Very upset and Afraid... Forum

[seekmbeadvice]

I fear that I lack the basic exam skills needed for a decent score in all segments of the MBE. I am actually supposedly very ‘smart,’ (aptitude-wise) but am in fact a poor test-taker. This has been my ‘story,’ all of my life. I am otherwise 'shell-shocked,' by this exam, leaving me dumbstruck..

[Lawman1865]

I fear that I lack the basic exam skills needed for a decent score in all segments of the MBE. I am actually supposedly very ‘smart,’ (aptitude-wise) but am in fact a poor test-taker. This has been my ‘story,’ all of my life. I am otherwise 'shell-shocked,' by this exam, leaving me dumbstruck..

Sorry you feel this way, is there any context to this? Have you failed the bar yet, or just not doing well on practices tests?

The bar exam is a VERY doable exam, with a generally solid majority passing it on the first try, and even more on the second try. If you are a law student and worried, you can also take some classes during 3L that would be relevant and help you on the bar.

You presumably have gotten through or are finishing law school, so you've got what it takes. Don't despair. Get the right study materials, make sure you have a positive and good work-ethic, and go for it.

[Neve]

My running list of MBE supplements. These can help hone your test taking skills to exceed/pass the MBE. You need to both learn the black letter law and do many, many practice questions.

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) Critical Pass (http://criticalpass.refr.cc/MVL2ZG3 referral link contains a discount code for $$ 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.

[SilvermanBarPrep]

It's a very difficult test but it's also very learnable. The greatest obstacle with improving is that there is so much content tested and so the pace of improvement tends to be quite slow. But every time you get a question wrong write down the rule of law that had you known it you would have answered that question correctly. That's one potential question you'll get right in the future. This adds up but it's just a slow (!!) process. And so it takes both persistence and patience.

Sean (Silverman Bar Exam Tutoring)