Nevada bar exam July 2014? Forum

[dreakol]

So, as I understand it, to pass the NV bar we must have a weighted total score of 75? And have received a minimum score of 75 on at least 3 of the essays? Is that right? If so, what exactly does that mean? I'm pretty confused how everything would be calculated (like how one MBE score translates versus another and what essays are graded out of anyways...how hard is it to get a minimum 75?) Anybody know?

I believe the essays are graded out of 100.

I'm taking Barbri and I asked this question. Here are the responses I got:

"As far as scoring on the essay is concerned, you need to score a minimum of 75 on at least 3 of the written essays. However, in addition, you need an overall AVERAGE score from all your essays, the MBE, and the MPT of 75 or higher to pass. The MBE is weighted as 1/3, and the essays are weighted 2/3. The scores are combined to determine if an overall passing total scaled score of 75 was achieved."

"The scaled score to pass the MBE is approximately 143 on MBE (multistate bar exam), in combination 75 average on written. The raw score is correct questions correct on MBE, out of 200 questions. However, to achieve a scaled score, the bar examiners compare your raw score with others taking the exam. Accordingly, a scaled score will differ each time, but roughly, on the MBE you want to get raw score of 126-128 (depending on performance of the group). Written portion 2/3, MBE 1/3. However, keep in mind that the MBE is 1/3 of your total Bar Exam score, so you don’t have to get scaled 143 on MBE if you do well on the essays."

"Note that on the MBE, a 143 [raw] is 75%. That might help you better understand the overall score required"


Not sure if any of this helpful or stuff you already knew.

Does anybody know what a 75 looks like? Im self studying and the materials i have dont include that. Does barbri/kaplan release what 75 looks like? What are the model answers the bar released?

I was talking to someone who bought that bar essay thing for CA and he was saying essays received scores in the 50s or 60s even though they missed the point of the question and talked about an entirely different area of the law.

[tycoga8118]

Okay, thanks!

[tycoga8118]

I'm doing quite poorly on the essays. I'm doing above average on the multiple choice and am pretty confident, in general, about the mbe. I think I'll do well on most easy questions involving those subjects, but I'm doing really badly on the essays with other subjects. My answers don't really look like barbris model answers. I'm missing issues and not fully developing the rule statements. Advice?

[ap1987]

I'm doing quite poorly on the essays. I'm doing above average on the multiple choice and am pretty confident, in general, about the mbe. I think I'll do well on most easy questions involving those subjects, but I'm doing really badly on the essays with other subjects. My answers don't really look like barbris model answers. I'm missing issues and not fully developing the rule statements. Advice?

I'm the exact opposite lol.

Anyways, I'm assuming you're taking Barbri but if you are not, here is what they had to say about the model answers:

"Review the model answer or board’s analysis. If it is a model answer, remember, the model answers were not written under timed conditions so don’t panic if you did not recognize EVERY issue. Out of the issues you spotted you want to make sure you have identified the issue to the grader, stated a rule, discussed the relevant facts as they relate to the rule and provide a conclusion or outcome based on the question asked. If it is a board’s analysis remember the analysis is like an issue checklist of what the examiners expected you to discuss. Again, don’t panic if you did not recognize EVERY issue."

[tycoga8118]

This thread has been great for my mental health. Thanks! Okay, so let's say you get a 160 scaled on the mbe (not sure what this would be raw?). That comes out to 160/190 which is about 84 percent. You then multiply that by.33 (how much it's weighted to overall score) which comes out to about a 28. You need a 75 so that means on the essays and mpt you need 47 points. Which, divided by .67 means you need about a 70 average between the mpt and essays. Is that right?

If so, it doesn't seem like a big improvement on mbe helps a ton to lower average score needed on essays...and, yes, I'm obviously panicking a bit, haha.

[dreakol]

This thread has been great for my mental health. Thanks! Okay, so let's say you get a 160 scaled on the mbe (not sure what this would be raw?). That comes out to 160/190 which is about 84 percent. You then multiply that by.33 (how much it's weighted to overall score) which comes out to about a 28. You need a 75 so that means on the essays and mpt you need 47 points. Which, divided by .67 means you need about a 70 average between the mpt and essays. Is that right?

If so, it doesn't seem like a big improvement on mbe helps a ton to lower average score needed on essays...and, yes, I'm obviously panicking a bit, haha.

lmao. so you need to get a mbe score that is auto pass in most jurisdictions just to be able to be average on the essay parts? jfc.

