CLAT - Gateway to top National Law Colleges
Common Law Admission Test – CLAT is a national level entrance test which is conducted for admission to the top law colleges of India.
Common Law Admission Test – CLAT is a national level entrance test which is conducted for admission to the top law colleges of India. CLAT is an aptitude test designed to test your mental faculties in relation to time management and analytical abilities simultaneously. The question paper is structured in five different areas, which are: English, General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Reasoning (Logical and Analytical) and Mathematics.
Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a non-statutory body created under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the convenience of the students seeking admission to various National Law Universities in the country.
An entrance test is conducted to provide a list of candidates on the basis of ‘merit-cum-preference’ to each University for admission to their UG/PG programmes, as per the eligibility, reservation and other criteria laid down under the respective statutes of the participating Universities. (Must Refer – https://clat.ac.in/)
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), is an all India entrance examination, conducted on rotation by 24 National Law Universities (NLUs) for admissions to their Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate degree programmes.
The 24 participating National Law Universities (NLUs) are as follows:
- National Law School of India University, Bangalore (NLSIU)
- National Academy of Legal Study and Research University of Law, Hyderabad (NALSAR)
- The National Law Institute University, Bhopal(NLIU)
- The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata (WBNUJS)
- National Law University, Jodhpur (NLUJ)
- Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur (HNLU)
- Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar (GNLU)
- Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow (RMLNLU)
- Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab (RGNUL)
- Chanakya National Law University, Patna (CNLU)
- The National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi (NUALS)
- National Law University Odisha, Cuttack (NLUO)
- National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi (NUSRL)
- National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam (NLUJAA)
- Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Visakhapatnam (DSNLU)
- Tamil Nadu National Law School, Tiruchirappalli (TNNLS)
- Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai (MNLU)
- Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur
- Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad
- Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla
- DNLU, Jabalpur
- DBRANLU, Haryana
GNLU, Silvassa Campus
NLUT, Agartala
How to Prepare
Study according to the Latest Syllabus & Pattern of CLAT
- Candidates must know the Latest CLAT Syllabus and pattern of the exam. Students have to prepare according to it and cover all the topics thoroughly.
- Take help from the previous year’s papers as well as from the latest sample papers of the CLAT exam.
Clear Doubts
- If you have any doubt on any subject you must try to solve it. If you are not getting the solution then consult with the faculty and friends and clear your all doubts with them.
- Before the examination, you should clear your all doubts which help you in scoring good marks.
Proper Usage of Time is the main point of How to Prepare for CLAT
- Candidates who are preparing for the exam must make a time schedule and work according to it which helps them to cover all the topics of all the subjects.
- Contenders are advised to adjust the time to revise their syllabus at least once.
Prepare Notes
- Candidates must prepare notes of the important topics, lengthy topics etc. which saves time and it is easy to study from the notes rather than books.
- Self-made notes help you to understand easily and at the time of examination, you will remember all the things at a single review of the notes.
Online Mock Tests
- There are many sites that provide an online mock test of the exam for good preparation.
- You can go through these tests by which you come to know about the question level asked in the exam.
Be Aware of Current Affairs is the major point of How to Prepare for CLAT
- You must be aware of the current affairs because it seems that in exams, mostly questions based on current affairs are asked so you must know what is happening in the world.
- The current affairs will help you in improving your general awareness or knowledge as well as helps in clearing the exam.
Solve Previous Year Papers
- Students must solve previous year’s papers as they get some hints about the questions asked in the exam.
- Previous Year Papers come to know about the level or type of questions asked in the exam.
Prepare Well
You must prepare well for the exams, cover every topic, the whole chapter and revise it thoroughly by which all the things will remain in your mind for a long time. Just reading the chapters is not enough to learn & understand them by heart.
Books and Resources That You Must Read to Crack CLAT
| SECTIONS | BOOKS |
| Legal reasoning | Universal’s CLAT Guide by Lexis NexisLegal Aptitude by AP Bhardwaj |
| English | Word Made Power Easy by Norman Lewis Objective General English 2022 by R S Aggarwal |
| Logical reasoning | Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey GMAT Critical reasoning by Manhattan Prep |
| Quantitative aptitude | Quantitative Aptitude by RS Aggarwal 30 days wonder for Math by S. Chand |
| Current affairs | Manorma Yearbook Lucent general knowledge |
Some sources for Current Affairs
- Pratiyogita Darpan Monthly magazine
- The Hindu newspaper
- Indian Express newspaper
- Study IQ education youtube channel
Some sources for Legal Articles/News
Strategies to Crack CLAT Examination
Study all Previous Papers
What is the first advice to any student preparing for CLAT? Go through the papers of the last 5 years at least. The Strategy behind this is you should be able to relate with the questions analytically and derive a pattern and then you will be able to get an idea of what is really required, and where you should move.
Study all Current Affairs
Another booster for the CLAT paper is all questions have roots in Current Affairs and Law related verdicts. Start understanding newspapers like Hindustan Times, The Times of India and subscribe to monthly current affairs magazines like Competition Success, Chronicle or Wizard. For this reason, the strategy is to have a good command of overall national and international events.
Study all Probable Questions
The question which you will get from your coaching institute will have an edge over others. Try to get all those possible questions from those institutes and revise that too.
Practice!!Practice!!Practice!!
Crack as many mock tests as possible. Even at home, when you crack mock test papers pay special attention to sustain the time factor. More practice will make you more perfect. Try to recognize your weakness and try to remove them through practice or external help.
For preparation
One should divide their daily study hours judiciously and as per requirements on newspapers, magazines, paperbacks (only if you read novels), solving model and previous year question papers, solving analytical reasoning and math questions and absorbing knowledge. Do not work on the subject you consider your forte for too long, it’s the subjects you are weak at that need your attention the most. But keep polishing areas wherein you have expertise.
