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I am taking kaplan, got a 117 on the final, which is allegedly 8 points below average. We are told to add 15 points and we will get our MBE score if that was our official MBE (if we don't improve after the point at which we took that practice exam). I did feel like the final was unnecessarily hard relative to the other questions they give us, and that 117 obviously does not factor in scaling. The problem is, though, that the MBE is my GOOD aspect of the test.

Specifically, I am utterly unfamiliar with about 6-7 essay topics, and only partially familiar with another 3-4. I am taking it in one of the easier states, though. I know that in my state, it's pretty rare to fail the bar as the pass rate is like 85-90 percent and closer to 95 at my school. I lost about a week and a half in june because of interviews, and I did not take many of the "bar" classes in LS. Other than that though, I have been putting a lot of time into it and will continue over the next two weeks.

Any reassurance would be nice, as I am starting to freak out a little bit. Alternatively, if you think I might be effed, tell me what you would do if you were me at this point.

i cannot tell whether you will pass or fail but i can tell you that i've been studying with kaplan in excess of the recommended schedule and still feel like i will fail as well. i have a feeling that everyone taking the bar feels that they will fail but only about 15% of the test takers actually do fail

No offense my friend but this is not the right approach. Confidence needs to be internal. Asking for reassurance from a group of people that know you only from the sparse contents of your post and your username is hollow. Security needs to be internally derived. I fear that any reassurances from our group will only serve to alleviate your worry internally for the moment.

The truth is you need to keep studying. If we tell you that you will fail or you will pass what will be different? Your approach should be the same regardless..keep plodding forward with diligence and fortitude. Be confident going into the exam that you gave it your all these last 2 weeks and that is all you can do.

Like you, I am not a reader of palms or tea leaf diviner. I myself, nor anyone on this forum, can possibly know the outcome of your exam. Refocus your worry into learning what you can, utilizing these forum resources to narrow your path of studying and leave it all on the proverbial playing field secure in the knowledge that if you failed the bar it wasn't because of a lack of fight.

I can only provide two words, Good Luck, and I provide them sincerely. The rest is up to you.

Regarding your familiarity with the MBE subjects but not the state-specific essay subjects, the first question you need to ask is how confident you are with your exam/essay writing skills. If you did well in law school, and can competently apply the law to a fact pattern, then this is something that doesn't need as much practice. Your time is best spent memorizing the law. If you're uneasy about essay writing in response to a fact pattern, then your time needs to be spent memorizing the law and practicing its application. You'll know "less" law in the end, but you'll be able to apply it.

Most importantly, stay calm. It'll improve your memory retention in a number of ways (better sleep, more zen-like approach to the material). Imagine you're your own doctor, objectively assessing your strengths and weaknesses. You'll get a better read on the "patient" if you're composed, calm and confident.

Two weeks in plenty of time. Make personally tailored flashcards, drill your memorization of the subjects on which you're insecure, and if you're already a competent essay writer, you'll pass.

8% below average should get you to at least a 140. Of course everyone else will be improving over the next week weeks, but you are on track to pass most states. You really gotta step it up for CA, DE, and Virginia.

appreciated, guys. i am a good writer and i did do well in law school. i think i just need to write as much law as I can (maybe a subject or two a day) over and over and over again. i'll probably do minimal MBE prep in the process.

and my state is easier than those tough ones you mentioned.

I guess my issue is I really don't now what the minimum standard is. Like how many essays can I get 2 points on and still pass, assuming decent to good scores on the rest? I feel like Kaplan really fucked up because they never took the time to explain this to us. How well do we actually NEED to do, taking into account half mbe and half essays, in an easy state? Of course, as one goes down, the other must go up, but I just feel so in the dark about knowing the standard.

I spoke with a friend who took Kaplan last year and passed on the first time. He told me he followed the Kaplan schedule, did more studying after that, and still never felt like he was doing enough work. But, he passed! I feel exactly the same way. I try to study from 9am-8pm everyday, but sometimes by 6:30-7 I just can't focus anymore. Even the nights I can make it til 8, I feel guilty for stopping myself. It never seems enough! But plenty of people pass doing just the bare minimum.

Something that might help you is look at your state's bar examiners' website to see how much the MBE is weighted compared to the essays. In my situation I just assumed the MBE was weighted more so I focused on it more, then I looked it up and realized it's weighted 50/50.

Like someone else said though, if you can spot the issues and put down the rule you are in a good place. I have had plenty of professors in bar prep classes tell me the examiners hardly read analyses because they've got thousands of essays to sort through. Focus on memorizing and you'll be fine.

