LSAT-INDIA 2020 EXAM GOES ONLINE: REVOLUTIONARY STEP IN LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS IN INDIA AND WORLDWIDE

 

INDIA’S FIRST & ONLY LAW ENTRANCE EXAM

TO BECOME ENTIRELY ONLINE

FRIDAY, 8 May 2020: Mumbai: 

In an unprecedented technological development, the US-based The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) has decided to administer the 2020 LSAT—India entrance examination online for the first time ever, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

LSAT—India, which was a paper-pencil test since its inception in 2009, becomes India’s FIRST & ONLY Law Entrance Exam to be entirely online, AI-enabled remote-proctored. The move from a paper and pencil test to an online exam will enable candidates to take the test from the convenience of their home or other respective settings without worrying about their health and safety.

Candidates seeking admission to law schools in the country will be able to take the LSAT—India from 14 June 2020 using an online test delivery system. Pearson VUE, one of the leading players in computer-based testing in the world, administers this test as an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled, online solution for aspirants to take their required college admissions tests in a safe manner, thereby overcoming the restrictions posed by the Covid-19 lockdown. It is the first time in more than 25 years of existence of Pearson's Virtual University Enterprises (VUE) that an Artificial Intelligence-enabled remote-proctored online solution has been made available in this format. Students seeking admission to all programmes of Jindal Global Law School can take this exam at their own convenience from the safety of their homes or other settings to complete the admissions process in an efficient and timely manner.

The Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), which was ranked No. 1 law school in India and South Asia and among the top 101-150 law schools globally in QS World University Subject Rankings 2020, has opened its doors for admission to the class of 2020. JGLS offers four major degree programmes in law and legal studies viz. 5-year BA/BBALLB Hons, 3-year LLB, 1-year LLM, and the 3-year BA (Hons) in Legal Studies programme.

LSAT--India (Law School Admission Test--India) has been the only admission test for the flagship 5-year BA/BBALLB Hons programme of JGLS for the last 11 years and it also remains the key exam for admission to LLB, LLM and BA (Hons) in Legal Studies programs.

“At a time when the global pandemic has created unprecedented uncertainty for all law entrance exams generating huge anxiety among law school aspirants, LSAT—India has given hope and aspiration by launching this exam in an online format. As an ‘Institution of Eminence’ in India and also as a leading law school in the world, it is our endeavour at Jindal Global Law School to offer the best of educational opportunities to our valued students and that includes a world-class, transparent, fair and scientifically evolved online admission test,” said Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) & Founding Dean, Jindal Global Law School.

“The AI-assisted remote-proctoring solution includes the recording of the candidate’s examination for review with a view to protecting the integrity of the exam process. The AI-enabled Online LSAT--India is a bold step in the right direction, which ensures transparency, efficiency and integrity of the admissions process. This is a technologically advanced admission solution, which allows students a seamless new system to complete the admissions process into the various courses of their choice. At the core of JGU’s vision and mission is our aspiration to be a role model for excellence in higher education in India and be among the leading universities of the world. We aim to promote a global perspective and provide an enriching, intellectually engaging and discovery-based learning environment to our students,” said, Professor Kumar.

Speaking about the move to take LSAT—India online, LSAC’s President & CEO Kellye Testy said, “The worldwide pandemic Covid-19 has clearly had a profound impact on how we live and on how business is conducted around the world. But we know, too, that it is acutely affecting the academic pursuits of millions of students everywhere. In order to safeguard the ability of Indian students to apply to law schools in India, we have partnered with Pearson VUE to offer students a technologically advanced entrance exam this year. The test delivery system has technical features that ensure the transparency, convenience, and integrity of the testing process, without sacrificing security."

“The new Online LSAT--India exam is a revolutionary step in law school admissions in India and worldwide! The AI-enabled remote-proctored Online LSAT exam ensures that our law school admissions process is successfully completed within the deadline and we receive the best candidates to join our law school this year as well," said Professor Anand Prakash Mishra, Director of Law Admissions, Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University.

