Legal Reasoning
Stare Decisis Mnemonic — "Same facts, Same law, Same court" – Precedents bind lower courts, not higher ones. Remember: Horizontal stare decisis (same level) is persuasive; vertical (higher to lower) is binding.
Ratio Decidendi vs Obiter Dicta — Ratio = Reason for Decision (binding); Obiter = Other Remarks (persuasive only). Mnemonic: "RR-BB" (Ratio-Reason-Binding-Binding).
Void vs Voidable — Void = automatically null from start (void ab initio); Voidable = valid until canceled by aggrieved party. Remember: "Void walks alone, Voidable waits for cancellation."
Mens Rea Elements — "I Know My Intent Matters Recklessly" = Intention, Knowledge, Motive (not essential), Intent, Malice, Recklessness (levels of guilty mind).
Logical Reasoning
Contrapositive Rule — If A→B, then NOT B→NOT A (valid). NOT A→NOT B is the *inverse* (invalid). Remember: "Flip and Negate" for valid contrapositive; just flipping gives converse (invalid).
Venn Diagram Trick — All/Some/No statements: Draw circles first. "All A are B" = A circle inside B. "Some A are B" = overlapping circles. "No A are B" = separate circles.
Syllogism Elimination — For "All/Some/No" conclusions, if both premises are particular ("Some"), no definite conclusion. If both negative, no conclusion. "Two Particulars/Two Negatives = No Conclusion."
Series Pattern ADD — Arithmetic (constant difference), Difference of differences (2nd level), Division/multiplication ratio. Check these three in order: ADD method for 90% number series.
General Knowledge & Current Affairs
Indian Presidents Chronology — "Rajas Rarely Venture Far; Red Zones Need Proper Protection Constantly" = Rajendra Prasad, Radhakrishnan, Zakir Husain, V.V. Giri, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Reddy, Zail Singh, Venkataraman, Narayanan, Kalam, Pratibha Patil, Pranab, Kovind, Murmu.
Fundamental Rights Articles — Articles 14-35 (Part III). Key ones: 14 (Equality), 19 (6 Freedoms), 21 (Life & Liberty), 32 (Constitutional Remedies). Mnemonic: "Every Lawyer Loves Remedies" for 14-19-21-32 cluster.
Directive Principles Range — Articles 36-51 (Part IV). Remember: DPSPs are "non-justiciable" (not enforceable in court) unlike Fundamental Rights. "36 to 51 = Suggestions, not Compulsions."
English & Comprehension
Subject-Verb Agreement — Collective nouns (committee, jury, team) usually take singular verbs in Indian English. "Each/Every/Either/Neither" always singular. "Both/Few/Many/Several" always plural.
Sentence Correction Priority — Check in order: SV agreement → Tense consistency → Pronoun reference → Parallelism → Modifiers. Mnemonic: "STPPM" (Stop The Purple Parrot's Mistakes).
One-Word Substitution Strategy — Root word analysis: -cide (killing), -logy (study), -phobia (fear), -phile (lover). Example: Regicide (king-killing), Bibliophile (book-lover). Learn Latin/Greek roots for 50+ words instantly.
Mathematics (Quantitative Aptitude)
Divisibility Rules Quick Check — 3: digit sum divisible by 3; 9: digit sum by 9; 11: alternating digit sum difference divisible by 11. For 7: double last digit, subtract from rest, repeat.
Percentage-Fraction Conversions — Memorize: 12.5%=1/8, 16.66%=1/6, 20%=1/5, 33.33%=1/3, 62.5%=5/8, 87.5%=7/8. Saves 30+ seconds per calculation in exams.
Time-Speed-Distance Triangle — Distance = Speed × Time. Cover any one to get formula: cover Distance, get S×T; cover Speed, get D÷T; cover Time, get D÷S. Draw inverted triangle: D on top.
Profit-Loss Direct Formula — Two successive discounts of x% and y%: Net = x + y - (xy/100). Two successive profits same formula. Mixed (one profit, one loss): use same but subtract second term if loss.