Themis Bar Review Hangout - July 2016 Forum

[pheerful22]

ok I definitely feel like Themis prepared me WAY BETTER than BArbri. I took Barbri in 2009 when I took the Arizona bar and passed but barely. I got a 137.9 when i needed a 137 on the MBE to pass arizona. This time i took Themis for the Texas bar exam and CRUSHED IT.

Total points on texas exam possible is 1,000. I got a 728. I got a 142.9 scaled MBE on the Texas Bar and my practice raw MBE with Themis was 122. I was also scoring all over the place on the practice MBEs from anywhere to 55%-85% so I had no idea how I was going to do. I would definitely recommend Themis to anyone!

[Hmasterflex]

Just received my Texas results yesterday -- passed!

Themis Simulated MBE: 150
MBE Scaled Score: 155

I was overall satisfied with Themis, even with their underhanded trickery at times. My MBE was right where I thought it was based on my PQs. I passed by a considerable margin though, so I also must've done decently on the essays (which they don't disclose). Themis was very helpful for the essays, and I cruised through all 12 on exam day after doing all 80 or so practice ones.

Now I feel smug for saving a gripload of money.

[Hmasterflex]

ok I definitely feel like Themis prepared me WAY BETTER than BArbri. I took Barbri in 2009 when I took the Arizona bar and passed but barely. I got a 137.9 when i needed a 137 on the MBE to pass arizona. This time i took Themis for the Texas bar exam and CRUSHED IT.

Total points on texas exam possible is 1,000. I got a 728. I got a 142.9 scaled MBE on the Texas Bar and my practice raw MBE with Themis was 122. I was also scoring all over the place on the practice MBEs from anywhere to 55%-85% so I had no idea how I was going to do. I would definitely recommend Themis to anyone!

Congratulations! See you on the other side, brother!

[pheerful22]

ok I definitely feel like Themis prepared me WAY BETTER than BArbri. I took Barbri in 2009 when I took the Arizona bar and passed but barely. I got a 137.9 when i needed a 137 on the MBE to pass arizona. This time i took Themis for the Texas bar exam and CRUSHED IT.

Total points on texas exam possible is 1,000. I got a 728. I got a 142.9 scaled MBE on the Texas Bar and my practice raw MBE with Themis was 122. I was also scoring all over the place on the practice MBEs from anywhere to 55%-85% so I had no idea how I was going to do. I would definitely recommend Themis to anyone!

Congratulations! See you on the other side, brother!

Congratulations to you too!

[stv]

Just received my Texas results yesterday -- passed!

Themis Simulated MBE: 150
MBE Scaled Score: 155

I was overall satisfied with Themis, even with their underhanded trickery at times. My MBE was right where I thought it was based on my PQs. I passed by a considerable margin though, so I also must've done decently on the essays (which they don't disclose). Themis was very helpful for the essays, and I cruised through all 12 on exam day after doing all 80 or so practice ones.

Now I feel smug for saving a gripload of money.

Congrats!

Can you share more about your experience with Themis? 1) Are MBE questions based on real bar exam questions? 2) Are you happy with Themis' essay grading? I came across several posts about how they didn't like it because all the comments they got was "need more facts" "need to develop more". How was your experience?

[ndp1234]

Congrats!

Can you share more about your experience with Themis? 1) Are MBE questions based on real bar exam questions? 2) Are you happy with Themis' essay grading? I came across several posts about how they didn't like it because all the comments they got was "need more facts" "need to develop more". How was your experience?

I know you weren't specifically asking me, but I wanted to respond. I really liked their MBE program. Sometimes it was frustrating because of the sneak attacks, but the sneak attacks just make you better once you learn from them. A lot of people walked out of the MBE feeling like they had studied another test and felt bamboozled by the MBE questions, but I felt like the MBE questions were like the ones I had studied, some even seeming verbatim of some questions I had studied. Sure, there were some weird questions that tested a nuance that I hadn't seen (thanks to civ pro) but overall, I didn't feel too worried about the MBE. I contacted Themis when I finished all the MBE questions on the portal and they said they could issue me additional questions, which I did, so I did over 2500 MBE questions.

