Monday, March 7, 2011

MBE Software - Soliciting Your Thoughts

MBE Software Survey

Have you, yourself, used MicroMash, Adaptibar or BarKey software to prepare for the MBE section of any bar exam?  If the answer is yes, please help share your experiences by participating in my survey. (See survey link on the top right sidebar to this blog.)

Summary - MBE Preparation Software

MicroMash MBE software has now been sold and is being marketed under the name MBE Edge.  The price has been reduced from nearly $900.00 to $395.00 plus state sales tax under an introductory price offer. There is also a new trial version with 50 questions in the trial bank.  The trial period is for 30-days.  Software has been upgraded for ease of use and with the full version of MBE Edge, one receives outlines and 500 questions in a printed book.

Adaptibar seems to offer the most flexible trial program, with 150 questions in the bank and a far longer trial period.  The price is $445 per session but usually coupons are available through law schools or repeater forums to lower the price.

BarKey offers a Demo version of their software with limited questions.  BarKey is the lowest priced at $299.00.

All programs use licensed bar questions from NCBE, questions that you can also get on-line from NCBE or through books like "Strategies and Tactics."

I am determined to crack the MBE nut, having cracked the essay and PT writing on the California bar exam. After doing 750 MBE practice questions for the Feb. 2009 bar exam and 2,200 for the July 2010 bar exam, I raised my MBE score by only 3 points.  I also journaled each question that I got wrong with the rule and the "trigger fact." Frustrated with the traditional exam preparation, I need better diagnostic results which is why I am looking into MBE software. That, and the fact that a good friend increased his MBE score from 105 to 139 on the July 2010 bar exam by using MicroMash.

Comments anyone?

1 comment:

flyinglowundertheradar said...

I did the free trial through Adaptibar but didn't like it because it would repeat the same questions -- not helpful. I haven't tried the other programs. I did find the Strategies & Tactics book extremely helpful, even carried it with me to CA when I took the exam. When I did the practice exam in that book, about a month prior to the MBE, I got 137 right out of 200, which was much better than I'd been doing on PMBR. Not sure how I did on the MBE this time around, but I didn't dread it the way I have in the past.