WHAT ASSESSMENTS ARE INCLUDED IN PRACTICAL LEGAL TRAINING?
ARE THERE EXAMS OR ASSESSMENTS IN PLT?
Practical Legal Training (PLT) assessments in Australia don’t look like university exams. Instead, you’ll complete practical tasks, short progress quizzes, and a final Practice Ready Review with a legal practitioner, all designed to show you can apply legal skills in real practice.
At the College of Law, PLT assessments are designed to mirror real legal practice, not academic exams. That means no essays, no three-hour written exams, and no memorising legislation for a closed-book test.
HOW PLT ASSESSMENT IS DIFFERENT FROM UNIVERSITY
At university, assessment is often about demonstrating what you know.
In PLT, assessment is about demonstrating what you can do.
There are:
- No written exams
- No research essays
- No GPA
Everything is built to help you practise skills, receive feedback, and build confidence before stepping into the workplace.
PRACTICE READY REVIEW: WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT WORKS
The main assessment in Practical Legal Training is the Practice Ready Review.
You’ll complete a Practice Ready Review at the end of each subject.
This is the closest thing to a “final assessment” in PLT, but it’s nothing like a university exam.
This is a 45-minute online conversation with a legal practitioner who acts as your supervising lawyer.
During the review, you’ll:
- Discuss the tasks you completed throughout the subject
- Explain how you reached your conclusions
- Reflect on your reasoning
- Respond to practical, scenario-based questions
It mirrors the kind of conversation you’ll have with a supervising lawyer in real practice.
It’s open book. It’s structured. And it’s supportive.
The goal isn’t to catch you out. It’s to confirm that you can think like a lawyer and explain your professional judgement.
Once you complete your Practice Ready Review, you move on to your next subject.
WHAT A STUDENT SAID ABOUT PRACTICE READY REVIEWS
"My reviews were based on tasks I had already submitted, which were marked and received feedback on. This meant I could take that feedback on board before the review.
During the review, the lecturer asks questions to ensure you understand the content. You interact with the lecturer, get a sense of how well you know the material, and have the opportunity to express your thinking verbally rather than on paper.
They feel more like constructive conversations a junior lawyer has with their supervising lawyer."
- Practical Legal Training Student
NSW Note
In NSW, where students attend 15 days of in-person workshops, the subject Ethics and Professional Responsibility is delivered onsite. For this subject, some assessments are completed in the classroom through practical, task-based activities rather than the usual online format.
PLT PRACTICAL TASKS, QUIZZES AND WORKSHOPS EXPLAINED
How you build toward that assessment.
Not everything in PLT is a final assessment. Most of the course is about building the skills you’ll need before you reach your Practice Ready Review.
| ACTIVITY | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Practical Tasks (With Feedback) |
Throughout each subject, you’ll complete practical tasks online. These tasks are not graded with marks, but they are reviewed by your lawyer-lecturer. You’ll receive:
These tasks prepare you for your Practice Ready Review and for real-world legal practice. PLT is a safe place to practise before you’re doing this work for real clients. |
| Live Workshops |
You’ll also attend interactive workshops (online or on campus). These focus on:
Workshops are highly practical and interactive. Attendance is required, but they are skill-building sessions rather than formal exams. They’re about learning by doing, not being tested. |
| Progress Quizzes |
Each subject also includes a short progress quiz. These quizzes:
They’re designed as a confidence check before your final assessment, not a high-pressure exam. |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
No traditional exams.
At the College of Law, PLT does not include three-hour written exams or academic essays. Instead, assessment is based on practical tasks, progress quizzes, and a final conversation-style assessment called a Practice Ready Review.
The focus is on applying the law, not memorising it.
The Practice Ready Review is designed to test your professional reasoning, not to trick you.
It’s an open-book, structured conversation with a legal practitioner. You’ll discuss the tasks you’ve completed and explain your thinking. If you’ve engaged with the coursework and feedback throughout the subject, you’ll be well prepared.
It mirrors a real workplace discussion, not a high-pressure exam.
Workshops are interactive and skills-based, so they aren’t recorded.
Because they involve live advocacy exercises, role-plays, and group work, attendance is required. They’re designed as hands-on training sessions rather than passive lectures.
PLT is structured as a supportive learning environment.
If you don’t meet the required standard in a task, quiz, or Practice Ready Review, you’ll receive feedback explaining what needs improvement. In many cases, you’ll have the opportunity to revise or reattempt.
The goal is to ensure you’re practice-ready, not to create unnecessary stress.
Yes.
Practical Legal Training is focused on real-world legal tasks. Instead of essays and theoretical exams, you’ll draft documents, respond to client scenarios, prepare submissions, and discuss ethical decisions, the kinds of tasks junior lawyers complete every day.
PLT is about building professional capability, not academic performance
READY TO SEE HOW PLT WORKS?
Explore course formats, start dates, and what you’ll actually be doing week to week.
