Find out how you should strategise CLAT 2025 preparation, exam pattern and syllabus to score well in the paper.
The Consortium of NLUs will conduct the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) on December 1, 2024. The CLAT Exam 2025 will be conducted in pen-and-paper mode. Candidates need to have specific strategies to gear up their preparation for CLAT Exam. The CLAT Question Paper will be based on five subjects namely, English Language, Current Affairs and General Knowledge, Logical Reasoning, Legal Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques. The weightage for all these subjects in CLAT question paper 2025 will be different but they carry equal importance. Therefore, candidates are required to prepare for five subjects equally for CLAT Exam 2025.
Also Read:
- Idioms and Proverbs for CLAT 2025 With Meaning
- How to prepare for CLAT in 6 months: Tips, Tricks & Study Plan for CLAT 2025
Only a strategic preparation for CLAT 2025 will help candidates secure more than cutoff marks. In this article, we have shared some tips for CLAT preparation that candidates can incorporate into their exam preparation plan. Based on performance in the CLAT exam, candidates can secure admission to NLUs and top law schools in India. Therefore, candidates appearing for the national-level law entrance exam should know how to prepare for CLAT 2025 to score well and crack CLAT Exam in first attempt.
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CLAT Preparation 2025: Know the exam pattern
The new exam pattern for CLAT 2025 as shared CLAT Consortium along with key features is as under:
Exam mode - Pen-paper based test mode
Exam duration - 120 minutes
Test timings - 2 pm to 4 pm
Total questions - 120 questions
Q: Which are the best books for CLAT 2025?
Among all the books of CLAT 2025 in the world, first, go for the NCERT books. You must complete all the NCERT books first before moving to other reference books available in the market. After completing the NCERT books, you can go for the following books to boost up your practice and concepts: Universal’s LLB Entrance Guide, Lexis Nexis, Objective Arithmetic, GK Today, India Year Book and Analytical, Logical Reasoning by RS Aggarwal, Word Power Made Easy, Verbal Reasoning by RS Aggarwal, Manorama Year Book and Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey.
Q: Which books I should refer to prepare for CLAT 2025?
Among all the books of CLAT 2025 in the world, candidates were advised to first go for the NCERT books. Candidates must complete all the NCERT books first before moving to other reference books available in the market. After completing the NCERT books, they could refer to the following books to boost up their practice and concepts: Universal’s LLB Entrance Guide, Lexis Nexis, Objective Arithmetic, GK Today, India Year Book and Analytical, Logical Reasoning by RS Aggarwal, Word Power Made Easy, Verbal Reasoning by RS Aggarwal, Manorama Year Book and Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey.
Q: Which books are there for CLAT exam?
For general knowledge, one can refer to the Lucent GK. The Current Affairs for CLAT 2025 can be prepared by reading daily newspapers and monthly magazines. The CLAT legal aptitude will have questions on topics such as Constitutional law, Law of Torts, Personal laws, Law of Contract, Jurisprudence, legal Current Affairs etc. There are various study materials available in online mode, including online coaching. The e-paper, articles, journals, and YouTube videos on CLAT preparation are important resources. Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey Bare Acts of Indian Constitution LexisNexis Butterworths Legal Awareness and Legal Aptitude by Andhra Pradesh Bhardwaj Universals CLAT Guide
Total marks - 120 marks
Marking Scheme - For every correct answer, 1 mark will be awarded. For a wrong answer, 0.25 marks will be deducted.
Besides, the section-wise marks and questions allotment has been changed too and it will be as under:
Subject |
Questions |
Marks |
Weightage |
---|---|---|---|
28 - 32 questions |
28 - 32 marks |
20% |
|
35 - 39 questions |
35 - 39 marks |
25% |
|
Quantitative Techniques (Elementary Mathematics) |
13 - 17 questions |
13 - 17 marks |
10% |
28 - 32 questions |
28 - 32 marks |
20% |
|
35 - 39 questions |
35 - 39 marks |
25% |
|
Total Marks |
120 questions |
120 marks |
100% |
The preparation strategy of CLAT is what we recommend for candidates undergoing full-time preparation that can bring about a remarkable improvement in scores and performance in CLAT exams! Candidates must check the CLAT Exam Pattern and syllabus properly before beginning their preparation.
