CLAT 2025 Topper Interview Vidit Rawat (AIR 9): Vidit Rawat secured AIR 9 in CLAT 2025. He completed his 10th from Rani Laxmi Bai Public School Jhansi (ICSE) and 12th from MHMS (CBSE). Taking about his CLAT 2025 preparation strategy Vidit mentioned that he began preparing for the exam in Class 12, starting with previous years' question papers to understand the consortium's reasoning pattern. Read here for the detailed interview of CLAT 2025 topper interview Vidit Rawat.
Hello Vidit, Congratulations on securing AIR 9 in CLAT 2025!
Vidit: My overall CLAT 2025 score was 100 out of 116 with an AIR of 9 and my sectional scores were 22.75/24 in English, 23/28 in GK, 29.5/32 in Legal, 16.25/20 in CR and 8.25/12 in QT.
Vidit: Seeing my result made every bit of hard work worth it. To be honest, I wasn't expecting this rank, but I just focused on being consistent with my daily routine. And when I finally saw my result, it was an amazing feeling - all my efforts had paid off!
Vidit: I completed my 10th from Rani Laxmi Bai Public School Jhansi (ICSE) and 12th from MHMS (CBSE). Interestingly, my family has an engineering background, but I broke the mould by opting for the Humanities and pursuing law as my career, making me the first in my family to do so.
Vidit: I chose to pursue law because I am deeply passionate about improving the justice system and creating positive change in society. I believe that law is a powerful tool to ensure fairness, uphold rights, and provide a voice for those who are often unheard. On a personal level, I was intrigued by general knowledge and saw law as a possible career option and a path for continuous self-improvement.
Vidit: I began preparing for CLAT 2025 in Class 12, starting with previous years' question papers to understand the consortium's reasoning pattern. Initially, I dedicated 5-6 hours a day, but as the exam drew closer, my study time increased to 10-11 hours daily.
Vidit: To kick-start your preparation, I strongly recommend that every aspirant begins by reviewing previous years' questions. This will give you a clear understanding of the types of questions the consortium typically asks. Honestly, I think there's no perfect time to start preparing for CLAT. It really depends on each person. Next, create a study schedule that allocates time for: Mathematics, General Knowledge (often overlooked by aspirants), vocabulary, sectional tests and mock tests. Incorporating these study habits into your daily routine will help you stay on track.
Vidit: I start my day by reading the newspaper, mathematics practice, sectional tests or mock tests, followed by thorough analysis, analytical reasoning and vocabulary revision, studying new General Knowledge (GK) topics and revising previously covered material.
Vidit: I was enrolled in Law Prep Tutorial, where Anupama Ma’am played a pivotal role in guiding me throughout my preparation. Whenever I felt uncertain or lacked the right mindset, her counsel proved invaluable. Having a mentor like her made a significant difference in my prep journey.
Vidit: When I began preparing, I identified critical reasoning and math as my weak areas. I struggled initially, but by revisiting theory concepts, practising consistently, and applying them to sectionals and mock tests, I saw significant improvement. Through daily practice, analysing my mistakes, and working to avoid them in mock tests, I gained confidence in both math and critical reasoning. This approach was instrumental in helping me overcome my weaknesses.
Vidit: Here are the books I referred to for my CLAT preparation:
Reading Comprehension: "Word Power Made Easy" by Norman Lewis
Analytical and Critical Reasoning: MK Pandey
Quantitative Aptitude: "18 Days Wonder"
General Knowledge: "CLAT Express" by Law Prep Tutorial
Vidit: I'm inclined towards a career in the judiciary, and NALSAR's strong culture and reputation in this field align with my aspirations. Considering my future goals and dreams, I'm drawn to NALSAR over NLSIU.
Vidit: During my leisure time, I often played badminton and cricket, which helped me unwind and stay active. Alongside this, I would visit the Hanuman Temple whenever my mind felt troubled by mock scores and the pressures of preparation. The temple provided me with a sense of peace and solace. I also found comfort in talking to my mom, whose words of wisdom always helped me regain perspective and calm my thoughts.
Vidit: Apart from studying, I enjoy watching cricket, reading novels (especially Harry Potter), eating my favorite pizza, and listening to music. I'm also interested in general knowledge and love teaching GK to others. We're also starting a YouTube channel called CLATified to share free GK lessons!
Vidit: To all future aspirants, I'd say: just be consistent, work on your weaknesses, and trust the process. With time, you'll feel confident in all subjects and you'll definitely ace it!
As Virat Kohli once said- Believe even if there's a 1% chance.
On Question asked by student community
HELLO,
With your OBC rank of 2716 and AIR 14780 , your chances at NUALS Kochi are possible , potentially even in earlier rounds , as NUALS often closes around 10000 - 15000 for general and even higher for OBC , but you should definitely aim for it and consider other NLUs like NLUJA , MNLU Nagpur in the 15K - 20K AIR range for OBC.
As your AIR of 14780 falls within the range where lower tier NLUs like NUALS Kochi often admit candidates, in later rounds or through state reservation and your OBC rank is strong for this category.
Visit the link for more such information :- https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-2026-rank-15000-20000
Hope this will help!
Hello,
With a CLAT AIR of 7410 and EWS 662, you have a strong chances in these institutes.
Here in this link you can predict your college.
I hope it will clear your query!!
Hello
With a CLAT 2026 score, you can apply to several good private law colleges in South India apart from NLUs.
In Tamil Nadu, strong options include SASTRA University (Thanjavur) and Saveetha School of Law (Chennai).
In Karnataka, colleges like Christ University (Bangalore) and Alliance School of Law are well-reputed.
In Telangana, ICFAI Law School (Hyderabad) is a popular choice through CLAT scores. These colleges offer good academics, decent placements, and are among the best non-NLU law options in South India.
Hope it will help you
Hello,
Here are the Colleges Accepting CLAT (Law Admissions):
Unlike CLAT, which is used by 24 NLUs, AILET is conducted exclusively for admission to National Law University, Delhi (NLU D).
For more details you can access given mentioned links below:
https://law.careers360.com/articles/top-colleges-other-nlus-accepting-clat-scores
https://university.careers360.com/colleges/list-of-degree-colleges-in-india-accepting-ailet
Hope it helps.
With an AIR around 7930 in CLAT and general women category, top NLUs may not be possible, but you still have chances in newer and lower-ranked NLUs, especially in later rounds or spot counselling. Based on previous trends, you can consider the following preference order:
NLU Tripura (Agartala)
NLU Manipur
NLU Meghalaya (Shillong)
NLU Sikkim
HPNLU Shimla
DSNLU Visakhapatnam (very limited chance, only if cut-offs drop)
Apart from NLUs, you should also apply to reputed private law colleges that accept CLAT scores, such as UPES Dehradun, Alliance University Bengaluru, Amity Law School, and NMIMS School of Law. Since you are from Lucknow, also explore state universities and private law colleges in Uttar Pradesh as backup options.
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