CLAT 2025 Topper Interview Tejaswi Giridhar, AIR 18: “Keep a Clear Head Throughout”

Careers360 spoke to Tejaswi Giridhar who secured AIR 18 in CLAT 2025 conducted on December 1, 2024. Tejaswi left the JEE preparation midway last year and started preparing for CLAT. This change has yielded good results as he emerged as one of the CLAT toppers this year. Read the full interview here as he shares his success story.

Hello Tejaswi,

Congratulations on securing AIR 18 in CLAT 2025!

How did you feel when you checked your CLAT result? Were you expecting this rank?

Seeing the rank felt great, it was like a culmination of all the work put in over the past year or so. The significance definitely didn’t kick in for a few days, it was sort of shocking. I definitely thought I did well relative to the starkly different nature of the paper from what was expected. But a rank in the top 20 in the CLAT result was definitely a huge surprise.

What is your CLAT 2025 score?

I scored 98.5 in CLAT 2025 in the final result, up one mark from my score based on the provisional answer key.

Can you tell us a bit about your background - your education, your family?

I was actually preparing for JEE up until about September of 2023 when I realized I had more of an inclination towards law than science. My family is almost entirely based on a science background, so law was a step in a very different direction for me.

What made you choose law?

I had to weigh my options against each other, which were science or any other field. I realized law appealed to me the most, because I love thinking logically and debating complex issues, so it seemed like the obvious choice.

Can you tell us what was your preparation strategy for CLAT?

My preparation spanned one year leading up to the Common Law Admission Test. It began with sectionals/worksheets in the early part of the year then slowly going into mocks. I always attempted CLAT mock tests offline. The analysis of the mocks is where the real importance lies, and that kept improving my score in the weeks leading up to the exam. I did one mock a day for the last two weeks. CLAT GK was slow for me initially so I had to cover a lot of ground in the final stretch to complete my prep.

Did you follow any specific daily timetable to prepare for the exam?

There wasn’t really a specific timetable I followed, but it was very important for me to constantly recognize where my preparation stood and how much time to spend on different aspects of it. Keeping a dynamic schedule helped, especially with focusing on individual sections, types of passages, etc.

What books and resources did you refer to during your preparation?

CL resources are what I used for GK/sectionals and I wrote their mocks throughout the year too. Online compendiums are also fantastic for last-minute brushing up on topics.

Can you tell us the NLU choices you will be submitting in the order of your preference?

My top four choices in the NLU preference list are NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, NUJS Kolkata, and NLU Jodhpur in that order.

This year, candidates have to submit their NLU choices after the CLAT result has been declared. Do you think this approach is better than last year when candidates had to submit their choices at the time of CLAT registration?

I think the new method is the way to go because it allows us to have clarity going into the counselling process. Candidates can assess their circumstances and rank and put in their preferences with that in mind, so it removes any risk of panic or confusion post-CLAT

What are your other interests and hobbies?

Most of my free time is taken up by reading, watching movies, and following a few sports religiously.

What would be your message for law aspirants who will be appearing for CLAT in the future?

Keep a clear head throughout, don’t let your mind get to you. Understand where your preparation is, retain as much good advice as you can, and don’t let any part of your prep, negative or positive, overwhelm you. As for the exam itself, CLAT can throw some serious curveballs, so be prepared to adapt to whatever type of questions you face. Good luck!