How much are you winging it on essays Forum

[umichman]

I know that you can only know so much, wondering from pass bar exam takers who passed, what percentage of the MEE essays would you say you were winging, vs amount u knew 100 percent?

[zot1]

I took the UBE and found the essay day to be extremely easy. I felt like I knew all of it. This has a lot to do with the draw of essay subjects though because all of the questions I got were for the subjects I felt the strongest on. If I had gotten secured transactions, I would have probably had to fake 90% of it.

Edit: When I was going through bar prep, I felt like I knew about 60-70% of the essays. There was always one or two issues I had missed or the rule just wasn't quite right. However, in the last two weeks before the exam, I was doing a lot better, maybe close to 90%, but mostly on subjects I already liked to begin with.

[1styearlateral]

I took pre-UBE but the strategy was you study for MBE and really MBE only, with the exception of learning your state's exceptions/nuances. Worked for me.

[umichman]

I took pre-UBE but the strategy was you study for MBE and really MBE only, with the exception of learning your state's exceptions/nuances. Worked for me.

Unfortunately Im taking non UBE but the MBE is still 50%. There are 6 essays+1 MPT. I just am having trouble memorizing the factors of all fo the little subjects liek in sec trans etc. but i am hitting about 70-80% of MBE qs in bar bri so hopefully that can buoy my score

[Jmazz88]

I'm in a UBE state and have devoted about 80% of my time to the MBE. On the MEE-only topics, I really have not given them much attention. Really hoping this doesn't hurt me in the end. I'm a good writer, and I consider myself very organized, so I guess if it comes down to it I should just make up a rule and apply it, right?

[cnk1220]

I'm in a UBE state and have devoted about 80% of my time to the MBE. On the MEE-only topics, I really have not given them much attention. Really hoping this doesn't hurt me in the end. I'm a good writer, and I consider myself very organized, so I guess if it comes down to it I should just make up a rule and apply it, right?

I've heard of how you can "auto pass" with a super high MBE score in a 50% state, and since I'm sure some of the essays are going to be on MBE topics you should be fine especially if you know how to write.

[Jmazz88]

I'm in a UBE state and have devoted about 80% of my time to the MBE. On the MEE-only topics, I really have not given them much attention. Really hoping this doesn't hurt me in the end. I'm a good writer, and I consider myself very organized, so I guess if it comes down to it I should just make up a rule and apply it, right?

I've heard of how you can "auto pass" with a super high MBE score in a 50% state, and since I'm sure some of the essays are going to be on MBE topics you should be fine especially if you know how to write.

That's what I'm hoping for. Figure as long as I get 65% on the MBE, do well on the MPT, and then do well on the MBE topics that are on the MEE, I can afford to bomb the MEE-only topics and still pass.

[cnk1220]

Let's just hope the MBE is what the prep companies have said it will be on and that it aligns with their practice questions...

[Jmazz88]

Let's just hope the MBE is what the prep companies have said it will be on and that it aligns with their practice questions...

Yeah, I just bought the Emmanuel's book, so I figure mixing in some real (albeit, old and retired) MBE questions might be helpful. Although I'm still going to do all of the MBE questions that Barbri assigns me between now and the exam.

[cnk1220]

Let's just hope the MBE is what the prep companies have said it will be on and that it aligns with their practice questions...

Yeah, I just bought the Emmanuel's book, so I figure mixing in some real (albeit, old and retired) MBE questions might be helpful. Although I'm still going to do all of the MBE questions that Barbri assigns me between now and the exam.

Those Qs are significantly easier IMO. I'm not sure why the MBE is apparently more difficult now than it was before (I've never taken it yet but from what I've heard)..some of the old questions are seriously so simple "gimme" Qs that you know the answer in 20 seconds.
My bf who took the bar a few years before civ pro was added passed with flying colors studying a few hours a day, (although he's very good at MC exams and I think this was before increasingly complex mortgage problems were continuously appearing in property), but now he's looked at some of my MBEs and has picked the "2nd" best answer on the same ones I did.

[DueProcessDoWheelies]

I'm in a UBE state and have devoted about 80% of my time to the MBE. On the MEE-only topics, I really have not given them much attention. Really hoping this doesn't hurt me in the end. I'm a good writer, and I consider myself very organized, so I guess if it comes down to it I should just make up a rule and apply it, right?

This is what I've been doing too. I am licensed in Texas and I'm taking the UBE next week. I did pretty well on the MBE last year so if I can keep that up on both the actual MBE and the MBE-subject essays I think I'll be fine. As far as MEE-only subjects, the content is hardly different from Texas. The only big differences I've seen so far are some nuances in family law.

I hope this confidence I have doesn't bite me in the ass next Tuesday.

