a) Which materials should I use?
Based on my experience, I recommend the following.
(1) Adaptibar (includes about 2,000 questions)
A free trial is offered here.
Adaptibar has approximately 1,800 NCBE licensed questions (including 400 NCBE OPE questions) and 200 simulated questions.
I think this is the best material for MBE study.
There is no better way of knowing the exam than the exam itself.
As Adaptibar uses past actual MBE questions, the quality of the questions is assured.
Moreover, the explanations are simple and easy to understand.
By reading the analyses, you can grasp the core ideas of each issue and utilize them for your next issue spotting.
You can improve your MBE skills dramatically by using Adaptibar.
(2) Steven L. Emanuel’s Strategies and Tactics for the MBE (includes about 600 questions)
This also uses previously administered actual MBE questions and is as popular as Adaptibar.
An advantage of this book compared with Adaptibar is its inexpensive price. If you do not need single comprehensive study tool for MBE like Adaptibar, this can be your next option.
I used both this and Adaptibar, and I felt Adaptibar was better at explanations, because they were simple and I could easily and clearly understand what the point was and why each answer choice was right or wrong.
(3) NCBE MBE Study Aids (includes 210 questions)
This was produced by NCBE recently.
I think this is one of the most important materials, which not every applicant is paying attention to for now.
This material contains the QAs released by the official exam administration organization. Thus, it means the probability that similar questions appear on your exam day is very high.
This material includes 30 Civil Procedure questions.
As stated below, there are not enough materials to study Civil Procedures for now. The 30 questions here should be given top priority for your success.
b) How should I use them?
I used the materials as follows.
(1) There are no tricks when it comes to multiple-choice questions. I practiced the questions repeatedly.
(2) I made it a rule to refer to my outline book after each question and write down the corresponding page number of my outline book to establish links between the outline book and the practice materials.
This interaction between my outline book and the practice materials helped me understand the rules at a deeper level and become proficient at applying the rules for the cases.
(3) As mentioned above, if I encountered new useful knowledge while practicing, I wrote down its summary on my outline book.
By doing this, I could avoid having an unorganized learning of necessary information.
c) What about Civil Procedure? There are not enough questions to practice with for now.
I had the same concern.
Although I purchased and tried many study materials for MBE Civil Procedure, I felt that the quality was not ideal for the purpose of preparing for the bar exam.
As they were not based on the actual MBE questions, some of them were too particular at issues not tested in the actual exam, whereas others were too complicated as to be confusing.
Based on my experience, I think the following are the best materials for now.
(1) NCBE MBE Study Aids (includes 30 questions for Civil Procedure)
(2) NCBE Civil Procedure Sample Questions (includes 10 questions)
http://www.ncbex.org/pdfviewer/?file=%2Fdmsdocument%2F16
This was released by NCBE before Civil Procedure appeared in the MBE part of the exam.
The above two were released by the official organization, which means that similar questions could appear on the next exam.
After trying many materials for MBE Civil Procedure, I decided to focus on the outline (Critical Pass) and the above 40 questions.
In the exam, I was positioned at the top 30% for the MBE Civil Procedure part.
Based on this outcome, I assume that not many exam takers study these materials.
Thus, I think now is the chance for you to get a high score in MBE Civil Procedure. Focus on NCBE materials.
d) My reading speed is slow. What should I do?
I think you can improve your reading speed if you continue your efforts for the MBE.
As for me, I took the exam twice, and my speed at MBE was incredibly slow.
While preparing for my first exam, I could not finish 100 questions within the designated time (three hours).
At my first exam, I could somehow finish them five seconds before the end time. I remember I was shocked to notice many JDs easily finished 100 questions and exit the exam room far before the end time. I felt ashamed that I had to struggle with the same test materials up to the end of the exam time.
After I failed, I repeatedly practiced the questions under time pressure.
At my second exam, I finished both AM and PM parts for MBE at 30 minutes earlier.
Based on my experience, I think anyone can improve their speed, because even I could do it.
To improve your speed in MBE, practicing questions is the best way.
By handling many questions and getting accustomed to them, you could build your internal database for the MBE.
Using your internal database, you could read speedily some parts that have nothing special and focus on specific fact patterns different from your database.
I think this is the key to improving your speed for the MBE.
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