ATAR Notes: Forum

HSC Stuff => UAC Discussion => Topic started by: xwinnir on January 14, 2017, 06:01:14 am

Title: LAT test
Post by: xwinnir on January 14, 2017, 06:01:14 am
Is it better to take the LAT test or not? As it's a new system, im not quite sure how it works..

Does the score automatically submit to all unis when you apply for law?
Any suggestions on preparing for LAT test?

Thanks!!
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: HopefulLawStudent on January 14, 2017, 08:44:41 am
The LAT is only for UNSW and is compulsory for admission into any law course at UNSW.

When you do it, you get a student number/code thingamawhatsits; when you apply for unis via UAC and chuck in a UNSW Law course, you're asked to supply this number to UAC and that's pretty much all you need to do.

How to prepare:

Try out the practice paper(s) ACER supply.
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: jamonwindeyer on January 14, 2017, 01:27:43 pm
Is it better to take the LAT test or not? As it's a new system, im not quite sure how it works..

Does the score automatically submit to all unis when you apply for law?
Any suggestions on preparing for LAT test?

Thanks!!

HLS is on it, but I'll add that even if you don't think you'll end up at UNSW, you should sit it anyway as long as it isn't excessively time consuming/expensive for you (I'm not sure of either personally). So, if its not a huge deal, sit it. That way you don't rule out any options! There is no disadvantage to sitting the LAT besides the resources/time you expend sitting it ;D
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: Mary_a on March 15, 2017, 08:35:51 pm
Hey,

I am currently signed up to actually sit the LAT test later in the year! Do you happen to have any tips?

Thanks so much,

Mary
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: jamonwindeyer on March 15, 2017, 09:39:04 pm
Hey,

I am currently signed up to actually sit the LAT test later in the year! Do you happen to have any tips?

Thanks so much,

Mary

Hey Mary! Isaac gave some great advice, not only from himself but from some of his fellow first year Law students at UNSW, which you can read here! ;D
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: Mary_a on March 15, 2017, 09:48:42 pm
Hey Mary! Isaac gave some great advice, not only from himself but from some of his fellow first year Law students at UNSW, which you can read here! ;D

Awesome! Thanks Jamon!

Mary
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: Claudiaa on March 16, 2017, 09:28:21 am
This LAT thread was super helpful! Although, I do want to ask...should I take the LAT's in Year 11 (this year) or take it next year? Would the quality that I produce be that much of a difference, will it matter at all?
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: jamonwindeyer on March 16, 2017, 09:32:39 am

This LAT thread was super helpful! Although, I do want to ask...should I take the LAT's in Year 11 (this year) or take it next year? Would the quality that I produce be that much of a difference, will it matter at all?

Hey Claudia! I think inevitably, you'd do a better job in Year 12 than Year 11! Like, with the essay writing practice you'll do in that 12 months, it has to make a difference!

Does anyone know if you can sit LAT twice? You could even sit it this year Claudia and then next year if you aren't happy? Not sure if it can work that way or not?
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: Claudiaa on March 16, 2017, 09:56:19 am
Hey Claudia! I think inevitably, you'd do a better job in Year 12 than Year 11! Like, with the essay writing practice you'll do in that 12 months, it has to make a difference!

Does anyone know if you can sit LAT twice? You could even sit it this year Claudia and then next year if you aren't happy? Not sure if it can work that way or not?


Thank you for confirming that! If I am pretty sure that you can sit the LAT twice, and the highest score that you achieve prevails. The only reason I am considering taking it this year is because the LAT's are usually held around the time of trials for HSC
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: jamonwindeyer on March 16, 2017, 10:16:25 am

Thank you for confirming that! If I am pretty sure that you can sit the LAT twice, and the highest score that you achieve prevails. The only reason I am considering taking it this year is because the LAT's are usually held around the time of trials for HSC

Cool! That's sound reasoning in my eyes! Maybe you should consider taking it this year, and deciding whether the mark meets your expectations. If not, take it again next year!! I've no doubt you'd perform a little better the second time around, but it depends on whether you think it necessary, and whether it is worth potentially taking some study time away from those exams ;D
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: Claudiaa on March 16, 2017, 10:39:44 am
I completely agree with you. Maybe I'll try it this year just for experience rather than relying on this year's exam for my final LAT mark.

Thank you heaps Jamon! Always providing me with great advice no matter what the subject is!  :)
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: rookieconcept on March 20, 2017, 08:14:43 pm
Hi Everyone,

Long time lurker, first time as a registered user.

Just wanted to ask if anyone has purchased the practice material from the latprep website (latprep.com.au)? And what they thought of it?
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: jamonwindeyer on March 20, 2017, 08:18:29 pm
Hi Everyone,

Long time lurker, first time as a registered user.

Just wanted to ask if anyone has purchased the practice material from the latprep website (latprep.com.au)? And what they thought of it?

