practice something that did not help with substantive review. But maybe practice reading and outlining in 90 minutes? Also, I sort of came up with a good way to outline. I wrote numbers (i.e., 1, 2, 3, etc.) next to important parts as I was reading the materials and summarizing the cases. Then when I started my outline, instead of writing things out, I could just insert the number where it goes, so my outline was simpler. I don't know. PT's were hard for me, so do what works for you.
MISCELLANEOUS:
-Study 50 minutes, then 10 minute break
-If you watch videos, watch them in 1.5x or 2x speed (google chrome did not give this option, but IE did)
-The process of making your own flashcards helps with memorization
ADVICE:
Bear in mind that getting licensed is a process. Whether that process is studying for a couple months and passing the first time, or taking it more than once, it's a process. As long as you don't give up and learn from your mistakes, you'll probably improve each time, until you pass, like other processes.
If this is your first time being unsuccessful, keep in mind that your scores will tell you a ton. It is very valuable information. Getting your essays back is helpful too. For me, by the time I got them back, I had read dozens of model answers, and thought, "Wow, no wonder I got such bad essay scores. These are terrible." Even though I thought some of them were great as I was writing them during the exam.
Also keep in mind that this board is full of people that have gone through this before, sometimes multiple times, and have emerged victorious on the other end. Everyone is here to help, and everyone is rooting for you to pass.
One thing I've learned about not passing the first time is that this can be a huge character building experience. I was not used to doing poorly on standardized exams. But it teaches you about who you are and what you're made of, teaches some humility, and overall makes you a better person. It's a valuable experience like anything else in life. Own it, learn from it, and let it be part of your life story. I was looking at the bar profiles for the attorneys I used to work with, and their licensing dates were all over the map. I suspect that a lot more attorneys you encounter have gone through this than you realize, even if they don't talk about it. And at the end of the day, it's something "first timers" will never have (Although they can have other character building experiences. Not knocking them!).
Here's a great quote I found that sums up some things I had going through my mind the last few months:
“No human ever became interesting by not failing. The more you fail and recover and improve, the better you are as a person. Ever meet someone who’s always had everything work out for them with zero struggle? They usually have the depth of a puddle. Or they don’t exist.” - Chris Hardwick
Last edited by
zenotheelder on Mon May 16, 2016 2:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I sent you a private message. 
