3 Weeks to the Bar Exam

January 31, 2017 mbetestinginstitute

Three weeks to the bar exam is a good time to evaluate how you are doing. You have enough time to now pinpoint your weak areas and enough time to change your schedule if you feel you’re spinning your wheels. Consider this day your line in the sand.

By now you should have done several hundred multistate questions, at least 15 state essays and at least 4 performance tests.

If you haven’t done it, get busy. Change your schedule if you need to, work on your weak areas and keep testing.

If you have, you are ready for the bar exam. You just need to keep working, stay cool and continue to test yourself.

Make sure you are peaking on exam day. If you are like some of my students who study all night, stop it today. Get up at 6 am or 7 am and start studying at 9 am until 12 pm, with no breaks, then study from 1 pm to 4 pm, with no breaks, You want to mimic the bar exam hours so you are at your peak at 9 am every day.

Don’t pretend you’re not nervous. Accept that it’s okay to be nervous. Channel that nervous energy properly by attacking your study schedule and transform your nerves into confidence. But, remember, you do not want to be overly tired for the bar exam. Try to sleep through the night or, at least, take some cat naps during the day to catch up on missed sleep.

One of the most important things to do during this 3 week period is not to doubt your abilities. You can pass this bar and you know it. You just need to be in the top 2/3rds of your state. Don’t stress too much about what you don’t know – you are not expected to get a 100% on this test – it’s more like 60%. The examiners expect that you will have weak areas. Go into the bar exam with the knowledge you will pass the bar exam.

The MBE & UBE Testing Institute knows that taking the bar exam as a repeat taker can be an isolating experience. The MBE & UBE Testing Institute helps the student keep motivated and confident through interaction with an MBE & UBE Testing Institute’s bar tutor.

If you need help passing the MBE, contact the MBE & UBE Testing Institute at pass@mbetestinginstitute.com for more information, like us on facebook at UBE& MBE Testing Institute, and follow us on twitter @MBETesting

Solutions for Success!

Answer Every Question on the MBE

January 30, 2017 mbetestinginstitute

Some questions on the MBE will stump you. You look at the call of the question, the fact pattern and the answer choices and you have eliminated at least half the answer question. But you are now stuck between two answers and you can’t decide which answer is the right one.

With the limited amount of time you have to answer every question, you are going to have to guess. At least with your decision down to two answers, you have a 50% chance of getting it right. Pick one of them and move on to the next question. Remember, you do not lose points for an incorrect answer.

Do not ever skip questions on the MBE. Answer them in the order they are given. Put a check by the question or even write down the number and, only, if you have time left, you can go back and recheck your answer.

But make sure you fill in the bubble for your answer choice for the correct question. You do not want to skip that question, lose your place on the bubble exam answer sheet and then mismark the remaining answers because you forgot you skipped the question. That is a horror story that has happened to applicants too many times to count.

Solutions for Success!

Practicing MBE Questions

January 27, 2017 mbetestinginstitute

In order to do well on the MBE, you must know the fine distinctions of the law. You can study those fine distinctions by studying your outlines and then by working on questions.

It is not enough for you to work on the questions, review the answers and then move on. You must understand why you picked the right answer or the wrong answer. That is why you must read the explanation carefully, reading each answer choice explanation, whether right or wrong.

If you missed the question, ask yourself why you missed the question. Did you miss it because you didn’t know the law, didn’t know the facts or didn’t know the “trick” of the question? Sometimes with cursory reading of the fact pattern, you miss certain clues of law, certain facts that now seem important or even a confusion of what actually happened in the fact pattern. Sometimes you misapply the facts to the law.

Analyzing the question and the answer choices will help you understand if there is a pattern to your misses or if there are holes in your analysis.

Solutions for Success!

The Essays and The Bar Exam Graders

January 26, 2017 mbetestinginstitute

A survey of bar exam graders found that the single biggest mistake students make is not responding to the call of the question.

Remember to read the call of the question first. Then read the fact pattern with the call of the question in mind. Then you want to read the call of the question again to make sure that you understand what the bar examiners are looking for. Only then, should you start to write your outline and start writing your essay. Before you turn the page to the next essay, read the call of the question one last time to make sure you answered the call of the question completely and thoroughly. Then you can move on to your next essay.

Solutions for Success!

The Changes in the MBE and MEE Property

January 25, 2017 mbetestinginstitute

Effective with the February 2017 administration, there will be changes to the Real Property scope of coverage for the MBE and the MEE.

