February 2015 Bar Exam Forum

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minnbills

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by minnbills » Thu Apr 16, 2015 1:58 pm

ah33139 wrote:The registration period for sitting for the NY bar closes on April 30. Based on that I believe we will get the results for February at least a few days before April 30, right? Otherwise we (those who fail...) would have to wait a full year before sitting for the bar again...
No, they will let you waive in

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by ashle484 » Thu Apr 16, 2015 2:58 pm

jhan11 wrote:I'm in first department and no email or letter from NY bole since Feb... ashle484 what letter did you get?
Actually never mind, I received an email with a letter attached stating that I'm assigned to the third department [Albany because i'm in California]. I received the email on March 25. Did you receive anything prior to the bar exam?

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by jhan11 » Thu Apr 16, 2015 3:25 pm

ashle484 wrote:
jhan11 wrote:I'm in first department and no email or letter from NY bole since Feb... ashle484 what letter did you get?
Actually never mind, I received an email with a letter attached stating that I'm assigned to the third department [Albany because i'm in California]. I received the email on March 25. Did you receive anything prior to the bar exam?
Nope, nothing besides info for taking the bar exam. Maybe things are different by department...I hope.

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by ashle484 » Thu Apr 16, 2015 5:09 pm

jhan11 wrote:
ashle484 wrote:
jhan11 wrote:I'm in first department and no email or letter from NY bole since Feb... ashle484 what letter did you get?
Actually never mind, I received an email with a letter attached stating that I'm assigned to the third department [Albany because i'm in California]. I received the email on March 25. Did you receive anything prior to the bar exam?
Nope, nothing besides info for taking the bar exam. Maybe things are different by department...I hope.
Well either way, I wouldn't read into it, I think someone said this previously, but I think others would have definitely figured out if there was any correlation between the two. Also, this may be a silly suggestion and perhaps you already have, but maybe check your spam folder?

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by jhan11 » Thu Apr 16, 2015 5:18 pm

ashle484 wrote:
jhan11 wrote:
ashle484 wrote:
jhan11 wrote:I'm in first department and no email or letter from NY bole since Feb... ashle484 what letter did you get?
Actually never mind, I received an email with a letter attached stating that I'm assigned to the third department [Albany because i'm in California]. I received the email on March 25. Did you receive anything prior to the bar exam?
Nope, nothing besides info for taking the bar exam. Maybe things are different by department...I hope.
Well either way, I wouldn't read into it, I think someone said this previously, but I think others would have definitely figured out if there was any correlation between the two. Also, this may be a silly suggestion and perhaps you already have, but maybe check your spam folder?
Yup, will do. Thanks!

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minnbills

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by minnbills » Thu Apr 16, 2015 8:42 pm

The MN BLE confirmed they're releasing on Monday the 20th.

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northwood

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by northwood » Thu Apr 16, 2015 9:24 pm

ah33139 wrote:The registration period for sitting for the NY bar closes on April 30. Based on that I believe we will get the results for February at least a few days before April 30, right? Otherwise we (those who fail...) would have to wait a full year before sitting for the bar again...

they give those that took the immediate bar exam (in this case February) some time to apply if scores are released after the application period ends.

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by barexaminee123 » Sat Apr 18, 2015 7:08 am

februarybartaker wrote:
frid3v wrote: I didn't finish one of the mpt's and I know I messed up stuff on essays. And of course, I have no idea how I did on the MBE.
I'm basically in the same position as described above. However, I believe a lot of people are/were. If anyone has been in this position and passed, the story of your experience is welcomed :lol:

