How to prepare for the Legal Aptitude section of the DU-LLB entrance?

legal aptitude section of the DU-LLB: Cracking competitive exams in India is no joke! Especially when you’re aspiring to enter a professional course in as well-established and time-tested law school as the Faculty of Law, Delhi University, you possibly can’t think of winging your preparation phase. Let Oliveboard ask you in Jim Rohn’s voice, “Success is 20% skills and 80% strategy. You might know how to succeed, but more importantly, what’s your plan to succeed?”

If you had an immediate answer to that, congratulations on your way to your dream law school. If not, fret not! There is still time, and we are here to help you out. This blog is dedicated to helping you curate a “strategy” to prepare for the legal aptitude section of the DU-LLB entrance.

Let us first de-code what the exam is all about! 

(Note – If you’re already comfortable with the syllabus and pattern of the paper, skip directly to the “Preparation Strategy” section of the blog.)

DU-LLB Entrance Exam

The DU LLB entrance exam is taken by nearly 20,000 candidates every year to enter the LL.B. course at the University of Delhi. The Degree is a three-year post-graduate programme. Admission to LL.B. is made strictly based on merit in the Entrance Exam. The LLB Admission Exam at Delhi University is a university-level entrance exam. The National Testing Agency (NTA) administers the exam to the aspirants. 

About DU-LLB Entrance 2022

• This year, the DU-LLB Entrance Test 2022 will be held ONLINE at various centres as notified in the Post Graduate Admissions, Bulletin of Information 2022-23. 
• The Test shall be of two hours duration. 
• The Test Paper will consist of one question paper containing 100 objective-type questions with multiple choice answers relating to-
  • English Language Comprehension, 
  • Analytical Abilities, 
  • Legal Awareness & Aptitude, and 
  • General Knowledge. 
• The language of the Entrance Test shall be English. 
• Each question shall carry four marks. 
• For every correct answer, four marks will be awarded, and for every incorrect answer, one mark will be deducted. No mark will be awarded or deducted for a question left unanswered.

Syllabus and Question Pattern of DU-LLB Entrance 2022

The sectional breakup of the question paper is as follows –

Section(s)	Indicated Syllabus
English Language & Comprehension	Jumbled words/ SentencesFill in the blanksIncorrect sentencesUnseen passagesEssay-writingReading comprehension
Analytical Abilities	SeriesBlood RelationsDirectionsCritical ReasoningSyllogismAnalogy
Legal Aptitude section of the DU-LLB Entrance	Indian ConstitutionContract ActCriminal LawHindu Marriage ActLaw of TortsLegal GK
General Knowledge	Current Affairs of past one yearPolityEconomicsEnvironmentGeneral StudiesGeographyHistoryScience & technologySports

Understanding the Legal aptitude section of the DU-LLB entrance

Before curating a dedicated preparation strategy for the legal aptitude section of the DU-LLB entrance, it is extremely important to understand the pillars of the section.

1. Weightage –

You can expect 20-25 questions from the legal aptitude section. Given the heavy weightage of the section, you need to make a customised study plan.

2. Kind of Questions asked in the Legal aptitude section of the DU-LLB entrance –

This section consists of primarily two kinds of questions – 

1. Legal Awareness or Legal GK, and 
2. Legal Aptitude or Reasoning.

However, the majority of questions asked in the Legal Aptitude section of the DU-LLB entrance or even other 3-year LL.B. entrance exams are based on Legal GK or Legal Awareness, with only a few questions based on Legal Reasoning. 

Hence, apart from developing a conceptual clarity of topics enlisted in the syllabus, a deep knowledge of the following topics is equally necessary –

• Legal Fundamentals & Terms, 
• Legal Maxims, 
• Landmarks judgments of the Supreme Court, High Courts of importance & tribunals like NGT, NCLT and latest Supreme Court Judgments,
• Latest appointments in the Supreme Court and High Court, etc.

3. Previous year Questions (PYQs) –

We are listing some of the PYQs from the legal aptitude section of the DU-LLB entrance to give you a taste of the real examination.

Questions listed below fall under the category A or Legal awareness/ GK questions –

1. Which Indian Judge was a member of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Far East (Tokyo Tribunal)? [PYQ, 2020]
   1. Judge Radha Binod Paul
   2. Judge Nagendra Singh 
   3. Judge Dalveer Bhandari 
   4. Judge Hiralal J. Kania

Correct Answer :‐ Judge Radha Binod Paul 

2. Who among the following has the power to issue an order under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC)? (PYQ, 2021)
   1. Commissioner of Police 
   2. Director-General of Police 
   3. District Magistrate 
   4. Public Prosecutor 

Correct Answer :‐ District Magistrate

Next up are questions on Legal Aptitude or often termed as Principle-Fact questions. These questions attempt to gauge your conceptual clarity.

