Is PMBR necessary????

[Going to Court]

Sitting for the February exam. I'm taking Bar-Bri, but is PMBR really necessary? If not, I'll save that $$$$ and go about things the old fashioned Bar-Bri only method!

SoonToBeTaker

[JD_MSA]

I think I'm probably going to take both next year.  I figure that way no matter what happens on the bar I won't have to wonder what would have happened had I taken PMBR.   

[rezipsa]

I think I'm probably going to take both next year.  I figure that way no matter what happens on the bar I won't have to wonder what would have happened had I taken PMBR.   

Good point.
"If I only..."

[rapunzel]

That fear is exactly how those programs make money. 
At my school the top 50 % of the class passes the bar at a 97% success rate, but the bottom quarter only passes the first time at a 30% rate.  Those numbers should be findable for your school.  Those stats would suggest that the closer you are to the top of the class, the less likely you will need the extra course.

[Esq]

For what it's worth, I think PMBR is worth it. 

You will never run out of practice MBE questions if you take PMBR.  If the extra money is a real problem, you can buy just the PMBR three day session and you get all the essential books (the blue book and the red book of questions) as if you purchased the 9 day package. (It's 9 days because of the 6 day warm up prior to Barbri classes and then the same 3 day session after Barbri ends). If you take just the 3 day session, it is less expensive and you still get the benefit of a simulated MBE exam under timed conditions in a room full of other highly stressed individuals.  With the Barbri simulated MBE and the PMBR simulated MBE you will have a good idea of how you react on "game day."  I think those two practice tests really help control your nerves and give you the confidence when you start to hit that "wall" around question 120 or so on the MBE.

One more point about class standing.  Although statistically, it's true that a higher law school GPA has some predictor value as far as one's chances of passing the bar on the first attempt, never forget that it's a "flukey" test.  There're always a few stories about individuals who were highly ranked and for one reason or another, those individuals failed the bar on the first attempt.  I think the best way to approach the bar exam is to study hard and prepare by working old essay questions, using the barbri schedule, taking PMBR, and just hitting it very, very hard.  You might as well go into the test with every possible advantage.

[rapunzel]

The correlation between high gpa and bar passage is probably also related to the fact that most people with high gpa's worked very hard.  So the stats I mentioned earlier may in fact only indicate that those with high gpa's are very likely to do very thorough preperation for the bar and therefore they score well.  Almost all of the kids I know on law review in fact do barbari and pmbr.

[Esq]

So what do you think? Are you going to take PMBR?

[zilla]

i just took the 6 day course last week and found it very worthwhile. My friend who passed the february bar took PMBR and said their practice questions are much better than BARBRI's. And she scored in the 100th percentile on the multistate, so i'm definetly following her lead. I feel way ahead of the game now after the 6 day. I already feel like it was worth the money.

[rapunzel]

I will probably take the 3 day at least.  I'm bad at multiple choice, so I'm not looking forward.  Like I said, maybe the being in the top of the class means you are likely to do well, or maybe it means you are likely to prepare well.