There is a method to using AdaptiBar and we will get into what that is in just a minute. For now, here is how the program works, step-by-step:
Logging In
First, you will need to log in to AdaptiBar by using the e-mail address you used to register and the password you created when you enrolled. If you have forgotten your password, click here to go to the password reminder page.
^Top
Online Test Center (OTC)
Now that you are logged in, you will see the Online Test Center page which has choices that allow you to answer questions, take a practice test, review flashcards, check your status and performance, change your settings, and update your profile.
Your overall accuracy percentage and total number of questions answered will be listed to the left, compared to all of AdaptiBar users’ current stats to the right.
^Top
Program Settings
The settings page
allows you to choose from various settings options within the program. In the “General” section under Default Dates to View Stats,
you can choose what the default dates you want to see statistics for when you view the OTC or any of the performance charts. Selecting
“View Current Session” allows you to see your progress throughout the entire program session. If you select “View Specific Dates”, you can specify
what dates to include. This is simply the default, but does not preclude you from changing the dates on the chart pages.
Click “Save Settings” at the bottom of the page and the program will default to this date range every time you login.
If you have enrolled in multiple AdaptiBar sessions, the “View All Sessions” option will include your progress from previous
AND current sessions. Selecting “View Current Session” would display only your progress within the current session.
Selecting “View Specific Dates” allows you to specify what date range you want to include. Click “Save Settings” at the bottom of the page
and the program will default to this date range every time you login.
Other setting options include: Time Zone, Flashcard Dates, ADA Settings, Message Center, & Discussion Board
You can click on Time Zone to set the program to your time zone. This will ensure that when you’re answering questions, the program sorts
those questions into the proper date, rather than the default of Central Time. The section titled “Flashcards” allows you to select the dates
you would like to include in your flashcard progress. If you are given extra time to take the MBE due to ADA accommodations, you may change
the AdaptiBar program settings accordingly by clicking on “ADA Settings” in the left column. You can enable/disable the Message Center as well.
The last option includes the Discussion Board settings. Click on Discussion Board, to select what information you would like visible to other
AdaptiBar users.
After you have made your subject choices, click the "Save Settings" button. Now, let's get to the good part...
^Top
Answering Questions
- Practice Question Mode
In the Online Test Center (OTC), if you click the icon titled “Practice Questions” you will be taken to a page that displays the 6 MBE subjects (3 subjects for Baby Bar) and various mode settings. “Practice Questions” mode allows you to choose which areas of law you would like to see questions from. You may select or deselect any MBE subject by clicking the corresponding box.
Below you will see Other Options listed with three choices. The first choice allows you to hide the timer. If you find the timer is distracting, you can choose not to see it by deselecting the corresponding box. The program will still time you, you just won't see the timer while answering questions. The second choice you will see is to show the question number and subject. We recommend that you choose not to see this. Seeing the subject while answering questions is likely to tip you off to the correct answer.
The last choice is to show the number of questions answered. This will display a small counter at the top of the screen that tells you how many questions you have answered since the last time you logged in, today, and for all time. After you have indicated what MBE subjects to include and the settings you prefer, click "Continue" to view the directions that appear on the next page. These are the actual directions that will appear on your MBE. Although many people skip these directions on exam day, it is very important that you read and understand them because they will influence the way you answer practice questions. When you finish reading the directions, click the "Continue" button and you will be taken to the first question.
The question will appear with the answer choices below it. You will notice the timer running at the top of the page. When the timer exceeds the average time to answer each question (1.8 minutes), it will appear bolded to give you a subtle indication that you better pick up the pace.
When you are taking a paper exam, you may be inclined to exclude certain answers that you feel are definitely incorrect. You would do this by somehow marking that question so that you can more easily choose between the remaining answers. In AdaptiBar, all you need to do to deselect an answer is click on the text of that answer. The text will appear shaded to indicate you have excluded that answer. Click it again to reverse the process. Even if you exclude an answer by clicking on it, you can still choose that answer as the correct one and submit it.
To select an answer, simply click in the circle to the left of the answer. When you are ready to submit the answer, click the answer button at the bottom of the screen. Depending on the length of the question, you may need to scroll down to click the buttons at the bottom of the screen. You may also hit the F11 key on your keyboard to maximize the Internet Explorer screen. If you do not already have a scroll mouse, you may want to invest a few dollars and get one, you will find it much easier to use.
If you do not want to answer that question, you can choose the pass button. This will move you to the next randomly selected question without recording an answer for the one you just saw. PLEASE NOTE: Excessively passing on questions will adversely affect your studying because you do not have the luxury of passing on the actual MBE. However, you are only practicing here, so we gave you the option.
Clicking the stop for now button will take you back to the Online Test Center ("OTC").
