CLAT 2015: Exam analysis by experts

CLAT 2015 was conducted by Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National University (RMLNU), Lucknow on May 10, 2015. CLAT exam was of two hour duration and thus, was held across 42 test cities from 3 pm to 5 pm.

Most of the students Shiksha.com spoke to shared that the test pattern of CLAT exam was very different from the mock tests shared by RMLNU. Aspirants also shared that the difficulty level of CLAT 2015 was much higher than that of last year.

View CLAT 2015 student reaction here.

Based on initial student feedback and reactions just after CLAT 2015, below mentioned is the analysis we have put together on paper.

Overall, CLAT 2015 was a very tough paper. Some students have said that they felt it was comparable to AILET in toughness. The authorities have gone and changed the pattern of the paper - not in the marks allocated to various sections, but in the types of questions asked in each section.

Since this was a tough exam, it should also be a low-scoring exam. In CLAT 2014, a score of 138 or above would have placed you in the Top 500 ranks. This threshold would probably reduce by 10-15 marks in CLAT 2015, given the change in patterns and overall perceived toughness.

CLAT 2015 Legal Aptitude Section Analysis

In this section, so far in past papers we had seen 30-40 questions on Legal Reasoning, where a Principle is given followed by a Factual Situation, and the student is asked to take the correct decision. In CLAT 2015, such questions were hardly 10-15. The remaining section dwelt on fundamentals of Constitution and Legal Principles. Students who were clear on Legal fundamentals and Polity as specified in Constitution should have performed well in this section, other students would have found it quite tough.

CLAT 2015 General Knowledge and Current Affairs Section Analysis

The emphasis was more on Current Affairs with less of static GK being asked. There were some questions on Economics which were based on previous year's questions and should have been simple for a well-prepared candidate. Overall the toughness of the GK/Current Affairs section could be termed as moderate.

CLAT 2015 English Section Analysis

This section again saw a pattern change. There were no questions on Legal Maxims and Foreign Language phrases. Instead, there were several questions on Analogies, Fill in the blanks and Parajumbles (Jumbled Sentences). The comprehension passage was fairly straightforward, but students who did not sign up for an Online Mock Test series beforehand would have suffered, as attempting a Reading Comprehension question in an Online Exam is not easy.

CLAT 2015 Logical Reasoning and Mathematics Section Analysis

This section was universally acknowledged as the toughest. The Maths questions involved several lengthy calculations. The Logical Puzzles were perceived to be very convoluted. Several students felt that the overall standard was much above what was being tested in CLAT this far.

Summary

CLAT 2015 will probably be a 'low-scoring exam' - which means that if you found the paper tough, you are not alone. It was a fairly tough paper for almost everyone who gave it. This means that the cutoffs will all shift downwards this year. Do not feel discouraged if you felt you were not able to attempt all questions - the results on May 20, 2015 will show the true picture.

Section	Difficulty Level
Legal Aptitude	Very difficult
General Knowledge and Current Affairs	Moderate
English	Easy
Logical Reasoning Mathematics	Difficult

 

About the Author:

Vivek Subramanian has a BTech degree from IIT Bombay and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. He has worked internationally in New York and Hong Kong in investment banking and management consulting. Currently he is pursuing his love for teaching as one of the Chief Instructors at Delhi Law Academy in Satya Niketan, where he teaches courses for LLB Entrance.