California February 2016 Bar Exam (Westside For Life) Forum

[a male human]

post 'em

[2TimesTheCharm]

For those that passed, how far from passing were your first scores?

[Zebra]

Written 1st read 2nd read operant grade
Essay 1 65 60 62.5
Essay 2 70 75 72.5
Essay 3 55 60 57.5
Essay 4 60 55 57.5
Essay 5 60 60 60
Essay 6 60 65 62.5
PT A 60 65 62.5
PT B 70 60 65

Raw Written: 627.5
Scaled Written: 1477.6516
Scaled MBE: 1294.0000

Total Scaled Score: 1413.3735


What does this all mean?!!

[BrokenMouse]

Written 1st read 2nd read operant grade
Essay 1 65 60 62.5
Essay 2 70 75 72.5
Essay 3 55 60 57.5
Essay 4 60 55 57.5
Essay 5 60 60 60
Essay 6 60 65 62.5
PT A 60 65 62.5
PT B 70 60 65

Raw Written: 627.5
Scaled Written: 1477.6516
Scaled MBE: 1294.0000

Total Scaled Score: 1413.3735


What does this all mean?!!

It means you passed the essay portion (need a scaled 1440 to be considered passing) but bombed the MBE (which you also need 1440). By average 1477 and 1294, you got 1413, short of 1440. The MBEs are worth 33% of your grade (i think!).

According to the one-timer bar calculator, it looks like you got about 109-110 questions right out of 190 for the MBE. The calculator's prediction is that if you had 120 or above, it would have been pass. So that's about 10 more questions right. This is based on the first read.

[publicservant101]

it means you were ridiculously freaking close.

sucks because you were ridiculously freaking close and I'd say 5 points here or there on an essay or a few more MBE's would have put you over the top.

great news because you just have to refine your knowledge/approach slightly and you should be good to go!

[BrokenMouse]

Notice how the "re-reads" are nothing but bullcrap, reshuffling points here and there, leading to the same result.

[a male human]

Written 1st read 2nd read operant grade
Essay 1 65 60 62.5
Essay 2 70 75 72.5
Essay 3 55 60 57.5
Essay 4 60 55 57.5
Essay 5 60 60 60
Essay 6 60 65 62.5
PT A 60 65 62.5
PT B 70 60 65

Raw Written: 627.5
Scaled Written: 1477.6516
Scaled MBE: 1294.0000

Total Scaled Score: 1413.3735


What does this all mean?!!

It means you passed the essay portion (need a scaled 1440 to be considered passing) but bombed the MBE (which you also need 1440). By average 1477 and 1294, you got 1413, short of 1440. The MBEs are worth 33% of your grade (i think!).

Yes, work on those MBE questions (35%, to be 50% next year). I hear they keep getting harder, so you gotta lock them down.

This is actually be good news because it seems like you're pretty good at the essays and PTs, so you can pull back on those a bit (but not completely, of course). It's a simple, though not easy, matter of improving your MBE. Some people have to raise their scores across the board (which is doable and people have done it so you'll be just fine).

Get some MBE supplements (check my list of resources here http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 7#p9186857) and shoot for at least 135 raw on a 200Q practice test.

[BrokenMouse]

good news = sure as hell easier to improve on the MBEs than essays. Considering your MBE is quite low, it should be a lot easier to pull into the 130s. It would be a different story going from 140 to 160, but going from 120 to 140 is a lot easier.

[cbx2016]

Notice how the "re-reads" are nothing but bullcrap, reshuffling points here and there, leading to the same result.

The score almost went up on the second read, which is the surprising bit. Overall +2.5 on Essays 1-6, but -2.5 on PT (which translates to -5.0 on the raw written score), for net -2.5 raw written.

[a male human]

Sometimes I see people who would have passed if all the higher scores were combined. If they had gotten the more generous graders in the first place they would have passed. Such bullshit. But such is life; nothing is absolutely equal, fair and square. I'm glad the objective section is going to be weighted more in a year.

[RoseBuddy]

For those that passed, how far from passing were your first scores?

My score was about 65 points away from passing the first time.

[newusername]

Work is almost over for the day and I havent been able to bring myself to tell my supervisor I failed and need to retake. :'( Didnt think it'd be this hard! Anyone have any advice?

Also, thanks to those who pm'd me wit adaptibar codes; I'll get in touch with whoever was first. if only i could use all of them!

[Zebra]

Can someone send me an Adaptibar code?

Btw, appreciate the feedback on the scores

[a male human]

Can someone send me an Adaptibar code?

