SLAT Exam Guide: Understanding the Pattern and Syllabus

HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE LEARNING CURVE FOR THE SLAT ENTRANCE EXAM

The Symbiosis Law Aptitude Test (SLAT) is a law entrance exam hosted by the Symbiosis International University once a year.

Any participant who has achieved passable scores by writing the SLAT exam will gain seats to any of the 4 law oriented schools under Symbiosis which offer integrated programs such as B.A L.L.B, B.B.A L.L.B, B.A L.L.B (Hons), B.B.A L.L.B (Hons) and L.L.M.

Runner up only to the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), the SLAT is extremely competitive with a very limited pass rate. With a seating capacity of barely a 1100, they are heavily contested between aspiring candidates who have passed their12^th Standard Board Exams.

While all aspects of the SLAT preparation require equal preparation, the most prioritized aspects of SLAT are:

1. The syllabus for writing the exam and
2. The pattern of the format in the SLAT exam paper.

Syllabus of SLAT Exam

Like several entrance exams, Symbiosis keeps the the exact constitution of the syllabus for SLAT in a oblique manner. However due to the similarity of exam pattern that the SLAT shares with the CLAT, there are 5 comprehensible portions which make up the syllabus of the entrance exam.

The 5 portions are described and elaborated as follows:

1. General Knowledge:

• This portion of syllabus will test the candidate to determine his/her/their learning capacity, the candidate’s awareness of the constant update in the information being learned and whether the candidate has a strong semantic memory for accumulating the general knowledge being learned.The general knowledge in question are facts and/or information from a wide variety of general & even miniscule subjects and topics which include politics, sciences, history, geography, mathematics, sports etc.
• General Knowledge is mostly obtained through media sources which are not limited to newspapers (Deccan Chronicle& The Hindu), Annual almanacs& Dictionaries (National Geographic & Reader’s Digest), news channels, online sites etc.

2. Legal Reasoning

• This portion of syllabus will strictly scrutinize the candidate’s learning capacity & memory on her/his/their knowledge of the laws of India, the structure of the legal system, the International law & respective policies and certain specific law oriented topics.The portion constitutes the Legal glossary, Structure of the Indian Constitution, Torts, Civil Procedure Code, Criminal Procedure Code, Indian Penal Code, Indian Contract Act, Indian Evidence Act, Vicarious liability & Strict Liability, Intellectual Property Rights, Types & functioning of polity, Legal awareness etc.
• Sources for learning legal knowledge include Legal Reasoning and Legal Aptitude Workbooks by AP Bharadwaj,  Bare Act books (Current Year editions) that are published by Lexis Nexis, Textbooks on law subjects (current year editions)written by Dr. Avtar Singh etc.

3. Analytical Reasoning

• This portion would test the candidate’s mental ability to deduce and distinguish patterns or connections within given information in order to determine the whether the possible outcome or answer at the end is the correct one.This portion constitutes the solving of problems given in Algebra puzzles, Syllogisms, Deductive Reasoning, Mathematical Analysis, Logical Fallacy tests, Analogy, Profit & Loss puzzles, Percentage puzzles, Agreement & Disagreement riddles, Odd-Even discretion puzzles etc.
• Analytical Reasoning, along with Logical Reasoning, can be quite entertaining & stimulating to learn if not easy. Candidates can acquire or improve their Analytical Reasoning skills through books such as Analytical Reasoning by M.K Pandey, Best Book on Analytical Reasoning (Problems & Guided Solutions) by DR. Vandana Gupta etc and/or through websites such as Brilliant (https://brilliant.org/?shem=sswnst) etc.

4. Logical Reasoning

• Logical Reasoning shares certain similarities with Analytical Reasoning, with the difference being the use of logic as a necessity to solve a problem to find the right answer. Or to briefly put it, solving challenges that lack facts by using logical thinking.The portion is a lot more simplicity and constitutes the following tests under Relationships Puzzles, Analogy Puzzles, Progression or logical sequences, Syllogism Statement & Assumption Puzzles, Cause & Effect Inferences, Premises & Conclusion etc.
• Sources to learn or improve logical reasoning includes books such as Readers Digest, The Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning by R.S Agarwal &The Art of Logical Thinking: Mastering the Laws of Reasoning by William Walter Atkinson and online sites such as Coursera website, Freshers world website etc and YouTube channels such as TED ed etc.

5. Reading Comprehension

• The final portion of the syllabus calculates the candidate’s writing skills, capacity for reading, cognition and revision skills.
• This portion constitutes learning Grammar, Vocabulary, Synonyms, Antonyms, Inference based questions, Para-jumbles,  Reading paragraphs & answering FAQs, utilisation of words etc.

• Practicing this portion requires thorough reading of English literature (preferably classics), writing of topics or concepts in the English language and writing quizzes & standard tests.