When you answer a question, you will be directed to a page which gives you feedback based on your answer. If you answered correctly, you will see GREEN text indicating so. If you are incorrect, you will be shown your letter choice along with the correct letter choice in RED text. You will also be told the time you took to answer the question. There are several types of feedback you will see. Pay attention to it because it will help you with your timing on subsequent questions. The explanation will appear below the feedback. Read the explanation carefully even if you answer correctly so that you learn exactly why your answer was correct. Below the explanation, the original question and answers will be displayed with the correct answer in bold.
If you have a question about that particular MBE question or explanation, click on the “Discussion Board” icon in the top page header to the right. Here, you can access the Discussion Board and post your comments or questions for other AdaptiBar users to read and respond to. Your posts will be visible for all AdaptiBar to read and respond to.
To continue to the next question, click next question. To return to the OTC, click stop for now.
- Practice Exam Mode
In Practice Exam mode, you can create a customized practice exam or take the NCBE’s MBE Online Practice Exam 1, 2, and 3. For creating a customized exam, select what subject(s) you want to include or exclude. When you mouse over the subject, the subtopics will appear and you can select (or deselect) the subtopics you want in your exam. Then, enter the number of questions (1-100) and click the continue button below. Ideally, you should emulate the AM or PM session of the MBE by choosing 100 questions. (For example, let’s say you want to target the specific subtopics of Torts–Negligence, Real Property–Ownership, and Contracts–Remedies, you can create an exam with only questions in those subtopics here by checking the corresponding boxes to the left of the subtopic only.)
At the end of the exam, you will be presented with a report. Your exam reports will be saved and are accessible anytime from the Performance Analysis Center ("PAC"). When viewing the exam’s report, you can post a question or comment in the Discussion Board by clicking on the discussion board icon on the right. A new browser will open with the question number and subject and space below to enter your post. Your post will be visible for all AdaptiBar users to read and respond to.
The MBE Online Practice Exams 1, 2, and 3 are also available in this mode. All three exams consist of 100 questions released in 2006, 2008, or 2011. Simply select the radio button next to the exam you wish to take and click continue. These questions are also included in the program, so you may also see these questions while preparing in “Practice Question” mode.
- PLEASE NOTE: The practice exam feature was added to AdaptiBar due to a number of requests from users. We must caution you against this method of preparation. Students like to use this feature because it allows them to pinpoint particular subtopics. However, doing so will negate the innovative adaptive and timing features of AdaptiBar. We recommend that you do not use this feature. Simply answer questions in practice question mode and allow AdaptiBar to adjust the presentation of questions as necessary.
^Top
Interactive Features
AdaptiBar is proud to introduce the new interactive features available to help provide feedback on how you’re studying. AdaptiBar’s interactive features act as a personal tutor that guides you through the process of preparing for the MBE. As you study, AdaptiBar will assess your performance and provide you with progressive feedback and advice on what step to take next. There has never been a smarter way to study!
The Message Center
AdaptiBar will send you messages to ensure you are preparing effectively and efficiently for the MBE. AdaptiBar will remind you if you have an incomplete exam or if you are neglecting various features of the program and will help you make better informed decisions on what action to take next. Each message is sent according to your personal account and performance.
When you have a new message from AdaptiBar, a preview of the message pops up at the top right corner along with an icon. To go to the Message Center and read your messages, just hover on the preview or click the icon. The preview fades away after a few seconds but the icon stays as long as you have messages in your Inbox. The icons can be of 3 types, each indicating a different level of priority.
- A green check mark indicates a message regarding program features and instructions.
- A yellow exclamation mark represents messages regarding recommendations and your account settings.
- A red “x” mark calls for action and the recommended task should be completed immediately.
After you read the message, you can move it to the “Trash” folder by clicking on the trash can. If you would like to read old messages you have previously deleted, simply select “Trash” on the top menu. Important messages will get purged and will continue to appear each time you login until you complete the task.
^Top
Discussion Board
To set up your Discussion Board settings, login to your AdaptiBar account and click on “Settings” then “Discussion Board”. You’ll need to specify what notifications you would like to receive from the online forum. You can select to receive e-mails from other members in the forum and to receive e-mails when someone replies to your post. Second, select what personal information (photo, law school, location, nickname, etc.) you would like visible to other AdaptiBar users. Be sure to save your settings.
To access the Discussion Board, click on “Discussion Board” on the top orange navigation bar. A new browser will open with the discussion board categories: General Bar Questions, State-Bar Exam Questions, and My Discussions. Click on “My Discussions” to view all of your postings. Click on “State-Bar Questions” then your state to view what other users are posting about the bar exam in your state. To return to the Discussion Board homepage, click the top orange bar titled “Discussion Board” on the top of the screen. You must be logged into your AdaptiBar account and remain active to access the Discussion Board.