Of my six essays, I barely got anything down for two (not just saying that, wouldn't surprise me at all if I got a 1/6 on both), and only got about halfway through a third one before time ran out. I spent a lot of time during this section both fighting off the feeling that I was blowing it and staring at the ceiling thinking about how awful it was going to be to find out I failed (again). I felt OK about the the other three essays but even on these I walked out feeling I could've had a stronger showing, remembering points that I lapsed on. To make matters worse, we have to pass both the essay and MBE sections concurrently and independently--the scores do not get averaged. So, I was pretty sure I had failed the essay section, and thus, the exam. I wasn't super worried about the MBE going in because I had been doing well on practice tests, but these last two MBEs (July 2014 and Feb 2015) have had a completely different feel than the Barbri practice questions I had been taking. I guessed on a lot and walked away feeling like the MBE could go either way. During Barbri practice tests, I'd fill in my answers with confidence, and this was not the case on the MBE. At all. I felt like they were throwing a whole new vein of questions at us, many of which I bet even the Barbri lecturers would struggle with.

If I had been forced to bet my life on guessing whether or not I'd find out that I passed, I would've staked my life on finding out that I failed. I went over the essays again and again in my mind, giving myself objective scores, and usually coming to the conclusion that I came up short.

Anyway, I passed. 156 on MBE, for what it's worth.

If anyone out there is waiting on Vermont, they were sent out on the 15th, I got mine last night.

A big congrats to all those that passed. And to those that didn't, I've been there too. To those still waiting to hear, there is hope.

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by gonefishing » Sat Apr 18, 2015 10:30 am

I've been following this thread for awhile but did not feel like adding anything until now. New Hampshire released its list of passing examinees for the February exam yesterday and I was on it. While I am very pleased that I passed, I am bothered by the fact that only 27 out of 48 examinees passed the exam. That equates to a 56.25 percent pass rate. I won't know my actual scores until next week.

I took (and ultimately passed) an exam which used NCBE materials in another state during July 2011, and I found it much easier than the February 2015 UBE which was administered in New Hampshire.

In particular, it seemed like the MBE was . . . ummm . . .strange. While taking the MBE, I started to feel like the examiners were less interested in broad topical coverage than in-depth knowledge of a few areas within the various testable subjects. I wasn't keeping count, but it seemed like there were a ton of questions on P&S contracts for real property and search warrant exceptions. On the other hand, their were very few questions concerning basic negligence concepts or easements. The only part of the MBE which I felt confident about was Civil Procedure. I found most of those questions to be pretty simple.

As far as the essays go, I can't think of one of them which I would call easy, at least in the sense that it could be answered quickly and without a relatively long rule or analysis discussion. I spent way too long on some of them. Thus, I got to the last essay with about 10 minutes to go. My experience during the exam I took during the summer of 2011 was different--two or three of the essays seemed straightforward and easy to get through, while the remainder were harder.

I did not finish the second MPT I worked on, albeit by only a closing sentence or two. I must've made up for it somewhere else in the test. Given the lengthy fact section/library in one of the MPTs, I'm sure the MPT as a whole was a challenge for anyone like me who is a slow writer.

Anyways, I walked out of the exam feeling pretty bad. When I told friends and colleagues that I thought it had been a particularly difficult test, the response I got was usually something like "everyone says that." But, given that only 56.25 percent of the examinees passed, I think my original impression was correct.

What this all boils down to is that anyone who did not pass has nothing to feel ashamed about. I know that is little comfort to anyone who is in that boat, but it's the best I can do. Any test administered to 48 qualified, highly-educated professionals with a 56.25 percent pass rate was a difficult test.
Last edited by gonefishing on Sat Apr 18, 2015 11:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

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gonefishing

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by gonefishing » Sat Apr 18, 2015 10:48 am

barexaminee123 wrote:
februarybartaker wrote:
frid3v wrote:

I wasn't super worried about the MBE going in because I had been doing well on practice tests, but these last two MBEs (July 2014 and Feb 2015) have had a completely different feel than the Barbri practice questions I had been taking. I guessed on a lot and walked away feeling like the MBE could go either way. During Barbri practice tests, I'd fill in my answers with confidence, and this was not the case on the MBE. At all. I felt like they were throwing a whole new vein of questions at us, many of which I bet even the Barbri lecturers would struggle with.
Agreed. I made more guesses than I felt comfortable with on the MBE. It apparently worked out, but I didn't feel good about it when I was actually taking the test.