Essay grading I thought really depended on the grader. I think the most valuable thing about the essay grading is the practice under test conditions and the anxiety of having some unknown person looking at your work. I happened to get really good feedback for some, and vague feedback for others. After the essay grading, I knew what parts of the law I needed to go back to and know cold. I thought it was helpful in that respect. I also got positive feedback on the parts of my essay that was good.

I honestly felt prepared by test day. I personally made some stupid choices and I had personal issues on test day that I couldn't avoid that made the MEE a disaster for me personally, but it definitely was not Themis' fault.

I passed the UBE with a 281. Not saying that's a spectacular score, but seeing as I was sure I failed, it's a wonderful score.

[BigZuck]

BigZuck's narrative of Themis being this malicious trickster spirit really resonates with me the farther I get in these stupid practice sets

(binks a 154 MBE)
(extols the virtues of Themis in next year's 3L thread)

I'll defend Themis the same way I do my parents: "They abused me because they loved me and wanted to push me to succeed

You can't even see the scars any more"

BIG BUMP

What was your MBE score duder?

[TLSModBot]

BigZuck's narrative of Themis being this malicious trickster spirit really resonates with me the farther I get in these stupid practice sets

(binks a 154 MBE)
(extols the virtues of Themis in next year's 3L thread)

I'll defend Themis the same way I do my parents: "They abused me because they loved me and wanted to push me to succeed

You can't even see the scars any more"

BIG BUMP

What was your MBE score duder?

No idea yet. Haven't gotten my score in NCBE yet so no way to know for now.

130-whatever for DC waiving is all that matters to me

[BigZuck]

BigZuck's narrative of Themis being this malicious trickster spirit really resonates with me the farther I get in these stupid practice sets

(binks a 154 MBE)
(extols the virtues of Themis in next year's 3L thread)

I'll defend Themis the same way I do my parents: "They abused me because they loved me and wanted to push me to succeed

You can't even see the scars any more"

BIG BUMP

What was your MBE score duder?

No idea yet. Haven't gotten my score in NCBE yet so no way to know for now.

130-whatever for DC waiving is all that matters to me

I randomly came across that post when searching to see if I ever posted my simulated MBE score (because I can't remember what it was and wanted to contribute to the actual scores spreadsheet)

Just curious how far off I was on the prediction

[Hmasterflex]

Just received my Texas results yesterday -- passed!

Themis Simulated MBE: 150
MBE Scaled Score: 155

I was overall satisfied with Themis, even with their underhanded trickery at times. My MBE was right where I thought it was based on my PQs. I passed by a considerable margin though, so I also must've done decently on the essays (which they don't disclose). Themis was very helpful for the essays, and I cruised through all 12 on exam day after doing all 80 or so practice ones.

Now I feel smug for saving a gripload of money.

Congrats!

Can you share more about your experience with Themis? 1) Are MBE questions based on real bar exam questions? 2) Are you happy with Themis' essay grading? I came across several posts about how they didn't like it because all the comments they got was "need more facts" "need to develop more". How was your experience?

1. They use a mix of retired MBE questions and questions they made based on the actual MBE questions. The questions on the actual test were different, but many of the patterns within the questions were the same. Themis prepared me for the question patterns I had seen before, as well as help me narrow down the options for those I had not.

2. I was satisfied with the essay grading. The essays were my biggest concern going into studying. Texas had 12 essays covering 15 Texas-specific areas of law (including the state variations on UCC, real property, etc.). I went to school out-of-state and thus did not cover any of the subjects in school.

With that background in mind, I spent an immense amount of time learning the law. I did not have issues incorporating facts into my essays, I filled space with facts for want of legal familiarity. Even still, my grader, Carly, left helpful, critical, and encouraging feedback. The shortest response I ever received simply stated I had outperformed the model. I ended up completing all of the provided essays and then some. I cruised through the 12 essays on exam day and peaced out 30 minutes early.