How to manage all 5 portions of the SLAT Syllabus:

• Start with the syllabus portions where the candidate has the most strength & comprehension.
• Separate the easiest sub-portions of the portion from the difficult parts. Proceed from the easiest to the most difficult sub-portions.
• If the exam deadline is nearing and there are still some sub-portions that are quite difficult to learn, mark and set them aside for later. This will manage time and help in distinguishing areas that require the most improvement.
• Practice Analytical Reasoning & Logical Reasoning together as both portions are oriented towards the problem identifying and solving capacity.
• General Knowledge and Legal Reasoning would usually be the most difficult portions due to their requirements for a large learning capacity, accuracy and memory. For less adaptive candidates, these two portions should be reserved for last as they essentially require more time to master with few exceptions.
• Reading Comprehension portion requires a lot of patience & trial. However, it becomes very manageable if the candidates use their favourite topics and/or subjects of discussion & conversation as references for their reading & writing lessons and to practice through writing and typing of paragraphs i.e trying to write an report about a favourite subject, hobby, book series, video game etc.

Pattern of SLAT Exam

The SLAT Exam paper constitute 60 questions in total that are divided into 5 sets of 12 questions, each set representing one of the 5 portions of the SLAT Syllabus. Each question is valued at one mark with no negative marking. The time alloted in this exam is 60 minutes.

The mode of this exam is a CBT (Computer Based Test) mode which utilizes the use of analytical surveys, comprehensive problems, Multiple Choice Questions etc in an online form.

The means & methods to understand & prepare for the SLAT Exam Pattern are:

1. Participate and write tests or questionnaires that have an increased variety of objective types of questions such as MCQs, Fact based questions, True-False questions, Paragraph based questions, Analogies etc.

Reason:

The SLAT which employs the use of different types of objective questions is not specific about which type of objective questions are included and in what order. Hence, it is ideal to be familiar with as many objective types of questioning as possible to understand the format.

• Calculate how much thinking time and writing time is willingly & separately spent on a question in practice questionnaires & tests in both online and physical forms.

Reason:

Each candidate will naturally have different ratios between the time spent on thinking about the correct answer to the question and the time spent in writing the answer. This is due to factors such as some candidates spend more time writing than thinking& vice-versa, candidates spending more minutes than they want to afford in confirming the answers to some of the questions etc. It is necessary for a candidate to know how much time can they/she/he spend while thinking and writing the answer to improve their time management.

CONCLUSION

In comparison to other entrance exams, SLAT may have its benefits but it is still a challenging exam to prepare for, let alone write. Each seat is competed for by less than 20 candidates out of the 30,000 candidates who apply to the SLAT.

It is also true that this exam can be held once a year. It must not be forgotten that while the learning curve for the SLAT is harsh, it is quite manageable when given time & inclination to understand it first and as early as possible. There is nothing that can deter oneself from trying once more if they didn’t succeed in their gaining satisfactory scores from their earlier attempts. After all, priority is best placed towards the way of writing the exam than towards the envisioned results.

FAQs for SLAT Exam

1. Which Law Colleges are most preferred in India between 2023-2024?

The following colleges that made the list of popularity in India are:

1. National Law School of India University
2. National Academy of Legal Studies and Research University
3. Gujarat National Law University
4. ILS College
5. Nalsar University of Law Hyderabad

• What are the Pros and Cons between SLAT, CLAT and LSAT?

Ans)

	Pros	Cons
CLAT	It has the largest number of institutions, enabling the candidate to have more choices to securehis/her/their admission. i.e 22 NLUs   CLAT covers a wider range of legal subjects in the question paper.	It is the most challenging exam out of all 3 entrance exams. The negative marking system is in place. i.e – 0.25 negative for for every poorly written &/or incorrect answer by the Candidate. The CLAT registration fees are lesser than, if not equal to, the registration fees of LSAT. (Rs 4000/- for general category candidates and Rs 3500/- for reserve category candidates).
SLAT	Candidates will not gain any negative marks for any incorrect answers on the question paper.   The registration fee (Rs 1950/-)& the program registration fee (Rs 1000/-)for the exam, both being non-refundable, are the most affordable out of all 3 law entrance exams.	Since SLAT is hosted by Symbiosis International University, Candidates can secure their admissions only through any of the 4 law schools under SIU.
LSAT	Candidates who appeared for this exam have the greatest chance of succeeding the exam. Has a greater time period in the ratio of Exam time : no of exam questions.	The LSATfeesextend to various forms of registrations andinclude courier charges. The LSAT fees are most difficult to afford out of all 3 exams.   It has the leasr number of legal subjects.   The LSAT eligibility criteria states that the minimum mark requirement for both aggregate (50%) and SC/ST/PwD categories (45%) is 5% greater than the mark requirements in the eligibility criterias of SLAT and CLAT.

• What is the procedure for downloading the SLAT scores?

Ans)

Candidates can check their SLAT scores on the official website of the exam by entering their login details such as SET ID and password.