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JoanSloan

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by JoanSloan » Sat Apr 18, 2015 2:32 pm

What this all boils down to is that anyone who did not pass has nothing to feel ashamed about. I know that is little comfort to anyone who is in that boat, but it's the best I can do. Any test administered to 48 qualified, highly-educated professionals with a 56.25 percent pass rate was a difficult test.
Well, it's always nice to read this.

I think it's true that, increasingly, what's being tested with the MBE is...older MBE questions. In other words, the MBE is testing the ability of students to distinguish newer fact patterns from older trick questions. While it's certainly a skill that's applicable in lawyering (any sort of pattern finding is), they should be more transparent about the purpose of the test. Most falsely believe they're being tested on the law. They're not.

Unfortunately, at least one blogger has concluded test takers are to blame, because of their lagging qualifications.
It's been an ironic show of bad logic (both tragic and amusing).

Anyways, CONGRATS!

46-and-2

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by 46-and-2 » Sun Apr 19, 2015 11:05 am

barexaminee123 wrote:
februarybartaker wrote:
frid3v wrote: I didn't finish one of the mpt's and I know I messed up stuff on essays. And of course, I have no idea how I did on the MBE.
I'm basically in the same position as described above. However, I believe a lot of people are/were. If anyone has been in this position and passed, the story of your experience is welcomed :lol:

Of my six essays, I barely got anything down for two (not just saying that, wouldn't surprise me at all if I got a 1/6 on both), and only got about halfway through a third one before time ran out. I spent a lot of time during this section both fighting off the feeling that I was blowing it and staring at the ceiling thinking about how awful it was going to be to find out I failed (again). I felt OK about the the other three essays but even on these I walked out feeling I could've had a stronger showing, remembering points that I lapsed on. To make matters worse, we have to pass both the essay and MBE sections concurrently and independently--the scores do not get averaged. So, I was pretty sure I had failed the essay section, and thus, the exam. I wasn't super worried about the MBE going in because I had been doing well on practice tests, but these last two MBEs (July 2014 and Feb 2015) have had a completely different feel than the Barbri practice questions I had been taking. I guessed on a lot and walked away feeling like the MBE could go either way. During Barbri practice tests, I'd fill in my answers with confidence, and this was not the case on the MBE. At all. I felt like they were throwing a whole new vein of questions at us, many of which I bet even the Barbri lecturers would struggle with.

If I had been forced to bet my life on guessing whether or not I'd find out that I passed, I would've staked my life on finding out that I failed. I went over the essays again and again in my mind, giving myself objective scores, and usually coming to the conclusion that I came up short.

Anyway, I passed. 156 on MBE, for what it's worth.

If anyone out there is waiting on Vermont, they were sent out on the 15th, I got mine last night.

A big congrats to all those that passed. And to those that didn't, I've been there too. To those still waiting to hear, there is hope.
Congrats bruh!

minnbills

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by minnbills » Sun Apr 19, 2015 12:02 pm

My results come out tomorrow by noon. Seriously freaking out right now.

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by hoppingabird » Sun Apr 19, 2015 12:56 pm

Minnbills:
Which state's results come out tomorrow? Minnesota? How do you feel about the exam? Are you a first time taker? Does Minnesota do the UBE or Multi State?
Which topics made up the essay portion of the Feb 2015 exam that you took?

Good luck! I hope you have great news coming your way tomorrow!

46-and-2

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by 46-and-2 » Sun Apr 19, 2015 1:03 pm

minnbills wrote:My results come out tomorrow by noon. Seriously freaking out right now.

Bet you passed.

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by frid3v » Sun Apr 19, 2015 1:03 pm

minnbills wrote:My results come out tomorrow by noon. Seriously freaking out right now.

