AILET 2023 Topper Interview: Shubham Thakare AIR 2 says expect the unexpected in entrance exam
In an exclusive interview with Shiskha.com speaks about his strategies, prep tips and what he followed to succeed in not only one LAW entrance exam but two with remarkable ranks. Shubham suggests to aspirants to expect the unexpected in the paper. Do not go into the paper with a fixed idea of how the paper would come, as law entrance exam has had a good history of giving surprises each year.
AILET 2023 Topper Interview: Shubham Thakare AIR 2 says expect the unexpected in entrance exam
AILET 2023 Topper with AIR 2 and CLAT 2023 Topper with AIR 2 Shubham Thakare in an exclusive interview with Shiskha.com speaks about his strategies, prep tips and what he followed to succeed in not only one LAW entrance exam but two with remarkable ranks. Shubham suggests to aspirants to expect the unexpected in the paper. Do not go into the paper with a fixed idea of how the paper would come, as law entrances has had a good history of giving surprises each year.
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There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.Q. Congratulations! Did you expect to be the topper of AILET, CLAT 2023?
A. Thank you! No, I did not expect a single-digit rank in the exam. I had expected a double-digit rank below 50 after the answer key was released, so the CLAT 2023 Result and AILET 2023 Result were a big surprise.
Q: Will CLAT be held twice in 2025?
In 2022, CLAT exam was held twice, I. e. on June 19 as CLAT 2022, and on December 18, 2022 as CLAT 2023. However, from 2024 onwards, CLAT exam is to be conducted once in a year only, as confirmed by the exam officials in the latest notification. Earlier, CLAT exam was conducted in May or June, but from 2024 onwards the entrance exam will be conducted in December (of preceding year to the admission year) itself for concluding admissions on time. Therefore, CLAT counselling process will be completed by May of each academic year.
Q: When will the CLAT 2025 exam be held?
The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) conducted the CLAT 2025 on December 1, 2024. The exam authority published the admission notification for CLAT 2025 with details of syllabus, exam pattern and events on the official website.
Q: Is there Maths in CLAT 2025?
Yes, there is math in CLAT exam. The section carries 10 per cent weight. Scoring well in maths can give candidates big boost over competition. The CLAT syllabus for Quantitative Techniques includes the following important highlights:
- The section includes 13-17 questions in the exam
- Unlike other sections, the Quantitative Techniques section includes short sets of facts, propositions, graphs or other textual, pictorial, diagrammatic representation of numerical information
- Majority of the questions in the section are created specifically for the exam, however, few graphs and histograms are also derived from public sources such as the official website of Reserve Bank of India
- The difficulty level of questions in the exam is of Class 10 level, however, the questions are more logic-based rather than formulae-based
- Important topics on which Maths questions are based in the exam include:
CLAT Syllabus for Quantitative Techniques | |
|---|---|
Number Theory & Basic Arithmetic | Averages & Percentages |
Ratio & Proportion | Mixtures & Allegations |
Time & Work | Time, Distance & Speed |
Fractions & Equations | Monetary Evaluations |
Probability | Permutations & Combinations |
Data Interpretation to analyse Charts, Tables, Histograms & other Graphical Information | |
Q. What was the preparation strategy that helped you crack these exams?
A. I divided my preparation into three parts - Concept, Practise and Execution. I used the beginning phase of my CLAT 2023 preparation to clear all the basic concepts of legal, Maths, and critical reasoning. After learning these concepts, I practised questions based on them from books or the internet. In the last phase, I focused on solving mock papers in a fixed time setting to practise the concepts in an exam-like environment. The same strategy worked for AILET 2023 exam too.
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Q. How did you manage time between board exams and entrance exam prep?
A. I think, this year, it was easier to manage boards and law entrance as the exam was preponed to December. Thus, I focused most of my time and energy on the CLAT, and AILET paper and studied for boards in the months following these entrance exams. However, to stay up to date with the board's syllabus, I did try to keep an hour or two every day solely for the purpose of boards even during my entrance exam prep.
Q. Did you take any coaching for this exam?
A. Yes, I was enrolled in Career Launcher Nagpur's 2-year Program for CLAT. I used to attend offline classes as well as give their offline mocks. I was also selected into the Super30 Batch of LegalEdge (another CLAT coaching), in which we were provided with special classes and mocks. In addition to this, I was a student of the Mega GK, a batch by Manav Sir. It helped me tremendously in my GK preparation, and Sir's mentorship classes made me improve many aspects of my prep.