CLAT Preparation 2025: Understand the CLAT syllabus
This is the single most important tip and the most common mistake we see students making. Time and again, we have seen students spending disproportionate amounts of time on Mathematics and Logical Reasoning, solving tougher and tougher problems from a wide range of topics.
Q: Which are the CLAT best books for Legal aptitude?
Candidates must note that it is most important sections in CLAT 2025 as it carries 25% weightage. The legal aptitude sections carries questions that are mostly concepts bases on topics such as Law of Tort, Law of Contract, Constitutional law, Indian Constitution, Polity, preposition and facts etc. Candidates can follow the study material and reference given here to prepare for CLAT legal aptitude section: Bare Acts of Indian Constitution, LexisNexis Butterworths, Legal Awareness and Legal Aptitude by Andhra Pradesh Bhardwaj, Universal’s CLAT Guide.
Q: Which are the best books for English to crack CLAT 2025?
English sections of CLAT will test the reading, comprehension and basic grammar skills of the aspirants. Aspirants must focus on improving their reading skills while preparing for CLAT English section. Candidates should concentrate on grammar and vocabulary too. Candidates can check CLAT 2025 best books for English Language including comprehension here: English is Easy by Chetananand Singh, Barron’s Pocket Guide to Vocabulary, Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis, Objective General English by RS Aggarwal, High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren & Martin.
Q: Are NCERT books enough to complete the CLAT syllabus?
Yes, NCERT books are sufficient to complete the CLAT syllabus. A number of past years' CLAT toppers have claimed that they referred only to NCERT books for preparation. NCERT text books act as the base to complete the syllabus and develop conceptual clarity and understanding of the topics and chapters. However, for practice purposes, students may refer to other books and resources as well. It is advised that while starting the CLAT preparation, candidates refer to the NCERT books and move towards other books and advance resources after that.
Q: Which are the best books for CLAT 2025 General Knowledge and Current Affairs?
CLAT 2025 general knowledge section is very important and questions are asked from history, geography, economy and environment. Candidates can easily prepare for CLAT GK section by reading the standard books. But for the current affairs, they are advised to religiously read the newspapers and monthly magazines. Apart from this, the CLAT Books for General Knowledge and Current Affairs that candidates can refer are: Pearson General Knowledge Manual, Lucent’s General Knowledge, Manorama Year Book, India Year Book, Competition Success Review, Pratiyogita Darpan and Newspapers like: The Hindu, The Indian Express, The Telegraph.
Q: Which are the best preparation books for CLAT 2025?
Among all the books of CLAT 2025 in the world, first, go for the NCERT books. You must complete all the NCERT books first before moving to other reference books available in the market. After completing the NCERT books, you can go for the following books to boost up your practice and concepts: Universal’s LLB Entrance Guide, Lexis Nexis, Objective Arithmetic, GK Today, India Year Book and Analytical, Logical Reasoning by RS Aggarwal, Word Power Made Easy, Verbal Reasoning by RS Aggarwal, Manorama Year Book and Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey.
CLAT 2025 Preparation Strategy by Experts
For Current Affairs, pick one or two reliable sources and religiously follow them, rather than reading randomly from a bunch of different sources. That will make your preparation more systematic. And again, remember that in CLAT the depth of knowledge tested is not the same as that of the UPSC exam, so be sensitive to over-preparing.
Download CURRENT AFFAIRS 2025 Guide - Click Here |
Writing Mock Tests – You should plan to write a few mock tests. However, aim to finish at least 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the syllabus before starting the mocks. That’s the only way that you will receive any benefit from writing the test. Look for a good mock test series, and aim to write at least 6-8 CLAT previous years papers before the actual exam. Reproduce the exam conditions as much as possible – including the time limit and turning your phone off to avoid distractions!
Question Selection – It is essential to remember that all questions carry equal marks and there are no sectional cutoffs in CLAT! So feel free to start from any section you are comfortable with, and if a question is taking too much time skip it without prejudice.