Good luck minnbills!!

minnbills

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by minnbills » Sun Apr 19, 2015 1:15 pm

Thanks everyone! Really appreciate the support.

Yes, I took the MN exam. I am a first time taker, graduated a semester early from law school. MN does UBE. I assume I had the same essays as all the other UBE people.

I feel "ok" about the exam. On one hand, I finished everything with time to spare, had plenty to write about on the essays, and was able to review a bunch of MBE Qs. Felt like I crushed the MPT too. My school has a 95-100% passage rate in MN so I know the odds are overwhelmingly in my favor.

On the other hand, I know I got the law wrong on at least two, if not all, the essays. I know I spotted the right issues though. The MBE was ok, I never felt lost on any questions but there were a few times when I knew I didn't have the law right and had to guess. Also, my barbri practice Qs were always tough. I fluctuated between 25% to 75% correct, probably averaging below 50%.

My fear is stemming from the fact I only studied for about 3-4 weeks and only did 2-2.5 weeks of serious studying. Granted, those two weeks were "dawn to dusk" studying, but I feel like I did not put in the time I needed to.

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jarofsoup

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by jarofsoup » Sun Apr 19, 2015 4:12 pm

minnbills wrote:Thanks everyone! Really appreciate the support.

Yes, I took the MN exam. I am a first time taker, graduated a semester early from law school. MN does UBE. I assume I had the same essays as all the other UBE people.

I feel "ok" about the exam. On one hand, I finished everything with time to spare, had plenty to write about on the essays, and was able to review a bunch of MBE Qs. Felt like I crushed the MPT too. My school has a 95-100% passage rate in MN so I know the odds are overwhelmingly in my favor.

On the other hand, I know I got the law wrong on at least two, if not all, the essays. I know I spotted the right issues though. The MBE was ok, I never felt lost on any questions but there were a few times when I knew I didn't have the law right and had to guess. Also, my barbri practice Qs were always tough. I fluctuated between 25% to 75% correct, probably averaging below 50%.

My fear is stemming from the fact I only studied for about 3-4 weeks and only did 2-2.5 weeks of serious studying. Granted, those two weeks were "dawn to dusk" studying, but I feel like I did not put in the time I needed to.

Its the MN bar exam. I would be shocked if you failed.

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by Homiemomma » Sun Apr 19, 2015 5:53 pm

jarofsoup wrote:
minnbills wrote:Thanks everyone! Really appreciate the support.

Yes, I took the MN exam. I am a first time taker, graduated a semester early from law school. MN does UBE. I assume I had the same essays as all the other UBE people.

I feel "ok" about the exam. On one hand, I finished everything with time to spare, had plenty to write about on the essays, and was able to review a bunch of MBE Qs. Felt like I crushed the MPT too. My school has a 95-100% passage rate in MN so I know the odds are overwhelmingly in my favor.

On the other hand, I know I got the law wrong on at least two, if not all, the essays. I know I spotted the right issues though. The MBE was ok, I never felt lost on any questions but there were a few times when I knew I didn't have the law right and had to guess. Also, my barbri practice Qs were always tough. I fluctuated between 25% to 75% correct, probably averaging below 50%.

My fear is stemming from the fact I only studied for about 3-4 weeks and only did 2-2.5 weeks of serious studying. Granted, those two weeks were "dawn to dusk" studying, but I feel like I did not put in the time I needed to.

Its the MN bar exam. I would be shocked if you failed.
Minnesota is a UBE state. It's the same exam as 14 other jurisdictions.

minnbills, I had roughly the same Barbri scores last July and my score qualified me to be licensed in Minnesota. And that was a MUCH more difficult exam. I bet you're fine. :) The last 24 hours are the worst. I hope you're able to distract yourself!

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LawJunky

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by LawJunky » Sun Apr 19, 2015 6:05 pm

minnbills wrote:Thanks everyone! Really appreciate the support.

