PLEASE PLEASE HELP!!! CA BAR EXAM RESULT Forum

[sakitawelej]

Hello all,
I am coming to terms that i failed the bar exam. I was hoping for a good news last Friday.
I just received my scores. I would really really appreciate it if anyone out there gives me a suggestion on what to do. Anyone knowledgable of the scoring? Please tell me where i am lacking and what i should do. Thanks!!!

Essay 1: 55 60 57.5
Essay 2: 50 50 50
Essay 3: 70 65 67.5
Essay 4: 60 60 60
Essay 5: 55 55 55
Essay 6: 65 65 65
Per Test A: 60 60 60
Per. Test B: 60 60 60

Raw Written: 595.0
Scaled Written: 1363.8918
Scaled MBE: 1543.0000

TOTAL SCALED SCORE: 1426.5797

[Das]

well your scaled MBE is better than average. The only reason you got close to a passing score was because of your MBE. Otherwise you'd be 100 points below passing.

However, your score suggests you need to work on your writing in general. The fact that 3 graders gave you 60s on both PTs consistently says you are a 55-60 writer. Since you got a high MBE score, which is kind of impossible without relatively detailed knowledge of the law, everything points to your IRAC skills. How's your IRAC? How many essay practice have you done?

[sakitawelej]

well your scaled MBE is better than average. The only reason you got close to a passing score was because of your MBE. Otherwise you'd be 100 points below passing.

However, your score suggests you need to work on your writing in general. The fact that 3 graders gave you 60s on both PTs consistently says you are a 55-60 writer. Since you got a high MBE score, which is kind of impossible without relatively detailed knowledge of the law, everything points to your IRAC skills. How's your IRAC? How many essay practice have you done?

Thank you so much for the comment.
You are right. I studied the law very well in detail. I was did 5 performance tests and all plenty of essays. I passed all the assigned barbri- essays and the reviewers comment were also encouraging. I thought i was doing good on the writing part. I also used Whiteny's the bar code cheat sheet. I guess my writing is not enough for the readers. Do you know anyone who trains exclusively on writing?

[run26.2]

Seems like it could be about issue spotting. You did get 1 70, so clearly you can convey some analysis that is worthy of a passing grade. It could be an issue of "writing" in that you're not adequately flagging the issues you spot to the reader.

One thing I did during the Cal Bar was to make headings stating each issue before I started making the analysis, so I wouldn't forget anything. This has at least 2 other benefits. First, if you watch your time, you can tell approximately how far along in your answer to any particular question you should be. Second, if you run out of time, at least you've identified the issue to the reader, which is probably worth something. Another way to handle this is to write something short under each heading at the start and then go back to the headings that require more analysis.

What happened on the PTs? Did you run out of time? These are pretty much plug and chug. Getting something down for each of the factors is more important than how you come out on each of the factors. So this is really about time management.

[sakitawelej]

Seems like it could be about issue spotting. You did get 1 70, so clearly you can convey some analysis that is worthy of a passing grade. It could be an issue of "writing" in that you're not adequately flagging the issues you spot to the reader.

One thing I did during the Cal Bar was to make headings stating each issue before I started making the analysis, so I wouldn't forget anything. This has at least 2 other benefits. First, if you watch your time, you can tell approximately how far along in your answer to any particular question you should be. Second, if you run out of time, at least you've identified the issue to the reader, which is probably worth something. Another way to handle this is to write something short under each heading at the start and then go back to the headings that require more analysis.

What happened on the PTs? Did you run out of time? These are pretty much plug and chug. Getting something down for each of the factors is more important than how you come out on each of the factors. So this is really about time management.

Thank you so much for the analysis and suggestion.
I remember running out time in the second performance test. I was all over with my thoughts and i realized while writing that i was conflicting myself. I think i spot the issues very well but i think my issue is when it comes to breaking down the issues and analyzing each. I may have compromised that fearing that i would run out of time if i went to each element. That i guess explains my Tort essay score. I am kicking myself right now

[Raiden]

Hello all,
I am coming to terms that i failed the bar exam. I was hoping for a good news last Friday.
I just received my scores. I would really really appreciate it if anyone out there gives me a suggestion on what to do. Anyone knowledgable of the scoring? Please tell me where i am lacking and what i should do. Thanks!!!

