Is CLAT Exam Tough?: Detailed analysis on success rate, difficulty of question papers

The Common Law Admission Test or CLAT is often considered tough and why not? After all, it is one of the top law entrance exams in India. The Consortium of NLUs conducts CLAT for admissions into the top NLUs in the country. In all, there are 24 participating NLUs in CLAT offering around 3,243 seats in 5-year LLB programmes and 1,373 seats in LLM programmes. CLAT scores are also accepted by 60+ affiliated colleges across the country for admission into LLB and LLM courses.

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Why is CLAT considered tough?

CLAT is considered tough for two main reasons;

• First, is the number of candidates appearing for the exam as compared to the available CLAT seats.

• The second reason is the intensive CLAT syllabus which requires good preparation.

Let’s look at the two factors one by one.

Number of candidates for CLAT

As per the statistics available for CLAT 2024 exam, 60,295 candidates registered for CLAT UG, out of which 58,504 appeared, recording an attendance of 97.03%.

The ratio for the number of seats to the number of candidates who appeared in CLAT UG comes at approximately 5.5%. This means, at the most, only 5.5% of the appearing candidates will succeed in getting a seat in an NLU.

An additional aspect to understand about the success rate is that not all NLUs are equally preferred by candidates. Instead of opting for a lower-ranked NLU candidates may decide on joining a well-known affiliate college that also accepts CLAT scores. This makes CLAT even tougher in terms of competition for a seat in one of the top NLUs.

In CLAT 2024 PG, 10,948 candidates registered for the exam of which 10,282 candidates appeared for the exam, recording an attendance of 93.92%. The ratio of the number of available seats to the number of candidates comes to 13.3%. This means at the most around 13% of the candidates could obtain admission to an NLU.

Success rates in CLAT

Intensive CLAT syllabus

The second reason why CLAT is considered tough is the intensive CLAT syllabus. CLAT is one of the lengthiest and most reading-intensive exams. The exam tests a broad range of skills that require effective preparation.

• The English language tests the candidate’s proficiency in reading and comprehension.

• The GK section is a test of the candidate’s general awareness.

• The legal awareness section evaluates a candidate’s understanding of legal principles.

• The logical reasoning section tests the candidate’s ability to solve complex problems and think logically.

• Finally, the quantitative techniques or maths section assesses the candidate’s basic arithmetic skills.

The CLAT question paper structure consists of 4-6 passages of around 450 words each in each of the five sections. The passages are often derived from journalistic and non-fictional sources. The difficulty level of the passages is of class 12 level. There are a total of 120 questions based on the passages and candidates get two hours to complete the exam. Thus, CLAT requires good time management skills to attempt maximum questions within the given time.

The CLAT PG question paper tests the candidate’s knowledge about different areas of law. It also consists of passages followed by a total of 120 multiple-choice questions based on the passage.

Last year, the Consortium made changes in the CLAT exam pattern and reduced the number of questions in CLAT UG from 150 to 120 to make the exam more student-friendly. The CLAT 2024 exam analysis also showed that the exam was easier last year. However, an easy exam also means a higher CLAT cut-off for everyone which will even out any difference due to the easy nature of the CLAT question paper.

CLAT 2024 Exam Analysis

Quick Tips to Ace CLAT

While CLAT is certainly considered tough, it doesn’t have to be so. Ultimately, everything depends on how well-prepared the candidate is for the exam. Here are a few quick tips for CLAT.

• Well thought out Study Plan: Aspirants should start with a study timetable allocating appropriate time for each section according to its importance and the candidate’s proficiency level.

• Referring to the right study material: Candidates must focus on building a good conceptual understanding by referring to the right study material and resources. Good CLAT books for section-wise preparation are easily available and aspirants must refer to them.

• Solving mock tests: Candidates must practice with CLAT sample papers and the previous year's question papers to improve speed and perform better during the exam.

Time Management: In a lengthy paper, time management is key for a good CLAT score. Time management is important both during one’s preparation and also while attempting the exam. Devoting adequate time to each section, as per the situation’s requirement will give optimum results.