A Career is a LifeCAREERS360

C L A T2014

All that you wanted to know about the Common Law Admission Test

Common Law Admission Test

Legal Aptitude • English Mathematics • Logical Reasoning • General knowledge

CLAT 2014 E-Book

CLAT 2014 E-Book

INTRODUCTION

Aspiring for CLAT? The most sought after law entrance exam, CLAT is gateway for entering into

the five-year integrated BA LLB programmes at prestigious National Law Universities.

How much aware are you about this law entrance exam...?

Do you know...

What circumstances led to the birth of CLAT???

What was before CLAT???

Which law schools participate in CLAT???

What NLU’s expect from the law aspirants like you???

Filled with many such interesting and informative insights, we have compiled a list of advisory

articles and a collection of toppers’ interviews in CLAT 2014 E-Book so that you get the

complete information in a nutshell.

CLAT 2014 - A Journey from 2008 till Date

Common Law Admission Test also

known as CLAT began in 2008 as a

combined entrance test for National

Law Universities.

The first CLAT was conducted on

May 11, 2008 by NLSIU, Bangalore.

In 2008, as many as seven NLUs

participated in the common

entrance test and they collectively

offered a total of 1037 seats for

admissions. Over the last 6 years

more NLUs; have joined the test

and decided to make admissions on

the basis of CLAT score. The participating NLUs’ conduct a common counseling for admissions to their undergraduate Law programmes.

NLUs in CLAT Committee

Institute Commonly

Known As

Location Joining of

CLAT

National Law School of India University NLSIU Bangalore 2008

NALSAR University of Law NALSAR Hyderabad 2008

West Bengal National University of

Juridical Universities

WBNUJS Kolkata 2008

National Law University, Jodhpur NLUJ Jodhpur 2008

Hidayatullah National law University HNLU Raipur 2008

Gujarat National Law University GNLU Gandhinagar 2008

National Law Institute University NLIU Bhopal 2008

Ram Manohar Lohiya National law

University

RMLNLU Lucknow 2009

Rajiv Gandhi National Law University RGNUL Patiala 2009

Chanakya National Law University CNLU Patna 2009

National University of Advanced Legal

Studies

NUALS Kochi 2009

National Law University Odisha NLUO Cuttack 2012

National University of Study and Research

in Law

NUSRL Ranchi 2012

National Law University and Judicial

Academy

NLUJA Guwahati 2012

Over the last 6 years, number of candidates appearing for CLAT has witnessed a three-fold

increase. While a total of 11000 candidates registered for the first CLAT in 2008, the 2014

registration almost trebled with the total number of candidates registering for the same going

up to about 31000. Below is the year-wise registration numbers for CLAT since 2008.

CLAT Registrations made so far

Year Applications Made

2013 30915

2012 25769

2011 24256

2010 18375

2009 15000

2008 11000

Besides, NLUs’ many private law institutes also accept CLAT score for admissions to their undergraduate Law programmes. Interestingly, NLU, Delhi is the only National law University

which isn’t participating in CLAT 2014 and intakes students from AILET 2014 Exam.

Who conducts CLAT?

The first CLAT was conducted by National Law School of India University, Bangalore. The test

is conducted by the NLUs in rotation and the turns of the NLUs are decided on the basis of the

years of establishment.

Thereby, the CLAT has been conducted by the following NLUs in rotation –

CLAT 2008 – National Law School of India University, Bangalore

CLAT 2009 – NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad

CLAT 2010 – National Law Institute University Bhopal

CLAT 2011 – West Bengal National University of Juridical Universities, Kolkata

CLAT 2012 – National Law University, Jodhpur

CLAT 2013 – Hidayatullah National law University, Raipur

CLAT 2014 – Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar

CLAT 2014 Seat Allotment

If you are taking CLAT 2014, you may be curious to know about the break-up of seats. We

have provided below CLAT 2014 Seat Break-up.

Other Law Institutions accepting CLAT scores:

In addition to the 14 National Law Universities, the following are some of the other institutes

which will be participating in CLAT 2014 Counselling.

