Barbri Personal Study Plan Percentage Complete Question? Forum

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ScurryRay

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Barbri Personal Study Plan Percentage Complete Question?

Post by ScurryRay » Sat Jan 13, 2018 2:07 pm

My Barbri PSP says I have been assigned 29% of the items. I am generally keeping even or within a percentage or two of assigned. But, it says that other students have only completed 12%. I don't understand how this can be possible. It's basically saying that the vast majority of people taking Barbri are going exponentially slower than recommended. Seems way off. How is this true?

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pancakes3

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Re: Barbri Personal Study Plan Percentage Complete Question?

Post by pancakes3 » Sat Jan 13, 2018 2:18 pm

lots of ppl go rogue bc barbri's plan is inefficient as fuck. i think i ended up at like 24% complete by the end and passed.

i didn't watch videos, didn't do AMP questions, etc.

for MBE, i just drilled problems and checked the answers.
for essays, i read the outlines and outlined the sample essays.

mcmand

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Re: Barbri Personal Study Plan Percentage Complete Question?

Post by mcmand » Sat Jan 13, 2018 2:23 pm

If barbri feels like it's working for you, great, but a lot of people just use the materials and do their own thing.

You should still check stuff off even if you skip it. I liked to do that if I felt like I studied the same subject or skill but in a different way, so I could mark my own progress.
Last edited by mcmand on Mon Jan 29, 2018 2:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

NoDayButToday

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Re: Barbri Personal Study Plan Percentage Complete Question?

Post by NoDayButToday » Sat Jan 13, 2018 3:19 pm

That's a pretty significant change from the July administration--I think most people kept better pace than that until about 60% had been assigned and then they trailed off, and by the end at 100% assigned maybe the average user had completed like 75-80%? February administrations usually have much lower pass rates, though, so that kind of makes sense.

I completed about 20-25% of the course and I passed with like a 310 UBE (needed 266).

What I did:
-Listened to almost all of the lectures (didn't get past the first installments of evidence and contracts) and took handwritten notes instead of using the lecture handouts
-1-4 Studysmart units per MBE topic
-MBE practice midterm exam
-used another series called Law in a Flash to practice a few of the MBE subjects, I think property, crim, and contracts
-watched the first half of the video that did the overview/gave tips on the MPT and thumbed through some of the sample MPTs in their books
-outlined like 1-3 essays per MEE topic

For me, that was enough to get me a point on test day where I felt like I had it. Barbri's plan felt extremely stressful and inefficient--complete overkill. I think you have to use their materials to make your own plan if you want to study efficiently. I'm very much an auditory learner and got a lot out of the lectures. Loads of people ditch the lectures altogether. You just have to find a way yourself to a) master the content and b) apply it. I'd say do whatever worked for you in law school, undergrad, etc.
Last edited by NoDayButToday on Fri Jan 26, 2018 10:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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burner

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Re: Barbri Personal Study Plan Percentage Complete Question?

Post by burner » Sat Jan 13, 2018 6:13 pm

I took the CA Feb bar (1st time taker) last year, and took barbri. I recall the same issue. I think since Feb is traditionally a retakers bar, retakers are mostly focusing on the areas what made them fail the first time, so I doubt they are completing everything over again. I remember by test day in February I had completed 55-60% and the barbri average was 35% or so. You do what works for you, I wouldn't pay attention to what others are doing (or not doing).

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ScurryRay

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Re: Barbri Personal Study Plan Percentage Complete Question?

Post by ScurryRay » Sat Jan 13, 2018 11:07 pm

Thanks, all. I appreciate the feedback. I hadn't considered that many are retakers. I graduated in December so February was the logical choice for me. I have been trying to keep up with Barbri but it is pretty brutal. No reprieve at all just to keep your head barely above water on the assignments. I feel like I am learning and making progress, though, so I will suffer through it. I also started using Adaptibar to supplement Barbri which seems helpful.

Thanks again for the feedback.

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RCinDNA

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Re: Barbri Personal Study Plan Percentage Complete Question?

