Law as a profession appeals to many. According to an India Today report, 60,000 lawyers enter the profession every year. However, cracking law entrance tests like the CLAT, AILET, LSAT, MH CET Law, etc to get admission in top law schools in India is not like a walk in the park. You should begin your preparation early and must be ready to slog it out-putting in 8 to 10 hours a day for preparation.
Most law entrance tests in India follow a more or less similar pattern-focussing on English, legal aptitude, general knowledge & current affairs, logical & analytical reasoning and mathematics. Though the difficulty level varies.
First of all, you need to familiarize yourself with the exam pattern, marking scheme and syllabus of the law test you have decided to subject yourself to. Of course, you can attempt to take more than one law test but it is advisable to focus on just one so that you can concentrate all your efforts on cracking that one test.
Next, you have to decide if you are going to opt for law coaching or indulge in self-study. We believe that coaching is a better option as it always equips you with that extra bit that is necessary to crack competitive exams. However, it’s all up to you. If you think self-study is your forte then you should do that. On the other hand, if you decide to go for law coaching then you should choose online law coaching over a physical coaching centre. The reason being the pandemic.
Even if you choose online law coaching, don’t expect the teachers to spoon-feed you. They will be there to clear your doubts and help you out when you are stuck but you should do your own planning and follow a systematic approach-something like this:
Work on Time Management
Not just a law entrance test, to crack any competitive exam, time management is the key. Set a fixed time for each subject. Study the difficult subjects at a time when you are fresh and at your best. Some students will tell you that the morning hours are when they’re full of energy. While there are others who find their mojo at night. Find out the timing of the law entrance test and make sure that you are alert during that time of the day. This will help you on exam day.
Also, remember that in the law test, you will need to attempt a fixed number of questions within a given time. So, studying with the clock ticking may actually help you to learn how to tackle the questions in the law test without wasting much time. When you attempt to answer questions, don’t remain stuck on the questions that you are finding difficult to answer. Skip those questions and answer the ones that are easy first. Then again, there are some law entrance tests that happen online where you don’t have the option to go back to the previous section. For such tests, your approach needs to be different.
Find the best Study Material
How well you perform on the law entrance test will directly depend on the quality of your study material. Opt for the best books that cover all the topics as per the latest syllabus. Choose these books carefully as your entire preparation depends on them. Here we have mentioned a subject-wise list of the best books for law entrance test preparation:
English
You will need to be highly proficient in English. Read good English books (both fiction & non-fiction) and magazines to increase your vocabulary and better your grasp of the English language. The best books for preparation for the Law English section as per the syllabus are:
- High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren & Martin
- Barron’s Pocket Guide to Vocabulary
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- English is Easy by Chetananand Singh
- Objective General English by RS Aggarwal
General Knowledge & Current Affairs
The law entrance test will test your knowledge of current affairs. Ideally, you should read a standard newspaper every day, like, say, The Hindu or The Indian Express. Pay special attention to the editorial, opinion section, national news and international news sections. If you read the newspaper well, then you may not need anything else to prepare for general knowledge & current affairs. However, most law aspirants buy specific books like:
- Pearson General Knowledge Manual 2020
- Manorama Year Book
- India Year Book
- Competition Success Review
- Lucent’s General Knowledge
- Protiyogita Darpan
Legal Reasoning
You need to have clarity in legal reasoning to do well in the law entrance test. This section is very important and also hard to master as you have to learn a lot, from criminal law (different sections of the Indian Penal Code), family law to contract law and the law of Torts. You will also have to know about the Indian Constitution. The best books for preparation of the Legal Reasoning section are:
- Bare Acts of Indian Constitution
- LexisNexis Butterworths
- Legal Awareness and Legal Aptitude by AP Bhardwaj
Logical Reasoning
Logical reasoning is one area in which you need to practise a lot. The questions asked in this section are varied and you have to brace yourself for all sorts of questions. The Best Books for preparation of the Logical Reasoning section are:
- Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by RS Aggarwal
- Analytical and Logical Reasoning by RS Aggarwal
- Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey
Mathematics
Many students are wary of this section. However, the law entrance exams only test your mathematical ability up to the school level (Class 10). So, you shouldn’t worry much. Just be diligent in practising them. The best books for preparation of the maths section are:
- Fast Track Objective Arithmetic from Arihant Publications
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations from Pearson’s
- 30 Days Wonder for Maths by S Chand
- Class 10th NCERT Textbook
Analyze Previous Years’ Papers and Practise Mock Tests
Solving previous years’ question papers will help you to get acquainted with the questions asked in the law entrance test. You will also become familiar with the difficulty level of the paper. You need to be smart while preparing for a law entrance test. By analyzing previous years’ question papers, you will be able to gauge the general trend-what questions are most likely to come, which portions you should study more and which portions you need not focus on so much.
Another thing you must do is practise mock tests. Set yourself a time as per the time of the law entrance test and attempt the mock tests. As you go on practising the mock tests, your speed will increase and so will your accuracy. Mock tests help you test your level of preparation. As you analyze the results, you will be able to identify your weak areas. You can then double up your efforts in these areas. Online Coaching centres usually provide their students with mock tests. You can separately buy a Test Series pack as well, which includes mock tests.
Revise
The syllabus of a law entrance test is so vast that it is difficult to remember everything without revising. Revision completes your preparation for the law entrance test. Go through everything that you have learnt so far. You will find that there will be a few things that you have forgotten. This is exactly why you should take notes. If you have well-made notes, you can quickly and easily refer to them instead of having to read the whole portion of the book.
You can follow Manu Law Classes YouTube Channel for Law Test Preparation Guide and more knowledge:
Be in the Right Frame of Mind
You need to peak at the right time, just around the time of the law entrance test. Studying hard may take a toll on your body. You may also feel nervous before the exam and have negative thoughts. It is important to approach the law entrance test in the right frame of mind.
Doing meditation regularly, practising yoga and finding the time to relax as well would ensure that you approach the law entrance exam in a positive frame of mind. This can make a difference to your rank. Remember, it’s all in the mind.
Push yourself a bit harder. Try that extra bit more but be smart at the same time. Take care of your health as well. The law entrance test is yours to crack.
We wish you all the best!
