Australian Law School Entrance Test
(ALSET)
The Australian Law Schools Entrance Test (ALSET ) is an aptitude test developed and marked by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The purpose of ALSET is to appraise your ability to think critically about issues and understand the material given. The questions are based on a wide range of law-related stimulus materials. The ALSET is two hours duration with an additional ten minutes reading time and has seventy multiple choice questions.
Support Materials Available
VTAC administers the ALSET admission test on behalf of Deakin University. ACER provides all the testing materials needed for the administration of the ALSET, accompanied by detailed instructions. Candidates answer the test on special answer sheets which are optically scanned and scored by machine.
There is evidence that specific coaching for tests such as ALSET is not particularly effective in improving a candidate's score. This is partly because the tests are designed to assess reasoning and comprehension skills which develop over extended periods of time through a variety of experiences. A candidate's best preparation is to read widely and to think critically about what is read. There is also value in becoming familiar with the kinds of questions encountered on ALSET and with general test taking strategies.
A good starting point in preparing for the ALSET is to work through the practice questions available in the Sample Collection of Questions booklet which is available at the ACER website. This booklet provides the only source of practice questions available. Past papers are not released.
Do you need to sit the ALSET?
The ALSET is compulsory for most applicants applying for entry into any of Deakin University's undergraduate law degree programs: Arts/Law, Commerce/Law, Criminology/Law, International Studies/Law, Law (off campus), Law (on campus), Law/Science and Management/Law.
You are exempt from sitting the ALSET if you:
- are a current Year 12 student
- have completed Year 12 studies in 2009, 2010 or 2011 and have not undertaken any tertiary studies (including TAFE studies, diploma or above) in the interim
- sat the DULSAT (ALSET) in 2009, 2010 or 2011 and intend to use the result from that year
- are currently enrolled or were enrolled in a Bachelor of Laws in 2009, 2010, 2011 and have completed the equivalent of one full-time year at an Australian university (including at least 2 (LLB) law units); Bachelor of Laws/combined course or the Juris Doctor. No other Law course is eligible under this exemption clause
- have successfully completed an Australian postgraduate qualification in Law in the last ten years (3 out of 4 units must be law units).
Please Note: If you are unsure whether or not you need to sit the ALSET you should email your questions regarding the ALSET to the LLB Program Cooordinator. In the email please include the details of the grounds on which you believe you are eligible for an exemption.
Only the School of Law has the authority to give advice on whether you are required to sit the test. If you sit the ALSET overseas through ACER in 2012 you will not be able to apply for the test through VTAC.
Registering for the ALSET
Visit the ALSET section of the VTAC website for further information. You will find information about:
|
|
ALSET and selection
How much weighting is given to the ALSET for selection depends on whether you have a GPA (Grade Point Average) from prior tertiary studies.
For those applicants who complete the ALSET, ranking will be as follows:
(i) If you have a Grade Point Average (GPA) from prior tertiary studies; GPA (60%), ALSET (40%).
(ii) If you have no GPA from prior tertiary studies; ALSET (100%).