[BigZuck]

You've got to admit that you didn't cruise through that bankruptcy question. You just wrote words and hoped, just like everyone else.

Themis is good but not THAT good. No prep program can prep you fully because the bar exam is unfair and dumb and a silly hazing ritual and they're going to do unfair things just to try and throw you off. Themis tries to emulate some of that with their patented "Lets Theme them right in their collective Themers" made up MBE questions but no one can quite pull it off like the real bar examiners can.

[TLSModBot]

Themis was a stupid piece of shit for like 10% of the MBE questions and the essay graders can collectively eat a dick, but I'd still go Themis if I had to do it again.

Shout out to soj for giving the appropriate warnings re: above so I knew what to watch out for

[Hmasterflex]

You've got to admit that you didn't cruise through that bankruptcy question. You just wrote words and hoped, just like everyone else.

Themis is good but not THAT good. No prep program can prep you fully because the bar exam is unfair and dumb and a silly hazing ritual and they're going to do unfair things just to try and throw you off. Themis tries to emulate some of that with their patented "Lets Theme them right in their collective Themers" made up MBE questions but no one can quite pull it off like the real bar examiners can.

Don't misunderstand me. When I say cruise, I don't mean ace -- I mean keep pace. I most certainly didn't remember all of the bankruptcy information, and I agree that the question was horse shit. Nonetheless, I spent the same amount of time on that question as I did the others (except DTPA). I Spent about 5 minutes writing the few short lines of "law" that I vaguely remembered from the outline I read cover-to-cover, then ~20 minutes filling in a few paragraphs of "lawl" and applying the shit out of it.

[Vantwins]

I passed MD! Thanks for the support over the summer everyone! I thought Themis was very comparable to Barbri, which I used for VA years ago, so I'm glad I didn't waste money on Barbri. FWIW, I just got to that 75% mark a day or two before the exam.

Still jumping through hoops for MD - had an in person character interview last week and have to finish up an online professionalism course today.

Vanessa

[NaeDeen]

I passed MD! Thanks for the support over the summer everyone! I thought Themis was very comparable to Barbri, which I used for VA years ago, so I'm glad I didn't waste money on Barbri. FWIW, I just got to that 75% mark a day or two before the exam.

Still jumping through hoops for MD - had an in person character interview last week and have to finish up an online professionalism course today.

Vanessa

CONGRATULATIONS!! Very happy for you!! I didn't pass Maryland BUT I'm so happy you did.

Good luck with everything.

[Vantwins]

I passed MD! Thanks for the support over the summer everyone! I thought Themis was very comparable to Barbri, which I used for VA years ago, so I'm glad I didn't waste money on Barbri. FWIW, I just got to that 75% mark a day or two before the exam.

Still jumping through hoops for MD - had an in person character interview last week and have to finish up an online professionalism course today.

Vanessa

CONGRATULATIONS!! Very happy for you!! I didn't pass Maryland BUT I'm so happy you did.

Good luck with everything.

Ugh, I'm sorry - kick some butt in February!

[Winter is Coming]

Hey all,

Would anyone mind PM'ing what the study schedule looked like for July? Trying to get an idea of exactly what I'm in for over the summer. Thanks.

[ultimolugar]

Hey all,

Would anyone mind PM'ing what the study schedule looked like for July? Trying to get an idea of exactly what I'm in for over the summer. Thanks.

Yeah, I'll send my schedule (I worked full time too, I don't know if that helps).

[Winter is Coming]

Thanks to everyone who responded, I appreciate it.

[NaeDeen]

Hey all,

Would anyone mind PM'ing what the study schedule looked like for July? Trying to get an idea of exactly what I'm in for over the summer. Thanks.

Yeah, I'll send my schedule (I worked full time too, I don't know if that helps).

Ultimulgar, not sure if you posted about this but were you successful and what kind of studying ritual/schedule did you have?

Thanks