How did the online bar exam go? Forum

[tlsadmin3]

Today begins the second day of the multijurisdictional online bar exam. Yesterday over 30,000 bar takers logged into the remote bar exam, and how did it go? Well, there were some technical difficulties, but it wasn’t the meltdown of computer technical difficulties as some test takers feared. Five of the biggest jurisdictions will be taking their online bar exam this week, three of which started yesterday. Did you take the online Bar Exam? How did it go?

[Anonymous User]

I am CA exam taker. I could not take MBE part 2 and PT because my ExamSoft did not work. Maybe it was a disconnection between ExamSoft and PC camera. no time to fix. It was too bad.

[SilvermanBarPrep]

I've heard that as far as technology goes, it went better than expected, though there were definitely some issues here and there. But many complaints are coming in about the content tested; seems that the MBE questions were not the kinds of questions that the bar prep companies prepared the students to take through their outlines, etc. That's what I'm hearing so far, but it's still very early, and this isn't all that uncommon to hear immediately after the exam.

Sean (Silverman Bar Exam Tutoring)

[Anonymous User]

Good afternoon to all,


I took California bar yesterday. So, far good experience but on day 1 during my 5th essay my computer was freeze I try to restart didn't work. Called examsoft tech guy took 1 hr and 20 min to fix the issue before I finally got back to 5th essay and started from where I stopped.

Yes, mbe was v stange. Short fact patterns and difficult but if you know all elements of law not just highly tested rule but also less tested than I think you can nail it.

So, far good experience with online except above issue.

Hope this help to others.

[Anonymous User]

Is it just me or is the MBE much more difficult than Barbri/Adaptibar questions? I almost felt like all my preparation was a total waste of time.

[conanbond]

Many sub-area rules tested go wildly, these rules neither been taught in school nor prepared by bar review materials. People felt the MBE (especially the part 1) was designed by some foreigners.

Buy anyway, the score will be showed by scale, so don't need to worry too much. I think anyone who get 40% correct rate or above would pass.

[nixy]

Is it just me or is the MBE much more difficult than Barbri/Adaptibar questions? I almost felt like all my preparation was a total waste of time.

People say this every. single. year, and pass every single year, too. Don’t worry about it.

[basketofbread]

I just took the MBE and obviously have no idea if I passed or not so this is just my opinion. The MBE was hard as hell, but it was all definitely “taught” by the prep course. The MBE is simply just bullshit, and is either asking a vague question or testing an obscure application of a rule. But the content was all within what we learned. There wasn’t a question that was flat-out not covered by the course, there was just no way that I could have recalled what rule was being tested.

[nthp]

I am an attorney applicant for the California Bar. I agree with the above poster that the MBE were about the same as what we practiced. Except that the answers felt more nuanced this time, and it was harder to discern from two very close answer choices. So it felt more difficult than the first Bar I took, although this might not have been the case at all. Finally learned why scores are scaled. It could have been a harder administration (who knows), but scaling should help make it more equal. I came out of the first Bar I took almost in tears because I thought I had failed. But I passed. Who knows if I passed this one or not, but I think that's the feeling everyone gets afterwards, whether they pass or fail.

As to the online test itself, I enjoyed the fact, at least for California, that we had a 15 minute break in between each essay (versus in person tests, where we had 3 solid hours of testing with no breaks in-between). We then had an additional 10 minutes where we were able to enter our passwords. Plus we could start at any time after passwords were given. I had been very reluctant to take the online exam because I'm old school and like paper copies of everything. But the online version had several advantages that I enjoyed, including the above. The biggest advantage, though, is that you didn't have the anxiety of being in a crowded convention center taking it with hundreds of other people with nerves. You didn't have to worry that your seat partner was going to do something so strange that it would make you lose your concentration.

The biggest downside for me personally was the PT. It's just not meant to be taken online. It's easier to flip through the file on paper. It really affected my concentration and ability to organize my arguments. The substance itself wasn't difficult. But having to stop and scroll back and forth all of the time, plus the inability to copy and paste made for a very difficult time. I wouldn't say that my PT was the best essay I've ever done, and it was mostly because of the mechanical aspects of it than the actual substance. However, I've heard that many people experienced this very same issue so it would all even out in the end.

So, overall the online administration worked for me. I had very little technical issues. However, I do agree that it's unfair to those with living situations that aren't ideal to test taking, the means to get a better test taking situation, slower internet, etc. Not to mention people with disabilities more susceptible to COVID having to risk their lives to take the exam. Nothing is ever truly equitable, and some will be left out, but I hope with the February online exam (if there is one), the NCBE and various jurisdictions can strive for that.