Institute Location Seats

Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University Vishakhapatnam -

Tamil Nadu National Law School Tamil Nadu 100

Nirma University – Institute of Law Ahmedabad 180

UPES College of Legal Studies Dehradun -

CLAT in History:

CLAT 2008 – Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), a common exam for law aspirants of NLUs’ was conducted for the first time. In 2008, as many as seven NLUs participated in the common

entrance test and they collectively offered a total of 1037 seats for admissions.

CLAT 2009 – Earlier, it was scheduled on May 17, 2009 and later re-scheduled to May 31,

2009 as the question papers got leaked.

CLAT 2011 – The law aspirants were disappointed with the standard of the examination.

Moreover some of the answers of various questions were even underlined due to the negligence

of the organizers.

CLAT 2012 – National Law University, Jodhpur had conducted the exam and this year CLAT

was marred by several controversies. The test takers alleged that the several of the questions

were set out of syllabus and the pattern was entirely changed. Moreover errors crept in the

published rank list and a fresh rank list was put up in place of the wrong one.

CLAT 2013 – When CLAT 2013 was conducted by Hidayatullah National Law University,

Raipur; the test takers got surprised with the introduction of the new marking system. As per

the negative marking system, for every wrong answer, a deduction of 0.25 marks (one-fourth)

was made from the total marks secured by the examinee.

CLAT 2014 – This year CLAT is being conducted by Gujarat National Law University on May

11, 2014. CLAT 2014 has introduced Online Counselling.

Dr. Thomas Mathew, Co-Convener, CLAT 2014, says, “With the introduction of online counselling from this year, students will be able to choose their preference of the university

only after they’ve taken the exam. They will be able to select the appropriate NLU based on

their performance.”

The Odds –

Despite being a Common Law Admission Test and efforts made by the Ministry of Human

Resources Development, yet several premier law institutions still continue with their own

entrance mechanism. Below is the list of some of the top institutions who have their own

entrance process:

Institute Location Year of

Establishment

Website

Government Law College Mumbai 1855 www.glcmumbai.com

Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim

University

Aligarh 1920 www.law.amu.ac.in

Faculty of Law, Jamia Millia Islamia Delhi 1920 www.jmi.ac.in/law

Faulty of Law, University of Delhi Delhi 1924 clc.du.ac.in

ILS Law College Pune 1924 www.ilslaw.edu

Symbiosis Law School Pune 1977 www.symlaw.ac.in

National Law University Delhi 2008 www.nludelhi.ac.in

Common Law Admission Test Eligibility

A candidate should have obtained a Senior Secondary School/Intermediate (10+2) or its

equivalent certificate from a recognized Board with not less than 45% marks in aggregate (40%

in case of SC and ST candidates) to be eligible to appear in CLAT 2014. Moreover he should be

below 20 years of age as on July 1, 2014 (22 years in case of SC and ST candidates).

Candidates who are appearing or have appeared in the 10+2 examination and are awaiting

results are also eligible to appear in the test. However, such candidates are required to have

passed the qualifying examination at the time of their admission and must be able to submit

proofs in support of their claims. (Subjected to State reservation

at the University concerned.)

CLAT Exam Pattern

The duration of the law examination is 2 hours and the

question paper carry 200 Multiple Choice Questions,

comprising of 200 marks. Candidates taking CLAT 2014 must

note that there shall be a system of negative marking in CLAT

2014 wherein 0.25 marks will be deducted for each of the wrong

answers.

Tie-Breaking of CLAT 2014 Paper

If in any case, two or more candidates have scored equal marks in CLAT 2014, the tie will be

broken by the following procedure and order:

Higher marks in the section of Legal aptitude.

Higher age

Computerized draw of lots

CLAT 2014 Important Dates and Events – Every year one of the 14 NLUs conduct CLAT in a

rotational pattern. The following table will provide you a general ides of the CLAT Exam

Calendar.

Events Dates

Online Application Form Begins First week of January

Online Application Form Ends Last week of March

CLAT 2014 Admit Card Mid April

CLAT 2014 Exam Mid May

CLAT 2014 Result Last week of May

CLAT 2014 Counselling Begins First week of June

CLAT 2014 Question Weightage – Now since you are aware of the paper pattern of CLAT

2014, you can check below for the actual weightage of the subject areas.

20%

25%

10%

25%

20%

CLAT 2014 Question Weightage

English including comprehension General Knowledge/ Current Affairs

Elementary Maths ( Numerical Ability) Legal Aptitude

Logical Reasoning

By now you must have got a fair idea about CLAT 2014. Read below the expert tips to crack

CLAT 2014.

