In this article, Simran Sabharwal discusses how to prepare for CLAT LLM.

How to prepare for CLAT LLM

Are you a CLAT PG aspirant? Worried about preparing for CLAT PG as you cannot invest in a coaching institute? Or are you preparing for CLAT PG while pursuing an LLB degree in NLU? Don’t panic, exams are not that difficult.

CLAT LLM preparations can be tricky. The buzz for preparing for CLAT PG is relatively less than CLAT UG. However, the awareness for CLAT PG is increasing over the years. So, it’s right here, right now, that you can start your preparation.

Let’s have a look at the CLAT PG aspirants over the years –

The top 50 students from CLAT PG are offered PSU jobs where the packages range from 1 lakhs per month. As there is no age bar for CLAT PG, candidates can easily appear for the exam.

The PSUs that take CLAT LLM scores are –  1. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL).

2. Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL).
3. National Thermal Power Corporation Limited.
4. Oil India Limited (OIL).
5. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
6. Power Grid Corporation of India Limited.
7. Power System Operation Corporation Limited.

Pattern for CLAT 2019

DURATION OF THE EXAM : 2 hours.

NUMBER OF QUESTIONS : 150 questions of 1 mark each.

SUBJECTS COVERED   

1) Jurisprudence                    

2) Constitutional Law

3) Other subjects like Indian Contract Law, Indian Criminal Law, Law of Torts, IPRs, Human Rights etc.                                                                                   

NEGATIVE MARKING : 0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer.

DATE OF THE EXAM : Every second Sunday of May.

Another new addition in CLAT 2019 is that the committee has reintroduced offline paper pattern. Also, subjective questions will be asked in the paper. The details of the subjective portion will be worked out by the newly formed committee in few days.

Section wise distribution

• Jurisprudence – The books recommended for Jurisprudence is VD Mahajan and Mani Tripathi. Judicial Service Exam book authored by Ashok K Jain has segregated sections of each chapter. So, if one follows that book, after each chapter one is able to revise the studied part through questions. The subject is quite tedious and takes a lot of time, but again, it carries 50 marks, so without this section it is nearly impossible to crack CLAT. There are various guides available in the market which comes handy while preparing for the exam.
• Constitutional Law – This section carries 50 marks. Refer to books of VN Shukla, Brij Kishore Sharma and JN Pandey. Also, there is no better source than reading the bare text itself. One must have a thorough knowledge of landmark judgements, both historical and recent. Keep a note of recent judgements. This year has been filled with major judgements. Maintain a diary for those and be thorough with the judgements. Refer online sources for that.
• Miscellaneous – This section covers all the other miscellaneous laws like the Law of Tort, Criminal Law, IPRs, Law of Contracts etc. Law of Torts is the maximum asked portion, followed by the IPC and Contract. Follow Singhal’s Solved CLAT Paper for better understanding. Gather a brief overview of all the subjects from the internet as it is nearly impossible to predict which section will be asked.

Tips from Previous CLAT PG takers

CLAT PG 2017 Topper Pranav Tripathi recommends studying bare Acts for the exams as almost same books are recommended in every University. Also, he mentions the importance of maintaining balance between strengths and weaknesses through firm determination.

Satyendra Kumar Tiwari, AIR 6, in CLAT PG 2017 talks about his preparation strategy for CLAT exam, he says, “My prep strategy for the exam was simple. First, prepare 1st and 2nd part (100 marks) of the exam. Then, prepare for 3rd part because it is too wide and includes so many subjects. My strategy also included solving objective questions as much as I could.” He studied for 6-7 hours daily and says that time devoted to studying depends from person to person. He also puts a lot of emphasis on studying Bare Acts for the exams.

Taruna Nayyar, pursuing Masters from Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law says, “Self study is the most important. No coaching will help you more than your regular self study. Since the trend is changing, focus more on the recent judgements and make tables to learn it. Jurisprudence apart from exam point of view is also important for day to day affairs. So, focus on Jurisprudence subject.”

CLAT PG 2018 topper, Aayush Singhal did not have a detailed study plan. He feels the area which you lag should be worked upon the most. Preparing notes and revising them repeatedly can prove to be beneficial. Also, taking as many mocks as possible proves fruitful. He relied on VD Mahajan for Jurisprudence and LLM guides from Universal, AK Jain and Singhal Publications to prepare theory as well as for MCQs.