I'm taking Kaplan right now and my state has a similar bar passage rate. I took the midterm and scored 108. I've been working and studying so I haven't been able to keep up with the program as much as they say but I've been doing my own thing and it's worked. First off take a day off. You're probably burnt out right now and likely will score higher if u take a break and come back. I am not a robot and cannot study for 12 hours a day. That being said the 6-8 hours of straight studying I do is all studying. Don't force yourself to sit at the library to study when you won't be effective. Second take an NCBE test those are more accurate because they're real bar questions. I scored I think a 153 scaled which is way above passing in our type of state.
For the essays dumb that shit down. Explain negligence like you're talking to some 6 year old who has no idea. Analyze in like two sentences or less, most of your writing will be the rules.
Third don't bother memorizing the stuff that's hardly ever tested because when it is tested it's likely with another topic and it likely won't be on your test (unless it's a pattern and all signs point to yes). Know the rules cold for the major topics and you'll be fine. I spend more time memorizing than writing but I do issue spot and rule write. I've also found that my essays have been grades way harsher than what they likely would be graded as I had another essay grader look them over. Remember you only need to get about 60% of the answers right and you only need 60% of the points to pass (at least in my state).
So yes, you will likely pass. Have a glass of wine, watch some netflix, and get back at it tomorrow.

robin600 wrote:I'm taking Kaplan right now and my state has a similar bar passage rate. I took the midterm and scored 108. I've been working and studying so I haven't been able to keep up with the program as much as they say but I've been doing my own thing and it's worked. First off take a day off. You're probably burnt out right now and likely will score higher if u take a break and come back. I am not a robot and cannot study for 12 hours a day. That being said the 6-8 hours of straight studying I do is all studying. Don't force yourself to sit at the library to study when you won't be effective. Second take an NCBE test those are more accurate because they're real bar questions. I scored I think a 153 scaled which is way above passing in our type of state.
For the essays dumb that shit down. Explain negligence like you're talking to some 6 year old who has no idea. Analyze in like two sentences or less, most of your writing will be the rules.
Third don't bother memorizing the stuff that's hardly ever tested because when it is tested it's likely with another topic and it likely won't be on your test (unless it's a pattern and all signs point to yes). Know the rules cold for the major topics and you'll be fine. I spend more time memorizing than writing but I do issue spot and rule write. I've also found that my essays have been grades way harsher than what they likely would be graded as I had another essay grader look them over. Remember you only need to get about 60% of the answers right and you only need 60% of the points to pass (at least in my state).
So yes, you will likely pass. Have a glass of wine, watch some netflix, and get back at it tomorrow.

I really liked this post. So you got a 108 on Kaplan and then a 153 on the real deal from a couple years ago? That's very comforting.

objctnyrhnr wrote:

robin600 wrote:I'm taking Kaplan right now and my state has a similar bar passage rate. I took the midterm and scored 108. I've been working and studying so I haven't been able to keep up with the program as much as they say but I've been doing my own thing and it's worked. First off take a day off. You're probably burnt out right now and likely will score higher if u take a break and come back. I am not a robot and cannot study for 12 hours a day. That being said the 6-8 hours of straight studying I do is all studying. Don't force yourself to sit at the library to study when you won't be effective. Second take an NCBE test those are more accurate because they're real bar questions. I scored I think a 153 scaled which is way above passing in our type of state.
For the essays dumb that shit down. Explain negligence like you're talking to some 6 year old who has no idea. Analyze in like two sentences or less, most of your writing will be the rules.
Third don't bother memorizing the stuff that's hardly ever tested because when it is tested it's likely with another topic and it likely won't be on your test (unless it's a pattern and all signs point to yes). Know the rules cold for the major topics and you'll be fine. I spend more time memorizing than writing but I do issue spot and rule write. I've also found that my essays have been grades way harsher than what they likely would be graded as I had another essay grader look them over. Remember you only need to get about 60% of the answers right and you only need 60% of the points to pass (at least in my state).
So yes, you will likely pass. Have a glass of wine, watch some netflix, and get back at it tomorrow.

I really liked this post. So you got a 108 on Kaplan and then a 153 on the real deal from a couple years ago? That's very comforting.

Yup. I haven't taken the bar yet but I've done the four practice tests from NCBE which are real bar questions or very similar to. I scored between 150-160 scaled on each. The bar companies make their questions harder to show your weak areas and to scare you into studying. Good luck you'll do great!