Negative Marking – CLAT has 1/ -0.25 negative marking. So you get 1 marks for every correct answer and -0.25 marks for every wrong answer. You get 0 marks for any unattempted questions. This means there is a penalty for uneducated guessing. My advice to you – guess, but carefully. It makes sense to guess only if you can eliminate at least 2 of the choices in the question. So keep that in mind while taking a guess.
English – Being strong in Reading Comprehension and basic grammar will take you a long way in the English section. Remember to also practice Para jumbles, CLAT has traditionally favoured them.
Also Read: Best Books for CLAT 2025 Preparation: English, GK, LA, LR, Mathematics
These strategies are meant to be a guide to assist you in your preparation for CLAT. If you can incorporate all of these into your preparation, I am confident you will see a definite boost in your scores. All the best!
About the Author:
Vivek Subramanian has a BTech 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, before deciding to return to India to pursue his love for teaching. He is the co-founder and Chief Instructor at ExamVictor.
Important FAQs regarding CLAT Preparation 2025
Q. How should I prepare for CLAT?
A. To prepare for CLAT exam, check the below tips:
- Know the key features of the CLAT exam pattern
- Understand the CLAT syllabus well
- In GK, you should have a good overview of Indian geography and history. You should know the major UN bodies and should be aware about important awards in sports, science, literature and arts categories
- In Current Affairs, pick one or two reliable sources and religiously follow them
- Aim to write at least six to eight CLAT previous years papers before the actual exam
Q. Is CLAT exam easy?
A. The diificulty level of CLAT exam is usually moderate, neither too easy nor difficult. Check CLAT exam analysis of previous years for complete understanding on the diffculty level of paper.
Q. Can an average student crack CLAT?
A. With a proper preparation strategy in place and complete dedication, it is possible to crack CLAT for any student.
Q. Which section should I attempt first during the CLAT exam?
A. All questions carry equal marks in CLAT. Also, there is no sectional weightage. So, you can start with any section but are advised to attempt questions you are most comfortable with.
Q. What should be the right preparation strategy to crack the CLAT English Language section?
A. To crack English Language section of CLAT, you should be strong in reading comprehension as well as grammar.
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Student Forum
Answered 2 days ago
The National Law University (NLU) admission prospects are slim in view of a CLAT rank of 7616 and an EWS rank of 640. Most of the NLU cut-off ranks tend to be exceptionally lower as compared to general category and EWS candidates, even in some of the most sought-after courses like BA LLB.
Factors inf
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
With 62.25 marks in the CLAT exam, your rank will likely vary depending on the difficulty level of the exam that year and the overall performance of other candidates. However, based on previous trends, a score of around 62.25 can typically place you in the range of 3000-5000 in the CLAT rankings.
As
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
The mode of National Law School of India University course admissions is online. Admission to various courses is based on merit and entrance exam scores. The accepted entrance exams are CLAT and others. Candidates applying through CLAT must first register for the CLAT exam. Then appear for the CLAT
R
Beginner-Level 4
Answered 3 days ago
Shiksha college predictor link
You can use the link to predict your college based on your rank.
You can try for top 5 law colleges in WB.
Also you can explore about -
NIRF law ranking
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Affordable law colleges
Road map for next 5 years of Law
Answered 3 days ago
Yes, you can get into the LLB programme offered at Ajeenkya DY Patil University without appearing for the CLAT exam. The university accepts students on the basis of their entrance exam (ACET for Law) conducted by the university. Those who clear then entrance exam are then called for personal intervi
U
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 5 days ago
Yes, students seeking admission to the BCom LLB course offered by Vel Tech can do so without appearing for CLAT. As per the official website, the university also offers direct admissions. However, students must note that students with a minimum of 45% in aggregate and above in CLAT are given prefere
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Yes, candidates seeking admission to the Vel Tech BA LLB (H) programme can do so without appearing for CLAT. As per the official website, the university also offers direct admissions. However, students must note that students with a minimum of 45% in aggregate and above in CLAT are given prefrence o
S
Contributor-Level 10
My AIR is 19202 and my EWS rank is 1775 in CLAT. I am a female candidate from Bihar. Can I get admission to any tier-2 NLUs?