New topics will include conflicts of law, property owners’ associations and common interest ownership communities, drafting, review, and negotiation of closing documents, and persons authorized to execute real estate documents.

Minor modifications will include providing specific examples of rules affecting future interests, including security deposits in termination of tenancies, providing more detailed zoning topics, and including as separate topics transfers of restrictive covenants, transfers of easements, profits, and licenses, and acceleration of loans before foreclosure.

Real Property topics will no longer include application of Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code to fixtures or abatement of devises.

Solutions for Success!

Today Marks 4 Weeks to the Bar Exam

January 24, 2017 mbetestinginstitute

Today marks 1 month to the February bar exam. Today is a good day to think about where you are in terms of your studying. By this time, you should be well into knowing and understanding the law. Of course, there will be areas where you are still weak, but, overall, do you know enough law to make it through the bar exam? If not, hit those review books and try to memorize the law as much as you are able to in the next 4 weeks.

The next 4 weeks are crucial to your run up to the bar exam. Once you have the law down, you need to practice – and practice alot. Go through your practice essays and your MBE questions like the bar exam is tomorrow.

Practicing your essays, PTs and MBEs will ensure that you know the law and you know how to apply the law. Application of the law will be the difference between passing and failing.

It’s all about getting yourself ready for the best performance of your life in February. Keep your focus.

Happy Studying!!!

Solutions for Success!

The Rocket Docket 4 Week Tutorial Program

January 23, 2017 mbetestinginstitute

The MBE & UBE Testing Institute is offering a rocket docket tutorial program. If you sign up by today, you will receive a discount on all tutorials.

The MBE & UBE Testing Institute provides one-on-one substantive lectures on all subjects with practice questions and critiques, and methods and procedures to improve your essay and MBE scores.

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The MBE & UBE Testing Institute’s Enhanced Study Program for July 2017

January 20, 2017 mbetestinginstitute

The MBE & UBE Testing Institute offers an extended study program for foreign educated lawyers or repeat takers who need extra time to study for the bar exam. Our students start this month for the July 2017 bar exam program. This program allows the student to study with an MBE & UBE Testing Institute’ tutor for a longer period of time in a relaxed environment to ensure that the student is ready for the bar exam. Enroll now to start your study plan today. We only have a few spaces left. We offer discounts until January 31st.

Solutions for Success!

Be Definitive in Your Essay Answers

January 19, 2017 mbetestinginstitute

Lawyers are always confident and definitive, even if they have a weak argument (and they know it). When you write out your essays, be definitive about your answer and your conclusion. Even if you are wrong, you may be able to get a point or two because your argument and conclusion were well stated. The bar examiners have the ability to give you points for your conclusion even if wrong, as long as it is well reasoned and the analysis flows.

Don’t forget that most cases you have read in law school (and cases you will work on when you become a lawyer) are in the gray area – a well-reasoned argument will give you a victory for your client. There are no smoking guns in the practice of law. There usually are no right or wrong argument to make. As a lawyer, you just hope that the judge or jury sees that your argument is better than you opponent. It is how you, as a lawyer, interpret the facts of your case. This is similar to your bar exam essays.

Don’t be wishy-washy in your analysis or your conclusion. It makes lawyers unhappy to have to wade through either-or type of arguments and bar exam graders will be reluctant to give you points. You’ve probably learned in law school to put “probably” or “may” in your conclusion, i.e “Dan will probably be found guilty.” You will not do that as a lawyer and do o not do that in the bar exam – write, “Dan will be found guilty.” If you really don’t know the answer and you are reluctant to commit, then use words like, “likely”, i.e. “Dan will likely be found guilty.” It is must more effective than probably or possibly.

Remember, write like a lawyer – be confident and definitive in your bar exam answer.

Solutions for Success!

Have A Progression List for Every Subject

January 18, 2017 mbetestinginstitute

For your essays, you must have a one page progression list for every subject your bar exam covers.

As you know, the pressure to perform well on the essays can be sometimes overwhelming. Some students have told me that on game day, when they open the exam booklet, they sometimes had a brain freeze and nothing would come out of their minds until they calmed down and began the writing process. Having a progression sheet of the major issues of each subject will enable you to recall what you must write out in a certain essay.

Go through these major issues in every topic. Write out a one page outline or progression list and memorize them. Then, on essay day, you can recall your progression list and start writing, knowing that you will not forget any major issues.

Solutions for Success!