Post by RCinDNA » Fri Jan 19, 2018 10:28 am

Yeah, re-takers are an interesting bunch. I'm bored so will throw out a few thoughts.
  • *I have noticed that compared to the summer bar program, the February program is definitely more brutal. I did the EarlyStart program in December, which is a very relaxed way to ease back into it but was checking the study plan early January wondering when the material would start being unlocked and around last week, I was hit with two days of straight MBE lectures. IIRC the first summer Bar subjects started around the end of May giving us 2 1/2 months to slowly go insane.

    *Some re-takers figure out dirty little secrets - there are certain approaches that are just more efficient and garner more points (e.g. studying the MBE subjects very intensely is TCR because that will help boost your MBE and MEE score, or going "rogue" and drilling MBE questions & writing the wrong/right answers into an outline or your notes...is essentially the same as going through the outlines very slowly and internalizing a rule of law at the same time as figuring out how the examiners ask questions about that topic). You'll see a lower percentage completion rate because I know quite a few who passed on the second attempt who did not bother checking off the list since they knew it was manipulated to make them study harder and/or they just did not care. Heck, BarBri sends you these huge books full of useful MPT and MEE practice essays but if you look at your program, you are actually only turning in about 5 for the big subjects and maybe 2 for the minor subjects before the final two weeks of prep - the folks actually doing mountains of practice with those and the NCBE essays don't have time to click "complete" so they are underreported (like NoDayButToday).

    *Re-takers do fall into categories: not really talking about motivation or drive. I think some legitimately take a huge hit to their confidence and between needing to work and running out of loan money, getting back on the horse is a huge struggle for them. These are the future attorneys who fall through the cracks because, for whatever reason, I don't think anyone addresses the financial burden beyond comments about just trying to take it once. They'll pass eventually, but I know quite a few California bar re-takers who took it 4-5 times back-to-back before passing and others who took it twice and then just kind of put it off because of children, careers, marriage, etc. - this is part of the story behind California's "did not finish the examination" statistic.
Anyway, stick with it. You are doing it right when you feel your sanity slowly and inexorably slipping away such that you buy multiple stacks of index cards, 100 per package, because you know you'll need to re-do one with the better wording you got from an explanation from AdaptiBar. Wait until you get to the Real Property and Contracts lectures. I think that is when I gave up on clicking "complete" and went into drilling hardcore.

Mobster1983

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Re: Barbri Personal Study Plan Percentage Complete Question?

Post by Mobster1983 » Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:21 pm

RCinDNA wrote: Wait until you get to the Real Property and Contracts lectures. I think that is when I gave up on clicking "complete" and went into drilling hardcore.
Yea, the three days of Real Property were a killer. Whatever motivation I had left at that point just died.

I finished 22% of Barbri and passed. Pretty sure I passed handily, but my state doesn't release scores. I only know I scored "above 150" on the MBE. The only other supplement I used was Lean Sheets, which was very helpful.

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bretby

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Re: Barbri Personal Study Plan Percentage Complete Question?

Post by bretby » Fri Jan 19, 2018 10:46 pm

RCinDNA wrote:Yeah, re-takers are an interesting bunch. I'm bored so will throw out a few thoughts.
  • *I have noticed that compared to the summer bar program, the February program is definitely more brutal. I did the EarlyStart program in December, which is a very relaxed way to ease back into it but was checking the study plan early January wondering when the material would start being unlocked and around last week, I was hit with two days of straight MBE lectures. IIRC the first summer Bar subjects started around the end of May giving us 2 1/2 months to slowly go insane.

    *Some re-takers figure out dirty little secrets - there are certain approaches that are just more efficient and garner more points (e.g. studying the MBE subjects very intensely is TCR because that will help boost your MBE and MEE score, or going "rogue" and drilling MBE questions & writing the wrong/right answers into an outline or your notes...is essentially the same as going through the outlines very slowly and internalizing a rule of law at the same time as figuring out how the examiners ask questions about that topic). You'll see a lower percentage completion rate because I know quite a few who passed on the second attempt who did not bother checking off the list since they knew it was manipulated to make them study harder and/or they just did not care. Heck, BarBri sends you these huge books full of useful MPT and MEE practice essays but if you look at your program, you are actually only turning in about 5 for the big subjects and maybe 2 for the minor subjects before the final two weeks of prep - the folks actually doing mountains of practice with those and the NCBE essays don't have time to click "complete" so they are underreported (like NoDayButToday).

