CLAT 2024 Topper Interview: “CLAT requires perfecting your approach to the exam” - Pradhyot AIR 2

Meet Pradhyot Shah who secured AIR 2 in the recently concluded CLAT 2024 exam. A class 12 science student, Pradhyot quickly discovered that law was his passion. The second rank came as an unexpected but pleasant surprise for this student from Bengaluru. Here’s the full interview as Pradhyot shares his success story with Careers360.

Hi Pradhyot, Congratulations on your CLAT rank! What was the feeling when you first saw your rank? Were you expecting this rank?

I was very overwhelmed and quite overjoyed when I got this result. I was out with friends when my parents called me with the news and I remember sitting in shock for a minute or two to process it all. I was definitely not expecting to do this well at all.

What was your CLAT 2024 score?

I got a score of 105.5 in the CLAT 2024 examination.

Can you tell us briefly about your background and your family?

I'm originally a science student and I'm currently studying in the 12th grade at Mallya Aditi International. I was born and brought up in Bangalore and my parents are both by qualification Architects.

What made you choose law?

Initially I was just testing the waters and trying to figure out what it was I wanted to do. On the recommendation of a friend I joined Career Launcher and started classes for CLAT, which is when I realised that I'm actually quite interested and intrigued by law. I've always had a passion for the subject and have wanted to make an impact on the world, and I believe law suits those needs.

With an All India Rank of 2, you would definitely get a seat at NLSIU Bengaluru. But did you have (or still have ) any specific colleges in mind for admission?

Initially, although the result wasn't out yet I was debating NLS and NLU Delhi, which both have their specific strengths and weaknesses. However after seeking advice from a few of my teachers and professionals, I chose to go ahead with NLS itself.

Coming to your preparation, how and when did you start preparing for CLAT?

Although I started attending classes last year, I started preparing seriously for the exam in June.

What was your daily study schedule like? How many hours did you allocate for each section?

Initially it was just a few hours of work every week, clearing my doubts and solidifying my fundamentals while writing mocks. Closer to the exam however I started putting in almost 6-8 hours a day and just practising and doing GK.

Which section of the CLAT exam did you find the most challenging?

I wholeheartedly believe CLAT is an exam that doesn't require much specific knowledge to prepare for, but rather a lot of practice in perfecting your approach to the exam. I think GK is the hardest section to prepare for, because it is usually very erratic and requires detailed and thorough revision. This year however, GK was a lot more like reading comprehension. This is why I would go ahead to say the most difficult section In this year's paper was logical reasoning.

Tell us about the books or study materials you referred for CLAT preparation?

I used career launcher's material and mocks, Gmat questions, Drishti IAS and read the newspaper everyday to prepare for the exam.

How was your experience with the legal aptitude section? Did it require any prior knowledge of law?

The legal aptitude section this year was relatively straightforward. One needs to make sure to read the paragraph thoroughly to avoid making silly mistakes. Usually the legal section doesn't require any prior knowledge at all, in fact, I'd say you would be better off not knowing the concept being discussed.

In your opinion, how important are mock tests during one’s CLAT preparation?

Mock tests are the most important step in preparation as they give you a realistic feel for the exam and help you figure out what you must be doing and need to change to do well on the actual day.

Do you find the revised CLAT pattern helpful for students?

I have mixed feelings about the change in the CLAT exam pattern. While it made it easier for a jump from low scores to high scores, accuracy now matters much more than it did earlier. You could also do relatively well last year without attempting a section that gravely gave you a margin of choice and error. However now each and every question matters a lot and can lead to you losing out on a seat.However it did help increase the amount of time we could spend on each question reducing the burden on the students.

What are your future plans?

I haven't really decided what specialisation I want to pursue in law yet.

Any tips or suggestions for future CLAT aspirants?

Just make sure to practise thoroughly, analyse your mistakes and give it your all. Be efficient and adapt to the paper and keep moving forward.