Results dropped this morning and I passed. Scaled MBE was 141, MEE came in around 155, and the MPT pulled my overall score above the 266 combined threshold. I'd been checking the NJBOE portal every hour since 8 AM. The February pass rate historically runs around 45–48% for first-time takers so I was bracing for bad news.
I used Themis for bar prep and studied full-time for 9 weeks starting right after my last semester exams — about 8–9 hours a day, 6 days a week. The NJ-specific content — family law, professional responsibility with NJ RPC distinctions, and NJ civil practice — isn't something you can skip. At least 20% of my MEE points came from questions that had a New Jersey-specific wrinkle that changed the analysis from the general MBE rule.
The MPT is really what separates people who've practiced the format from those who haven't. I did 12 full MPT sets under timed conditions before exam day. The task memo format and how you organize a library memo versus a client letter matters — graders are pattern-matching your structure before they even read the analysis. If you're sitting in July, start MPT practice at week 2, not week 7.
Failed by 4 points. The MEE is what got me — I ran out of time on question 6 and wrote maybe half of what I needed. Sitting again in July. Any advice on MEE time management? I'm averaging 38 minutes per question in practice but need to get to 30.
For July sitters: NJ civil practice has come up in 3 of the last 5 administrations. If you know Rule 4 service requirements and summary judgment standards cold, you're banking easy points on something a lot of people underprep.
Passed too, barely — 268 combined. The NJ RPC distinctions hit me harder than I expected on the professional responsibility questions. The MPRE and NJ bar PR content overlap but there are enough differences that you can't rely on your MPRE prep alone.
The MPT format advice is spot on. I've seen people with strong legal analysis fail the MPT because they wrote it like a law school memo instead of following the specific task memo structure. Read the library documents in the order they're given — the sequencing usually tells you what's most important.
Congrats! I passed too and honestly I'm still in shock. I work full-time in accounting and was studying maybe 10-12 hours a week, mostly early mornings before my kids woke up and Sunday afternoons. Real property was my biggest weakness so I drilled it hard the last month — I used nj bar/questions/real property questions constantly and it genuinely helped. Didn't feel ready going in but I think the consistent reps made the difference.
The waiting was brutal. February results always feel like they take forever. If you're sitting for July, don't sleep on MEE — I underestimated how much the graders reward structure and I almost paid for it. You've got time, use it.
Congrats on passing! I'm still waiting for my shot -- sitting for July. Just hit a 148 on a full MBE practice set yesterday which felt encouraging, though I know the scaled score always ends up a little different. Real Property has been my weak spot so I've been grinding through nj bar/questions/real property questions almost every day this week.
Didn't feel ready at all back in January but honestly the momentum is starting to build. Did you find the MEE essays pretty predictable or were there any surprises?
Congrats on passing! I'm still in the middle of prep for July -- just hit a 148 scaled on a practice MBE set last night which felt decent but Real Property is still killing me. I've been grinding the nj bar/questions/real property questions pretty hard this week trying to get that section under control before I slow down on the essays.
Sitting in July so I've got a few months but it doesn't feel like enough time honestly. Did you find the MEE was harder than the practice materials suggested or pretty close to what you expected?
Congrats to everyone who passed! I'm a working adult who studied part-time around a full-time job and two kids, so honestly just finishing felt like a win. Weekday mornings before 6 AM, lunch breaks, whatever I could grab. The MBE was my biggest fear so I drilled constantly, especially nj bar/questions/real property 2 style questions because real property always felt shaky for me. Ended up being fine.
For anyone waiting on scores or prepping for July, don't try to study everything perfectly. I didn't. Just stay consistent and don't let a bad practice session wreck your week. It's a grind but it's survivable.