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How do the California Bar Exam changes for July 2017 affect how you should study?

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How Do The California Bar Exam Changes For July 2017 Affect How You Should Study?

How Do The California Bar Exam Changes For July 2017 Affect How You Should Study?: Are you taking the California Bar Exam in July 2017?  Should you change your approach because it is now a 2-day exam instead of a 3-day exam? Below we will highlight which parts of the exam have changed, which parts have stayed the same, and how these changes will affect your study plan.

How Do The California Bar Exam Changes For July 2017 Affect How You Should Study?

1. You will answer five hour-long essay questions instead of six.

One of the bigger California bar exam changes is to the essays.The written portion of the exam will now be administered over the course of one day. Instead of answering six hour-long essay questions (three questions on Day 1 and three questions on Day 3), you will now answer a total of five hour-long essay questions (three questions during the morning session of Day 1 and two questions during the afternoon session of Day 1). Keep in mind that the afternoon session will be three and a half hours long (a half hour longer than before) because of the Performance Test you will have to complete during the afternoon of Day 1.

As you study for the July 2017 exam, make sure that you do timed practice exams accordingly so you can approach each essay question with the same amount of concentration. Doing timed exams will help you avoid test fatigue.

2. You will complete one 90-minute California Performance Test instead of two 3-hour long California Performance Tests.

Another of the California bar exam changes is to the MPTs. For those who struggle with the 3-hour long CA Performance Test, completing one 90-minute long PT is a welcomed change! It is no longer a good idea to review by focusing on the past CA MPTs. The change in length will result in a shorter file and library. This does not necessarily mean that the PT will be easier! While the new CA PT will require examinees to demonstrate the same skills as before, shorter PTs often require examinees to synthesize information very quickly.

We recommend studying for the new California Performance Test by doing the 90-minute long performance tests by the NCBE. These types of tasks you are more representative of what you will complete on the exam. If you are looking for sources for free MPT questions check out our post.  Also, take some time read our post on how to effectively incorporate the review of students’ answers and the NCBE’s MPT Point Sheets into your study plan.

3. The MBE is worth 50% of the overall score instead of 35% of the overall score.

The CA bar exam used to favor examinees that excelled on the written section of the exam by weighing the written portion of the exam at 65% of the overall scaled score. However, this advantage no longer exists. The MBE and written portion of the exam are each worth 50% of the overall scaled score. Therefore, it is necessary to devote more of your bar preparation to the MBE! To improve your MBE score, spend more time focusing on the highly tested areas of law. Also, check out our post on where to find actual released questions—there is no better way to study!

4. The scope of the subjects tested will remain the same.

Even though the exam will be one day shorter, it will test the same number of subjects. Additionally, the scope of material that you need to review for each subject will generally remain the same. However, be mindful of recent changes to the MBE, particularly with respect to Real Property. Because the number of subjects tested will remain the same, you can expect to see more crossover essay questions. This will allow the Examiners to test examinees’ competence on a similar amount of material as before. To familiarize yourself with common crossover questions during the past 10 years and the more frequently tested subjects, check out our California Bar Exam Essay Frequency Chart.

5. The passing score will remain the same.

To pass the exam in July 2017 you will need to get at least a minimum of 1440 points (out of a possible 2000 points). Indeed, the Committee of Bar Examiners stated: “Contrary to some assertions, the proposed modifications to the California Bar Examination will not make it an easier test to pass, as the minimum passing score will remain the same. It will continue to test minimum competence in the law.” Therefore, do not make the mistake of thinking that because the exam is now two days long that you can reduce the amount of time it will take you to prepare for it!

Our California bar tutor wrote this post.  She has passed three bar exams, including the California bar exam. She scored in the 95 percentile on the MBE, and helped several students pass the California bar exam. If you would like to read all of our California blog posts, please click here. Also, if you are looking for a California bar exam tutor, please feel free to read more about our California bar exam tutoring options. If you’re interested, we recommend you contact us sooner rather than later as our bar exam spots fill up quickly! All inquiries are kept 100% confidential.

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