How to Qualify Law Entrance Exam

Introduction

Entrance examinations of any discipline usually send shivers down the spine of the nervous aspirants, anxiously waiting to make the cut to their dream colleges and desired courses. Law, over the period of time, has become one of the most coveted professional courses in the country. In the present scenario, getting entry into top professional colleges, in various streams, has become a highly competitive affair. Given the large number of applicants and increased difficulty quotient of entrance exams, many aspirants find it hard to cope with the examination pressure. They often remain perplexed about the proper approach and keep grappling for the perfect strategy to crack the exams in question.

In such a situation, it becomes important to be well aware and researched about the professional degree n question, its updated entrance exam pattern and most importantly, the latest syllabus for the exams. Pertaining to the field of law, aspirants post the completion of their senior secondary education, or equivalent, can sit for the important law entrances like Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), All India Law Entrance Test (AILET), Law School Admission Test (LSAT), Symbiosis Law Admission Test (SLAT), etc. Although CLAT is the most significant and competitive exams that every law aspirant aims to ace, other exams that ensure admission to some of the top-ranking law colleges in the country are Jindal Global School Entrance exam, Lloyd Entrance Exam (LET), UPES Law Studies Admission Test (ULSAT), Common Entrance Test for Amity Law Schoo, Noida (CET), and many others. Irrespective of the popular build up, the bottom-line remains the same for all the entrances; one needs to chalk out a proper roadmap for the preparation In order to secure a good rank and ensure admission to the law courses.

Challenges Faced While Preparing for Law Entrance Exams

In the due course of preparation, the students face several challenges that appear as road-blocks to the realization of their ultimate goal of pursuing a law degree from a premier college. Let us have a look at the common problems and dilemmas faced by aspirants preparing for various law entrance tests and how to plan preparation I order to surmount them.

1. What to Read

In the times of information explosion, it becomes difficult for students to search for and rely on authentic sources. There is a plethora of information available, both online and offline. One cannot discern properly and without expert guidance, what all to study and engage in depth with and what to omit. This constant struggle leads to the unproductive use of the precious time at hand and results in a confused strategy. Reading from too many sources leads to excessive supply of information and may ultimately decline conceptual clarity and cause vagueness.

The best strategy to resort to here is to stick to the syllabus. To begin with the preparation of any competitive exam, it is a necessity to be well-versed with the syllabus. Be very clear about the sections that the exam papers are divided into and the distribution of marks they carry. Be thorough with the current affairs and read news papers and editorials daily in order to be aware of the general debates and discussions on the everyday matters relating to law. This will help you cover the legal aptitude portion with authentic knowledge and a much nuanced approach.

2. How much to Read

Right from the current affairs, general aptitude to comprehension based questions; one can say that the syllabus for law entrance exam is pretty wide in its scope and diverse in nature. In such a case, it is but natural for the aspirants to get muddled about how much material they should read in order to be able to secure a good rank in the entrances. Often, much time is wasted over topics that are vast and lengthy, but may not be able to help you make the cut owing to les weightage in the examination.

Prioritize your sections according to the marks they carry. Go in depth t understand concepts that have been repeatedly asked and arrange the material for your study accordingly. Use internet resources wisely and carefully, preferably not substituting them for the reliable first-hand knowledge from the good old text books. For tackling mathematical problems, be sure to have conceptual clarity by referring to the class 12th text books, along with some good CLAT reference books for detailed study and practice. To have a good grip over the logical reasoning section, daily practice is required for syllogism, calendar questions, blood relations, clock and time related questions, alphabet and number series, binary knowledge, Venn diagrams, etc. Pearson guides by Nitish Sinha to several topics asked in the CLAT exam, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension by Ajay Singh and Quantum CAT by Sarvesh Verma are some of the good books that would be beneficial for the guided preparation of law entrances. Most importantly, make it a point to get enrolled in some good mock test series so that you do not lose touch with the practical aspect of appearing for an exam where time is money and applicatory aspect is of utmost significance. Remember, only practice hones your skills, makes you realize your strengths and weaknesses and clarifies maximum amount of doubts.

3. Time Distribution and Efficiency

Maximum people preparing for competitive exams falter regarding time management and its proper utilization. Be it the preparatory phase or attempting questions on the final day, most of the candidates are unable to give proper time to important and rank enhancing topics and questions. They do not have a pre-planned strategy to prepare on a priority basis and attempt questions from sections and topics that have an increasing trend of importance. This reduces the overall efficiency and negatively affects the final scores.

Practice as many mock-tests as possible in order to get a fair idea of the division of time. Refer to the old papers and identify the trends and patterns based on the importance and frequency of questions asked from particular sections. Attempt the questions that you are sure about, in the first go. Limit your time per question and do not let easy mark slip in the bid to challenge yourself with tougher questions that might take up most of your time.

4. How to tackle Reasoning and Comprehension Portions

Since many students face issues with the grammatical part of language, attempting the comprehension based questions poses a considerable obstacle to their preparation. It becomes all the more challenging as the passages given in the examination are required to be analyzed and engaged with in an applicatory manner for he related questions to be answered. Since English and comprehension carry a considerable weightage in most of the important national-levels entrances, it becomes important to have a good hold over the basic requirements of the section as per the syllabus.

To improve your grammar, refer to High School English Grammar and Composition. Develop a habit of reading and making notes of new words and phrases in order to improve understanding and vocabulary and have a better engagement with the language. Reading editorials and newspapers also serves the dual purpose of preparing for the comprehension and English section as well as covering the current affairs and general knowledge part.

Conclusion

The time of the year when the entrance exams approach near is one of the most stressful periods for the several aspirants trying to make the cut to top law colleges in the country. It is no news that the level of competition and difficulty of exams is consistently increasing. This calls for a well planned out approach towards preparation as well as attempting of these exams. One must decide and start the preparation early, in order to have a strong conceptual base so as to be able to tackle the applicatory questions and maximize ones total score. A proper time-table with realistic study goals has to be worked out in order to remain consistent and regular. Last but not the least, all work and no play would only amount to an exceeding level of stress that might take a toll over your health and end up sabotaging your efficiency. Do take some time off to practice yoga, play games, or do exercises and activities that de-stress you in order to revitalize and recharge your batteries.

Author

Ms. Sakshi Dhaulta

Assistant Professor