Not sure if AdaptiBar or UWorld is better for your MBE needs? Someone had a succinct dilemma about this:
Good dilemma (and choice of outlines). Here’s a breakdown of both and a summary table.
First of all, what are AdaptiBar and UWorld MBE QBank? How are they similar?
✅ Both are MBE supplements—online platforms to help you study for the MBE portion of the bar exam.
✅ Both do this by giving you tools to create MBE practice question sets from a question bank of the latest NCBE questions (the NCBE is the organization that writes these questions). You can create custom question sets by choosing subtopics within subjects.
✅ Both provide simulated MBE questions written by their respective content teams.
✅ Both provide an MBE simulator so you can test yourself with a mock exam.
✅ Both have performance analytics to track your weak areas and compare how your answer choice did compared to other users of the platform.
UWorld vs. AdaptiBar: How are they different?
Each has its own strengths. Check the comparison table below for more (or fewer) details, but in essence…
AdaptiBar offers in-depth answer explanations and robust software. It has an adaptive learning algorithm that automatically adjusts to your strengths and weaknesses (hence the name), making sure that you’re not stagnating or demoralized with practice questions that are too hard. As you do more questions and get stronger, the questions get more challenging (and vice versa). It’s been in the MBE game for many years and is also available for California Baby Bar students.
It also comes with 200 simulated Civil Procedure questions and 15 simulated Real Property questions written by the content team. The trial test drive comes with questions for each subject.
AdaptiBar’s video lectures with Prof. Jonathan Grossman are a popular add-on. Another optional add-on is flashcards to help you memorize the black letter law. Both are available for a significant discount if bundled with enrollment.
Rumor has it that animated/video explanations are in the works. Select animated video explanations have been released already as explained in their blog.
You can get access to a base subscription for $355 using an AdaptiBar discount code (works for lectures and repeaters). Let me know where to send it to you.
UWorld comes with visual explanations and charts that may be helpful if you’re a visual learner. This is the main draw for UWorld. While it’s been around the block for other professional high-stakes exams, it’s relatively new to the MBE space.
It also comes with hundreds of simulated questions written by the content team. It has learning features like customizable digital flashcards where you can save your own notes.
You can get access to a base subscription for $419 (access through the next bar exam) or early access for $529 (access through two bar exams). You can also test it out with a seven-day free trial.
Summary and comparison between AdaptiBar and UWorld
| Features | UWorld MBE QBank | AdaptiBar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $419 for one bar season OR $529 for early-prep option (access for two bar seasons) |
$395 for one bar season / $355 with coupon $245 if you’re re-enrolling (via your profile) |
| Total number of questions (licensed + simulated) | 2,000+ | 1,600+ |
| Common features | • Licensed MBE questions • Online platform accessible on mobile devices • Performance analytics |
|
| Distinctive features | • Robust visual explanations • Custom flashcards |
• Robust analytics • Adaptive technology • 105% money-back guarantee (They no longer appear to offer this in 2024) • Optional (but popular) add-on video lectures by Jon Grossman start at $15 |
| You can also check out the free trials for both to see which you prefer: | UWorld trial | AdaptiBar trial |
| In-depth reviews | UWorld review | AdaptiBar review |
Verdict, how to use AdaptiBar or UWorld effectively, and an alternative
You can’t go wrong with either.
You’ll find great reviews for both AdaptiBar and UWorld. When you ask around, you’ll see people swear by one or the other (or recommend both!)
The important thing is that you USE it and LEARN from it. That’s true for all of bar review. Practice every day, track your performance, and learn from the explanations.
Don’t worry about how many questions you do. It’s about how well you do them, not just how many you do them.
The MBE is a critical part of your bar exam score: It can be up to half of your score depending on your jurisdiction, and at least some essays will test MBE subjects. This means you can leverage your MBE proficiency to increase your overall score and get that much closer to passing the bar exam!
So don’t spend more than a day or two debating whether to get AdaptiBar or UWorld.
Just pick one and start USING it. You’ll learn more by DOING, not hem-hawing about what’s “best.” Analysis paralysis keeps you from doing anything at all. That’s time you could have spent doing and reviewing questions and explanations.
If you’re on the fence, read my in-depth AdaptiBar review and UWorld review. Or make a decision based on their sample trials.
BTW, this goes for anything else you agonize over (like which short outlines to use to help you memorize). Do your due diligence, and be confident in your decision. The point isn’t which racquet you’ll use, but rather, your technique and training with it.
If you’re worried about cost…
Try Emanuel’s Strategies & Tactics for the MBE. It could be an alternative to AdaptiBar or UWorld, or an additional supplement.
The book has hundreds of NCBE-licensed questions, a 200-question practice test, and excellent written explanations. You can grab it for $70-100 (when it’s not out of stock).
If you use this in addition to AdaptiBar or UWorld, there will be a lot of overlap in questions. But having the questions on paper could provide a more realistic emulation of the MBE.
Otherwise, check out AdaptiBar (grab a discount code for AdaptiBar first) or UWorld here:
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