Ask a Legal Question
The legal question section of the discussion board is dedicated to the MBE questions in AdaptiBar’s online MBE simulator. Whether you’re answering questions in “Practice Question” mode or created a customized exam in “Practice Exam” mode, you can post a legal question or comment about a particular MBE question.
- In “Practice Question” mode, the discussion board option is available after you’ve answered the question and are viewing the explanation. Simply click on the “Discussion Board” icon in the page header to the top-right to access the Discussion board and post about that question number. Another window will open with a title stating the question number and subject you are posting about. Type your comments in the space provided and click “Submit”. Other users who have questions or comments about the same question will be able to read your post and respond.
- In “Practice Exams” mode, you can also submit a post about an MBE question. When viewing your exam report, the question and explanations will be listed. To the right of the question, the icon on the right is the Discussion Board option. You can click on “Discussion Board” when viewing the report to post a comment or question about that particular MBE question that appeared on your practice exam.
^Top
Checking your Status and Performance
Clicking icon titled “Performance” will take you to the Performance Analysis Center PAC. Here you can select from a variety of subject performance charts.
The Subject Performance & Benchmark chart will show your accuracy in each subject area. For further detail on your performance in each subtopic within each area of law, click on the area of law (i.e. contracts, torts, etc.) and the chart will expand, showing you each subtopic within the area of law and your performance in each of them. The number in parenthesis is the number of questions you have answered in each subject or subtopic. To see your accuracy rate for a certain time period, rather than the entire session, choose your exact dates by clicking on the calendar icons above the chart. The page will refresh and show you the time period you wish to see. You can also compare yourself to students studying for the same bar exam. To see statistics for all students studying for your bar exam state and date, choose state and then click on "view all dates."
To see statistics for all students studying for the same bar exam date as you worldwide, choose national and click "view all dates." State or worldwide statistics will appear next to yours on the charts.
The Subject Analysis line graph charts your overall accuracy rate and allows you to compare your performance over a given period of time. You can select “Show All Subjects” to see your performance percentage for all six MBE subjects or select only one subject to concentrate on. The graph charts your overall accuracy percentage (y-axis) and allows you to compare your performance on different dates (x-axis). To change the date range presented (x-axis), simply enter the start and end dates in the right margin where it says “Select Dates” and click view. You can see your progress over time by months in your session or alter the date range to see your process for specific days, weeks, or months. The x-axis will adjust accordingly depending on the date range specified. As you make progress and your percentages increase, you will notice an upward trend on the graph.
The Timing Performance chart shows your accuracy rate is at each interval of time. You can choose the number of one-minute increments you want to view by dropping down the "minutes tracked" menu. You can also choose the increments of time within each minute by dropping down the "increments" menu.
The Timing Analysis graph shows what your performance is in ten-second increments. The vertical RED line shows the 1.8 minute average time you have for each question on the MBE. The vertical ORANGE line shows what your "sweet spot" is. The "sweet spot" calculation is a complicated one and is weighted depending on the number of questions you have answered correctly. The vertical ORANGE line may appear at a time that is not actually your highest accuracy time. However, the highest accuracy time may be based on much fewer answers than what your "sweet spot" actually is. The goal is to always make sure that your ORANGE line always appears to the left of the RED line. If it does not, keep working on your timing so that you answer questions faster, but with the same or better accuracy.
If you move your mouse over any of the GREEN dots, you will see a pop-up that indicates how many questions you answered at that time. Below the graph, you will see several statistics about your performance. Note that when the statistics refer to "completion time," that time is based on one three-hour part of the MBE. (There are two, three-hour parts of the MBE, the AM and PM sessions).
Please note that when you first start to use AdaptiBar, you may see strange statistics and feedback. AdaptiBar needs you to answer several questions before your statistics begin to normalize. When answering questions on AdaptiBar, take them seriously, as if you were sitting in the exam. If you allow yourself to get overly distracted, and you take three or four minutes to answer several questions, your data will be skewed.
The View Exam Reports button allows you to view your past exams and delete them from your account. Note that deleting them from your account will also remove them from your performance statistics.
The View My Past Questions and Answers button allows you to run a report of your previously answered questions. This report does not distinguish between questions answered in practice question or practice exam mode. You will have the option to choose correct and/or incorrect questions, in any combination of subjects and within any particular time period. This is a great tool for reviewing past questions and it is the only option for doing so in the AdaptiBar program.
- The Quarterly Performance button allows you to view your performance statistics in sections of 300 questions. This report does not distinguish between questions answered in practice question or practice exam mode. This is a great tool for reviewing your performance over time and gauging how well your preparation is going and how effective your studying is.
