HOW TO PREPARE FOR LAW ENTRANCE TESTS 

Examinations can drive even a genius to lose his nerve. And what say when the “examination” is a national law entrance! It is a cause of worry for many of us. However, there is a light at the end of this tunnel too. The first step is to conquer the early panic and believe that you can do it. Many have made it to the coveted institutions and they were also normal school pass-outs like you are and not Einsteins and Edisons of law. The second stage is that of systematic preparation which should begin as early as post-10 th board exams. Little doses everyday for two years of +1 and +2 will make one all ready to join classes in the one spare month after 12 th boards. This month proves to be the most decisive. It's generally the early summer in April and one must fight it all the way and concentrate on reading newspapers, watching news and paying attention in the classes. The final phase is that of taking the test itself. As you must have seen, there are three stages in your preparation for the entrance which I will outline one by one.

The first is that of “Right Thought.” All depends on your thought and spirit which is not momentary but must remain till you receive your result. Work hard constantly towards your goal and you are sure to achieve it. Constant encouragement from elders and your own faith that you can clear the exams plays a vital role.

The second step is what I call “Direct Action”. This is where you must “work”. Postal coaching for the last two years of school is extremely helpful. It provides a base for further reading. There is no substitute for extensive reading which the trait of a good law student is also. Reading newspapers is a habit that you must develop as early as possible. Spend at least half an hour on this. Time is the essence of your preparation since you will have to balance this with your high school work.

Besides general knowledge and current affairs, other subjects which one must be well versed in are Indian History particularly the part relating to the independence movement, Legal English which includes phrases, legal terminology and synonyms along with idioms. Grammar is an area where one can score easy marks. Mathematics up to Class 10 th is another area. Speed and precision is very important here. Legal Knowledge is an area which is very crucial and a bit tough to score all by yourself unless you have someone to guide you. This is where coaching institutes like Universal Institute of Legal Studies step in. These institutes sharpen the skills which you already possess. They train you in different kinds of questions through mock tests. Their reading material is designed based on the trends of previous years' papers of various law schools across the country. Also, considering the latest Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), the role of these institutions has grown to a new height of importance for the aspirants. But the most important thing is that such institutions can merely help you in your endeavour. It's of course for you to make the effort. Another trick here is to solve all the papers of previous years of different law schools that you can lay your hands on. On the last day of my coaching class, I chanced upon some ten previous year papers of NALSAR and about ninety percent of the questions that I got were from those papers! You must practice doing both the multiple choice and short answer questions.

The final stage is the “Red Letter Day”. One must not strain oneself a day before the exam. If possible, stop studying a day before the exam and enjoy that day. Go out with friends and family or just do anything which will help you relax. Have a sound sleep. Law entrances are usually held in afternoons. Use the morning to do a quick revision, very quick indeed, preferably an hour, read that day's newspaper and relax. Have a light lunch so that you don't fall asleep during the test. Make sure you have your hall ticket and pen pencils ready. These exams require you to shade most of your answers on a multiple choice sheet. So take lot of sharpened pencils and a black pen. Be at the test centre half an hour before the time. Enter the hall at least five minutes before the test starts. This would ensure that you have lot of time to get over your nervousness.

Once in the hall, say a little prayer and read the instructions on the sheet carefully. Listen to the invigilator and make sure you write the correct roll no. Once you are done with the preliminaries, glance over the questions once. Leave no question unanswered unless there is negative marking. Keep up your time and think a while before answering each question. It happens at times that though you may know the answer, you forget it because of apprehension. So keep your cool and spend the two hours carefully, for those will decide your future. Try to finish the paper five minutes before the stipulated time. Make sure your sheets are in order. Check your roll no. once again and try to think about the questions that you aren't sure about. The right answer may strike you at the last moment. However, never change an answer in haste. Do it only when you are absolutely sure that the previous answer was wrong. Do not leave the hall before you are asked to. Keep looking for things that you might have missed out on. See if any answer is shaded twice or left unanswered.

Once you are done with it, come out happy and contended. There is sure to be some anxiety about the result, however, there is nothing you can do about it. So enjoy the rest of your holidays and try to convince yourself that you tried your best. Through Right Thought and Direct Action, you can conquer the Red Letter Day!

Sanjhi Jain,
NALSAR University of Law , Hyderabad ,
sweetsanjhi@gmail.com , 09391167855.