The CLAT 2023 exam is just a few months away. All those who wish to get admission through CLAT 2023 must start preparing. But an obvious question arises: how to prepare for CLAT?
There are a lot of things that you must consider, and you must be aware of before setting a study plan or strategy. Ultimately, the preparation makes all the difference, and you can’t go wrong with that. But do not worry; this article will help you navigate the CLAT preparation journey.
How to prepare for CLAT?
These pro-tips will not only help you make a study plan but make scope for further modifications or alterations as and when needed.
Check the eligibility Criteria for the exam.
The Consortium released the eligibility criteria for CLAT 2023 in August 2022. The candidates must check first whether or not they are eligible for the CLAT exam or not. If you fulfil all the eligibility criteria, then apply for the exam.
Know the important details about the CLAT 2023 exam well.
The exam details are important because they help you picture what you are preparing for. The CLAT 2023 exam details have been released by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) on their official website. The candidates must read the official notification to get a clear exam picture. Some of the important details are given below.
- The CLAT 2023 exam will be held on 18 December 2022.
- The conducting body of the exam is the Consortium of NLUs.
- The exam is a gateway to admission to various UG and Pg courses in legal studies.
- The exam duration is 2 hours, i.e. 120 minutes. There is no sectional time limit.
- The exam timings are decided from 2 pm to 4 pm. But this can change if needed.
- The exam will be held in pen and paper mode.
- There is negative marking in the exam.
Know the CLAT 2023 exam pattern well.
The CLAT 2023 exam pattern shared the details about the no. of sections in the exam, the questions and total weightage of the section in the CLAT exam and other important details about the questions being asked in the exam. So, you must know the exam pattern well and accordingly prepare for the exam.
| Maximum Marks | 150 Marks |
| Total no. of Questions | 150 Questions |
| No of Sections | 5 (English Language, Current Affairs, including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques) |
| Question Type | MCQ |
| Format of Questions | Passage-Based Questions |
| Marking Scheme | There will be negative marking.
1 Mark for correct answers. 0.25 mark deduction for wrong answers. |
The section-wise weightage and questions are also available for your reference.
| Subject Area | Expected no. of Questions | Weightage in Percentage |
| English Language | 28-32 | 20% |
| Current Affairs, including General Knowledge | 35-39 | 25% |
| Legal Reasoning | 35-39 | 25% |
| Logical Reasoning | 28-32 | 20% |
| Quantitative Techniques | 13-17 | 10% |
- Be aware of the CLAT 2023 exam syllabus.
Once you know the exam pattern, focus on what will be studied. The CLAT syllabus will help you determine the topics and concepts that must be understood during CLAT preparations. The CLAT 2023 Syllabus is as follows:
- English Language:
This section will include passages of 450 words that can be fictional and non-fictional. These passages will discuss either a historical event or a contemporary issue. The candidate’s comprehension and language skills will be assessed.
- Current Affairs
This section will deal with topics like arts and culture, International Affairs, Significant Historical Events, and Significant Indian and Global issues. The focus is on the candidates’ awareness of current affairs and general knowledge. The candidates will be expected to analyse the legal information provided in the passage. The passages will have 450 words.
- Logical Reasoning
The passages in this section will be shorter as compared to other areas. There will be 300-word passages that the candidates can ideally read in 5-7 minutes. This section will assess the candidates’ ability to logically identify the arguments and work with the conclusions, statements and premises. The candidates are also expected to know the application of the inferences made in the passage.
- Legal Reasoning
The topics of the passages of this section will revolve around the information and situations based on legal matters. The public policies will be questioned, and the nature of inquiry will be more philosophical. The passages will be 450 words. The aim is to check whether the candidate can infer the rules and principles and further derive their application-based situations. The candidate need not have prior information about contemporary legal matters and the general principle of laws. They are only expected to work with the information provided within the passage.
- Quantitative Technique
This section will focus on the concepts of elementary mathematics. The information in the passages of this section will be represented in the form of facts, propositions, graphs, textual, pictorial, and numerical information as diagrammatic representations. The section aims to check the candidates’ ability to infer and further work with the numerical information provided in the passage.
- Decide the mode of preparations
Once you know all the essential information about the exam, you must decide which mode of preparation you wish to opt for. If you want to go for coaching classes, decide whether to go for online CLAT coaching or offline CLAT coaching. If you do not wish to enrol on coaching classes, indulge in self-studying. All these options have their perks. So you have to choose according to your needs. Consider the following while opting for a mode of preparations.
- Can you pace your learning, or do you need constant mentoring and guidance to keep going?
- Do you wish to sit among a group of people with similar goals and learn, or do you want to be in the comfort of your home and prepare for the exam?
- You need readily compiled study material, or you want to compile your study material.
- If face-to-face student-teacher interaction facilitates your learning, you are good to go even without it.
The answers to these questions will help you decide which mode of preparation you want to opt for.
- Indulge in regular revision and mock test solving.
Most candidates fail to understand the importance of regular revision and practising mocks and sample papers. Since the syllabus is vast, retention can be a potential problem for CLAT aspirants. Therefore you must indulge in weekly and monthly revisions. It would help if you went through everything you learned throughout the week or month, thereby increasing the chances of better retention.
Mock tests and sample papers allow you to use what you have learned. So, in a sense, it is recalling all that you have learnt. Practising mock tests help you understand what the actual exam would look like. It also helps devise novel techniques of problem-solving as you are being exposed to a variety of questions. Apart from all the practice it provides, it also helps analyse your progress. With mock tests and sample test analysis, you can identify your areas of improvement and strength and accordingly make alterations in your study plan.
Therefore the candidates must not ignore regular revisions and mock test solving.
- Stay motivated and focus
The whole process of CLAT preparation can be challenging. You can get demotivated if your efforts are not going in the right direction. But, persistent efforts and faith in yourself can help you achieve your goals. Therefore, find your source of motivation and belief in yourself to navigate through the journey. It is essential to keep going.
All these pointers will help make your CLAT journey a little less challenging and more organised. As you enter the process, you will find ways to make your CLAT preparation more efficient and effective. Have faith in yourself and keep going. All the very best to you!
