CLAT Topper Interview: Ojas Rai on Why He Chose NLSIU Over NLU Delhi and Preparation Journey

Ojas Rai secured AIR 66 in AILET 2026 with 131.50 marks and also secured AIR 186 in CLAT 2026 with 100.25 out of 119 marks. Despite having the option of NLU Delhi through his AILET rank, he chose NLSIU Bengaluru, where he is now pursuing BA LLB (Hons.). In an interview with Careers360, Ojas says he was already scoring 100+ in mocks months before CLAT, but says raw mock scores are not the best way to judge preparation. He discusses CLAT mock tests, percentile, coaching, AI tools and the mistake notebook he recommends to CLAT 2027 aspirants.

Careers360: After securing AIR 66 in AILET, you had the option of NLU Delhi. What made you choose NLSIU?

Ojas Rai: Personal considerations were involved behind the decision of choosing NLSIU over NLUD. This was irrespective of whether NLSIU is better than NLUD or not. I always lived across different cities in northern, north-western and north-eastern parts of the country due to the nature of the jobs my father and mother had. Because of this, I never had the chance to visit the south, and getting into NLSIU provided me an opportunity to explore a different world in southern India.

So, this was more of a personal decision based on my past experiences and had nothing to do with ranking institutions. I never had the notion that students seeing their future in litigation tend towards NLUD while those looking at corporate law tend towards NLSIU. My decision was based on getting more exposure to southern India, living in a culture and environment that was completely different to me, and several other personal considerations.

Careers360: What did your preparation routine look like in the final months before CLAT?

Ojas Rai: Compared to what other students may say about their schedules, my final months were relatively light. This does not mean I was putting in less effort, time or energy. November, in particular, was more painstaking in terms of hard work.

Earlier in my preparation, I was constantly learning new concepts, understanding how to apply them in questions and identifying the main issues in my preparation. In the latter months, the routine became more monotonous. I would usually give a CLAT mock test every two or three days, with the intensity increasing in the latter half, followed by analysis of what went wrong and how I could prevent the same mistakes on the actual exam day.

For CLAT Current Affairs and GK, there was not much left to learn at that stage. There was a lot left to revise. So, while the number of different tasks reduced, the amount of practice and revision remained high.

Careers360: When did your mock scores reach the level needed for a top NLU? What was that score range?

Ojas Rai: Fortunately, I was able to reach what was a comfortable range for me, which was 100+ in any mock, irrespective of difficulty, by April-May. If the mock was too easy, I considered 105+ a good score, while for a very difficult mock, 93-95+ was comfortable for me.

However, I would emphasise the positives and negatives of using mock scores as a standard for judging your progress. It is too simplistic to judge your preparation only on the basis of scores. What matters is whether you are making new mistakes or repeating old ones.

If you have improved in the areas where you were previously making mistakes, you are moving in the right direction, even if you start making new mistakes. That is absolutely fine.

I also think students should focus on CLAT mock percentile and rank, rather than just scores. For example, if you score 99 in a mock where the 90th percentile is 95, that may not be a particularly strong performance. But if you score 85 in a difficult mock where the 90th percentile is around 70, that could be a much better performance.

Percentile gives you a better idea of your comparative position because it accounts for the difficulty of the mock and the performance of other students.

Careers360: How did you prepare for CLAT and AILET? Did you rely mainly on self-study, coaching, or a mix of both?

Ojas Rai: I was a full-time student at LegalEdge Gwalior Centre through its comprehensive course and was also selected for the Champions Batch of LegalEdge, conducted online by the Bhopal head office.

Coaching played an important role in my preparation. I would advise students to consider coaching, although I would not insist that they choose LegalEdge specifically. Students can visit the nearest branch in their city or a nearby city and see what options are available.

The quality of coaching can differ from centre to centre, but as a past student, I can reasonably say that LegalEdge provides what you need to clear the exam with a good rank. In my opinion, its mocks were particularly strong. The rest depends on the student, but I would highly advise coaching irrespective of one's level of intellect.

Careers360: Did you use any tools during your CLAT preparation to save time and focus more on actual learning?

Ojas Rai: I think effective use of AI is one area students should focus on. Do not rely completely on it or delegate everything to it. Use it effectively.

In the age of AI, you should be able to use it to reduce repetitive, time-consuming tasks that have no learning advantage. For example, notes can be made using AI, which can otherwise take a lot of time and effort. I would suggest online notes rather than handwritten ones.

There are many repetitive, mundane and time-consuming tasks that can be delegated to AI, allowing you to focus on things that actually contribute to your learning.

Careers360: If you could give a CLAT 2027 aspirant one piece of advice based specifically on something you learnt the hard way, what would it be?

Ojas Rai: Since we are close to the examination, prepare a notebook containing all the mistakes you have ever made in any mock throughout your preparation journey. Note them down and try to devise methods through which you can rectify them next time.

It is better to maintain a record because it helps you track your mistakes and identify which ones are recurring. This can make your CLAT mock analysis much more useful and help you avoid repeating the same errors in the actual examination.