Welcome to the Lawctopus Judiciary Corner series.
This article will discuss the West Bengal Judicial Services Examination stage-wise preparation strategy and tips.
Shall we begin?
West Bengal Judicial Services Examination Preliminary Stage
There is only one “Guru Mantra” for clearing the Preliminary stage. And, it does not matter which state the aspirant is applying to, since that tip is similar for all the states.
The mantra is that initial preparation should be from the Bare Act followed by attempting numerous mock tests and analysis of the Previous Years’ Question Papers. They are your primary sources of preparation. Don’t neglect them in any case.
After the sources of early preparation, we need to prioritize subjects based on weightage.
From one look at the syllabus of West Bengal Judicial Services, we can see that subjects like General Knowledge, Current Affairs, Test of Reasoning, English Composition, Indian Constitution, and Procedural law have higher weightage than personal laws. That is why it becomes essential to prepare subjects well according to their weightage.
Also, keep in mind that it is only a selection test. Attempt limited paper only so that you can qualify for the next round.
Tip 1: Because of negative marking in West Bengal Judicial Services preliminary exam, accuracy is of utmost importance. And to build accuracy, solving mock tests on a weekly and monthly basis is essential.
West Bengal Judicial Services Examination Mains Stage
This stage tests your knowledge of law and clarity of concepts. Unlike Prelims, where the aim is only to qualify for the next round. In the Mains examination, aspirants need to qualify for the next stage and score good marks for making it to the final merit list.
For this stage, the preparation strategy must shift to frequent revisions, mock tests, answer writing, and finishing the paper on time.
Let’s deal with each obstacle one by one.
Multiple revisions are crucial as the syllabus is vast & every subject has tons of leading case laws without which your answer is incomplete.
That is why the aim from the beginning should be to prepare for the Mains examination and shift the focus to Prelims only one or two months before the exam.
For testing memory, speed and accuracy, aspirants need to solve mock tests with a timer to see if they remember information and write for 3 hours. Also, practice answer writing every day for speed and accuracy because you cannot master it in one day.
Another thing is that if you see a question in West Bengal Judicial Services with a comment, explanation or illustration, the question is not asking for just concepts and section numbers but your analysis and conclusion of the situation-based question. Try to give a balanced answer incorporating your opinion. Also, give each question a limited time so that you can finish the paper on time.
To learn more about Answer Writing, click here.
Optional Papers
Because these subjects are chosen by the aspirants only, select only those subjects that you are 100% sure about.
Optional papers are of 100 marks. It is important to see which subjects are scoring and which you are well aware of. That is why choose your optionals wisely and do not follow the crowd.
General Knowledge
Prepare GK and Current Affairs from Chronicles monthly editions or Manorma yearbook.
Daily reading of newspapers will bring additional benefits not just for clearing Prelims but answer-writing as well.
For updates on legal developments in India, Live Law, Bar & Bench are excellent online sources.
Language
Debkalpa, Rank 15 in West Bengal Judicial Services Examination, 2020, mentions in an interview that one of her biggest mistakes that cost her a whole year was not preparing for the language paper diligently.
Language paper includes translation, précis-writing, and essays. Such topics can be mastered from any book available in the market or online websites.
For preparing essays, watch debates and read the editorial sections of newspapers for adding quality information.
This paper is highly scoring. That is why see the previous years’ question papers to understand the level of difficulty of the subject and prepare it well in advance.
Another thing that we should mention is that many aspirants have this false notion that Bengali is essential for clearing the exam. Bengali is not a mandatory or preferred language for West Bengal Judicial Services Examination. Aspirants can select any of the languages mentioned in the syllabus and prepare it well.
However, Bengali language is important for the interview round as the vast majority speak it in West Bengal. Average command over the language is required.
Mind-body and Revision
In the Mains examination for West Bengal Judicial Services, two papers are conducted in a day which can be exhausting for anyone as you sit and write for 6 hours. This process goes on for five days since there are 11 papers.
Please ensure that you are taking care of your health both physically and mentally.
For revision of subjects before the exam, make a revision book with bullet points from the very start as there is no gap for study and revision between exams.
Interview
After clearing the two rigorous stages, deserving candidates are judged based on their personality by the interviewer to see if they are a fit for the West Bengal Judicial Services or not.
For the clearing the interview round, brush up on legal provisions. Study each day, read newspapers and form an opinion on legal and non-legal matters. Also, try to incorporate judges-like attributes within you.
It is the truth that no one can prepare for an interview in just one day. It takes months to develop a personality. So, take personality development classes if you think you need them.
Want to learn more about the West Bengal Judicial Services Examination, click here.
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Source: Lawctopus
