The All India Bar Exam (AIBE) is conducted by the Bar Council of India (BCI) to enable law graduates practice in Indian courts. By qualifying for this exam, a candidate gets a “Certificate of Practice” from the BCI, which helps him/her appear before any of the country’s courts, tribunals and administrative bodies.
The AIBE is a qualifying, MCQ-based open book exam, which tests one from more than 20 subjects. Until January 2021, when AIBE XV was held, law graduates could carry any number of books and notes into the exam. However, this year, the BCI has allowed only Bare Acts in the exam hall. Graduates who understand and can read Bare Acts well will have won half the battle. Some pointers:
Bare Acts are your best friend: One cannot study or identify all the Bare Acts at the last moment. Instead, have a manageable set and practice with them to be able to find answers fast. Speed up this process by studying the Short Title, the Commencement Date, the Amendments (usually footnoted in the Bare Acts), the definitions, and reference of basic concepts beforehand.
Strategic preparation: Analyse the past years’ question papers. It can be time consuming, but goes a long way. First, do a detailed analysis of past years’ question papers, identify the different types of questions and also the method to attempt each type. Second, focus on subjects that carry the most marks. This helps you cover maximum syllabus fast.
Identify and interpret: Since it is a Bare Acts-based exam, one must learn the basic terminologies used. For example: Had you not known the difference between a Section and an Order, would you be able to identify them correctly?
Use your time wisely: The AIBE is a three-hour exam that requires you to solve100 MCQs with the help of Bare Acts. You have around 1.5 minutes to answer each question, leaving you with 30 minutes to revise. While this is sufficient to solve the paper, often candidates waste time in flipping through the pages of the Bare Acts. Therefore, it is important to not lose sight of the time during the examination.
Build confidence by constantly testing your ability: In the actual exam, a candidate is expected to answer jumbled up questions from 20-plus subjects. This can get a little tricky because, each time you face a new question, it is probably from a different subject, causing confusion. A successful way to prepare is to focus on practising questions from the beginning. Start with subjects with the most marks such as Constitution, Family Law, Code of Civil Procedure, and so on. If one covers one subject at a time and is constantly investing time in practising different types of questions, it has a major impact on the result.
Last-minute revision plan: The last few days can be intimidating and confusing; many panic and lose direction.However, if you are familiar with the Bare Acts and are constantly testing your ability to solve MCQ-based questions, the AIBE will be a cakewalk.
The writer is Consultant, Test Preparation Courses at LawSikho