CLAT Topper Interview

CLAT Topper, Akshi Rastogi, AIR 6 talks on CLAT 2014 Preparation Strategy

CLAT, the Common Law

Admission Test 2014 is being

conducted by Gujarat National

Law University (GNLU). It’s the seventh time CLAT is being

conducted since its inception in

2008. CLAT 2014 aspirants are

scheduled to take the exam on

May 11, 2014. Around 35000

aspirants will be taking CLAT

2014. 14 National Law

Universities and other Law

Schools shall be taking CLAT 2014 scores. For getting admissions in one of these NLUs or a top

Law School, you need to be prepared for the exam.

Careers360 brings you CLAT Topper Interview of Akshi Rastogi, who took CLAT 2013 and

AILET 2013 and secured 6th All India Rank (AIR) in both. She is currently pursuing B.A.

LL.B course from National Law School of India University, Bangalore.

Read below the excerpts of the CLAT 2013 Topper Interview with Careers360 –

Careers360: With most of the students selecting Engineering, Medical and CA or CS as career

path, what made you to take CLAT and pursue a degree in Law?

Akshi Rastogi: I’ll be frank, I had no idea nor I wished to go into law. I did not even know

about CLAT before I passed class 12th. Back then, I wanted to go into engineering and was

preparing for that. But as I sat down for the entrance papers, I realised that it was not what I

wanted to do. Hence even at that stage after I had spent 2 years preparing for engineering

exams and was selected into engineering colleges I gave up the field. At that point, I was

aimless and did not know what I wanted to do, except that engineering was not my goal. After a

friend told me about CLAT and law, I decided to give it a try. The subjects and the field was

everything that I liked, so I decided on opting for it. Hence began the journey into the field of

law.

Careers360: Which other exams did you take? How was your performance in those?

Akshi Rastogi: I took 3 exams, CLAT, AILET and SET. Among these, my SET result was the

worst. Though I was selected for interview for both Pune and Noida, it was not up to the mark

according to my level of expectations.

Later, the AILET and CLAT results were declared and I got the Rank 6 in both the exams.

Careers360: Please share your preparation strategy with CLAT 2014 aspirants.

Akshi Rastogi: My basic strategy was to go along with what was taught in class, as it was a

new field and something I was not used to, so I took time settling in. Building up on G.K,

getting used to new subjects was at first what I concentrated on.

After that, I practised maths, logical reasoning and legal reasoning to increase my speed. Math

was a subject I loved. So, to mange my time during exam, I practiced it again and again. It’s about relative scores in the end. Moreover, I used to read newspapers and novels and

everything I could get my hands on. During that time I read everything that I could. Fiction,

non-fiction, everything that captured even a bit of interest, that I feel is good to build up on

English. A few hours every day were enough in the starting, also I had mock-tests every week

and they were a good judge of how my work was and where I need to focus more.

In the last month, I was practicing everything I could get my hands on. In Maths I think I had

solved every question I had at least 8-10 times. G.K is a very wide field and I spent some time

every-day.

All my focus was on reducing the time per question. Even during solving the paper it was race

against the time. I set goals on solving the paper as quickly as I could. From 45 seconds per

question in the middle months, it was deceased to 30 seconds per legal question in the end. In

the last month I spent around 10 hours daily on studying. I gave mocks regularly and solved

all past papers, CLAT, SET, AILET and the university papers before 2008.

Careers360: Which books did you consult?

Akshi Rastogi: I practiced mostly the past year papers and mock series along with the

question materials available with me. Moreover my preparation strategy also included the notes

taken during class.

However additionally, I used R.S Aggarwal for initial logical reasoning problems and then a

book on Logical reasoning by Arihant Publications. For English my only strategy was to read

anything and everything I could get my hands in.

For G.K especially current affairs I used Pratiyogita Darpan and read The Hindu daily.

Careers360: What were your weak points and what were the stronger ones? How did you

tackle your weakness?

Akshi Rastogi: My strengths were English and Maths. To these, I only had to devote time for

developing speed and not grasping basic concepts. English again has been a subject which I

have been comfortable with and reading has been my favourite hobby and this proved to be an

advantage. Reading is one of the easiest ways to build a vocabulary.