"We always believed LSAT to be a superior and more scientific global law entrance test as it tests only analytical and logical reasoning skills and reading comprehension skills of the students and doesn't ask questions of GK, Legal knowledge or Mathematics or anything else, which could be learnt by rote learning or coaching", Professor Mishra added.

“The online LSAT—India exam is rigorous and is built with technical features to ensure that there is no security breach. The system has been built on the latest AI-based platforms which have been globally tested and offer the candidates an efficient and advanced technical solution for admission”, said Professor Arjya Majumdar, Dean of Admissions and Outreach at JGU.

LSAT—India™ is a standardised test adopted as an admission criterion by multiple law colleges across India. It measures skills that are considered essential for success in law school. LSAT—India™ is specially created for admission to law schools in India by the Law School Admission Council, USA (LSAC). The LSAC has been helping law schools in various countries evaluate the critical thinking skills of their applicants for more than 70 years.

Applicants will continue to register for the LSAT—India™ by visiting discoverlaw.in/register-for-the-test. After the closure of registration period, candidates will receive information regarding the date and slot during which they will be required to appear for the test. Log-in details and instructions for appearing for the test will be shared closer to the assigned test slot to ensure a seamless experience. Applicants can prepare for the test using the material that is free to download from the Discover Law website (discoverlaw.in/prepare-for-the-test).

ABOUT LAW SCHOOL ADMISSION COUNCIL:

The Law School Admission Council (LSAC), headquartered in Pennsylvania, U.S.A., is a not-for-profit organisation committed to promoting quality, access, and equity in law and education worldwide by supporting individuals’ enrolment journeys and providing pre-eminent assessment, data, and technology services. Each year, LSAC helps more than 60,000 law school candidates navigate the admission process and provides the essential admission software and data relied upon by more than 220-member law schools in the United States, Canada, and Australia. LSAC is best known for developing and administering the Law School Admission Test (LSAT®) for over 70 years. More than 138,000 LSATs are administered annually at over 920 testing centres worldwide. LSAC does not assess an applicant's chances for admission to any law school; all admission decisions are made by individual law schools.

ABOUT PEARSON VUE:

Pearson VUE is a global leader in computer-based testing. More than 450 credential owners across the globe choose Pearson VUE to help develop, manage, deliver and grow their testing programs. From online practice tests to high-stakes, proctored exams that require the industry’s most secure testing environments, Pearson VUE is an internationally reputed organisation in computer-based testing. Pearson VUE is part of Pearson, the world's largest learning company with more than 35,000 employees working across the globe. Pearson VUE is built on a state-of-the-art technology that enables them to reliably deliver exams and provide the highest levels of service to our clients and their candidates around the world. Pearson VUE is headquartered in suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota, with regional offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Dubai, Australia, India, Japan and China.

ABOUT O.P. JINDAL GLOBAL UNIVERSITY & JINDAL GLOBAL LAW SCHOOL

The Government of India has recognised JGU as an "Institution of Eminence" (IoE). JGU is the only non-STEM and non-Medicine University which has been recognised as an IoE. Founded in 2009, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) is a non-profit global and research oriented university established by the Government of Haryana and recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC). JGU maintains a 1:9 faculty-student ratio and appoints faculty members from India and different parts of the world with outstanding academic qualifications and experience. With over 5000 students and 550 faculty, studying and living on a fully residential campus, JGU's nine schools are: law, business, international affairs, public policy, liberal arts & humanities, journalism, art & architecture, banking & finance and environment and sustainability. This year, JGU became the youngest Indian university in India and the rest of the world to break into the QS World University Rankings 2020. JGU is the only Indian private university in the top 150 'young' universities in the world (under 50 years of age) in the QS Young University Rankings 2020. JGLS as the first school of JGU has been ranked by QS World University Subject Rankings 2020 as Top 101-150 law schools in the world. JGU is an initiative of the Jindal Steel & Power Foundation.