Haven't purchased that material, but just wanted to say welcome! Always love seeing lurkers become posters ;)
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: isaacdelatorre on March 20, 2017, 10:31:33 pm
This LAT thread was super helpful! Although, I do want to ask...should I take the LAT's in Year 11 (this year) or take it next year? Would the quality that I produce be that much of a difference, will it matter at all?

Hey Claudiaa,

I'm glad you found the LAT thread helpful, nice to know my rants are appreciated :D If the cost and botheredness isn't too much of a burden, then I would totally advocate to take it in yr 11 and then 12 - totally possible. I couldn't because I was the first year to do it, but if i could i definitely would have. When i got the results and my atar i was super nervous about it and totally wished I could take it agian to improve my score now knowing what was expected of me in that exam - but as i said in my other post, it's marked and used totally differently to umat so a good score is around 70 (percentile doesn't totally matter)

Hope this helps :)

Hi Everyone,

Long time lurker, first time as a registered user.

Just wanted to ask if anyone has purchased the practice material from the latprep website (latprep.com.au)? And what they thought of it?

Hey there mate,

Don't worry I was also a lurker for a bit and then really wanted my questions answered, i totally understand how you feel - hopefully u stick around and realise how helpful this forum is :)
As for latprep - I'm not too sure, I looked at the link and it looks super sketchy - the terrible quote is from an "anonymous lawyer" which is a quote that really doesn't encapsulate law at all. The places i said in my other post probably have a lot more resources and past questions and would be just as useful as the latprep one you have to pay for.
When i was talking to some people from my law cohort, lots of them said that they had friends who used prep companies and didn't get into law because they didn't understand the LAT, the questions that were asked and the way they should be answered and so they didn't do very well (could just be because the first year but the official LAT questions are still the best place to practice and if you run out look at my other post in the unsw lat thread and I've listed many places you can find other resources.

Hope this helps :)
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: rookieconcept on March 21, 2017, 12:34:48 am
Thanks for the feedback isaacdelatorre, and congrats on getting into Law and UNSW.

I forwarded the website to my cousin who is a lawyer at a big 6, and she thought the quote was quite witty. Maybe its something a practising lawyer gets? Though I do admit it does sound full of confidence.

The website does look light on details, but I did end up purchasing it (being very curious, and before I saw your post) -- I'd say the questions are very much comparable to the sample paper provided by UNSW. The questions do focus on weighing different perspectives from different source materials, I don't feel "ripped off" with the purchase.

I wouldn't pay for LAT coaching, but I think having a decent sample of good questions and working on my response is a good place to start!

Thanks for your pointers on the additional materials as well.
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: SRH923 on March 24, 2017, 08:49:33 pm
Is 95 atar the lowest UNSW accepts because ive heard people who get 94 and 93 atars get accepted at times?
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: clovvy on March 21, 2018, 07:25:20 pm
Wonder if someone doing Standard English like me can still do it 😶😶😶... (Unfortunately I am far too late to change back and I am already pressed with time for other subjects)... Well, well, well...  Last year the highest atar for standard is 99.40 and that is I always hear negative things about taking standard english which contrasts the statement of not worrying about scaling...

I want to take a double with advanced science or maths....  Anyone know anything about this?
Title: Re: LAT test
Post by: jamonwindeyer on March 21, 2018, 08:01:24 pm
Wonder if someone doing Standard English like me can still do it 😶😶😶... (Unfortunately I am far too late to change back and I am already pressed with time for other subjects)... Well, well, well...  Last year the highest atar for standard is 99.40 and that is I always hear negative things about taking standard english which contrasts the statement of not worrying about scaling...

I want to take a double with advanced science or maths....  Anyone know anything about this?

Standard versus Advanced is an interesting one, and the one choice where I say something different to "Do what you enjoy." For two subjects with identical workload, yeah, Advanced does perform much better when you start scaling marks. It's still the same, "Don't worry about scaling," but from a purely efficiency based standpoint Advanced students do get more "bang for their buck."

But that's irrelevant for you, so I'll say:

- That maximum ATAR of 99.40 would easily get you into Law at UNSW, as long as you went decently on the LAT. People get into law with lower ATAR scores than that.
- The LAT is considered in addition to your ATAR. I don't think UNSW publishes the details but a strong performance in the LAT offsets a relatively lower ATAR score.
- Statistically, your chances of getting a Band 6 in Standard are low. That doesn't mean you won't -  Push hard and you'll get results, I've seen it done many times :) a lot of the bad stats are skewed because Standard has a much larger cohort and a lot of the strong English students go to Advanced, so you'd expect less Band 6's as a percentage. Many stronger students are in Advanced, and the course is still much larger.
- Your goal course is well within your reach - Doing Standard doesn't exclude you at all :)