Initially in Logical Reasoning portion, I was not comfortable with the critical reasoning part;

analytical was fairly easy and posed no challenge. But the questions of critical reasoning

proved to be a headache. But then I felt that most of the people struggled with the paragraph

questions, for syllogism and other such questions are easy but the inferential and big

paragraph ones are the ones which many face a problem with. CLAT, I have personally

observed is not just about building upon your weaknesses and strengths but also building your

own capacity in what others are weak at; it is relative ranking after all. So I made it a point to

go to my teachers and practice endlessly such questions and in the end I can firmly say that

critical reasoning to this date remains a favourite part of the syllabus for me.

Legal Reasoning was a challenge initially because I had neither familiarity with the kind of

questions nor was at ease with them. Time management proved to be an even greater challenge

in the initial mocks I had no time left to attempt all questions as I was taking too much time in

legal questions. But as time progressed and I got familiar with certain concepts, my time

strategy started working out, and then legal reasoning became an enjoyable section in the

paper. I started from 45 seconds per question and took it to 30 seconds or less. The time

strategy worked out beautifully in the end and I was fortunately able to attempt the complete

paper in time.

I had fairly strong General Knowledge while in middle school but the gap of 2-3 years for me in

my senior school with this discipline had me floundering for a base during my preparations.

Hence I had to rebuild my habit of reading newspapers regularly and paying attention to the

news and also had to build up on my static knowledge. It was a systematic and a meticulously

slow process. So G.K. did prove to be a weakness for me with the large syllabus but I followed a

very target based approach and limited myself only with the basic questions from previous

years.

Careers360: Legal Aptitude is not taught as a subject in undergraduate level, then how did

you prepare for the same which is an important part in the entrance tests?

Akshi Rastogi: With legal aptitude, it is a matter of giving some time to this portion and

getting familiar with the basic laws and concepts first, applicability in the paper comes up

later. Legal aptitude was at first a daunting part of the paper but as time progressed and my

time strategy started working out I became fairly comfortable with it. However, building upon

Legal knowledge did not happen quickly, it took time, reading up on relevant laws and getting

to know about the basic provisions and even getting to know the constitution on great detail

had to be done before I felt a semblance of confidence.

Careers360: Please share your success tips with the CLAT aspirants.

Akshi Rastogi: I am not an expert but still there are few general things I’d like to point out as per my experience. Firstly, never get intimidated by the number of hours someone is putting in

or when others tell you how much they are studying or how many books someone is referring

to. This is an aptitude paper and not a descriptive one, and everyone is different so the amount

of hours and books will be different for everyone. As long as you are performing in mock tests

and are confident with the way you are preparing, it is all good.

Developing your own strategy is essential. Develop the habit of time management every time

you attempt questions of any sort. Keep refining your strategy. Remember to keep revising and

consolidating your preparation.

While everything above will definitely help, but this is not some strict code or a guarantee,

develop your strategy, study, prepare but do not forget to take proper sleep and do not take too

much stress over it. Also, no matter how much you prepare, performing on the exam day is

what matters. So if you take too much stress it will only be detrimental. Keeping calm and

giving your best is what you can do. I wish that every aspirant does really well.

CLAT Expert Interviews

CLAT Expert Interview: Aakanksha Nath from Career Launcher

In this series of CLAT 2014 Preparation Tips, Aakanksha Nath from Career Launcher and an

alumnus of NLU Jodhpur tells the law aspirants the preparation tips for Common Law

Admission Test, lists out important topics from each subject and advises students on how to

prepare for subjects like Legal Aptitude which is not taught to students who pass 12th class.

Read this insightful interview below.

Careers360: Less than six months are left for CLAT UG 2014: What should be the preparation

strategy and focus areas for the aspirants?

Aakanksha Nath: The preparation strategy is different for different students. For students in

Class XII, it is advisable that time be devoted to a daily dose of current affairs and legal

updates. Get hold of the previous years’ question papers and solve as many papers as one can.

Keep reading newspapers and magazines and also work on your vocabulary.

After the boards in March, start preparing in full swing starting with Mock tests.

