Barbri + What Else? Forum

[lawschoolwoohoo]

I was hoping someone could suggest whether I should do more than just Barbri (live class) for the July Georgia exam. I know pass rates in Georgia have been plummeting, which is freaking me out. I have been doing all the assignments Barbri has given, and outlining on my own every day after the lecture. I still didn't get all the answers in the essay practices right though, which was disappointing. My job is contingent on first time bar passage, which is terrifying when the rates for passage have been failing. What should I add to Barbri study to pass this July?

Thanks!

[Raiden]

Feel out where you feel you are lacking. What is giving you a tough time, essays? Then maybe look into a tutor to help out with grading essays. MBE? Then maybe look into getting additional MBE practice from different resource, like adaptibar.

[squiggle]

I was hoping someone could suggest whether I should do more than just Barbri (live class) for the July Georgia exam. I know pass rates in Georgia have been plummeting, which is freaking me out. I have been doing all the assignments Barbri has given, and outlining on my own every day after the lecture. I still didn't get all the answers in the essay practices right though, which was disappointing. My job is contingent on first time bar passage, which is terrifying when the rates for passage have been failing. What should I add to Barbri study to pass this July?

Thanks!

I've personally found Barbri questions to be the least like real MBE questions than other sources (I'm taking my 3rd state bar this summer). I'd recommend Adaptibar, Kaplan's Big Red Book, or Emmanuel's Strategies & Tactics, which I have found to be more realistic.

Adaptibar has 1,700 questions, including real MBE questions released by NCBE, and it show a breakdown of how you're doing in each MBE subtopic. Adaptibar shows you how many students picked each answer, and tracks your timing on each question (1.8 minutes per question is optimal for finish 100 questions in 3 hours). I usually it when I'm on the go (at line at the grocery store, to/from work) on my phone or iPad. I have a $50 discount code for Adaptibar, and you can PM me with the email address you'd like to register with. I used the free trial to test it out before I bought it. http://www.adaptibar.com

I also really like Emmanuel's Strategies & Tactics, and he just released a new book in the last week or so. The new book includes 200 civ procedure questions, in addition to questions and outlines for the other MBE topics. I'm still not sure if the new book contains the same questions for the 6 MBE topics as the older books, but it may be worth it for the new civ pro questions. http://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Tactic ... PDKIKX0DER

I'd also recommend Kaplan's Big Red Book, which is actually now purple and is also called Kaplan PMBR. It's notorious on TLS and contains a large # of questions from the 6 previous topics, and it has great explanations of the right/wrong answers. You can also buy a supplement that contains civ pro questions from Kaplan. It's usually on eBay, and it runs about $300. http://[link redacted]/XLFzFM

If you're looking for flashcards, I'd recommend critical pass. There's just not enough time to make your own cards, and these cards come with space to add your own notes on each card, such as state distinctions or examples. These flashcards line up pretty closely with Barbri's Conviser Mini Review (CMR), so you can add notes to the cards while reviewing the assigned CMR sections. http://criticalpass.com

Regardless of what you use, I'd recommend doing a large # of MBE questions. It's the best way to identify the topics you're weak in and to learn the common formats/trap of MBE questions. Good luck, and I hope that helps!

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

Barbri is all you need. The same principle applies as with law school exams: fewer materials, studied more carefully and for longer, is better than more materials studied for less time. The goal is not to get 100% but to comfortably pass.

[rcharter1978]

The only thing I would get for sure is that PT book. I think you can see how Barbri works for you, but I don't remember much guidance on the PT/MPT's.

I'm not sure if GA has PT's....I'm assuming you do. If not....than I got nothing, except maybe for AdaptiBar for MBE questions.

[rinkrat19]

Emanuel MBE book or Adaptibar, so you get experience with real MBE questions.

[L_William_W]

I was hoping someone could suggest whether I should do more than just Barbri (live class) for the July Georgia exam. I know pass rates in Georgia have been plummeting, which is freaking me out. I have been doing all the assignments Barbri has given, and outlining on my own every day after the lecture. I still didn't get all the answers in the essay practices right though, which was disappointing. My job is contingent on first time bar passage, which is terrifying when the rates for passage have been failing. What should I add to Barbri study to pass this July?

