CRACKING CLAT

What is CLAT?

The national-level Common Law Admission Test (or CLAT) is conducted by the Consortium of NLUs for admission to 5-year integrated LLB (UG) and one-year LLM (PG) courses offered by 22 participating NLUs. 

Apart from the NLUs in india

1. 61 other private affiliate colleges accept CLAT exam scores.

2. Some public organizations such as ONGC and BHEL use CLAT-PG scores for recruitment. 

CLAT Eligibility Criteria 

Note:  Affiliated colleges may have different eligibility criteria from the ones mentioned above; so you need to visit the website of the concerned university to get the latest information.

Top-ranked participating NLU:  Here are top-ranking participating NLUs 

• National Law School of India University, Bangalore
• National Law University, Delhi
• National Academy of Legal Study & Research (NALSAR) University of Law, Hyderabad
• The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata
• Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar
• Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow
• National Law University, Jodhpur
• National Law Institute University, Bhopal
• Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur

CLAT Exam Pattern

Cracking the CLAT exam with a high score is everyone’s goal, but how do you reach your goal? 

While preparing for CLAT, candidates need to have a plan in mind

• Have a proper section wise clat preparation strategy in place.
• Work on your time management skills and accuracy  
• Solve as many CLAT mock tests, sample papers, and previous years’ question papers as you can. Mocks help you test your standing and understand where you are in your preparations. 
• Get proper analysis and feedback for your answers and scores.
• While preparing, keep making study notes. These notes are quite helpful during the last month when you are revising. 
• Effective revision and preparation evaluation/ analysis are of utmost importance to ace this exam.

Section-wise CLAT preparation tips for UG courses:

 English Section – The difficulty level of questions in this section is the same as that of Class 12 English. 

• The first step is focusing on improving your Grammar and Vocabulary.
• Make a habit of reading newspapers daily, preferably the Hindu.
• Your grasping ability must be high. This will only improve with consistent practice.
• The best way is to try to form different types of sentences out of the new words learned in a day.
• Be familiar with sentence formation and word usage.
• Learn at least 10-12 new antonyms and synonyms a day.
• Start practicing with small passages followed by lengthy ones

General knowledge section

To clear this section, you must be aware of the daily current affairs in the area of the Economy, the Indian Constitution, Awards, sports, etc.

• Regularly keep a track of all the latest news and events by daily reading newspapers and magazines such as The Chronicles and Outlook India

• Static GK is also a part of the syllabus but most of the questions are based on current affairs in the exam.
• There have been many legal events and issues in the past. You must be aware of all those events.
• Do not cram dates, or events. Rather, understand why something happened. Get an idea behind these matters. 
• Refer to Magazines, Newspapers, E-Newspapers, Blogs, etc to be more aware of all the happenings around the world, Watch News Channels.

Legal Reasoning

The questions in this section are designed to test your legal reasoning, research aptitude, and problem-solving ability.

• Firstly, understand the legal principles and jargon in a quick way
• You must know how to apply the facts in the situations and arguments
• Try to understand the concepts. Do not go for cramming.
• Good Reading speed is very important to crack this section
• Try to read law magazines and have a more legal perspective on issues.
• Improve reading and analytical skills by reading newspapers and blogs related to static and current legal issues. You can also read newspaper and magazine columns by some of the prominent lawyers of India.
• Practice a Legal Reasoning passage daily. 

Logical Reasoning

• Firstly, the time you take to answer the logical reasoning question is very important.
• Logical reasoning can be easily learned through practice.
• Focus more on topics like blood relations, directions, number series, deriving conclusions, etc.
• Go through several statements, arguments, and solutions.
• Set a timer every time you solve a mock test and try to finish all the questions in the prescribed time.
• Try to solve puzzles and games that demand logic
•  While attempting the passage, identify the premises and sets of arguments first.
• Practice at least one passage of Logical Reasoning daily

Quantitative Techniques :

The quantitative techniques section has become a Data Interpretation based section where basic math concepts are visually redesigned into tables, charts, and other diagram formats. Having a strong base in arithmetic and class 10 math will give you that edge to crack this section. 

• Identify the relevant topics and have a clear understanding of each concept.
• Memorize tables up to 20 and squares up to 30 regularly.
• Practice important formulas daily
• You can achieve all marks from this section with the right amount of time given to practice
• Try to avoid guesswork, if you are not sure about an answer.
• Move to the next question if you feel that the question is tricky and time-consuming.

Sites to prepare:

• GK today, Study IQ (youtube channel), Unacademy, Edusaathi

The key takeaway from CLAT syllabus 2023

· The Legal Reasoning and Current Affairs sections carry maximum weightage. 

· The second most important sections are English and Logical Reasoning. 

· The least important section is Quantitative Techniques 

· While the weightage varies between sections, do not ignore any section.

· In CLAT LLM, questions are asked from Law subjects such as Constitutional Law, Contract, Torts, Criminal Law, International Law, IPR and Jurisprudence, and more.

Q: Can I give CLAT in 12th class?

Yes, class 12th board examination appearing students are provisionally eligible for CLAT 2023.

Q: Is CLAT a good career option?

Law is considered one of the most rewarding career options. It is challenging and, at the same time, has a lot of monetary benefits. Law is open for all the streams.

Q: Is CLAT difficult to crack?

Common Law Admission Test CLAT is a national-level Law Exam that is highly competitive to crack. So, a well-planned preparation with the best strategy can make you a winner in this exam.

Q: When will CLAT 2023 be conducted?

CLAT 2023 will be conducted on December 18, 2022. 

Q: How many NLUs participate in CLAT?

There are 23 NLUs in India, out of which 22 NLUs are participating in CLAT. NLU Delhi conducts its respective entrance exam for admissions to Law programs and is not a part of the consortium.

Q: Will NLU Delhi accept CLAT?

No, NLU Delhi will not accept the CLAT score, as they conduct AILET for admissions to the 5-year Integrated Law Programs.

Q: Which stream is best for CLAT?

Regardless of educational background, candidates from any stream can apply for CLAT.

Q: What is the CLAT exam mode?

CLAT is conducted in offline mode, i.e. Pen and Paper Mode.

Q: Is there any minimum cut-off prescribed for admission?

No, there is no set minimum cut-off score. Every candidate’s candidacy will be considered in their appropriate category in order of merit.

Q: What are the changes introduced in the CLAT exam pattern?

The changes in the new clat exam pattern include reducing the number of questions from 200 to 150. Now, the questions asked in the exam will be a comprehension type. The postgraduate question paper will have 120 MCQs; the descriptive section has been dropped. 

Q: What law courses are offered after cracking the CLAT exam?

Answer:

Various UG and PG courses are offered through CLAT, these include, BA LLB, BBA LLB, BCom LLB, BSc LLB, LLM specialization, etc.

Q: In CLAT 2023, which section has the most weightage?

 In CLAT 2023, the areas of legal reasoning, general knowledge, and current affairs will be given the most weight. These two parts will have a combined weighting of 70 – 78 questions.

NOTE:    Clat 2023 to be conducted only once, on december 18,2022.

For any competitive exam, the key is to divide your preparation into small achievable goals. 

Follow your plan step by step, and focus on one thing at a time.

All that it takes is time and consistent efforts in the right direction. 

                              “If you have a vision, Success is just a few steps away”

Written by Ms. Vikram Soni – Jitin Chawla Team