For those who have taken a break, remain consistent with the way you are preparing. Reading

of newspaper/magazines/current affairs is mandatory. Apart from that, work thoroughly on

the weak subjects till March. In the last two months, attempt as many mock tests as you can,

which are likely to improve your accuracy and speed.

Careers360: What are the key areas/important topics that a student should focus on in each

subject area (English, including Reading Comprehension, General Knowledge/Current Affairs,

Mathematics, Legal Aptitude, Logical Reasoning)?

Aakanksha Nath: A student should focus on the following:

(a) English: Vocabulary - Wordlist

Tools - Dictionary

Techniques - Visualization, Writing, Flash Cards, Using in Sentences

Grammar

Tools - Wren and Martin

Techniques - Practice exercises

Reading Comprehension

(b) General Knowledge/Current Affairs

Legal Updates, Static GK, Usual Current Affairs

(c) Mathematics

Practice the basics up to standard 10th (i.e. Elementary Mathematics). (Focus should be on

speed building techniques)

(d) Legal Aptitude

Legal Knowledge + Legal Reasoning

Torts, Contracts, Constitution, Criminal Law, General Principles of Law, Family Law,

International Law, Intellectual Property Law

(e) Logical Reasoning

Analytical Reasoning + Critical Reasoning

Puzzles / Riddles

Practice different types of Syllogisms and Logical Sequences

Think differently / Lateral thinking

Careers360: 0.25 negative marking was introduced last year. What has been the affect of this?

Aakanksha Nath: The main aim behind introducing negative marking in CLAT exam was to

filter genuine and capable students from the crowd. The idea was to eliminate students who

rely on guesswork. The pressure on the students has also increased manifold. Earlier, the

focus used to be on one’s reading speed. They are now required to have more accuracy and efficiency.

Careers360: Which are the books that you highly recommend for the preparation of CLAT

2014?

Aakanksha Nath: Now comes the most difficult part, i.e., where to study from? One has to be

very careful in choosing one’s reading material. It’s not the number of books you have

attempted but the quality of material that you are attempting from. Don’t panic when your peers tell you about a new book launched in the market.

Again, I would stress upon the importance of going through previous years question papers of

not just CLAT, but also those of NLSUI, Bangalore.

One can also have a look at “Solutions to CLAT and AILET” by GKP publications, a book that provides detailed solutions and analysis of the previous year’s questions.

For basics, any good book on the subjects would suffice.

Careers360: So far how has been the difficulty level of the exam in the past few years? What is

it expected to be like in CLAT 2014?

Aakanksha Nath: The difficulty level of CLAT 2013 was moderate. The exam was lengthy as

usual but an easy one. Candidates, who would have worked upon their timing and speed, were

able to finish it on time. CLAT 2012 was on the difficult side, with questions being asked from

static GK which was not mentioned in the notification before.

CLAT has not been a very old examination to determine a pattern. It is still in its initial phase

where it is difficult to predict any pattern. So it is the best to be prepared for the unexpected.

Careers360: Apart from the 14 NLUs, which other colleges accept CLAT scores that students

should know?

Aakanksha Nath: With each passing year, most of the other colleges (apart from the CLAT

colleges) are coming up with their respective entrance exams. But CLAT scores have been

accepted by colleges in the past. For example – NLU-Trichy, DSNLU Vishakhapatnam, KLE Law

Society etc, UPES Dehradoon accepted the scores of CLAT.

Careers360: How would you advise students to prepare for subjects like Legal Aptitude which

is not taught to UG students?

Aakanksha Nath: As this section of the exam is completely new for anyone at that age, it is

advisable to take a structured guidance. If the candidate has a legal background in the

family, he/she can go for self-study of the subjects with necessary help from the concerned

people. Again, one should definitely solve the previous years’ question papers. Most of the students get stuck with the theory part and fail to understand that they need to practice a lot

after finishing their theory part. Take any good book and practice. There is no substitute for

practice, especially for Legal Aptitude.

This forms the main portion of the exam because the tie-breaker marks are also decided on

this portion. Moreover, as you would be pursuing a career in law, it is advisable that you get

your basics correct.

Careers360: Which topics would you advise non-math students to prepare for and what

should be their overall preparation strategy for mathematics?

