BAR/BRI MPRE PMBR MBE--Too Many Initials!

I am so confused.

I signed up for Bar/bri. Whatever that is. But now I'm looking at this PMBR thingy for the multi-state exam. Do I need to sign up for that too? I have to do two different study programs?

Seriously, I have no idea what's going on here, and I suspect it's bad. Anyone want to clue me in?

Comments

[Andy]

I think that the recommendation is generally to sign up for both. PMBR is a short course (only 3 days or something like that) and the materials they give you are supposed to be very helpful. Especially if the firm will pay for both, you might as well.

[Brian D.]

Sign up for both. PMBR deals with solely the multistate portion/multiple choice section. You have the 3 day at the beginning, the 6 day at the end or both sandwiched around barbri.

Barbri deals with your bar exam as a whole (multiple choice, essay, and practical exam).

Since most of your points will likely come from the multistate most people sign up for both barbri and PMBR.

[LL]

I was just thinking about this and how confused I was by all the classes and initials. Thanks to your two informative comments, I'm going to check and see what my firm covers. I try to ignore the bar exam as much as I can, but that's getting increasingly difficult (and dangerous).

[shell]

Your entry inspired me to write a quick breakdown of the acronyms.
Here's the link:
http://shellvester.wordpress.com/2008/04/03/the-abcs-of-law-school/

I hope it helps!

[shannon]

PMBR is a huge waste of money, in my mind. Bar/Bri tells you everything you need to know (and more). PMBR exists because of people's fear that they must do what everyone else is doing. In the three day PMBR class the first day you take a mock multistate, and then, the next two days are spent going over the answers. I took the practice exam, and was astonished that people were going to sit around and hear a guy discuss the answers for TWO DAYS. Especially because the three-day class is only a couple of weeks before the exam-- my time was much better spent just studying on my own, not sitting in a lecture hall going over questions that wouldn't be on the exam.

[Meg]

If I remember correctly, you're taking NY, right? If your firm pays for PMBR, go for it. If not, don't waste your money. NY statistically has lower MBE average scores than the rest of the country anyway because of the massive amount of subjects tested (26) and the state-specific distinctions. BarBri alone is more than enough.

[E. McPan]

I took both. In my opinion, the PMBR questions were NOT like the multi-state questions. I can't tell you if BarBri questions are more similar because I got suckered into doing 2,000 PMBR questions and only a couple hundred BarBri ones. The upside is that it did correctly predict that I was going to suck at the MBE. But even the BarBri questions I did told me that.

[zuska]

I took both, too. I would not do it any different. I took the 3 day PMBR, and did not regret doing that instead of the 6 day, which several of my classmates took. While I think Shannon is right that PMBR serves to ease fears - but I didn't see it as a fear that I wasn't doing others were doing. It was a fear that I was going to fail the bar exam, because you had to know like 100,000,000 things, and you had to know how the mean test-writers were going to do their best to TRICK you. And it made me feel better. And the timing was such that it was a very nice balm for the worried and anxious soul.

It was also comforting (at the time it felt like it was NECESSARY, but I recognize now that it was really just COMFORT) to have the different types of questions. You will hear a lot during the prep period that PMBR questions are harder than the real exam, and BarBri is easier, and on and on and on. It's hard not to freak out amidst all of that. PMBR questions are calming (huh. I forgot about that. the bar exam makes you CRAZY.)

I agree that if your firm is paying for it that you should do the 3 day. If not - I would seriously try to buy the books on e-bay or something - just so you have the different types of questions. Even though I personally LIKED hearing the man talk about the answers for 2 days. I think I more regretted sitting through the practice-test day, since I'd already had the experience through the BarBri practice test (and was stunned at how taxing that was).

[Law Student Hot Mama]

Those bastards are all about their money-making schemes! My husband was the PMBR rep so we have tons of old PMBR stuff lying around that I'm going to use. I'm doing Barbri. I'd suggest seeing if anybody has any old stuff lying around for PMBR . . .

[Annie]

Does anyone have the address for PMBR website or telephone number to register for the 3 day course