Btw, appreciate the feedback on the scores

Check your PMs for $60 off

[rcharter1978]

OMFG, I passed!!!!!

I was so certain I failed that I didn't even bother to check online, and figured I would wait to see my score report to know what I needed to work on. I can't believe this and I damn near died of a heart attack from shock.

I want to pay it forward. I purchased the book for the California PT, and I have the Barbri materials for Summer '15/Winter '16 test. My copy of the CMR is pretty beat up, but the big Multistate book and the California specific books (the ones that go into more depth) are relatively unscathed. I also have the Essay book and the PT book -- they aren't too bad.

If you want any of these I am giving them away, as long as you can pay for the shipping I'm delighted to send them to you.

Everyone here is giving awesome advice. My only advice is to keep on plugging away, Barbri didn't work for me the first time, so I think that you just have to keep trying until something works for you......and something WILL work for you.

This is simply a game of luck -- we all know someone who is a damn simpleton who passed this exam. So, it really has nothing to do with your intelligence, although the NCBE and the California Bar will do everything to convince you that not passing has something to do with your intelligence...it does not.

[ppark]

hello everyone, long-time lurker here. passed the bar this time around (second attempt) mostly due to the support I found here. congratulations to everyone who passed, and for those that did not, just keep your head up--it's not the end of the world, and remember that this examination has no bearing on your intelligence or ability.

in regards to advice, I suggest taking a look at Lean Sheets - concise outlines for every tested topic. The outlines themselves are a bit terse, so you may need to add additional information by hand, but I found this to be the only outline I'd review during crunch time and during the three day examination itself (it's impractical to glance at your full outlines for every single topic when the exam comes around). Also, I believe it's pretty affordable (~$40), as opposed to other resources (hi barbri).

on a side note, I have a complete set of barbri materials (issued for the CA Feb 2016 course) that were lightly used (most are untouched). if anyone wants to make use of them, or burn them, PM me! Good luck to the re-takers

[BrokenMouse]

OMFG, I passed!!!!!

I was so certain I failed that I didn't even bother to check online, and figured I would wait to see my score report to know what I needed to work on. I can't believe this and I damn near died of a heart attack from shock.

I want to pay it forward. I purchased the book for the California PT, and I have the Barbri materials for Summer '15/Winter '16 test. My copy of the CMR is pretty beat up, but the big Multistate book and the California specific books (the ones that go into more depth) are relatively unscathed. I also have the Essay book and the PT book -- they aren't too bad.

If you want any of these I am giving them away, as long as you can pay for the shipping I'm delighted to send them to you.

Everyone here is giving awesome advice. My only advice is to keep on plugging away, Barbri didn't work for me the first time, so I think that you just have to keep trying until something works for you......and something WILL work for you.

This is simply a game of luck -- we all know someone who is a damn simpleton who passed this exam. So, it really has nothing to do with your intelligence, although the NCBE and the California Bar will do everything to convince you that not passing has something to do with your intelligence...it does not.

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Remind me again. Did you pass on your 2nd try?

[FinallyPassedTheBar]

These are my scores. I really suck at essay writing. I had 2 hours of sleep the first night...but my scores of the 1st day are even slightly higher versus the 3rd day. Doesn't make sense. I was in a mental fog the entire 1st day.

Though I think my MBE score (1535) is good right? Does my MBE score roughly translate to 153 raw?

essay 1: 55
essay 2: 55
essay 3: 50

essay 4: 55
essay 5: 50
essay 6: 50

PT A: 60
PT B: 55

Raw written: 545.0
Scaled Written: 1188.8768
Scaled MBE: 1535

Total scaled: 1310.0199

[minkylowlife]

Warning, i'm in a pretty dark place please don't read if you get triggered,,,




haven't checked my results in California. I'm assuming I failed. I can't face it. It's like knowing you're about to get punched in the face. You're going to get punched in the face. So you try to stall it to keep holding on to that scrap of manufactured hope for as long as possible, because it's been such a good, comforting feeling.

Trigger Warning:

[+] Spoiler

The last time I failed for the first time I thought about killing myself. I'm too scared of how I will react this time. I don't even want to go to my house for fear the mail has been delivered with my score. I probably need a support network in place before I find out, but I'm even too nervous to tell anyone the results are out.

The day I got back from the exam I shredded my card so I wouldn't be able to look it up.