Aakanksha Nath: The fear of Math has not been a story unheard for those coming from non-

math background. But the good news is that the level of math asked in this exam is that of

class 10th. The questions asked do not pertain to any fixed formula based strategy of any

complex calculations. It is advised that the candidates should practice the math portion of the

previous CLAT papers in order to get an idea of the level of questions.

Careers360: A majority of students take engineering or medicine as their future career path.

Law is less popular among students. We would like to know the career prospects for those who

wish to take up law.

Aakanksha Nath: A major concern and deterring factor for people from taking up law as a

career option has been its future prospects. However, with the changing times, the options

have opened up for lawyers manifold. The profession is not limited anymore to black robes and

white collars. A few options which can be considered are as follows:

Litigation

Corporate Counsel

Law Firms

LPOs

Judiciary/Civil Services

Academia

NGOs

Law and Business

Media and Law

CLAT Expert Interview: Rajendra Khadav, Director, CrackCLAT Coaching

Institute

CLAT UG 2014 Preparation- The Expert Speak

In this exclusive interview, Rajendra Khadav,

Director, Crack CLAT Coaching Institute gives

our readers an overview of the CLAT UG 2014

preparation strategy required to crack this

major undergraduate entrance law

examination. He lists out important topics,

books, reading material and explains career

prospects for those who wish to take up law

after their 12th.

Careers360: Less than six months are left for

CLAT UG 2014, what should be the preparation strategy and focus area of the aspirants?

Rajendra Khadav: Students should now concentrate on revising their concepts and re-look

their knowledge to be thorough with it. They should particularly focus on increasing their

speed since time is a very crucial factor in the exam. Solving previous years’ papers and sample papers would help enhance their speed and time management skills. They will also be

acquainted to the paper structure. Students should be abreast with the current affairs till the

last day of the exam.

Careers360: What are the key areas/important topics that a student should focus on in each

subject area?

Rajendra Khadav: English: The section will test the candidate’s proficiency in English comprehension and grammar. In the comprehension section, candidates will be questioned on

their understanding of the passage and its central theme, meanings of words used therein etc.

The grammar section requires correction of incorrect grammatical sentences, filling in of blanks

in sentences with appropriate words etc.

Apart from this you need to build a vast vocabulary. This needs long term sustained effort. For

this you can pick up one alphabet and learn words beginning with that alphabet. Make the

practice of using the words in your daily conversation and writing. Make the habit of reading

the newspapers everyday like The Hindu and magazines like The Frontline. This is essential for

your GK preparation.

General Knowledge: This is another area that needs sustained effort. The area to be covered is

indeed very vast. You must go through the 10th standard books on Geography, History, Civics

and Science to get a bird’s eye view of the subject matter. Do attempt all the questions from the

past papers to get an idea of the vastness of the subject. For current events, reading of

newspaper and magazine is important. You must maintain a GK notebook for short notes.

Mathematics: This section will test candidates only on “elementary” mathematics i.e. one that is taught till the class 10. Understand the fundamentals of the topics of arithmetic. To enhance

your speed, do more exercises from various practice materials.

Logical Reasoning: The purpose of the logical reasoning section is to test the student’s ability to identify patterns, logical links and rectify illogical arguments. It will include a wide variety of

logical reasoning questions such as syllogisms, logical sequences, analogies, etc.

Legal Aptitude: This is one of the most important factor that the candidate should possess. It

is not necessary for them to know the laws but must have an inclination towards the study of

law. This section will test students only on “legal aptitude”. Questions will be framed with the help of legal propositions and a set of facts to which the said proposition has to be applied.

Careers360: 0.25 negative marking was

introduced last year. What has been the affect

of this on the performance of students?

Rajendra Khadav: Negative marking is very

important to keep up the pace of the

competition between the students. Negative

marking has its own impact on overall CLAT

performance. A single mark will take you over

500 students and the same single mark may

get you behind 500. A clear strategy to deal

with negative marking would help you to take a

leap ahead of other students and possibly

would help you to see NLUs. If you want to

tackle the negative marking in CLAT then be

familiar with the exam pattern. You should

know the number of questions, time limit,

expected cut-off marks, number of attempts required with a fair bit of accuracy.

Careers360: Is there any change expected in the exam pattern of CLAT UG 2014?

