There are many MBE supplements out there, although only a few come to mind as the leaders of the space:
- AdaptiBar
- UWorld
- The Strategies & Tactics for the MBE book
They can all help you raise your MBE score, but how do you choose which one(s) to use? There’s a balance of price, features, and the number of questions.
Here’s what you should consider:
Option 1 – AdaptiBar or UWorld MBE QBank
Someone had a succinct dilemma about this:
Good dilemma (and choice of outlines).
AdaptiBar and UWorld are both online platforms to help you study for the MBE. They both draw on past exam (real) questions licensed from the NCBE, but each one has its own simulated questions.
Since MBE subjects do double duty and take up most of your score (since essays test them too), both of these are amazing resources if you want extra help, learning tools, and a big bank of questions to practice for the MBE.
Not sure which one is right for you? You can find a comparison of AdaptiBar vs. UWorld here.
But don’t agonize over the “best” tool. Both are the best. Be concerned about being the best student instead.
When you factor in the time spent agonizing and researching different options, they no longer become the fastest, best, or easiest.
Even if you have the best tennis racquet, you can’t beat Serena Williams unless you hone your technique with training.
Weigh the pros and cons, decide which fits your needs better, and MOVE.
It’s less about WHAT you use and more about HOW you use it. The tool itself is only a means to an end. The outcome depends on you.
(More on the primary strategies I used, below.)
Also, make sure you actually want to use one of these in the first place. Although AdaptiBar and UWorld are the most popular MBE prep tools, they aren’t the only options.
Option 2 – Strategies & Tactics for the MBE
You could use the excellent Strategies & Tactics for the MBE by Steven Emanuel, which comes with hundreds of past exam questions and a 200-question practice exam.
It has around half the questions as either AdaptiBar or UWorld but has excellent explanations for about a quarter of the price. Volume 1 of Strategies & Tactics (S&T) also comes with a primer for each subject which guides you on how to approach each subject.
I didn’t do well with the MBE (50-60% during practice) my first time prepping.
My second time, I used only the S&T book above (Volume 1), S&T Volume 2 (new 4th edition is out), and Barbri questions, to pass the California Bar Exam using these key strategies:
- Quality of review. I improved with around 800-1000 practice questions in total, not the 3,000+ you sometimes see others do. This is not to say 800 will be enough for you. More is better, just not if you’re simply going through the motions and not taking anything away from your work.
- If you run out of questions… Redo them. I guarantee you won’t get all of them right again. AdaptiBar and UWorld should be able to reset questions at least once if you ask their support.
- Track performance by subject and topic. Overall percentages don’t reveal specific areas you might be awesome at and lagging in. You can use a simple spreadsheet to track, like the one available in Passer’s Playbook. AdaptiBar and UWorld can also do this with their online analytics.
- Primarily focus on real questions, but also bring in simulated questions to grind problem areas. I used S&T + Barbri questions to take an extra look at problem areas. Now we have great tools like AdaptiBar and UWorld.
Just tell me which supplement to get for my MBE practice
If your question is “do I need X?” the answer is no, you do not NEED anything. People have passed with or without any tool you can ask about.
All supplements are merely there to support your learning. Pick what will help you. Bar prep is personal.
“Ok pedant, will X HELP?” Probably! But everyone’s different.
Everything has pros and cons and may work better for specific preferences. I broke down features of AdaptiBar and UWorld in exhaustive detail so that you can make informed choices (AdaptiBar review, UWorld review).
Again, instead of fixating on which is the “best” tool, focus on being the best student. These are all the best tools. Identify your specific issue, and make independent choices for your bar prep.
Next, I will skip questions like “how many questions/essays/PTs do I need to do to pass?” or at least grind my teeth while I try to answer nicely.
Dude, how should I know? This isn’t a stamp card. If you’re asking this kind of question, you’re looking to get away with the bare minimum and probably need to do as many as possible.
That said, I’ll narrow it down for you:
You’ll most likely be set if you go for (1) either AdaptiBar or UWorld + (2) S&T. In most cases, (1) alone should suffice. Aim to solve and understand all the questions offered. If you get (2), go through it cover to cover.
If you’re budget-strapped and confident about multiple choice, (2) alone could work. (2) is also good if you like working with a paper format. Also consider Volume 2 of S&T.
In the end, you can’t really go wrong with these MBE supplements. Each of these will help you in some way, as long as you use it to learn from it.
No one can teach you. You can only learn.
Whatever you decide to do, implement the above preparation strategies with these tools. Then you’ll be well on your way to seeing scores trend higher on your next practice sets and ultimately the MBE.
But there are tactics you could have in your back pocket which might come in handy in specific situations… Inside Passer’s Playbook, I share tactics to crack questions that keep you stuck, which I don’t share anywhere else.
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