Author: Dwight Zenzano

Dwight Zenzano is the author of the Bar Exam Blog at www.dcbarexam.com and tutors for bar exams across the country. He specializes in the Virginia and UBE (DC) bar exams.

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Bar Exam

Leap Year Feb 2012 bar exam in a few days, thoughts and tips

With just a few days until the Feb 2012 bar exam, I thought I’d share a few tips and thoughts.  First on the MBE.  Now is a great time to start reviewing your notecards/flashcard/notes/whatever you used to jot down all those fine line distinctions the examiners love to test on.  Spend some time this weekend refreshing yourself (Past Recollection Recorded or Refreshed Recollection anyone?) on those items to make sure you are clear on the distinctions between similar topics (IIED vs NIED?).

Generally, try not to stress yourself out.  The bar exam is nerve wracking enough as it is, try not to spend the weekend worrying about whether or not you are going to pass.  Instead, focus your energy on studying and reviewing.  After the exam is over, you’ll have plenty of time to worry about whether or not you passed.  Until then, have faith in yourself that you have put in the time and effort necessary to pass.

For those of you taking Virginia, be sure you have looked at all topics including the VA multistate distinctions.  There are more subjects on the Virginia bar exam than on any other jurisdiction I know of (27 or more subjects depending on how you break them down).  So, for some of the more obscure ones that you may have neglected (personal property?) do a quick review to familiarize yourself with the main topics.

Other than that, good luck next week!  This is a rare bar exam indeed, falling on a leap year.

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Bar Exam

6 weeks until the Feb 2012 bar exam

With just about 6 weeks left until the February 2012 bar exam, I wanted to share some advice and thoughts for all the bar exam takers out there.

First of all, if you have been putting off studying until now, stop putting it off.  The bar exam is not something many people can cram for.  It requires many weeks of studying to retain the large amount of material that will be tested.  If you have started studying, but have been letting other things (work, personal life, travel, etc.) prevent you from studying as much as you had planned, this is the time to really prioritize your study time and create a plan and stick to it.

Speaking of a plan, everyone should have a plan for the bar exam.

Continue reading “6 weeks until the Feb 2012 bar exam”
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Bar Exam Tutoring

Tutoring roster is full for Feb 2012

I have finalized my roster for tutoring for the Feb 2012 bar exam and am no longer accepting students until the July 2012 exam.  If you have extraordinary circumstances, and are taking the Virginia bar, feel free to send me an email, but I am not likely to take anyone else for the upcoming bar exam.

On a different note, I believe November 2011 MPRE scores should be out this week.  Good luck to everyone who took it.  The MPRE can definitely be a thorn in the side as it’s not as “easy” as many make it out to be.

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Bar Exam Tutoring

Tutoring for the Feb 2012 bar exam

I can see it was a rough July for many of you.  Never before have I received so many requests for tutoring so far before the next bar exam.  I respond to all emails I receive, but remember that I only take on a small number of students for each exam as my methodology and tutoring style are highly personalized and I do not feel it is possible to tutor a large number of students effectively using my methods.

I am in the process of finalizing my roster for the Feb 2012 bar exam.  Anyone who is interested in tutoring should email me sooner rather than later.  And don’t forget the deadlines for application/re-application are fast approaching.
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MPRE

MPRE strategy and tips

With the MPRE coming up this Saturday, no doubt many of you will be studying this week. Many of you will probably start to study this Thursday/Friday as the MPRE has a reputation as being one of those exams that you can study for in 1 day and pass. While it’s true that some people are able to study in just one evening and pass, this is not true for a large number of folks. In fact, there are many people who pass the bar but struggle with the MPRE. The mean score on the MPRE is usually somewhere in the high 90s, around 96-97. The “passing” score is different for every state, but the highest required score in most states is an 85. Looking at the distribution, that leaves roughly 1/3 of test takers failing the exam, so we’ve got a pass rate of about 70%, definitely lower than many bar exams. So why is this? It’s not because Professional Responsibility is a more difficult subject than any of the MBE subjects. I feel it is because many take the MPRE for granted.

Here’s the strategy if you need to pass: Treat the MPRE like you would a single subject on the MBE. So, if you made flash cards for evidence, make them for the MPRE. If you did 200 practice questions for torts, do the same for the MPRE. If you made an outline for real property, do the same for the MPRE. This should only take you 1-2 weeks time since we are only talking about a single subject here. And no doubt, PR is less voluminous than the MBE subjects. Yes, on the MBE you only have approx 33 questions per subject and the MPRE is 60 questions, but still, it’s just one subject, with a dash of judicial code thrown in for good measure. So, if you “need” to pass, I recommend you follow the above advice and not skimp on your studying. If you only “want” to pass, or really don’t care, then rolling the dice and taking your chances is probably a fine approach. Good luck this Saturday.

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Bar Exam

July 2011 DC Bar Exam results are out: 46% overall pass rate

The results for the July 2011 DC Bar Exam have been posted here:

http://www.dcbar.org/for_lawyers/membership/current_members/examResults.cfm

The results are a low 46% pass rate with a good number (64%) of first time takers passing. Congratulations to everyone who passed! For those of you who did not pass, don’t despair. Go over your scores, think about how you did in relation to your studying and practice and then reassess in the coming weeks. And be sure to register for the Feb 2012 bar exam before the deadline, don’t be discouraged.

My next post will be on MPRE strategy for the upcoming administration of the MPRE exam, stay tuned.

Additionally, you can get the results in PDF format here:

Click to access SuccessfulList.pdf