mature student - assessment test

Ralna · 30-03-2013 2:58pm #1

Hello, I am applying in UCC to study Law as a mature student. In the MSOGuide2013 I read that "The selection of successful candidates can be based solely on the personal statement, but in most cases an assessment test or interview may be required." And the UCC site says this "Mature applicants should apply directly through the CAO (www.cao.ie) and are required to sit an Assessment test and may be called for interview."
So, my question is do I sit and wait UCC to contact me for the assessment test, or is there a date for this test that I didn`t see.

CZ 453 · 02-04-2013 7:44pm

Ring the law faculty office in Aras na laoi immediately I would say...021-4902220

ismellokay · 11-04-2013 1:18pm

Hi, I applied for the exact same thing and just this morning I got a letter to come and take the assessment test... its on the 25th of April at 7 pm.
It says on the letter no legal knowledge is required, which is a good thing for me..
Does anyone know what it entails, maybe there is something I could do to improve my chances of doing well?

Hope you get your place

Ralna · 11-04-2013 2:00pm

I contacted Anne Wallace, she told me the same thing. I am still waiting for my letter though, but I am in Bulgaria and I don`t know when will it come

Do you live in Ireland?

micly · 11-04-2013 6:17pm

Hi I have applied for Law in UCC too and received a letter today to attend an assessment test on the 25th at 7pm. Yours might come tomorrow. If not, I would contact them to find out. Good luck with it. Does anyone know anything about the assessment test? Is there any way of preparing for it? I would be very grateful for any advice.

Ralna · 11-04-2013 7:52pm

Everyone says that you can`t get prepared and that no legal knowledge is required. I didn`t understand if it is different every year though. I think they just want to see how we think(and write it). We`ll see on 25th

Mazeire · 12-04-2013 3:10pm

Hello, I think that if it was the BA in law that you are applying for, you would have been required to sit the MSAP test which is probably the assessment that they are talking about. Here is a link to their site:

http://www.msap.acer.edu.au/

I think you should contact the mature students office in UCC ASAP.

Ralna · 12-04-2013 4:34pm

"MSAP assessment for admission to the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences". The Law is in College of business and law.

Ralna · 12-04-2013 5:05pm

Did the letter say what documents we need to bring?

micly · 13-04-2013 9:33am

You have to bring photo ID.
This is not the MSAP. IT is a separate assessment test for Law

Ralna · 13-04-2013 11:11am

Thanks, micly

ismellokay · 15-04-2013 2:21pm

I feel so unprepared...
not to mention my spelling is atrocious so I wish we could bring a dictionary

Ralna · 15-04-2013 6:36pm

I finally got my letter. I think that this test will be taken into account if they hesitate about someone, I believe that the personal statement is the most important. So, just do good on the test. See you on 25th

BanzaiBk · 22-04-2013 10:37am

I'm also attending on the 25th for the assessment test. Just wondering about the photo ID, passport I assume is ok? (Still waiting for my new drivers licence in the post).

Kinda nervous! Have taken a half day from work to try and mentally prepare for it. I have done absolutlely nothing in the way of preparation however. Anyone I've asked just says it's a general aptitude test with a legal slant, not a detailed answer really.

Ralna · 27-04-2013 6:38pm

So now what - we wait?

jgkl · 28-04-2013 12:00am

Ralna wrote: »

So now what - we wait?

How many did the test?

Ralna · 28-04-2013 12:42am

jgkl wrote: »

How many did the test?

30-40 in my room, but I am not sure how many exactly. There were exams in two other rooms/buildings too. Also, we were together evening and daytime.

ArtSmart · 28-04-2013 12:56am

Ralna wrote: »

Everyone says that you can`t get prepared and that no legal knowledge is required. I didn`t understand if it is different every year though. I think they just want to see how we think(and write it). We`ll see on 25th

If memory serves it's an essay (though i remember someone saying it had changed - email the mature student officer and ask him/her.)

General advice would be to read good articles, esp recent ones, in the Irish Times or the English Independent or similar. The topic doesn't matter too much, more the way a point is brought forward/ developed/concluded.

ArtSmart · 28-04-2013 12:57am

Ralna wrote: »

So now what - we wait?

lol. it's over?

shud a read that first!

BanzaiBk · 28-04-2013 7:10pm

jgkl wrote: »

How many did the test?

I lost count at 42 people.

fluffynoeshair · 29-04-2013 5:16am

I thought It was just the one room? I was in G1 Kane building, there was maybe 35-40 in there. A few people left pretty early, as in the first 45 minutes. Had a quick glance at the sheet we had to sign, for either the day or night Law course. Looked to me that a fair few were going for the night course.