• What are the list of reading materials for the SLAT 2024?

Ans)

List of Reading Materials per syllabic portion:

• Lexis Nexis Bare Acts of laws mentioned in the Legal Reasoning syllabus portion for SLAT.
• Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey
• The Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning by R.S Agarwal
•  The Art of Logical Thinking: Mastering the Laws of Reasoning by William Walter Atkinson.
• Avtar Singh Law Textbooks
• Annual Almanacs
• National and International Newspapers.

• List of newly selected test centres in India for holding the SLAT 2024?

Ans)

STATE	CITY
Kerala	Ernakulam – Kochi, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Mangaluru (Mangalore), Mysuru (Mysore)
Tamil Nadu	Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai
Karnataka	Belagavi (Belgaum), Bengaluru
Andhra Pradesh	Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam
Telangana	Hyderabad
Maharashtra	Ahmednagar, Kolhapur, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, Aurangabad, Amravati
Odisha	Bhubaneshwar, Cuttack
Jharkhand	Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Dhanbad
Madhya Pradesh	Gwalior, Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur
Gujarat	Ahmedabad – Gandhinagar, Rajkot, Surat, Thane – Kalyan – Dombivli, Vadodara
Chattisgarh	Bilaspur, Raipur, Bhilai Nagar
Uttar Pradesh	Aligarh, Prayagraj (Allahabad), Jhansi, Kanpur, Bareilly, Lucknow, Meerut, Pune, Varanasi, Agra
Punjab	Amritsar, Ludhiana
West Bengal	Asansol, Hooghly – Kalyani, Kolkata, Siliguri, Jalandhar, Patiala, Chandigarh – Mohali
Uttarakhand	Dehradun, Roorkee
Delhi NCR	Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad
Assam	Guwahati, Dibrugarh
Sikkim	Gangtok – Bardang
Rajasthan	Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Kota
Jammu & Kashmir	Jammu
Meghalaya	Shillong
Himachal Pradesh	Shimla
Bihar	Patna
Andaman and Nicobar	Port Blair
Goa	Panaji – Madgaon
Harayana	Karnal, Ambala

• What are the techniques needed to improve learning speed?

Ans)

List of helpful techniques to improve learning speed for SLAT Exam

• Learning contents through a 5 time repetition per page.
• Charades (especially with study mates who are practicing for the same exam as you are).
• Use Mind Maps to review the content.
• Re-writing the lessons to your preferred way of understanding while keeping it short and concise which will make it easier and quicker to revise.

• What type of questions are usually asked in Legal Reasoning portion of SLAT?

Ans)

Legal Reasoning questions are often moderate in terms of difficulty level and is time consuming from the focus placed on the application of the legal knowledge. The kind of questions usually asked are oriented around solving a problem that requires the correct application of law and/or policy and whether certain contents of law are false or true.

• What are the passing score limits of the SLAT 2024 exam?

Ans)

The SLAT consists of 60 questions. Each question is worth 1 positive mark and has no negative mark. All 60 questions are divided into 5 portions.

The SLAT passing score limit varies between each of the 4 law schools.

• 45-48 (SLS Pune)
• 42-45 (SLS Noida)
• 38-42 (SLS Hyderabad) and
• 35-48 (SLS Nagpur).

• Are there any new requirements for obtaining the SLAT Admit Card 2024?

Ans)

The requirements to obtain the SLAT Admit Card for the 2024 SLAT Exam are:

1. The Candidate must first go to the official website https://www.set-test.org/ where they must fill out the registration form before the deadline which shall be submitted by the SIU on their official site.
2. There, the candidate must upload the required scanned images.
3. Then, the Candidate must click ‘save and continue’ to complete the registration.
4. The Candidate will later receive an Id and password on their registered email id and mobile number which must be kept confidential.
5. After this candidates have to fill out the application form.
6. After filling out the application form, the Candidate has to pay the registration fee of Rs 1950/- and if optional, the Candidate can pay the program registration fee of Rs 1000/-. The payment modes of choice are:

• Billdesk Payment Gateway

• Indian Bank Payment Gateway

• Demand Draft in favour of “Symbiosis Test Secretariat” payable at Pune.

• SIU will release the admit card for the SLAT online under the respective logins of the candidates, who in turn must download the admit card before going to their alloted exam centre.

1. Why is the Personal Interaction and Writing Ability Test mandatory after writing the SLAT?

Ans)

After qualifying for the SLAT entrance exam, the candidates that passed must appear for the Personal Interaction and Writing Ability Test (PI-WAP).

PI-WAP is mandatory as it is  officially the final stage before gaining admission into any of the 4 law schools under Symbiosis: SLS Pune, SLS Hyderabad, SLS Noida and SLS Nagpur.

PI-WAP is also effective in maximizing the probability of admission. The results from the PI-WAP also determines the whether the candidate gets shortlisted to the institute of choice.

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