Yes, I took the MN exam. I am a first time taker, graduated a semester early from law school.
Minnbills,

This CA bar hopeful is pulling for you. Good luck. I hope you post your result either way since its good to get the support whatever the result.

LJ

Lord Randolph McDuff

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by Lord Randolph McDuff » Sun Apr 19, 2015 6:18 pm

Homiemomma wrote:
jarofsoup wrote:
minnbills wrote:Thanks everyone! Really appreciate the support.

Yes, I took the MN exam. I am a first time taker, graduated a semester early from law school. MN does UBE. I assume I had the same essays as all the other UBE people.

I feel "ok" about the exam. On one hand, I finished everything with time to spare, had plenty to write about on the essays, and was able to review a bunch of MBE Qs. Felt like I crushed the MPT too. My school has a 95-100% passage rate in MN so I know the odds are overwhelmingly in my favor.

On the other hand, I know I got the law wrong on at least two, if not all, the essays. I know I spotted the right issues though. The MBE was ok, I never felt lost on any questions but there were a few times when I knew I didn't have the law right and had to guess. Also, my barbri practice Qs were always tough. I fluctuated between 25% to 75% correct, probably averaging below 50%.

My fear is stemming from the fact I only studied for about 3-4 weeks and only did 2-2.5 weeks of serious studying. Granted, those two weeks were "dawn to dusk" studying, but I feel like I did not put in the time I needed to.

Its the MN bar exam. I would be shocked if you failed.
Minnesota is a UBE state. It's the same exam as 14 other jurisdictions.

minnbills, I had roughly the same Barbri scores last July and my score qualified me to be licensed in Minnesota. And that was a MUCH more difficult exam. I bet you're fine. :) The last 24 hours are the worst. I hope you're able to distract yourself!
The same exam, but with a different passing score. I know a few people who failed the Colorado Bar Exam, which is also the UBE. All of those people cleared 260 though, and could have sent their score to Minnesota.

You passed.

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by jarofsoup » Sun Apr 19, 2015 7:22 pm

What day next week do you think we will get NY?

minnbills

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by minnbills » Mon Apr 20, 2015 8:04 am

Thanks so much everyone! Results should be out in the next couple hours. Stomach is in a knot!

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by cooperlaserpup » Mon Apr 20, 2015 8:20 am

ashle484 wrote:
jhan11 wrote:
ashle484 wrote:
jhan11 wrote:I'm in first department and no email or letter from NY bole since Feb... ashle484 what letter did you get?
Actually never mind, I received an email with a letter attached stating that I'm assigned to the third department [Albany because i'm in California]. I received the email on March 25. Did you receive anything prior to the bar exam?
Nope, nothing besides info for taking the bar exam. Maybe things are different by department...I hope.
Well either way, I wouldn't read into it, I think someone said this previously, but I think others would have definitely figured out if there was any correlation between the two. Also, this may be a silly suggestion and perhaps you already have, but maybe check your spam folder?



yeas, I am orignal poster and one who said don't read into it. I'm in second department. There's just no way it means anything and no way they have anything scored only a few weeks out.

The only concerning aspect would be maybe you aren't receiving emails for some reason and therefore wouldn't get your results at the same time as everyone else. In which case you'd just have to check online once they post.

My prediction is Friday guys. Just in time to make or break the weekend.

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Re: February 2015 Bar Exam

Post by Kounselor » Mon Apr 20, 2015 9:21 am

minnbills wrote:Thanks so much everyone! Results should be out in the next couple hours. Stomach is in a knot!
I'm sure you passed! I took the Feb. 2015 Wisconsin one and passed. We had the Torts, Real Property, and Secured Transaction MEE essays. I got a 7.5, 9.0 and 9.5 raw on each of those respectively. I thought I did the worst on Secured Transactions.

It isn't always as bad as it seems! Here's to celebrating a bar passage!

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

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