[cnk1220]

I'm in a UBE state and have devoted about 80% of my time to the MBE. On the MEE-only topics, I really have not given them much attention. Really hoping this doesn't hurt me in the end. I'm a good writer, and I consider myself very organized, so I guess if it comes down to it I should just make up a rule and apply it, right?

This is what I've been doing too. I am licensed in Texas and I'm taking the UBE next week. I did pretty well on the MBE last year so if I can keep that up on both the actual MBE and the MBE-subject essays I think I'll be fine. As far as MEE-only subjects, the content is hardly different from Texas. The only big differences I've seen so far are some nuances in family law.

I hope this confidence I have doesn't bite me in the ass next Tuesday.

I'm honestly going to BS my way through any trusts/wills question, there's just not enough time to learn all these doctrines and watch they never show up. I can't believe they didn't even include ONE of the trusts/wills/fam law trifecta in july on the UBE. Those poor people who studied all that info for nothing

[ndp1234]

If it helps, I passed the July UBE even though I left the secured transactions question blank and my MBE score wasn't super stellar but I am a good writer and I write well under pressure. The MEE in July was a total shit show. I hope they don't pull another one like that for February.

[cnk1220]

If it helps, I passed the July UBE even though I left the secured transactions question blank and my MBE score wasn't super stellar but I am a good writer and I write well under pressure. The MEE in July was a total shit show. I hope they don't pull another one like that for February.

Just curious- why was it a total shit show? Wasn't it a lot of MBE topics? Besides the ST that appeared for the 2nd time in a row. Also congrats on passing!!

[Jmazz88]

If it helps, I passed the July UBE even though I left the secured transactions question blank and my MBE score wasn't super stellar but I am a good writer and I write well under pressure. The MEE in July was a total shit show. I hope they don't pull another one like that for February.

Just curious- why was it a total shit show? Wasn't it a lot of MBE topics? Besides the ST that appeared for the 2nd time in a row. Also congrats on passing!!

Just as a heads up, not that this is definitely going to happen, but ST has not been tested 3 times in a row in over a decade. So luckily, theres a good chance it won't be on there.

[cnk1220]

If it helps, I passed the July UBE even though I left the secured transactions question blank and my MBE score wasn't super stellar but I am a good writer and I write well under pressure. The MEE in July was a total shit show. I hope they don't pull another one like that for February.

Just curious- why was it a total shit show? Wasn't it a lot of MBE topics? Besides the ST that appeared for the 2nd time in a row. Also congrats on passing!!

Just as a heads up, not that this is definitely going to happen, but ST has not been tested 3 times in a row in over a decade. So luckily, theres a good chance it won't be on there.

Watch they throw it on there just because they know everyone will think it isn't coming, NCBE will be laughing at us next Tuesday.

Also anyone else think it's ironic NCBE is HQed in Wisconsin, the one state that doesn't require you to take the bar exam if you attend a Wisconsin school. LOL.

[ndp1234]

If it helps, I passed the July UBE even though I left the secured transactions question blank and my MBE score wasn't super stellar but I am a good writer and I write well under pressure. The MEE in July was a total shit show. I hope they don't pull another one like that for February.

Just curious- why was it a total shit show? Wasn't it a lot of MBE topics? Besides the ST that appeared for the 2nd time in a row. Also congrats on passing!!

To name a few:

1. ST - despite not being a heavily tested topic came up for the third admin in a row.
2. Torts - market share liability. I don't think any bar review companies test on that. Plus it was a negligence AND strict liability question.
3. Crim Pro / Evidence - really? two MBE topics put together?
4. No wills/trusts/family law for the first time in a long time.
5. Corps/Agency - tested one type of LLC and asked a direct question on whether it was member managed or manager managed.
6. Contracts - tested on third party liability only. It was crazy.

Plus ALL the questions had like 6 subparts. I had never seen anything like these questions in bar prep and I did over 70 MEE practice essays.

[NyuIwantu]

I know that you can only know so much, wondering from pass bar exam takers who passed, what percentage of the MEE essays would you say you were winging, vs amount u knew 100 percent?

So I passed while doing poorly on the MBE and apparently quite well on the essays. I definitely fully winged 2 essays as I didn't know the substantive law at all. Focus on format and wing the material.

[DueProcessDoWheelies]

I know that you can only know so much, wondering from pass bar exam takers who passed, what percentage of the MEE essays would you say you were winging, vs amount u knew 100 percent?

So I passed while doing poorly on the MBE and apparently quite well on the essays. I definitely fully winged 2 essays as I didn't know the substantive law at all. Focus on format and wing the material.

Yup. If I come across a prompt where I have no idea what the answer is, follow the tried-and-true process of making up a rule that helps the aggrieved party win, make my words sound pretty, have good organization, and use all the relevant facts in my analysis. Should get me some points.