Thanks!

I'm not that familiar with Georgia, but I suggest Ameribar essay graders. Believe me, they grade your essays tougher than the bar examiners. As far as the MBE, get the big Kaplan book. Those are the closest MBE's to the real ones.

[mvp99]

I was hoping someone could suggest whether I should do more than just Barbri (live class) for the July Georgia exam. I know pass rates in Georgia have been plummeting, which is freaking me out. I have been doing all the assignments Barbri has given, and outlining on my own every day after the lecture. I still didn't get all the answers in the essay practices right though, which was disappointing. My job is contingent on first time bar passage, which is terrifying when the rates for passage have been failing. What should I add to Barbri study to pass this July?

Thanks!

I'm not that familiar with Georgia, but I suggest Ameribar essay graders. Believe me, they grade your essays tougher than the bar examiners. As far as the MBE, get the big Kaplan book. Those are the closest MBE's to the real ones.

why kaplan when he can get real Qs with emmanuels for $80??

[skeenbr0]

I still didn't get all the answers in the essay practices right though, which was disappointing.

How long have you been studying for the bar now? A week or two? Don't expect to be ready to pass yet, and don't freak out because you are not getting all of the points in the essays.

Committing all of the stuff you need to know to memory takes time, and you aren't going to have it down after the lecture. Buying more materials probably won't help either. You just have to spend a lot of time going over you outline, or converting the information to whatever tool you find useful. For me, the tool was flashcards. I started by trying to compile the important points from the lectures and Convisor outline onto note cards. I would then run over a few subjects a day, both before and after trying essays.The after part is super important, and here is why:

Part of the BarBri process is reviewing your answers to essays and MBE questions, so that you know what you got wrong. It's not enough to say "I wouldn't have done well on that essay, I'll hope I do better next time." Go through the model answer, figure out what tripped you up, and add that point to whatever tool you use to review a subject if it is not already there. So I would go over my Contracts flashcards, try a few essays, see how I did, and if there were major points I missed, I would add a new flashcard for each point.

My point is not to tell you to make flashcards, that''s just what worked for me. The important point here is to make sure that you are using the essays and MBE questions not just to see how you are doing, but to diagnose deficits in your knowledge, and to address those deficits in your study tools.

[lawschoolwoohoo]

Thanks so much for all your responses! I really appreciate it. For those that suggested Adaptibar, does it make sense to do the most expensive package, or just the flashcards for $95?

Thanks again!

[squiggle]

Thanks so much for all your responses! I really appreciate it. For those that suggested Adaptibar, does it make sense to do the most expensive package, or just the flashcards for $95?

Thanks again!

Personally, I think Adaptibar's best features are part of the MBE Simulator.

[Neve]

List of Supplements for the Bar Exam (aimed toward MBE):

1) Emanuel's Strategies and Tactics for the MBE - available on Amazon. Fairly cheap book. Has good tips on approaching the MBE and contains lots of practice questions.

2) Adaptibar (http://www.adaptibar.com) - I didn't use this, but wish I had since it has received raving reviews. The only con to Adaptibar is the price.

3) Barmax MBE Questions (https://getbarmax.com/barmax-mbe-questions/ - supposedly "comparable" to Adaptibar). At only $249, it's a good price, but Adaptibar has tracking tools to individualize your MBE study and show your progress in a method that Barmax can't. But Barmax seems to be more economical than Adaptibar. You also need an iOS device to use it.

4) OPE from the MBE site to practice the most recent test questions: http://store.ncbex.org/all-online-practice-exams/. At $50 per OPE it isn't the cheapest option, but these are real, recent MBE questions and not the souped up Barbri ones. Barbri questions are not representative of the modern MBE. I hear Barmax is only $249 and has all these OPEs included.

5) Critical Pass (http://criticalpass.refr.cc/WXNZSR4 - referral link contains a discount code for $15 off) - Great flashcards for the MBE! You can't apply the law to an MBE question, if you don't know the law. I used Critical Pass for my bar study along with the CMR from Barbri and their simulated questions (although the Barbri questions are very different than actual MBE questions). I also used Emanuel's S&T during my study period, but not as much as I should have since it's a great resource. Note: When I purchased Critical Pass flashcards, I got a free shipping code by liking Critical Pass on Facebook. However, I don't know if this code is still available.