    *Re-takers do fall into categories: not really talking about motivation or drive. I think some legitimately take a huge hit to their confidence and between needing to work and running out of loan money, getting back on the horse is a huge struggle for them. These are the future attorneys who fall through the cracks because, for whatever reason, I don't think anyone addresses the financial burden beyond comments about just trying to take it once. They'll pass eventually, but I know quite a few California bar re-takers who took it 4-5 times back-to-back before passing and others who took it twice and then just kind of put it off because of children, careers, marriage, etc. - this is part of the story behind California's "did not finish the examination" statistic.
Anyway, stick with it. You are doing it right when you feel your sanity slowly and inexorably slipping away such that you buy multiple stacks of index cards, 100 per package, because you know you'll need to re-do one with the better wording you got from an explanation from AdaptiBar. Wait until you get to the Real Property and Contracts lectures. I think that is when I gave up on clicking "complete" and went into drilling hardcore.
Question: How much weight did you give the average percentage correct Barbri gives for each set of questions? I am a first time taker and am wondering how panicked I should be when I don't meet or exceed the average percentage correct for a given topic.....

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RCinDNA

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Re: Barbri Personal Study Plan Percentage Complete Question?

Post by RCinDNA » Sun Jan 21, 2018 10:26 am

Question: How much weight did you give the average percentage correct Barbri gives for each set of questions? I am a first time taker and am wondering how panicked I should be when I don't meet or exceed the average percentage correct for a given topic.....
Not much TBH but I think it is easy to forget that BarBri’s question percentages should be used to identify, and focus on, a weak area. So even if you get 75%, do not necessarily pat yourself on the back and move on - look at the areas you were weaker in and review those. Ideally, the percentage correct should track with your level of confidence in an area - feeling confident but not doing so well should motivate you to sit down and do another review. And if you get 90%-100%, great job, but that really only means you can focus on another area. It’s all a big grindfest.

Also, the more you advance in the program, the more the questions focus on esoteric rules so past Question Set 4 for the major topics, it is not uncommon to completely bomb question sets.

And please make sure to also do real, released MBE questions and essays so you can get a gauge for how you are doing. The BarBri questions are not really worded the same way and they operate more to help acquire knowledge than to simulate NCBE questions.

fizzles

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Re: Barbri Personal Study Plan Percentage Complete Question?

Post by fizzles » Sat Jun 08, 2019 4:34 pm

ScurryRay wrote:My Barbri PSP says I have been assigned 29% of the items. I am generally keeping even or within a percentage or two of assigned. But, it says that other students have only completed 12%. I don't understand how this can be possible. It's basically saying that the vast majority of people taking Barbri are going exponentially slower than recommended. Seems way off. How is this true?
how do you check other peoples progress? i can only see where im at and what the expected progress is

caitlin1016

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Re: Barbri Personal Study Plan Percentage Complete Question?

Post by caitlin1016 » Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:24 am

i don't think you can check others' progress anymore (i think i remember i could when i took it in illinois but taking it in california, i don't see that). i'd recommend not comparing the percentiles, progress, etc., because that'll just add anxiety to your studies. you can check things off even if you didn't do them so it's not the most accurate. the program is good as a guideline for what you should be studying, but do what you deem to be the most efficient for you rather than blindly following what they say you need to do. i.e. if you find amps useless, which i do, skip them (you can also skip ahead to the subject matter knowledge check and that'll check off your amps). i know people who tried writing essays without memorizing anything and tried attempting a bunch of MBE questions without memorizing anything (which ok, with the MBE questions, can be useful), but don't just try to do all those things and then beat yourself up and compare the percentiles. i personally have found the conviser mini review, critical pass flashcards, looking at essay answers and condensing them into rule statements i'll remember, practice MBE's, and at the last minute, i used lean sheets a lot to review my knowledge, to be the most helpful things. but just figure out what works for you and how to drill things into your head the way your brain works.

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