Essay 1: 55 60 57.5
Essay 2: 50 50 50
Essay 3: 70 65 67.5
Essay 4: 60 60 60
Essay 5: 55 55 55
Essay 6: 65 65 65
Per Test A: 60 60 60
Per. Test B: 60 60 60

Raw Written: 595.0
Scaled Written: 1363.8918
Scaled MBE: 1543.0000

TOTAL SCALED SCORE: 1426.5797

The fact that you have essays 65 and over shows that you know the structure that bar examiners are looking at. Your 1543 MBE score also shows that you have you know your MBE and have been doing your practice, don't let up on this the next round. The 60 Performance Tests shows that you are in the right direction, but not quite getting the structure down/utilizing the law or facts properly in the way you need to get 65 and over. Your essays that are below 65 most likely point to a weakness in your understanding of the law in those topics.

You are so close! If you study right this bar season, I think you should expect to see yourself on the pass list. Keep it up and don't let up.

[2TimesTheCharm]

It looks like you need to review trusts, torts and evidence. Maybe brush up on your weaker subjects?

[sakitawelej]

Hello all,
I am coming to terms that i failed the bar exam. I was hoping for a good news last Friday.
I just received my scores. I would really really appreciate it if anyone out there gives me a suggestion on what to do. Anyone knowledgable of the scoring? Please tell me where i am lacking and what i should do. Thanks!!!

Essay 1: 55 60 57.5
Essay 2: 50 50 50
Essay 3: 70 65 67.5
Essay 4: 60 60 60
Essay 5: 55 55 55
Essay 6: 65 65 65
Per Test A: 60 60 60
Per. Test B: 60 60 60

Raw Written: 595.0
Scaled Written: 1363.8918
Scaled MBE: 1543.0000

TOTAL SCALED SCORE: 1426.5797

The fact that you have essays 65 and over shows that you know the structure that bar examiners are looking at. Your 1543 MBE score also shows that you have you know your MBE and have been doing your practice, don't let up on this the next round. The 60 Performance Tests shows that you are in the right direction, but not quite getting the structure down/utilizing the law or facts properly in the way you need to get 65 and over. Your essays that are below 65 most likely point to a weakness in your understanding of the law in those topics.

You are so close! If you study right this bar season, I think you should expect to see yourself on the pass list. Keep it up and don't let up.

Cant thank you enough Raiden! appreciate the comments and encouragement. I worked so hard for this and I will not give up now.

[sakitawelej]

It looks like you need to review trusts, torts and evidence. Maybe brush up on your weaker subjects?

Yes that is true. I didnt go to law school in CA. I read trust and wills by myself and i was struggling. I was doing very well on tort MBE questions but obviously not on essays. I understand the law but not hitting the right keys to the readers. I need some guidance.

[2TimesTheCharm]

It looks like you need to review trusts, torts and evidence. Maybe brush up on your weaker subjects?

Yes that is true. I didnt go to law school in CA. I read trust and wills by myself and i was struggling. I was doing very well on tort MBE questions but obviously not on essays. I understand the law but not hitting the right keys to the readers. I need some guidance.

Somebody told me that the MBE tests for details and the essays for organization. It seems you are good at spotting the problem but maybe not great at presenting it from scratch. For what it's worth, I had the opposite problem. I had enough points to pass on the essays but scored in the 1200's in the MBE. It seems I need to learn the details better.

[sakitawelej]

It looks like you need to review trusts, torts and evidence. Maybe brush up on your weaker subjects?

Yes that is true. I didnt go to law school in CA. I read trust and wills by myself and i was struggling. I was doing very well on tort MBE questions but obviously not on essays. I understand the law but not hitting the right keys to the readers. I need some guidance.

Somebody told me that the MBE tests for details and the essays for organization. It seems you are good at spotting the problem but maybe not great at presenting it from scratch. For what it's worth, I had the opposite problem. I had enough points to pass on the essays but scored in the 1200's in the MBE. It seems I need to learn the details better.

"MBE tests for details and the essays for organization" I never really thought of it that way. That makes sense!