Hey publicservant, I'm glad you're in a little bit of a better place now. From one bar-taker with mental illness to another, if you ever need to listen to someone who 'gets it' on that level hit me up in private message. Things may be stressful but you're going to be okay, and you probably already know that if those suicidal thoughts come back there are resources for you. <3

[ForeignAttorney]

I am a foreign attorney and not to familiar with the format & scoring. Can someone interpret my scores and suggest improvement areas?

Essay 1: 60.0 .0 60.0
Essay 2: 50.0 .0 60.0
Essay 3: 50.0 .0 60.0
Essay 4: 55.0 .0 60.0
Essay 5: 50.0 .0 60.0
Essay 6: 60.0 .0 60.0
PT A : 55.0 .0 60.0
PT B : 60.0 .0 60.0

Raw Written : 555.0
Scaled Written : 1223.8798
Scale MBE : 1003.0000

TOTAL SCALED SCORE : 1146.5719

[FinallyPassedTheBar]

Should I wait to take Jul;y 2017? The bar site says the MBE day will be worth 50%. I think currently the MBE is only worth 33%.

[a male human]

These are my scores. I really suck at essay writing. I had 2 hours of sleep the first night...but my scores of the 1st day are even slightly higher versus the 3rd day. Doesn't make sense. I was in a mental fog the entire 1st day.

Though I think my MBE score (1535) is good right? Does my MBE score roughly translate to 153 raw?

essay 1: 55
essay 2: 55
essay 3: 50

essay 4: 55
essay 5: 50
essay 6: 50

PT A: 60
PT B: 55

MBE: 1535

Your MBE is solid. If you got a scaled score of 1440 on written and 1440 on MBE, you'd have a composite total of 1440 (i.e., you'd pass). So your essays do need work. A standard for getting at least a 1440 on written is to get an average of 65 on the essays and PTs. So you should aim to improve your essays to the point you feel you can produce 65-level answers. Consider getting a subscription at BarEssays so you can study answers that are over 65, at 65 and below 65.

Note that you don't have any 65 answers, so there is a fundamental deficiency in the way you approach essays and PTs. Even if you waited until 2017, I'd still suggest improving your essays. A 15% difference (currently written is worth 65% and MBE is 35%) may not be enough to get you to passing level at this stage. Also, the longer you take a break, the rustier your knowledge of the law will be, and your MBE will suffer as well. That said, it may be worth a try to delay your retake (maybe start with a clean slate) and find out if you want to do something better in the meantime.

[minkylowlife]

Oh hey, just another tip that worked for me this time around - if there was an area of a subject I was having a lot of trouble with, I wrote it down and in the week before the exam, took 4 days to just work on those subjects. For example, mortgages, or non-testimonial statements, or 5th vs. 6th amendment triggers. I think I had about fifteen "wrinkle areas" by the week before the exam.

Then I didn't sweat that particular topic until those days I specifically set aside to iron out the kinks. It kept me from getting frustrated early on with how I Just Didn't Get It with mortgages, and by the time I sat down to really master that area of the subject I had enough context from MBE practice and essay review that it sort of fell into place.

[FinallyPassedTheBar]

Warning, i'm in a pretty dark place please don't read if you get triggered,,,




haven't checked my results in California. I'm assuming I failed. I can't face it. It's like knowing you're about to get punched in the face. You're going to get punched in the face. So you try to stall it to keep holding on to that scrap of manufactured hope for as long as possible, because it's been such a good, comforting feeling.

Trigger Warning:

[+] Spoiler

The last time I failed for the first time I thought about killing myself. I'm too scared of how I will react this time. I don't even want to go to my house for fear the mail has been delivered with my score. I probably need a support network in place before I find out, but I'm even too nervous to tell anyone the results are out.

The day I got back from the exam I shredded my card so I wouldn't be able to look it up.

No please don't do anything drastic! Look at my user name. Then add 1 to it. That's how many times I failed. Maybe it will make you feel a little bit better to know there are people like us going through the same damn struggle. This thing has been haunting me for over a decade.

[aunt_pearl]

First good news since I failed the bar: I still have my job at a B4. I didn't want to open the email, but I'm so sososososososo RELIEVED I did. I didn't realize how worried I was until I wasn't any more. OMG I'm not even making sense that's how relieved I am.
ETA: If anyone has questions re; my job, please ask.


First bad news since the bar:
I had a screener with a firm during the wait. They called me today and this is how the convo went:
Recruiter: We have one question: Did you pass the CA Bar yet?
Me: No, I am planning on taking it in July.
Recruiter: Great! that's all I needed to know. I will pass your resume around and get back in touch.

So I kind of feel like shit because I feel like I lost this opportunity. :/