[tycoga8118]

Has anybody looked through the past essays to see if any subjects are always tested? And is it usually a crossover question with something else?

[tycoga8118]

Also, is there a word limit our anything on these exams? I have a tendency to type a ton.

[dreakol]

Also, is there a word limit our anything on these exams? I have a tendency to type a ton.

I havent heard about a word limit or anything. I hope not. I honestly just plan to outline dump as much as possible after addressing the obvious issues. i've looked through the past exams and most seem to be around 2k words, with some being as low as 700 and as high as 3k.

I haven't really noticed any significant patterns but it seems like they exclusively test some things in July and other things in Feb. But once you get to like 2010, it goes all over the place. There doesn't seem to be a lot of crossover, imo. UCC 9 seems to be tested with K or on its own, Agency seems to be test with K or torts or on its own, CP/SP seems to be tested with wills/trusts/and other family law issues. Stuff that tends to go together which is nice.

[ap1987]

5 days and I can't remember anything.

[tycoga8118]

I have yet to look at secured transactions, wills, trusts, or community property....I should probably get started on that soon.

[dreakol]

do we need to bring anything with us to the exam like an admission ticket or something like that?

[ap1987]

Felt awesome until the MPT.

[tycoga8118]

I thought it was a really good draw for the essays. Although if everyone feels that way then doesn't that mean the curve will be tighter and tiny differences will make big impacts? And, yeah, I wasn't sure what to make of the mpt...

[dreakol]

I thought it was a really good draw for the essays. Although if everyone feels that way then doesn't that mean the curve will be tighter and tiny differences will make big impacts? And, yeah, I wasn't sure what to make of the mpt...

i dont think it's curved in the sense that a certain number of people have to fail, right?

And yeah, everything was pretty straight forward. So thursday we have ethics and 3 other essays? I have to think the chances we get con law or torts is pretty low.

[tycoga8118]

Isn't torts tested like every year?

[ap1987]

I thought it was a really good draw for the essays. Although if everyone feels that way then doesn't that mean the curve will be tighter and tiny differences will make big impacts? And, yeah, I wasn't sure what to make of the mpt...

i dont think it's curved in the sense that a certain number of people have to fail, right?

And yeah, everything was pretty straight forward. So thursday we have ethics and 3 other essays? I have to think the chances we get con law or torts is pretty low.

I don't think its curved.

I think we'll probably get torts, its been tested almost every NV bar exam in the last 10 years. There was only one exam (S05) where torts wasn't tested in the last 10 years.


I'm expecting civ pro, and probably Community Property.

[ap1987]

How did you guys/girls feel about the MBE?

I found it to be pretty hard lol.

[tycoga8118]

With respect to the curve: I think they scale the essays right? So, presumably they scale the scores to get a distribution that they like? Or am I off-base on that?

With respect to the MBE: I thought it wasn't too bad. That being said, I've been consistently scoring well on the practice exams from Barbri. I definitely think there were at least a few questions where I simply had never heard of some of the stuff. I've talked to a few people who took it in other states and every one of them said that they thought it was pretty hard and that the morning was challenging in particular. This kind of makes me question myself in the sense that maybe I was just completely missing things.

[battleborn247]

Has anyone heard back on their background? I have received several "Deficiency Notices," however, I haven't heard a peep regarding my background.

[dreakol]

Has anyone heard back on their background? I have received several "Deficiency Notices," however, I haven't heard a peep regarding my background.

I've heard of one person being placed on a C&F hold already (a week or two ago I don't exactly remember when). I assume no news is good news on that front.

[want2pass]

Any idea what time of day NV releases results? I seem to recall hearing 3 pm someplace, but am curious if the results ever come out earlier.

The sooner the better. This wait is miserable!

Good luck to all.

[ap1987]

Any idea what time of day NV releases results? I seem to recall hearing 3 pm someplace, but am curious if the results ever come out earlier.

The sooner the better. This wait is miserable!

Good luck to all.

Wednesday (Oct.22) at 3pm.

This wait is absolutely brutal.

[plutonium210]

So, if I'm to understand the procedures, the grades will be released at 3:00 PM pacific time, after the Supreme Court enters the "Order of Admission", is that correct? And will that mean that, for those of us not attending the swearing in ceremony (assuming we even pass), we can sign, get notarized, and mail in the "Oath of Attorney" today?

[want2pass]

Pleased to report I passed. NV reports a 57% pass rate.

Took BarBri. Did most of the course. Money well spent.

Good luck to all.