[Das]

Thank you so much for the comment.
You are right. I studied the law very well in detail. I was did 5 performance tests and all plenty of essays. I passed all the assigned barbri- essays and the reviewers comment were also encouraging. I thought i was doing good on the writing part. I also used Whiteny's the bar code cheat sheet. I guess my writing is not enough for the readers. Do you know anyone who trains exclusively on writing?

im against hiring tutors generally because i think they are really unnecessary. however, you should explain what you mean by "plenty of essays." I would do on average 100-150 essay practice. IRAC isn't hard. it's just a structure of an essay. Perhaps do some more reading/analysis of good essays as exemplars.

[sakitawelej]

Thank you so much for the comment.
You are right. I studied the law very well in detail. I was did 5 performance tests and all plenty of essays. I passed all the assigned barbri- essays and the reviewers comment were also encouraging. I thought i was doing good on the writing part. I also used Whitney's the bar code cheat sheet. I guess my writing is not enough for the readers. Do you know anyone who trains exclusively on writing?

im against hiring tutors generally because i think they are really unnecessary. however, you should explain what you mean by "plenty of essays." I would do on average 100-150 essay practice. IRAC isn't hard. it's just a structure of an essay. Perhaps do some more reading/analysis of good essays as exemplars.

,

I did close to 40-55 timed essays including those graded essays of Barbri. I read all selected essays posted on the bar website. From your numbers above, i dont think what i did was sufficient. I think i spent too much time on the MBE,

[rcharter1978]

Thank you so much for the comment.
You are right. I studied the law very well in detail. I was did 5 performance tests and all plenty of essays. I passed all the assigned barbri- essays and the reviewers comment were also encouraging. I thought i was doing good on the writing part. I also used Whitney's the bar code cheat sheet. I guess my writing is not enough for the readers. Do you know anyone who trains exclusively on writing?

im against hiring tutors generally because i think they are really unnecessary. however, you should explain what you mean by "plenty of essays." I would do on average 100-150 essay practice. IRAC isn't hard. it's just a structure of an essay. Perhaps do some more reading/analysis of good essays as exemplars.

,

I did close to 40-55 timed essays including those graded essays of Barbri. I read all selected essays posted on the bar website. From your numbers above, i dont think what i did was sufficient. I think i spent too much time on the MBE,

I think that may be the issue. I got pretty reasonable grades with Barbri graders the first time but didn't pass. And their feedback wasn't always detailed or actionable. Sometimes it was really good advice, other times it wasn't. So, I totally understand being lulled into a false sense of security. I don't remember Barbri lectures really going over the nuts and bolts of how to write an essay (they may have, I don't remember).

So maybe you want to get that CA Essay Book, or consider a little time with a tutor. I completely agree with Das -- its likely that a tutor is not required for most people, but I do think tutoring gives you that specific and actionable feedback in a relatively short amount of time. And you can talk through the feedback to get an idea of what changes to make in your writing...make those changes and see if its good enough.

There are three tutors that I know of in California that were former bar graders. They work primarily with writing, but they are sort of pricey. It went from $2600 - $5000 for 10-13 weeks of tutoring. You would generally turn in 2-4 esssays in a week, and the tutor would give you detailed written feedback AND depending on the tutor you would get an skype/phone/in person tutoring as well. Some tutors have half hour sessions, my tutor had hour long sessions every week. So, I basically got 13-14 hours of tutoring, and probably turned in like 20-22 essays/PT's. I could have done more, but I just didn't.

I believe Kaplan also offers tutoring at an hourly rate of like $100/hour and they have some good tutors. I don't think those tutors have particularly graded the CA Bar, but the guy I spoke to from Kaplan was very nice, and seemed like he would have been a nice tutor.

[sakitawelej]

Thank you so much for the comment.
You are right. I studied the law very well in detail. I was did 5 performance tests and all plenty of essays. I passed all the assigned barbri- essays and the reviewers comment were also encouraging. I thought i was doing good on the writing part. I also used Whitney's the bar code cheat sheet. I guess my writing is not enough for the readers. Do you know anyone who trains exclusively on writing?

im against hiring tutors generally because i think they are really unnecessary. however, you should explain what you mean by "plenty of essays." I would do on average 100-150 essay practice. IRAC isn't hard. it's just a structure of an essay. Perhaps do some more reading/analysis of good essays as exemplars.

