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Figured I'd make a thread for those taking the PA Bar in July 2017. Happy studying

Thought I would post this for the good of the order, and welcome suggestions.

Sat for the July 2016 PA and NJ bar exam. Passed the NJ bar. Missed the PA bar by 3 points with a very poor PT score, and passing essay and MBE. Re-taking the PA bar July 2017.

No plans to watch lectures this time around. I found that the essay topics were easy to study in PA because they almost always come in the same order, they tend to circulate old essay topics, and the Barbri PA essay materials were spot on, very easy to study from. The key issues tested are great summations of the rule.

The MBE I found much more difficult, and the second time around I find that I am having to trudge through the outlines to prepare. Reading and re-reading the outlines, then practice questions is my strategy this time around.

Checking in. Using themis

nealander wrote:Thought I would post this for the good of the order, and welcome suggestions.

Sat for the July 2016 PA and NJ bar exam. Passed the NJ bar. Missed the PA bar by 3 points with a very poor PT score, and passing essay and MBE. Re-taking the PA bar July 2017.

No plans to watch lectures this time around. I found that the essay topics were easy to study in PA because they almost always come in the same order, they tend to circulate old essay topics, and the Barbri PA essay materials were spot on, very easy to study from. The key issues tested are great summations of the rule.

The MBE I found much more difficult, and the second time around I find that I am having to trudge through the outlines to prepare. Reading and re-reading the outlines, then practice questions is my strategy this time around.

Randomly enough I took the July 2016 PA Exam and failed by a few points as well. My MBE score stunk. I took and passed the UBE in February and my MBE score improved while self-studying and using Emanuel's sixth edition. This time around, I am also self-studying and incorporating Adaptibar. I had the Kaplan materials from last July but I am also using the Barbri PA essay book this time; as you said, it's spot on.

Checking in! Good luck everyone.

Do we have to wait until June 30 when they send out the admissions tickets to find out where we will be sitting for the exam? Can we assume we will get our first choice?

SeewhathappensLarry wrote:Do we have to wait until June 30 when they send out the admissions tickets to find out where we will be sitting for the exam? Can we assume we will get our first choice?

Go to your message center and check the message with the subject "Application Accepted." The second to last sentence should say your test location. I am fairly certain everyone gets his/her first choice.

Lawyerinwaiting89 wrote:

SeewhathappensLarry wrote:Do we have to wait until June 30 when they send out the admissions tickets to find out where we will be sitting for the exam? Can we assume we will get our first choice?

Go to your message center and check the message with the subject "Application Accepted." The second to last sentence should say your test location. I am fairly certain everyone gets his/her first choice.

Wonderful, thank you! I really did not want to stay in a hotel

Hey guys - checking in! Anyone else a practicing attorney in another jurisdiction?

Catra wrote:Hey guys - checking in! Anyone else a practicing attorney in another jurisdiction?

Yes, practicing attorney here, passed NJ last summer.

nealander wrote:

Catra wrote:Hey guys - checking in! Anyone else a practicing attorney in another jurisdiction?

Yes, practicing attorney here, passed NJ last summer.

Hello! How are you managing working and studying? I have literally never been this tired in my life.

Catra wrote:

nealander wrote:

Catra wrote:Hey guys - checking in! Anyone else a practicing attorney in another jurisdiction?

Yes, practicing attorney here, passed NJ last summer.

Hello! How are you managing working and studying? I have literally never been this tired in my life.

I hear you. I studied for the UBE while working full-time from about November-February, but some nights I didn't do anything and other nights I did about two hours worth of work. It's super tiring, especially if your job is not just 9-5 or whatever. My advice is just to make sure you do SOMETHING every night. It's easy to feel like you're not doing enough and that it's useless because people are studying 8-12 hours a day, but if you do SOMETHING (anything) every day you're at least making progress. For what it's worth, I never wrote out a full essay or MPT (similar to the PA PT), but instead read through lots of sample questions and answers and had the various formats in mind for the the performance test. A lot of people would say you're doing yourself a disservice by not writing out full essays and PTs, but I knew that I was fine with time management and just needed to know the BLL and its application. This tactic worked fine for me and saved me precious time.

That said, I'm attempting to study for PA now and way farther behind than I planned to be because 1) my clerkship is now busier; 2) I'm doing all the paperwork and requirements to get admitted into NY; and 3) I'm applying and interviewing for jobs for the fall. It's really hard to manage your very limited time, so at the very least, utilize the weekends.

Does any know if Barbri anticipates DUI being tested this year? Thought I saw something about a SCOTUS case changing the implied consent law for DUI in PA as it relates to blood tests.

I have a frequency chart that I bought of eBay before of the most important rules that the Pennsylvania Bar Examiners have previously tested. It has gone over the past 65 Pennsylvania Bar Exams (yes, 33 years of exams) including the latest February 2017 exam. It's an outline frequency chart on how often each concept has appeared and how often each rule has been tested on the Pennsylvania Bar Exam essays. If you are interested contact me via private message.

nealander wrote:Does any know if Barbri anticipates DUI being tested this year? Thought I saw something about a SCOTUS case changing the implied consent law for DUI in PA as it relates to blood tests.

Super delayed, but also curious about this. Has DUI ever been tested since it became a possible topic? I'm not sure if I should bother spending much time looking at it in the last couple of days (I initially skipped it).

Also curious. I haven't seen a practice essay test it thus far, but I'm just going to try and know the 2 tests used for DUI.

Lawyerinwaiting89 wrote:

nealander wrote:Does any know if Barbri anticipates DUI being tested this year? Thought I saw something about a SCOTUS case changing the implied consent law for DUI in PA as it relates to blood tests.

Super delayed, but also curious about this. Has DUI ever been tested since it became a possible topic? I'm not sure if I should bother spending much time looking at it in the last couple of days (I initially skipped it).

It isn't really that long of a topic, so you should probably just give it a look, jic. I think I did a DUI essay? (My mind might just be playing tricks on me at this point)

Since we're not allowed to wear a watch for some reason...is it safe to assume they will have a clock visible for us during the exam? These rules are insane

SeewhathappensLarry wrote:Since we're not allowed to wear a watch for some reason...is it safe to assume they will have a clock visible for us during the exam? These rules are insane

At the prior bar exams I've taken, there have always been those huge light up displays with the time situated in various areas throughout the exam room. I haven't been at the Philly Convention Center, but because it's a huge venue and watches aren't allowed, I think it's definitely safe to assume they'll have those set up. The only thing that's annoying is some peoples' seat locations make it a bit more difficult to see the display without moving their head, but it's usually just a minor thing and I wouldn't worry about it. Also don't quote me but I think the exam software enables your clock at the bottom of your computer screen?

Has anyone taken the exam in the Philly convention center before? I know there's a bag area but I'm wondering if you can take anything you want onto the site and leave it in there. The ticket says don't bring your laptop on Wednesday (MBE Day) but I'm staying at a hotel and need to check out Wednesday morning so I'm hoping I can leave my bag and laptop in the bag area. It's not secure but oh well.

Thoughts on the essays?

I don't think that they were unfair. I definitely made some stupid errors because I blanked on PA distinctions for a few essays and had to BS my way though, which I am sure won't pay off since the questions are pretty pointed. I think the last essay was confusing, though. I wasn't quite sure what they were looking for based on how the questions were worded.

I thought the Con Law/Civ Pro essay was brutal

Acdc54 wrote:I thought the Con Law/Civ Pro essay was brutal

Could not agree more. I was completely thrown off by that one.

Lol I'm embarrassed to admit that I completely blanked that motion to dismiss issue for federal rules. It was tough.