NLSIU 2007 - STRATEGY

It’s just two days to the NLSIU exam. Hence your time should be devoted to practising sample papers, mocks and the past yrs papers, since before that the paper structures were different and might mislead you on time management. Besides the above, read up on GK, as it is a vast subject. Don't do any separate prep for logic, maths or legal reasoning - now is the time for practice.

Likely Pattern and Target Scores.

It is unlikely that the pattern of the paper will change, especially since it is likely to be the last year when each institution will conduct its own exam. NLS has evolved the pattern over the years; it is likely to be a 2-hour paper of 200-marks, with 130 marks for the Objective portion and 70 marks for the Descriptive part. The objective portion will have distinct sections on English, GK, Maths, Legal Reasoning and Logical Reasoning. There are different marks in each section, all based on whether the question is inferential or pure knowledge based. A few points on each section:

English. It is likely to have a vocabulary section with meanings as well as antonyms with half a mark each. Sentence correction and filling in blanks with articles or prepositions etc, with a half mark each, is another favourite of NLSIU. You should expect a Reading Comprehension passage with about 5 questions with one mark each, as it needs concentrated reading to drawing inferences. If you get parajumbles, it will be a maximum of 5 questions with 2 marks each. Thus English should have 35 marks or so and one can easily score 25 to 30 in this section. You should not be taking more than 20 minutes for this section.

GK. GK in NLS is a mix of about 40 questions in General Awareness, Current Events and Legal Awareness. Each question would carry a half or even a quarter mark. Because of the vastness of the scope, a 50% score will be a good achievement. Each question should not take you more than 10 to 15 seconds.

Maths. 10 to 12 questions with 2 marks each. The topics are simple commercial maths in ratio and proportion, profit and loss, SI and CI, Work, Time and Distance, Mensuration, some elementary questions on Probability, Permutation and Combination etc. The degree of difficulty will be moderate. You should be able to score 80% here. But remember not to take more than 1 minute per question.

Logical Reasoning. This portion is on critical and deductive reasoning. Most students find this the trickiest. You may have an odd question on Analytical logic. Since reasoning is involved it will carry 2 marks each. You should expect 15 to 18 questions. LST is known to ask questions on logical extensions. They will give a statement of 2 to 3 sentences and ask if the options they give follow the same logic. This needs very careful reading of both the statement and the options. You should be able to score 60 to 70% in this section. Time about 1-1 1/2 minutes per question.

Legal Reasoning. Again with two marks each and about 10 to 12 questions. The standard ‘principles and facts’ on torts, contracts, criminal law and perhaps an odd one on constitutional law. Actually you need not know law at all as long as you understand the principle given. This again needs very careful reading of the fact situation and the principle given. It is more of a test in reasoning than knowledge of law. You are not required to use your knowledge of law in solving these problems though a brief study of torts, contracts etc will be very useful. However, if you have not done it so far, this is no time to do it.

Therefore out of 130 you should be able to score 95 in the objective section. NLS has a policy of short-listing the top about 2400 students in the Objective portion for their descriptive portion to be evaluated. We feel you will need to score a minimum of about 65 to be in this first-stage short list and for your descriptive portion to be evaluated.

Descriptive Section.

There are two distinctive sections – Legal Reasoning and GK.

Legal Reasoning is about writing legal briefs for both parties to the dispute. Be very brief (not more than two sentences for each side) and stick to the limit laid down. The less you write the fewer mistakes you will make! You should not have a problem getting 18 to 20 out of 25.

GK. You will need to write 15 short notes of 4 to 5 lines for 3 marks each, on legal, economic, socio-political, polity and governance and topics of current interest. A list of topics that you could expect is given below. You should aim at 30 marks in this section. Stick to the line limit.

Cut off. Last year the cut off was abnormally high. We feel the cut off of 124 out of 200 for the general category, 85 for SC and 82 for ST is reasonable enough.

Strategy

  • There is no negative marking. So attempt all the objective questions.
  • Out of about 130 objective questions you will have about 80 questions based on pure knowledge where no deliberation is required like vocab, filling in blanks and GK. This should be finished first and time not less than 4 questions to a minute or 20 minutes. The other 50 questions with one and two marks should take you one hour. If you don’t know the answer, do not tarry over the question- move on to the next.
  • The short note should take you one minute a question and the legal briefs two minutes each.
  • That will give you a few minutes to spare.
  • Now, using this strategy, practice the past papers everyday and see that you have at least 10 minutes to spare.

Before the paper, relax yourself by doing the things which you connect with - listen to your favourite music , read what motivates you, something you believe in - pump yourself up, but quietly. Sleep early, eat very light on the morning of the exam - fresh fruits are advisable. Make sure you don't have pencil, pen problems. Carry at least four HB pencils for marking the OMR sheets so that you do not waste time sharpening a pencil in the exam.

Nothing else - just go and do your thing.
Best of luck from everyone at LST!
LST Academic Team

 

IMPORTANT CURRENT EVENT TOPICS FOR SHORT NOTES

  1. SAARC
  2. SAFTA
  3. SENSEX
  4. ASEAN
  5. Employment Guarantee Scheme
  6. Indo- US Nuclear deal
  7. Indo-Pak Relations
  8. Union Budget 2007-2008
  9. Jessica Lall Murder case
  10. Human Development Index
  11. Communal Violence Bill
  12. India and the Security Council
  13. Oil Price hike/ OPEC
  14. Stem Cell Research
  15. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
  16. Drug Abuse
  17. Legal Aid and its importance
  18. Prasar Bharti
  19. Female Foeticide
  20. The Naxalite movement
  21. Child Marriages/ Sharda Act
  22. Reservation in the private sector
  23. Reservation for OBCs
  24. Global Terrorism
  25. Iraq
  26. East Asia Summit
  27. Kyoto Protocol

LEGAL and OTHER TOPICS FOR SHORT NOTES

  1. Social Justice
  2. Secularism
  3. Legal Protection
  4. Fundamental Rights VS Fundamental Duties
  5. Directive Principles of State Policy
  6. Preamble to the Constitution of India
  7. Panchayati Raj Institutions
  8. Consumer Protection Act
  9. Social Justice
  10. Constitutional Writs
  11. Finance Commission
  12. Sarkaria Commission
  13. Money Bills
  14. Question Hour
  15. Zero Hour
  16. Budget
  17. Appellate Jurisdiction
  18. Free Legal Aid
  19. Public Interest Litigation
  20. Family Courts
  21. Lok Adalats
  22. Organic Farming
  23. Keshwanand Bharti Case
  24. Planning Commission
  25. Law Commission
  26. Adult Franchise
  27. Bilateral Agreement
  28. Coalition Government
  29. Plebiscite
  30. Ordinance
  31. Socialism
  32. Death Penalty/Euthanasia
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