There are a lot of supplemental study resources for the MBE portion of the bar exam these days. However, two MBE prep courses top the list: UWorld’s MBE QBank and Adaptibar’s MBE Simulator. Although similarities exist between the offerings, there is a reason why UWorld MBE QBank has outperformed in popularity in recent years. Read on for a full course comparison of these top two MBE prep products.
UWorld MBE QBank vs Adaptibar MBE Simulator
Important factors in deciding what you need from a high-quality MBE prep course |
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AdaptiBar |
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PriceBase price for each MBE prep course |
$419 | $395 |
Additional FeesAdditional fees for add-on services |
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Immediate AccessPrior access to your study session start date |
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Total Number of MBE Practice QuestionsIncludes both simulated and NCBE-licensed practice questions |
2,000+ | Unknown (Not listed on their website) |
Uses NCBE®-licensed QuestionsLicensed MBE questions released by The National Conference of Bar Examiners |
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Enhanced Visual LearningAnswer explanations include vivid illustrations, charts, and timelines to reinforce legal rules and rationales |
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Includes Case Citations & StatutesAnswer explanations include case citations and statutes to reference applicable law |
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Innovative Learning ToolsCreate digital flashcards with ease or organize notes with built-in note-taking tools |
UWorld MBE vs. Adaptibar: Key Feature Comparisons
NCBE-Licensed Questions
In comparing UWorld Legal vs. Adaptibar, it makes sense to start with the content. Not all MBE practice questions are created equal. Both our MBE QBank and Adaptibar feature NCBE-licensed questions. However, we specifically avoid using outdated NCBE questions. In fact, we regularly update all our NCBE questions to current NCBE standards, which is a huge advantage for those studying for the MBE portion of the bar exam. Even the NCBE recommends NOT using questions with outdated formats so you get a closer simulation of what you will see on the actual MBE.
Flashcards
The UWorld MBE QBank features unlimited online customizable flashcards with spaced repetition. Our spaced repetition technology allows users to see difficult subjects and subtopics more frequently until they’ve mastered them.
Within our practice test interface, there is a “Flashcards” pop-up that’s easy to search, move, and expand. This pop-up lets you make a new flashcard or add content to one you’ve already created. You can transfer written and visual content to both sides of the card, add unique notes, and create custom tags for improved searchability.
Adaptibar offers 1,000+ non-customizable online flashcards for an additional fee. There is a small section on each flashcard where you can add your own notes. You can create decks by subject, subtopic or create a custom deck of your choosing on both platforms.
My Notebook
A learning tool UWorld has that Adaptibar doesn’t is My Notebook, an electronic notebook that simplifies how you take and organize notes, and develop outlines and one-sheets. Our My Notebook feature allows you to create a customizable electronic outline full of high-yield information that you can review at any time.
You can copy any written or visual content from our QBank into My Notebook, then use editor functionality (eg, bolding, highlighting, bullet points) to personalize your notes.
Customizable Practice Tests
Both UWorld and Adaptibar feature unlimited customizable online practice tests, and users can customize their practice tests by subject and subtopic. Unlike Adaptibar, we provide a full-length Self Assessment exam. This Self Assessment exam mimics the actual MBE. The 200 questions consist of the most recently released NCBE-licensed questions from the 2021 bar exam.
After completing a Self Assessment exam, you may review comprehensive explanations for each question and see a detailed analysis of your performance. Practice makes perfect, so studying with MBE practice questions in our QBank makes a difference in mastering the legal concepts tested on the real exam.
Mobile App
Both UWorld and Adaptibar are mobile-friendly, with each having a mobile app available for both iOS and Android, allowing you to study anywhere, on any device. Although both UWorld and Adaptibar offer apps, the technology and functionality between them is drastically different. With UWorld’s app, customers can easily create customizable flashcards, as well as add and transfer notes to My Notebook on our app. This unique technology is not currently available on Adapitbar’s app.
Answer Explanations
The strongest differentiator for all of our products has always been the most comprehensive answer explanations in the industry. Our in-depth answer explanations provide detailed information for every answer choice, and include vivid illustrations and charts to help users break down difficult rules of law. Most users agree that our signature answer explanations sets us apart from the competition.
Performance and Improvement Tracking
Our MBE QBank offers comprehensive reporting and analytics so that users can see their strengths and weaknesses in each subject and subtopic tested on the MBE. Users can review their progress on each test, and monitor their overall performance as they answer questions in the MBE QBank. We also provide them with analytics regarding their answer changes and timing.
Adaptibar platform uses adaptive technology to improve a user’s overall performance based on their study behavior. The problem with the current state of adaptive technology is that it cannot take into account certain variables in a user’s overall testing behavior. For instance, adaptive technology is not sophisticated enough to account for lucky guesses, questions answered correctly for the wrong reason, or a user’s performance on the other sections of the bar exam. Adaptive technology can result in false confidence because a user’s performance on a particular question may not be indicative of their overall knowledge of the MBE subject or subtopic.
Free Trial
We offer a 7-day free trial of our UWorld MBE QBank, including 50 MBE practice questions, and don't require a credit card to activate the free trial. Adaptibar offers a free trial as well. Both trials consist of simulated MBE questions. Adaptibar does not list how many questions are in their free trial.
Pricing - UWorld vs AdaptiBar
Although Adaptibar’s base price is slightly cheaper than UWorld’s, users end up paying significantly more for Adaptibar if they want to get the same functionality included with UWorld’s all-in-one pricing. Adaptibar’s base price does not include its upgrades - Flashcards ($95), Early Access ($125), and Video Lectures (starting at $250). We offer bulk pricing to law schools and law firms.
UWorld MBE Prep vs AdaptiBar: The Verdict
Both UWorld and Adaptibar offer widely used prep resources for the MBE. However, there are significant differences between the two prep courses users should consider. Those items include what services are included in the base price versus what requires an additional fee; whether or not the adaptive learning is of actual benefit to learning; ensuring that all NCBE-licensed questions are up-to-date and reflective of the latest version of the MBE; and the quality of answer explanations because of their impact on overall exam preparation.
The verdict? When the stakes are high, there's no reason to leave your preparation to chance or technology. There's a reason why over 2 million professionals and counting have chosen UWorld to prepare for their high-stakes exams.
Testimonials
Explanations are extremely helpful in narrowing legal rules, and the citations are excellent. Testing individual subjects in Tutor Mode has been a critical feature for me that other MBE supplements do not have. I love the platform, data collection, and reports/graphs on performance. It helped me pinpoint my weaknesses for improvement."
The detailed answer explanations are exceptional, especially the visual explanations and charts. I loved the number of practice questions and the ability to customize the practice tests by subject matter and question count. I like that UWorld uses recent NCBE-licensed questions. It's critical to getting my MBE score up."
Much better than Adaptibar. I loved the QBank's concise explanations for every answer choice. The customizable flashcards are fantastic, and the reporting features are beneficial for improvement. I wish I had used the QBank earlier in my MBE prep!"