^Top
AdaptiBar Preparation Method
The AdaptiBar program is made up of over 1400 questions (the entire universe of licensable questions from the National Conference of Bar Examiners). Before you begin answering questions in AdaptiBar you should review the outlines for each of the subjects in detail. Once you have reviewed the subjects, you may begin to answer questions. We recommend that you divide the program into quarters. By that, we mean that you should answer quarters of 300 questions each. Do not answer questions in practice exam mode, only practice question mode. If you are a first time taker, you may answer the first quarter by doing 50 questions in each subject. If you have taken the exam before, you should mix up all 6 subjects and answer the questions that AdaptiBar presents. Answer the 300 questions over the course of maybe 10 days. Take your time answering each question and always thoroughly read the explanation.
Once you have answered 300 total questions, stop. Go to the Subject Performance & Benchmark chart. Expand all 6 subjects and print the chart out. Of the 34 subtopics, you will probably be able to identify 20 weak subtopics. Spend one day on each subject and work on the weak subtopics in each subject by reviewing your outlines for those subtopics. After spending one day on each subject, begin answering questions again. Make a note of the date that you started the second quarter and the date on which you finish the second quarter.
Once the counter tells you that you have answered a total of 600 questions, go back to the Subject Performance & Benchmark chart and input the dates of the second quarter to see your stats for just the second set of 300 questions. Expand the subjects and print out the chart. Compare your performance to the first quarter. Hopefully, of the 20 weak subtopics in the first quarter, your studying has paid off and those have been reduced to only about 14 weak subtopics. Study those 14 weak subtopics thoroughly and then begin the third quarter of questions. Don't forget to make a note of the dates you started and finished the third quarter.
After studying those 14 weak subtopics, hopefully after the third quarter, the chart will tell you that you are still only weak in 8. Then after the fourth quarter, only 4. The idea here is to constantly use the questions to diagnose your weaknesses. The questions are not your primary source of substantive review for the MBE, the outlines are. You use AdaptiBar to easily diagnose your weaknesses and track your progress.
In general, when using AdaptiBar, don't be obsessed with answering a certain number of questions a day. It is important that you practice questions every day. However, all too often, students feel confident in their studying - they have practiced the number of questions their comprehensive course tells them to do each day. A problem arises when students become obsessed with the quantity of questions they answer daily rather than the quality with which they answer those questions. Anyone can do fifty questions a day; answering them and fully understanding the answers is another story. Study smart, otherwise you are wasting your time.
We wish you the best of luck and hope that you enjoy using AdaptiBar. Don't be afraid to talk to us. The AdaptiBar Team is here to make your bar preparation experience the best it can possibly be. From all of us that have made this program possible, thank you for your support.
^Top
MBE Flashcards
The MBE Flashcards program contains over 850 online flashcards in all MBE subjects to help assist you in your bar exam preparation. You can upgrade your account to have unlimited, lifetime access to the flashcards for only $95. The flashcards are presented in a question-answer format and quiz you on all substantive MBE law concepts. Every user receives one week FREE flashcards with their enrollment in the full MBE program and can upgrade their account at any time. If you have already registered for MBE Flashcards and are currently logged into your AdaptiBar account, you can begin studying by clicking Flashcards icon in the Online Test Center (OTC).
Flashcard Settings: Select the subject(s) you would like to begin studying in by checking the box corresponding to the subject and click Begin. Read the statement or question on the front of the card, and click the flip icon on the top right corner of the card to see the answer. The answer appears on the backside of the card, along with the options to mark the card correct, incorrect, or flagged. Please note: The answer AdaptiBar provides on the backside of the card is ALWAYS correct. The order presentation of the flashcards is entirely random and includes whichever subject(s) you selected previously.
You can mark the flashcard correct, incorrect, or flagged depending on whether or not you know the answer. This enables you to sort the flashcards into categories (correct, incorrect, or flagged) and revisit those flashcards later and track your progress. AdaptiBar keeps track of how many times you have marked the flashcard correct or incorrect and displays your progress for that specific card on the backside. Additionally, there is a textbox located on the bottom of the card that enables you to type and save your notes or comments for that specific card.
In Advanced Options, you can alter the flashcard presentation settings based on what you previously marked the flashcard with (correct, incorrect, or flagged) and revisit those flashcards. If you check the correct box, you will see only those flashcards you marked correct in the subjects you marked above. If you select correct and incorrect, you will see only flashcards you previously marked as correct or incorrect. However, if you mark flagged, you will only see flagged flashcards that have the other options you chose. If you check flagged, but you never flagged a flashcard in the past, you will not see anything. When you complete your selections, click Begin. Additionally, you can track your performance and revisit flashcards viewed during a specific date range by specifying so in Advanced Options.
^Top