[WahooLaw24]

List of Supplements for the Bar Exam (aimed toward MBE):

1) Emanuel's Strategies and Tactics for the MBE - available on Amazon. Fairly cheap book. Has good tips on approaching the MBE and contains lots of practice questions.

2) Adaptibar (http://www.adaptibar.com) - I didn't use this, but wish I had since it has received raving reviews. The only con to Adaptibar is the price.

3) Barmax MBE Questions (https://getbarmax.com/barmax-mbe-questions/ - supposedly "comparable" to Adaptibar). At only $249, it's a good price, but Adaptibar has tracking tools to individualize your MBE study and show your progress in a method that Barmax can't. But Barmax seems to be more economical than Adaptibar. You also need an iOS device to use it.

4) OPE from the MBE site to practice the most recent test questions: http://store.ncbex.org/all-online-practice-exams/. At $50 per OPE it isn't the cheapest option, but these are real, recent MBE questions and not the souped up Barbri ones. Barbri questions are not representative of the modern MBE. I hear Barmax is only $249 and has all these OPEs included.

5) Critical Pass (http://criticalpass.refr.cc/3W6LZL6 - referral link contains a discount code) - Great flashcards for the MBE! You can't apply the law to an MBE question, if you don't know the law. I used Critical Pass for my bar study along with the CMR from Barbri and their simulated questions (although the Barbri questions are very different than actual MBE questions). I also used Emanuel's S&T during my study period, but not as much as I should have since it's a great resource. Note: When I purchased Critical Pass flashcards, I got a free shipping code by liking Critical Pass on Facebook. However, I don't know if this code is still available.

Just curious, what's different about Barbri questions and actual MBE questions? Barbri tends to make them harder?

[Good Guy Gaud]

Late to party but I thought the Emanuel book was incredibly helpful and obvs NBCE multiple. Choice practice tests when you're closer to the end

(I was always stressed about BarBri being too unrealistic so I bought some from NBCE towards the end)

[squiggle]

List of Supplements for the Bar Exam (aimed toward MBE):

1) Emanuel's Strategies and Tactics for the MBE - available on Amazon. Fairly cheap book. Has good tips on approaching the MBE and contains lots of practice questions.

2) Adaptibar (http://www.adaptibar.com) - I didn't use this, but wish I had since it has received raving reviews. The only con to Adaptibar is the price.

3) Barmax MBE Questions (https://getbarmax.com/barmax-mbe-questions/ - supposedly "comparable" to Adaptibar). At only $249, it's a good price, but Adaptibar has tracking tools to individualize your MBE study and show your progress in a method that Barmax can't. But Barmax seems to be more economical than Adaptibar. You also need an iOS device to use it.

4) OPE from the MBE site to practice the most recent test questions: http://store.ncbex.org/all-online-practice-exams/. At $50 per OPE it isn't the cheapest option, but these are real, recent MBE questions and not the souped up Barbri ones. Barbri questions are not representative of the modern MBE. I hear Barmax is only $249 and has all these OPEs included.

5) Critical Pass (http://criticalpass.refr.cc/3W6LZL6 - referral link contains a discount code) - Great flashcards for the MBE! You can't apply the law to an MBE question, if you don't know the law. I used Critical Pass for my bar study along with the CMR from Barbri and their simulated questions (although the Barbri questions are very different than actual MBE questions). I also used Emanuel's S&T during my study period, but not as much as I should have since it's a great resource. Note: When I purchased Critical Pass flashcards, I got a free shipping code by liking Critical Pass on Facebook. However, I don't know if this code is still available.

Just curious, what's different about Barbri questions and actual MBE questions? Barbri tends to make them harder?

