Just 3 Principles Cover 70% of CLAT Tort Questions

Just 3 Principles Cover 70% of CLAT Tort Questions

Ritika JonwalUpdated on 27 Jan 2026, 08:14 AM IST

Did you know that the majority of CLAT 2027 Tort Law Questions revolve around just a handful of principles? While the Tort Law is vast, analysis of CLAT Previous Year Papers (2021-2026) shows that three principles alone cover nearly 70% of the questions. This means that by strategically focusing on these, you can secure most of your CLAT 2027 torts score without drawing in unnecessary detail.

Just 3 Principles Cover 70% of CLAT Tort Questions
Just 3 Principles Cover 70% of CLAT Tort Questions

In this article, we’ll break down these three principles, their weightage, and provide you with smart preparation strategies, along with CLAT 2027 MCQs practice questions.

CLAT Tort Law Questions in Previous Year (2021-2026)

The CLAT 2027 Legal Reasoning is also a very integral part of the syllabus. This subject too has weightage in the entire exam. Roughly, there will be around 32 questions from CLAT 2027 Legal Reasoning. In the past few years, Tort Law has been a topic that has been repeated every time. There are around one or two passages each year from Tort Law. The table below throws light on the CLAT Tort Law Questions in previous (2021-2026) years and expected topics for the upcoming session.

CLAT Tort Law Questions in Previous Year (2021-2026)

Year

Total Tort Questions

Negligence Questions

Defamation Questions

Strict Liability Questions

Other Principles Questions

Percentage Weightage

2021

6Q

2

1

-

3

33% Negligence

2022

5Q

1

2

-

2

34% Defamation

2023

7Q

1

-

1

5

15% Trespass

2024

4Q

-

-

1

3

18% Vicarious Liability

2025

5Q

2

-

2

1

35% Strict Liability

Principles Cover 70% of CLAT Tort Questions

Here’s a structured breakdown of how just three core tort law principles—Negligence, Defamation, and Strict Liability—cover nearly 70% of CLAT tort questions (2021–2026):

1. Negligence (Appeared in 2021)

  • Significance: Negligence is one of the most frequently tested principles in tort law. It revolves around the breach of a duty of care that results in harm to another person.

  • Why it's important: It applies to a wide range of scenarios, from accidents to medical malpractice, making it a fundamental principle for CLAT exams.

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Aspect

Details

Weightage

~23% (2021–2025)

Definition

Breach of a duty of care resulting in harm

Example

A doctor leaves a surgical tool in a patient’s body.

Exam Relevance

Frequently tested in real-life accident or malpractice scenarios.

2. Defamation (Appeared in 2022)

  • Significance: Defamation law is often tested in questions related to damage to reputation through false statements. It covers both slander and libel.

  • Why it's important: Defamation cases often appear in the context of freedom of speech, making it crucial for understanding the balance between reputation and expression.

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Aspect

Details

Weightage

~22% (2021–2025)

Definition

False statement damaging someone’s reputation (slander/libel).

Example

A newspaper falsely claims a politician is corrupt.

Exam Relevance

Balances freedom of speech vs the right to reputation. Common in media-related passages.

3. Strict Liability (Appeared in 2025)

  • Significance: Strict liability involves holding a defendant liable for harm caused by their actions, even if there was no intention to harm or negligence involved.

  • Why it's important: It applies to dangerous activities, such as using hazardous materials or keeping wild animals, and is commonly tested in multiple-choice scenarios.

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Aspect

Details

Weightage

~25% (2021–2025)

Definition

Liability for harm even without fault or negligence.

Example

A toxic gas leak occurs despite the owner’s precautions.

Exam Relevance

Frequently tested with hazardous substances, industries, or wild animals.

Other CLAT 2027 Tort Principles with Low Weightage

While Negligence, Defamation, and Strict Liability dominate, CLAT occasionally includes 1–2 questions from other tort principles. These appear irregularly but are still worth a quick review.

Principle

Frequency (2021–2026)

Weightage

Example Scenario

Exam Appearance

Nuisance

1/5 years

<10%

Factory noise affecting neighbours

Rare


Vicarious Liability

1/5 years

~12%

The employer is liable for the employee’s negligence

Infrequent

Trespass

1/5 years

~8%

Unauthorised entry into land

Rare

CLAT 2027 - Tort Law MCQs Questions

Based on an analysis of previous CLAT papers, it's evident that three core principles in Tort Law cover nearly 70% of the questions asked. These principles are Negligence, Defamation, and Strict Liability. To help you focus your preparation, we have compiled MCQs to practice these high-weightage topics and additional topics. These will help you solidify your knowledge and prepare effectively for the CLAT 2027.

You may also check,

How To Master 70% with Just 3 CLAT 2027 Tort Principles

Focusing on Negligence, Defamation, and Strict Liability, which accounted for 70% of the CLAT Tort Questions in the past 5 years, is statistically the most efficient strategy.

  1. Prioritise Past Year Papers

  • Solve all CLAT papers from 2021 and 2026.

  • Highlight tort questions and identify which principle they relate to.

  • You’ll notice the dominance of Negligence, Defamation, and Strict Liability.

  • A balanced study schedule should include taking CLAT mock tests, reviewing material, and learning new topics.

  1. Practice Fact-Based Scenarios

  • CLAT doesn’t test definitions—it tests application.

Principle

Example Scenario

Exam Relevance

Negligence

A doctor leaving a surgical tool in a patient

Most common in real-life accidents

Defamation

False claim about a politician

Media-related cases

Strict Liability

Factory leak due to negligence

Common in hazardous activities

  1. Revision Tips

  • Make concise, one-page notes for each principle.

  • Create a question bank with 20+ fact-based examples for each premise.

  • Revise 1-2 times before the exam week to improve memory speed.

For information on how to effectively manage your time and study, please refer to the CLAT Time Management article.

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With a CLAT rank of 5600, it is challenging for an outside-Delhi candidate to secure a seat at VIPS (Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies) , especially in the General category, since cutoffs for candidates from outside Delhi are generally higher for top law programmes.