Ralna · 29-04-2013 8:10am

I was in G1 Kane building too

StrugglingSoul · 29-04-2013 1:23pm

When are the mature students offered their places? i know its in may, but does it vary? What date in may is it likely to be?

Ralna · 29-04-2013 1:30pm

StrugglingSoul wrote: »

When are the mature students offered their places? i know its in may, but does it vary? What date in may is it likely to be?

I know about july...

CZ 453 · 29-04-2013 2:14pm

July definitely.Hope it went ok for you all

fluffynoeshair · 29-04-2013 3:00pm

The exams are very easy compared to this waiting game.

BanzaiBk · 29-04-2013 9:47pm

Some people I know were in Kane G1, I was in Boole 1 which was majority EBCL. I counted over 50 people in that room alone. My friends in G1 said there was high numbers there too.

During the information night I thought Seán Ó'Conaill said we'd have formal offers in June. Maybe I picked that up incorrectly though.

CZ 453 · 29-04-2013 10:18pm

BanzaiBk wrote: »

Some people I know were in Kane G1, I was in Boole 1 which was majority EBCL. I counted over 50 people in that room alone. My friends in G1 said there was high numbers there too.

During the information night I thought Seán Ó'Conaill said we'd have formal offers in June. Maybe I picked that up incorrectly though.

That could be for the evening law.I think the full time offers must come from the CAO in July

Ralna · 08-05-2013 11:05am

Has anybody been called for an interview?

fluffynoeshair · 14-05-2013 6:12pm

Just got a letter this morning for an interview on the 23rd, said I had been shortlisted. Anyone else get one?

ismellokay · 18-05-2013 6:08pm

yeah I got a letter....
I was rejected

haha

Ralna · 23-05-2013 3:58pm

I had an interview today, too. fluffynoeshair, how was yours?

fluffynoeshair · 23-05-2013 8:35pm

Ralna wrote: »

I had an interview today, too. fluffynoeshair, how was yours?

Good question. Not entirely sure how it went, a lot of awkward silences. For most of it I felt as if I had a mouth full of marbles, stuttering over my words. Pretty intimidating.

How'd you get on?

Ralna · 24-05-2013 6:15am

Mine was a skype interview because I am not in Ireland and the connection was not so good. I had one for BCL and after that for BCL INTERNATIONAL. What are you applying for? The interviews were around 7-8 minutes each. I asked them when will we know, but they saidthey don't know and I have to ask someone else.... Ar least it's over ...

fluffynoeshair · 31-05-2013 6:44pm

I applied for a BCL. My interview lasted for about 15mins id say, was kinda hard to keep track of time in there. They told me that we could ring the admissions office in mid June, they should be able to tell us then. There was only about 40 for the interviews, and when you take into mind that they were for all the Law disciplines, chances aren't that bad that we may get an offer.

Ralna · 31-05-2013 7:07pm

Call them

BanzaiBk · 05-06-2013 9:12pm

I've also applied for the BCL. I rang today and was told it would be another week before they would know, she suggested ringing on Tuesday next. I thought the interview went quite well so I'm eager to know if I'm in or not so I can start making plans for BCL day or evening BCL.

Grahamb23 · 30-05-2014 1:45pm

Hi all, I will be applying for the same course as a mature student starting sep 2015. How was the assessment test and interview?? would any of ye have any tips ???

Ralna · 30-05-2014 4:43pm

Well, I wrote about the interview here, so I will tell you only for the assessment test. Mine was 2 questions, if I remember correctly. There were around 10 topics and you have to choose 1 and write. We were not told anything about structure or lenght or anything. Most of the topics were related to Ireland, but I didn't know anything about Ireland, so I wrote about gay marriage.
The other question was a problem question. Mine was about a farmer that shot a thief and the thief died. And If I was DPP what would I charge him with. And you have all the relevant laws written - elements of murder, manslaughter etc. They say that you do not need to have legal knowledge, but I think you have to have legal thinking (i fthere is even an expression like that

). There is a chance that you don't have to do them though, cuz my assessment test was in April

CZ 453 · 31-05-2014 11:52am

Grahamb23 wrote: »

Hi all, I will be applying for the same course as a mature student starting sep 2015. How was the assessment test and interview?? would any of ye have any tips ???

I think you will have to contact the faculty office and ask about the assessment.They were held in April or May in previous years

mature student - assessment test

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