How to prepare for CLAT from Class 11 - Preparation Tips & Study Plan

How to Prepare for CLAT in Class 11 - If you are still in your school but have started thinking about a career in the field of law then time is ripe you should start exploring CLAT; the entrance exam that is a gateway to 22 NLUs. From Class 11th, you almost have two years to prepare for the CLAT exam. And, two years are more than sufficient for preparing for CLAT. But, the question arises of how to prepare for CLAT in Class 11th when you are already piled up with a lot of school stuff. The inability to divide your day between CLAT preparation and school studies may sometimes pull your confidence down affecting your performance everywhere. So, if you want to prepare for CLAT in Class 11th, it is really important to devise a preparation strategy that balances your school and CLAT preparation. So, for law aspirants who want to prepare for CLAT in Class 11th, this article would give some useful insight into the key aspects of the preparation which in turn would help you in making an effective strategy. Read below to know how to prepare for CLAT in Class 11th.

CLAT or Common Law Admission Test is conducted in offline mode. It is a comprehension based paper which focuses on critical thinking and reading ability of the candidates. CLAT 2021 will be held on June 13, 2021, for more than 50,000 candidates.

How to Prepare for CLAT in Class 11 - An overview

Being in Class 11 and having some degree of the propensity towards legal and social domain would make you approach CLAT smoothly. While a natural interest may help you in CLAT preparation, it is always important to check the CLAT syllabus and pattern of the test. The syllabus would provide you with a broad framework within which you can start preparing for the CLAT exam. The CLAT pattern would also highlight the test structure thus, making you more familiar with the exam. For CLAT preparation, you will need to master five sections as mentioned below.

• Legal aptitude and reasoning

• English language and comprehension

• Quantitative ability

• Logical reasoning

• General knowledge and current affairs

How to prepare for CLAT in Class 11 - Three Phases of Preparation

From Class 11, you will have two years. You should divide your CLAT preparation into three phases.

In the first phase, you will develop familiarity with the CLAT exam by going through the basics of preparation. You should read and understand the CLAT syllabus, NCERTs and other basic books.

The second phase should be concept building, a time period in which you should go into the details of subjects. The second phase (concept building) will be very important and will have great bearing on your success.

The third phase should be focussed on making oneself exam ready. In this phase, you should solve a lot of CLAT sample papers, mock tests and quickly revisit the concepts developed in the second phase. The CLAT preparation for the third phase should start from the second half of Class 12th and should go on till the exam day.

How to Prepare for CLAT in Class 11 - Make a Study Routine

Nothing substantial can be achieved without following a plan and routine. CLAT preparation requires consistency in preparation which can only be maintained by following a study routine.

The problem that many candidates face while preparing for CLAT in Class 11th is related to time management. Attending school and doing CLAT preparation simultaneously may make the daily life of any student difficult. So, it is important to make a study routine that is practically possible and doesn’t overburden you with an excess of study.

The study routine should be set in a manner that it reserves around 3 hours each day for CLAT preparation. The remaining time can be given to the school and physical activities. Note that, as you come closer to the CLAT exam day (in class 12th), you will gradually need to increase the time for CLAT preparation.

How to Start CLAT Preparation in Class 11?

From Class 11th to actual exam day, you would have a good amount of time which should be utilised to develop the core skills required for clearing the exam. Here, the core skills mean reading and critical thinking skills which are generally developed over a period of time. Most of the students develop such skills in school days, so, to start the preparation for CLAT in Class 11 one should start by honing such skills. Here are some tips to start CLAT preparation in Class 11th.

• Start by reading a daily newspaper; read the editorial section, legal news very carefully.

• Read legal journals and papers that contain complex legal texts, terminology.

• While reading any article/legal piece, try to identify the arguments and draw conclusions.

Develop Conceptual Understanding

If you are given two year time for CLAT preparation, you should always focus on developing conceptual understanding. The CLAT paper would test the conceptual understanding of a diverse range of topics. Especially in legal aptitude, the concept building is very important. Candidates should start from scratch, by reading the basics of law and gradually digging deeper to understand the issues. By the end of the year, candidates should have prepared a strong foundation for the CLAT exam.

What Subject should I Read First for CLAT Preparation?

The answer to this question lies in your level of understanding. Considering that you are in Class 11th and have two years to prepare for D-Day, you should start by reading the very basic books. NCERTs should be the first point of reference for CLAT preparation. Reading NCERTs on India polity, Constitution, English Grammar will help you develop the necessary foundation upon which you can build your CLAT preparation.

Once you have completed the NCERTs, you can gradually start playing with mainstream books that are used for CLAT preparation.

How to Prepare for CLAT in Class 11 - General Knowledge and Current Affairs

As per the consortium, prior knowledge is not much necessary to answer the question. However, it can be helpful to answer the questions.

The CLAT general knowledge and current affairs would test the awareness of the issue discussed in the comprehension passage. To prepare for general knowledge or current affairs, candidates should mark the topics mentioned in CLAT syllabus and prepare accordingly.

This section should ideally be divided into two parts - General knowledge and Current affairs.

The general knowledge should be prepared by reading the NCERTs and the standard books used for CLAT preparation. The current affairs is a dynamic section and newspapers are the best companion for this section. In addition to the newspapers, candidates should also read a monthly current affairs book.

How to Prepare for CLAT in Class 11 - Legal Aptitude Section

Legal aptitude is one of the most common student fears when it comes to CLAT preparation. So, if you are preparing for CLAT in Class 11, then you should give due respect to the legal aptitude and knowledge. With two years in hand, you can give a good amount of time to learning the concepts of legal aptitude. You can start by reading the basics of Indian Constitution and polity from NCERTs and gradually deal with the books such as the legal aptitude of A P Bharadwaj.

How to Prepare for CLAT in Class 11 - Make Notes

Notes making is very important for CLAT preparation. Even if you are preparing for CLAT in Class 11th, you should start making notes on legal subjects, general knowledge and current affairs. You can also make a separate notebook for important court cases, legal terminologies. In general knowledge, you should make short notes in static subjects like history, economics, social science etc.

Check CLAT Study Material Provided by Consortium

The Consortium of NLUs provides study materials for CLAT preparation. The study materials provided by CLAT consortium tells what exactly candidates should prepare. Candidates are highly recommended to go through the study material given by the consortium on its official website. Even if you are in Class 11th, you should try to solve the sample papers given by the consortium. Answering the questions of the CLAT exam would require more the analytical skills and reading skills than the prior knowledge of subjects. So, you can anytime attempt the questions and check your performance.

From a standalone point of view, two years might look like a significantly long duration for CLAT preparation. However, if you add the school studies to your daily routine, it will become more clear that you don’t have much time (not day) for the CLAT exam. You will need to strike a balance between CLAT preparation and school studies and maintain consistency throughout Class 11th and Class12th.