,

I did close to 40-55 timed essays including those graded essays of Barbri. I read all selected essays posted on the bar website. From your numbers above, i dont think what i did was sufficient. I think i spent too much time on the MBE,

I think that may be the issue. I got pretty reasonable grades with Barbri graders the first time but didn't pass. And their feedback wasn't always detailed or actionable. Sometimes it was really good advice, other times it wasn't. So, I totally understand being lulled into a false sense of security. I don't remember Barbri lectures really going over the nuts and bolts of how to write an essay (they may have, I don't remember).

So maybe you want to get that CA Essay Book, or consider a little time with a tutor. I completely agree with Das -- its likely that a tutor is not required for most people, but I do think tutoring gives you that specific and actionable feedback in a relatively short amount of time. And you can talk through the feedback to get an idea of what changes to make in your writing...make those changes and see if its good enough.

There are three tutors that I know of in California that were former bar graders. They work primarily with writing, but they are sort of pricey. It went from $2600 - $5000 for 10-13 weeks of tutoring. You would generally turn in 2-4 esssays in a week, and the tutor would give you detailed written feedback AND depending on the tutor you would get an skype/phone/in person tutoring as well. Some tutors have half hour sessions, my tutor had hour long sessions every week. So, I basically got 13-14 hours of tutoring, and probably turned in like 20-22 essays/PT's. I could have done more, but I just didn't.

I believe Kaplan also offers tutoring at an hourly rate of like $100/hour and they have some good tutors. I don't think those tutors have particularly graded the CA Bar, but the guy I spoke to from Kaplan was very nice, and seemed like he would have been a nice tutor.

Thank you so much. Yes I was confident with my barbri essay performance and didnt do much of any other thing. As you suggested, I have to go with a tutor at least for short period of time until i get the grasp of it. Again, thank you so much for letting me see the possible light at the end of this looooong tunnel.

[Das]

Thank you so much for the comment.
You are right. I studied the law very well in detail. I was did 5 performance tests and all plenty of essays. I passed all the assigned barbri- essays and the reviewers comment were also encouraging. I thought i was doing good on the writing part. I also used Whitney's the bar code cheat sheet. I guess my writing is not enough for the readers. Do you know anyone who trains exclusively on writing?

im against hiring tutors generally because i think they are really unnecessary. however, you should explain what you mean by "plenty of essays." I would do on average 100-150 essay practice. IRAC isn't hard. it's just a structure of an essay. Perhaps do some more reading/analysis of good essays as exemplars.

,

I did close to 40-55 timed essays including those graded essays of Barbri. I read all selected essays posted on the bar website. From your numbers above, i dont think what i did was sufficient. I think i spent too much time on the MBE,

dont get me wrong. i am not saying u do 100-150 full essays. you should however, outline your answers or answer them outloud just the rules to see if you know you can answer it. the point is to get as much exposure to every issue as possible

[sakitawelej]

Thank you so much for the comment.
You are right. I studied the law very well in detail. I was did 5 performance tests and all plenty of essays. I passed all the assigned barbri- essays and the reviewers comment were also encouraging. I thought i was doing good on the writing part. I also used Whitney's the bar code cheat sheet. I guess my writing is not enough for the readers. Do you know anyone who trains exclusively on writing?

im against hiring tutors generally because i think they are really unnecessary. however, you should explain what you mean by "plenty of essays." I would do on average 100-150 essay practice. IRAC isn't hard. it's just a structure of an essay. Perhaps do some more reading/analysis of good essays as exemplars.

,

I did close to 40-55 timed essays including those graded essays of Barbri. I read all selected essays posted on the bar website. From your numbers above, i dont think what i did was sufficient. I think i spent too much time on the MBE,

dont get me wrong. i am not saying u do 100-150 full essays. you should however, outline your answers or answer them outloud just the rules to see if you know you can answer it. the point is to get as much exposure to every issue as possible

I was thinking 100-150 write-out essays...that is a lot, but i have no choice but to do as much as i can every week leading up to the exam. Thanks again for your insight and recommendation!