How to Prepare for CLAT
This article “How to Prepare for CLAT” discusses the preparation of CLAT subject-wise. CLAT is an aptitude based test where the ability of a student is tested. Therefore one should focus on increasing one’s aptitude and not merely cram for successfully cracking CLAT. Students appearing for their higher secondary examination have to balance both their examinations with utmost… Read More »
This article “How to Prepare for CLAT” discusses the preparation of CLAT subject-wise. CLAT is an aptitude based test where the ability of a student is tested. Therefore one should focus on increasing one’s aptitude and not merely cram for successfully cracking CLAT. Students appearing for their higher secondary examination have to balance both their examinations with utmost diligence.
How to Prepare for CLAT
The students who have dropped a year for preparation have some respite from the pressure of other complementary exams. The subjects of CLAT are such that they require more practice and hence Cracking CLAT is quite possible along with preparing for the board examinations.
To be on the safer side the preparation for the examinations should be started from the time of the presentation of the year’s budget. The quantum of preparation should be divided into three chunks.
PHASE 1: Understanding of the subjects and solving past years papers
The first phase should ideally be of 3 months. Two or more compiled compendiums for the preparation of CLAT which includes all the subjects and the chapters should be referred to. The general choice is Universals book on CLAT or Arihant’s book on CLAT.
The compiled compendiums provided by separate coaching institutes of your choice can also be referred to. For the entire preparation period, a student should definitively maintain a dairy of Current Affairs where one notes down all the important current affairs from all kinds of sources available. In the span of 3 months, one should complete solving all the past year’s question papers and make an analysis of the test results to understand the strength and weaknesses of specific fields.
PHASE 2: Robust learning and solving model question papers
The second phase would last for 4 months and mainly consist of robust learning. Separate subjects should be given importance in this phase. One should consult various books and study materials for separate subjects in this phase. The objective of the student should be to perfect each subject. A good assessment of how much one has learned is the marks scored in the model test paper. The student should ideally take one test every week during the second phase. Current affairs would remain constant.
PHASE 3: Final grind and Revision coupled with solving test papers every day.
This is the phase of the final grind. This phase takes 2 months. The student should be absolutely focused during this phase. Model test papers should be ideally given every day. More importantly, analyzing the test is of vital importance.
During this phase, the student has to put in extra effort and give most of the time of the day for the preparation of the examination. A paper should be solved first thing in the morning and then analyzed. The rest of the day should be utilized for mending the loopholes in our study and preparing for the next exam. Current affairs should remain constant.
DAY TO DAY TIME SCHEDULE
In the first phase, the targeted time to be spent on the preparation of Clat is 4 hours. Three hours for the compendium and an hour for collecting current affairs. Along with Current affairs, one should reserve one hour every day throughout the preparation period for preparing for G.K.
In the second phase, the targeted time for preparation should be 5-6 hours where each subject is given an hour.
In the third phase, the targeted time for preparation should be around 9-10 hours. 2 hours for taking the mock exam, 1 hour for analysis and one hour for improving upon each subject.
Subject Wise Preparation – Prepare for CLAT
Every subject should be given importance in the first and second phases of the preparation. During the third phase, the student is analyzing one’s strengths and weaknesses. Taking separate small tests compiled for separate subjects can also be helpful while preparing for individual subjects.
ENGLISH
The important skill to be harnessed is speed reading. There are several techniques of speed reading, the best and the most viable is that of reading the newspaper in 30-45 minutes. This will be beneficial for comprehension as well as will be helpful in the completion of the exam within 2 hours.
Books to be referred to:-
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- S Agarwal –Objective General English
- Students Companion for idioms, proverbs.
- Arihant’s English for Competitive Exam for synonyms, antonyms
MATHEMATICS
Maths should be practised on a regular basis. The student should try to solve one math problem within one minute
. Books to be referred to:-
- Quantitative aptitude for competitive exams by R.S Agarwal.
LOGICAL REASONING
Logical Reasoning Is a scoring subject if one understands all the chapters. CLAT normally has a set pattern logical reasoning questions such as syllogism, direction sense, calendar dates which are regularly given. One can master logical reasoning if one has the basic knowledge of solving aptitude questions. The focus should be on practicing logical reasoning questions regularly.
Books to be referred to:-
- Verbal and Non-verbal reasoning by R.S Agarwal.
- Arihant – Test of Reasoning.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE AND CURRENT AFFAIRS
This is the most scoring subject of the entire exam because it is free from twisted questions and one can easily get a mark for the right answer. This section takes the least amount of time to solve as well. The key to scoring good marks in G.k is a regular practice from various sources available particularly the newspaper.
GK:- Books and cites to be referred to:-
- K Today
- Current Affairs Daily app
- Manorama yearbook
- Pratiyogita Darpan
For static G.K:-
- Objective G.K by Manohar Pandey.
- K today
LEGAL APTITUDE
The important skill to be harnessed here is reading the principal given analyzing it without getting emotional with a clear rational mind and then reading the facts. Some students are comfortable with reading the facts initially and then reading the principal, which makes it easy for them to apply the facts to the principle.
Books to be referred to:-
- Universal’s legal GK.
- Legal aptitude for CLAT and other law entrance exams – A.P BHARDWAJ
Conclusion: How to Prepare for CLAT
The most important factor is how fast and how efficiently a student can find out the answer to the question. Therefore Time management becomes an important factor for cracking CLAT. one should allot time for each section according to their own comfort. One should decide beforehand the arrangement in which one would solve the sections according to one’s comfort.
This would prevent time and anxiety in the exam hall. It is very important to understand and read the theoretical part of every section but it is more important to solve questions. The questions should be solved in a time-bound manner. The student should try to challenge the time spent in the previous test and improve upon it.