1. A puts jewels into a box belonging to Z, with the intention that they may be found in that box, and that this circumstance may cause Z to be convicted of theft. A has committed the offence of: (PYQ, 2021)
   1. Lying
   2. Giving false evidence 
   3. Fabricating evidence 
   4. Cheating 

Correct Answer :‐ Fabricating evidence 

2. Principle: Nothing is an offence by reason of any harm which it may cause to a person for whose benefit it is done in good faith, even without that person’s consent, if the circumstances are such that it is impossible for that person to signify consent.

Facts: Z is carried off by a tiger. A fires at the tiger knowing it to be likely that the shot may kill Z, but not intending to kill Z, and in good faith intending Z’s benefit. A’s ball gives Z a mortal wound. A has committed: (PYQ , 2021)

1. Offence as A’s ball has given Z a mortal wound 
2. Offence as he knew the shot may kill Z. 
3. Offence as A did not fire for the benefit of Z. 
4. No offence as A fired at the tiger in good faith for the benfit of Z and did not intend to kill Z. 

Correct Answer :‐ No offence as A fired at the tiger in good faith for the benfit of Z and did not intend to kill Z. 

There can also be questions from latest judgments, like –

1. Supreme Court of India’s judgement in Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) and Anr. v Union of India and Ors is related to (PYQ, 2020)
   1. Right to Privacy 
   2. 2G Spectrum 
   3. Coal gate Scam 
   4. Section 377 of IPC 

Correct Answer :‐ Right to Privacy

Now that we have a thorough understanding of the legal aptitude section of the DU-LLB entrance, we should focus on customising a preparation strategy for the legal aptitude section of the DU-LLB entrance. Here goes!

Preparation strategy for the legal aptitude section of the DU-LLB entrance

1. Make a dedicated time-table – For cracking any competitive exam in India, time management and accuracy are the keys. Hence, you should begin your preparation by making a dedicated timetable. Decide on questions like –
   1. How many hours should you dedicate to the legal aptitude section of the DU-LLB entrance? Ideally, 1.5 hours every day for 6 months should suffice. You can alter the slot per your broad timeline, i.e., if you have one month, you should dedicate 3 hours every day or 1 hour for 1 year.
   2. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Once you’ve decided how many hours you need to dedicate, you should also make yourself aware of your strengths and weaknesses. For example, if you’re good at Legal GK, optimum time should be dedicated. If your application part is weak, you should dedicate more time to solving questions based on Principle-Fact.
   3. Whether you’ll go for coaching or self-preparation? Find our blog on the topic here.
2. Find good sources & study materials – Given the nature of questions asked in this examination, you must rely on quality study materials for preparing the legal aptitude section of the DU-LLB entrance. Some of the materials you can rely on, are –

• for a cursory understanding of the law and its application – Read important sections from Bare Texts of Indian Contract Act, Indian Penal Code, etc. 
  • Sections, Illustrations and landmark Case laws have to be read for all major subjects.
  • Any available preparatory material like the “Legal Awareness Legal Reasoning” or “Legal Aptitude for the CLAT and other Law Entrance Examinations” by A.P. Bhardwaj can also be extremely helpful.
• areas like Legal Fundamentals, Terms and Legal Maxims can also be covered from preparatory materials.
• Recent developments – Questions from Legal GK can be covered by
  • Keeping a tab on the hot news and important judgments listed on LiveLaw or Bar&Bench
  • The editorial section of The Hindu and Indian Express Explained can also be particularly helpful.

Note – Restrict your sources to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 2 per sub-topic. This would ensure that you get enough number of repetitions and revisions.

3. Revision and Practice – Scoring decently in the legal aptitude section of the DU-LLB entrance is no game of chance! It requires immense practice-induced accuracy and precision. Hence, you should ensure that you revise your base material at least twice (hence the number of sources referred to has to be kept at a minimum). Methods like spaced repetition and active recall are especially helpful given the nature of the questions asked in this section.

Tips & Tricks: legal aptitude section of the DU-LLB entrance.

Again, As Sun Tzu will have you believe, and rightly so, “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

Hence, let us get you the tips to find that edge in the strategy. Mind you; there are no shortcuts!

1. Taking a mock test in a time-bound manner under a simulated exam-like environment- This can give you a taste of what it would be like on exam day. It helps you understand the exam’s demands while also giving you feedback on your preparation.

Once done taking the mock, you should ask yourself these questions – 

1. For questions left unsolved or unmarked – Was it lack of time or lack of knowledge?
2. For incorrect responses – Was it a silly mistake or lack of knowledge?
3. For correct answers – Is it possible to do this in a better and faster way?

2. Previous Year Papers (at least 5 years) – Practicing from previous year question papers can prove especially beneficial for the legal aptitude section of the DU-LLB entrance. This would ensure that your strategy is in touch with the actual demands of the exam. Know that the DU-LLB entrance requirements are different from the demands of integrated course entrances like CLAT or AILET. The difference should be given due respect!

This would be all about the preparation strategy for the legal aptitude section of the DU-LLB entrance! For more help with your DU-LLB entrance preparation, tune in to Oliveboard. For more tips and tricks on preparing for other law entrances, check this. Ciao!