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Top Law Colleges in India that accept CLAT PG score

1. National Law School of India University, Bangalore.
2. NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad.
3. National Law University, Jodhpur.
4. West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata.
5. Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat.
6. Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar.
7. Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala.
8. National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi.
9. Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow.
10. Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur.
11. Nirma University, Ahemdabad.
12. National Law University, Cuttack.
13. National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi.
14. Chanakya National Law University, Patna.
15. National Law University and Judicial Academy, Guwahati.
16. Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Visakhapatnam.
17. School of Law, UPES, Dehradun.
18. Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai.
19. Alliance School of Law, Bangalore.
20. Ansal University, Gurgaon.
21. SRM University, Delhi
22. Tamil Nadu National Law School, Tiruchirapalli.
23. The NorthCap University, Gurgaon.
24. IMS Unison University, Dehradun.

Things to watch out – How Not to prepare for CLAT PG

Instead of knowing how to prepare for an exam it is better to know that how not to prepare for the exams. Learning from someone’s experience helps a lot. The mistakes done by the CLATtakers in the past should not be repeated by future CLAT takers. So, the following conventional methods should not be followed while preparing for CLAT PG :

• CLAT is not a game where every person starts from the same level and ends up winning the game. Instead, it is an exam in which every person starts from a different stage. Every candidate has his/her special area of interest. Some might find jurisprudence questions easier than the Constitutional Law and vice versa. Follow what you feel and not what others say. Work on the subject that you find difficult. Remember, everyone has his/her comfort area and they work accordingly.
• Don’t blindly trust the mentors. Again, do what you feel. Mentors have fixed approaches for everything. They usually have the same plan of action for every candidate. You can judge yourself better than any teacher. No one knows more about your weak areas than you yourself. Also, don’t follow the All India Toppers advices completely. They had their own plan of action designed exclusively for themselves and thus that made them achieve success. Basically, don’t follow anyone’s approach towards study, instead mould it according to your needs.  
• Don’t participate on useless forums group discussions. You may need someone to clear your doubts, get them cleared by your friend or someone you can rely upon. The discussion forums are not reliable enough.
• Do not make your preparation monotonous. Instead, indulge yourself in some activity and make CLAT preparation days enjoyable. Also, don’t mug up things. Cramming up things can be mundane. CLAT PG is all about awareness. Keep yourself aware about the latest issues. Getting acquainted with the latest issue will help you further in law school too.
• Read properly from one book, then move on to the other book. Don’t keep ten books on your table and fill yourself with tension of completing all. Read a lot, but properly. Also, do read newspapers. A lot of questions were asked from recent judgements. Be thorough with the recent landmark cases as the current trend focuses more on case laws.  
• Do interact. Don’t isolate yourself. CLAT PG is not as difficult as IIT-JEE or AIEEE. If you panic, half of the battle is lost there. Keep your calm and share your problems with your peers.
• Do not underestimate any section. Scoring well in every section is important. CLAT is an exam in which 0.25 mark can change your NLU, so try to prepare every section properly.

Important Tips and Strategies

• Have a practical study plan – Design a practical study plan. The plan which suits you the best. Do not keep huge targets instead start with achieving small ones. Without a good study plan, scoring good is quite difficult. Make a study plan and follow it religiously.
• Solve past years papers. Solving past year papers is the most important part of preparing for an online exam. Also, past year papers help you know the trend and which section is focused more upon. Solve the papers as many times as you can and get your doubts cleared.
• Do make a list of what you have done and what is still left. You are preparing for an exam and not doing a research. Checking out the list makes your preparation convenient and helps you know what section is still left.
• Time management is very important. Do not waste your time. Devote yourself to studies and do take short breaks. Sitting continuously for hours is never beneficial, it will do more harm. Everyone can attempt those 150 questions, but the students who complete the questions correctly within 2 hours, make their way to National Law Universities (NLU).
• Take as many mocks as possible. Solving mock helps a lot. Not only taking mocks are important but also analysing them, so after every mock devote another 120 minutes for assessing your mistakes and preparing approaches to solve them.
• Practice a lot. Practice alone will help you get a seat in desired NLU. Do not get disheartened with low scores instead prepare for next mock and give your best. Try to improve little by little in each mock.

Also, read A failures guide to Master in Law for learning more about your preparation and tips for CLAT PG.

Good Luck!