Here's some info from some other threads, which is generally agree with regarding Barbri questions:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... p?t=231430

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=261420

[Neve]

There are many differences between Barbri questions and actual MBE questions. Barbri questions are modified (or "enhanced") versions of real Barbri questions from the 1980s and 1990s. I don't believe that Barbri uses questions from recent years, only the older vintage. Two of the main differences between the real questions and Barbri questions are the nuances in the law that are tested and the style of questions - Barbri questions are significantly longer than real MBE questions and the real MBE questions test nuances in the law that Barbri questions don't always pick up on. When I took the MBE two years ago, it covered topics Barbri didn't even touch on like the Fair Housing Act and the 8th Amendment. As a result of Barbri's inability to overhaul their MBE program, I highly recommend using supplemental materials.

[blueapple08]

Would adaptibar suffice or would you also recommend getting the Emmanuel's, in addition to adaptibar?

[squiggle]

Would adaptibar suffice or would you also recommend getting the Emmanuel's, in addition to adaptibar?

I'd recommend trying the new Emmanuel's for the civ pro question. Adaptibar's civ pro questions are just okay.

[L_William_W]

People seem to not comprehend the fact that the NCBE DOESN'T RELEASE MBE QUESTIONS. The only questions they release are from 15-20 years ago that don't reflect the material that's on the current exam.

if you want to give yourself a false sense of security by using Adaptibar then be my guest. However, if you want to do things the right way then you'll purchase the Kaplan MBE book with questions that are very similar in format and level of difficult as the real exam. I've been through the war four times (I won on the 4th attempt). Even after my first three defeats, I memorized the format of the questions so I'd know what to look for in review materials.

[squiggle]

People seem to not comprehend the fact that the NCBE DOESN'T RELEASE MBE QUESTIONS. The only questions they release are from 15-20 years ago that don't reflect the material that's on the current exam.

if you want to give yourself a false sense of security by using Adaptibar then be my guess. However, if you want to do things the right way then you'll purchase the Kaplan MBE book with questions that are very similar in format and level of difficult as the real exam. I've been through the war four times (I won on the 4th attempt). Even after my first three defeats, I memorized the format of the questions so I'd know what to look for in review materials.

What makes you say that Adaptibar gives a "false sense of security" but using Kaplan is the "right way"? I've used both Adaptibar and Kaplan, and I've found that BOTH have questions similar to each AND to the bar exam (I'm taking my 3rd state this summer). Adaptibar also shows you the subtopics you're scoring low in, and you can use that to target your studying. I plan on using Kaplan, Emmanuel's, and Adaptibar this summer.

[learntolift]

i just want to do extra MBE questions on slower barbri days where i have a couple extra hours that i am down to study more after the assignments are done.

i think all the barbri MBE questions provided in the books and in studysmart are used for assignments throughout the program (please correct me if i am wrong). so what would you all suggest to supplement? i looked into adaptibar, not really interested in paying that much money just for MBE questions; was hoping I could buy a book or something for maybe $100? with questions and answer explanations. Is Emanuel's the best option for this?

[squiggle]

i just want to do extra MBE questions on slower barbri days where i have a couple extra hours that i am down to study more after the assignments are done.

i think all the barbri MBE questions provided in the books and in studysmart are used for assignments throughout the program (please correct me if i am wrong). so what would you all suggest to supplement? i looked into adaptibar, not really interested in paying that much money just for MBE questions; was hoping I could buy a book or something for maybe $100? with questions and answer explanations. Is Emanuel's the best option for this?

I'd recommend Emmanuel's, which runs around $80. He just came out with a new book last month that includes civ pro questions, but his older version don't have any civ pro questions or outlines. I really like the answer explanations.

[ellewoods123]

I'm a huge fan of Adaptibar - it assesses everything from weak subtopics to average time per question and you can see how other people in your state are scoring. I think the explanations are very clear, and for me its helpful to have the same points of law that I keep missing explained in different ways. The BarBri explanations tend to be very repetitive i.e. "the answer is this because these are the elements". Not to say that BarBri's explanations aren't helpful because I definitely think they are, but its nice to have variations in how similar points of law are explained and Adaptibar is refreshing in that sense.

[Neve]

Would adaptibar suffice or would you also recommend getting the Emmanuel's, in addition to adaptibar?

I recommend both if you can afford it.

[sublime]

Would adaptibar suffice or would you also recommend getting the Emmanuel's, in addition to adaptibar?

I recommend both if you can afford it.

Don't they have most of the same questions though?