In this article Sarang Khanna, Content Marketing Executive at iPleaders, talks about how not to prepare for CLAT. 5 common mistakes that need to be eliminated and worked on. 

You have just had your first, very deserved, sigh of relief after the much disputed board exams this year. Guess what? It’s now time for CLAT. With the ever increasing applications and popularity of this exam, your anxiety is entirely understandable. I still remember when I started preparing for my CLAT back in 2011, with under 2 months left for the exam, I could barely make head or tail of the preparations.

However, massive internet literature on the exam today has made it easier for everyone to organize their time well and undertake a ‘planned strategy’ for preparations. Or has it? If you ask me, as helpful as posts like mine could prove in upping your CLAT game, they are also enough to leave you confused and diminish any possibility of following a productive approach. Moreover, if everyone is treading on the same overcrowded street, what are your chances of overtaking any of them?

Here, I try to discuss 5 don’ts of CLAT prep, which if you successfully eliminate during the next 5 weeks of your preparation, you will definitely have a shot at a much better score.

5 weeks, 5 mistakes to work on. Let’s see what they are!

Take That First Test Immediately – The Reality Test

One might argue that it’s now too late to start your preparation from scratch. Well, to put it simply, it never is. Although, the more you delay your reality check from this point onwards, the more your preparation is going to suffer. Aimlessly beginning to start section-wise preparation without the groundwork can be fatal.

Take that mock test. Be it online, or from one of your offline institutes. Taking a few mocks before even starting your prep will help construct your personal plan of action. Identify your shortcomings and devise a strategy accordingly.

Don’t Be Overwhelmed

The most common queries that come to us regarding CLAT also point towards the most common mistakes students make these days. It is having 10 different sources for every other subject. Frankly, CLAT does not demand such extensive research on any section. DO NOT fall into the trap by following your peers who are referring to multiple sources. Stick to the basics.

Remember, CLAT is an aptitude test. It is an assessment of who you already are, and a month of excessive mugging cannot dramatically change that. Follow single sources for each subject, ideally, and be completely thorough with them.

Take Your Time, But Not Too Much

We all work at our different paces. For you, reading comprehension must be like kid’s play, while I might require to re-read a passage before fully understanding the gist of it. It is alright to be slow at something , provided you understand the essence and eventually become faster at it.

Legal reasoning is another tricky section that tests both, your patience and understanding. With negative marking in place, you are better off being late than being wrong. Having experience and the required frame of mind are the only two ways of going around this section.

Don’t Underestimate Legal Reasoning

Only yesterday, a CLAT 2018 aspirant told me, “I am a dropout, already in my first year of law school. I think I know enough law now to do great at legal aptitude.” I couldn’t help but burst his bubble of overconfidence right after he finished. Confidence is a good thing, but not when it is flowing from false evidences.

It might arguably be good to have a legal inclination while attempting this section, but you need to realize that it is not meant to test your legal knowledge, but only your application of it. In fact, some of you would even agree with me when I say that prior legal knowledge may be a bad thing when you are dealing with the questions in this section.

For instance, try solving this simple legal aptitude question, and give us the correct answer in a comment, if you can.

Principle: Willful rash driving is an offense.

Facts: Mr. Tiwari was driving his car after drinking alcohol. Police books him for willful negligent driving. Is the act of the police lawful?

(a) Yes, because Mr. Tiwari was driving rashly

(b) Yes, because Mr. Tiwari was drunk while driving.

(c) No, because Mr. Tiwari was not rash; he was only drunk while driving.

(d) No, because Mr. Tiwari is doing nothing illegal.

Are you prepared enough to solve trickier questions than this in your first go? Can you skillfully assess and answer the legal aptitude questions that involve multiple principles?

Visit here to practice more such questions.

This section, with questions like these, has always proved to be the distance you need to go for that national law school of your dream. Misinterpreting this can heavily discount your scores. A one stop solution for everything legal aptitude is this course designed by the very best in the industry. Take a look for yourself and do things differently in order to compete.

Don’t Delve in Last Minute Mugging

General Knowledge and English vocabulary can be very intimidating as the D-day approaches closer. It is best to update yourself on both these areas every day, rather than trying to master these sections individually in a small period of time.

Developing English proficiency and General Knowledge (both static and current) requires long and sustained efforts and doing them continuously every day alongside other subjects. Reading a newspaper or a good magazine everyday can help with both English and GK together. It is also an extremely bad idea to try to mug voluminous Pratiyogta Darpans during these last moments of the exam.

Similar is the case with Math. A strategy that I found best was to carefully spread out all my topics from different sections everyday, and do them at different times of the day to maximize understanding and productivity. Switching subjects after every little while kept me fresh and going for longer hours than usual. Figure out your own ways to add to your speed.

Last minute jitters are natural, but keeping your calm, and following the simple well thought out strategy that suits you will help you ace it. Remember, you are the best judge of yourself. I, or any other coaching gurus, can only help you so much. This exam, in many ways, is the extension of your personality and so is the preparation of it. Only you know best how to mould it and get past others and reach the top.

To end all your worries about Legal Reasoning and Legal GK, visit here and enroll.

Here’s wishing you the very best of luck for the 13th of May.