Q: When will AILET 2024 exam be held?
NLU Delhi will conduct AILET 2024 on December 10, 2023, as it informed in a notification released on May 23, 2023. The exam date of AILET 2024 has been confirmed in press release, and the admission notification for more details has been published on the official website - nludelhi.ac.in. As announced by NLU Delhi in November 2022, the exam will be conducted in December every year, so that the admission process is completed timely. In 2022, the exam was held twice . However, now NLU Delhi will conduct AILET once in a year, in December month only to complete admission process before the academic year begins.
Q: Are calculators allowed in AILET Exam?
Calculators are not allowed in the AILET exam. However, students are provided the virtual calculator during the exam which can be used to solving lengthy calculations. The virtual calculator is made available on the computer screen during the test and candidates can use it by clicking on the calculator link. Candidates are advised to practice solving numerical questions on their own as using virtual calculators can take much time
Q: What are the exam timings for AILET?
Q: Will CLAT be conducted in regional languages?
CLAT 2025 is expected to be held in regional language. The Bar Council of India is planning to include vernacular languages as medium of paper in the coming years. Till CLAT exam 2024, it was held in the English language only like in previous years. CLAT 2025 PG Exam is also expected to be conducted in English only.
Q: Where can I get the CLAT 2025 invite list?
Only those aspirants who have been included in the CLAT 2025 invite list will be allowed to appear for CLAT 2025 Counselling. The counselling procedure of CLAT 2025 is conducted through an online centralised system. The counselling is conducted separetly for undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The entire process is conducted as per the CLAT 2025 counselling dates that is released by consortium. After every round, the consortium will announce the seat allotment for national law universities (NLUs) that are pariticipating in the admission process.
Q. What study plan did you follow for this exam?
A. One main component of my study plan was to focus on all 5 subjects, as I did not want to create a weak link in my knowledge. In the earlier months of my preparation, I focused on English, Critical Reasoning and Legal Reasoning. In the later stages, I focused extensively on GK while consistently practising maths to improve my speed.
Q. Which books did you read to prepare for the exam?
A. For CLAT, AILET I used the books which were provided to me by the coaching. In addition to these, here are some of the books I found useful:
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- Wren and Martin for Grammar
- Adda 24x7 Maths Practise Book
- GMAT Critical Reasoning Bible by PowerScore
- GMAT Official Guide
Q. How did you deal with your strengths and weaknesses while preparing for the exam?
A. My strengths during my both entrance exam preparation were Legal Reasoning And English. However, I was cautious not to fall into the trap of overconfidence, so I continued to practise these subjects every day, to maintain my high scores. My Primary Weakness was Maths. I made a ton of silly mistakes in this section and used up a lot of time to solve them. To improve it, I used the Series for maths by the YouTube channel Career Definer and solved maths for an hour every day.
Q. What other law entrance exams did you take or are planning to take?
A. I appeared only for CLAT and AILET (All India Law Entrance Test). I achieved an All India Rank of 2 in this exam. I have not yet planned to take any other law entrance test after CLAT, as NLS Bangalore (Alloted through CLAT) was the college I wished to go to, since the beginning of my CLAT journey.
Q. Was law always your first preference?
A. Yes, Law was my first preference since the start of my 11th Grade. During the lockdown, I did extensive research on several fields of higher study to pursue and came to the conclusion that law was the most suitable career option for me.
Q. Any tips for students who are planning to take the exam next year?
A. For the Students preparing for law entrance exams, the most important tip is to "Expect The Unexpected" in the paper. Do not go into the paper with a fixed idea of how the paper would come, as CLAT has had a good history of giving surprises each year. Another key tip would be to be in harmony with yourself during the preparation. At times, things may not work out, you may have bad mocks, and a wish to give up the prep. Understand that it is normal to feel these things, hence, you should have self-confidence during your preparation.
You should also try to connect with other students preparing for CLAT, AILET and discuss your problems and preparation approaches with them. It will help you to learn a lot of new things, and make your CLAT prep more fun. Good Luck!
Q. What are your future plans?
A. I will be starting my 5-year Undergrad degree from NLSIU Bangalore in July this year. I haven't decided the specific career or area of law I wish to focus on, and I think that I will decide after experiencing the different aspects and branches of law in my college.
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