Rajendra Khadav: The most significant feature added to CLAT from 2014 is the introduction

of centralized online counseling. The scheme will save the time and energy of thousands of

students and parents besides making the overall admission process more efficient.

Careers360: So far how has been difficulty level of the exam in the past few years? What is it

expected to be like in CLAT 2014?

Rajendra Khadav: Moderate.

Careers360: Apart from the 14 NLUs, which other colleges accept CLAT UG scores that

students should know?

Rajendra Khadav: TNNLS Tiruchirappalli, DSNLU Visakhapatnam, Nirma Ahmedabad etc.

Careers360: How would you advise students to prepare for subjects like Legal Aptitude which

is not taught to UG students?

Rajendra Khadav: This is one of the most important factor that the candidate should possess.

It is not necessary for them to know the laws but must have an inclination towards the study

of law. Solving past papers would help enhance their speed and time management skills and

will also get them acquainted to the paper structure.

Careers360: Which topics would you advise non-math students to prepare for and what

should be their overall preparation strategy for mathematics?

Rajendra Khadav: This section will test candidates only on “elementary” mathematics i.e. maths that is taught till the class 10. Understand the fundamentals of the topics of arithmetic.

To enhance your speed, do more practice exercises from various reading material.

Careers360: Majority of undergraduate students take engineering or medicine as their future

career path. Law is less popular among students. We would like to know career prospects

for those who wish to take up law after 12th.

Rajendra Khadav: In the present era of globalization, interaction with people has increased.

The same is with professions. There is no geographical limitation to pursue education or

professions in any part of the world. Foreign degrees and salaries are the charm of today’s generation and what if you get all this at your door step in your city at your place. Law

education is offering a world class profession as it is now not limited to old perceptions. Law is

now beyond litigation and judicial services. It not only offers lucrative salary packages to legal

managers in corporate sector and lawyers in law firms but also brings with it fame, success

and a sense of social responsibility. Law guards our rights and directs us to our duties and

responsibility.

Various career options available –

Litigation / Legal Practice

Corporate sector / corporate counsel

Law firms, Social Advocates, N.G.O.

Academia

L.P.O.

Judicial Service

CLAT Expert Interview: Prof. Hema Raman, Director, Sri Ram Law

Academy

Gear up for CLAT 2014

In this special series of CLAT 2014 Preparation Tips, Prof Hema Raman, Director, Sri Ram Law

Academy gives few preparation tips for Common Law Admission Test, lists out important topics

from each subject and advises students on how to prepare for subjects like Legal Aptitude

which is not taught to students who pass 12th class.

Careers360: What are the key areas/important topics that

a student should focus on in each subject area (English

including comprehension, General Knowledge/Current

Affairs, Mathematics, Legal Aptitude, Logical Reasoning)?

Hema Raman: For English, one should focus on grammar

and vocabulary. For Math, one should work on all

elementary chapters such as Time and Distance, Time &

Work, Profit & Loss etc. For GK, both current affairs as

well as static GK deserve attention. For logical reasoning,

one should focus on critical reasoning and for Legal, focus should be on legal reasoning

problems.

Careers360: 0.25 negative marking was introduced last year. What has been the affect of this

on the performance of students?

Hema Raman: It has not had any adverse effect, on the contrary, luck factor has been

eliminated and only the truly deserving ones make it to the law schools.

Careers360: Is there any change expected in the exam pattern of CLAT UG 2014?

Hema Raman: No new change has been so far announced by the CLAT authorities.

Careers360: Which are the books that you highly recommend for the preparation of CLAT UG

2014?

Hema Raman: The market is full of new books and students have to carefully choose. First

and foremost, getting hold of the past year question papers is a must for students to get a hang

of the type of questions asked in CLAT.

Careers360: So far how has been difficulty level of the exam in the past few years? What is it

expected to be like in CLAT 2014?

Hema Raman: The difficulty level of CLAT has always ranged from simple to moderate and

2014 CLAT paper is going to be no different.

Careers360: How would you advise students to prepare for subjects like Legal Aptitude which

is not taught to UG students?

Hema Raman: Legal Reasoning section of CLAT calls for no specific preparation, as students

have to merely apply the given principle to the factual situation and choose the most

appropriate option. It tests their ability to apply a given principle to a situation rather than a

test of knowledge of the subject.

Careers360: Which topics would you advise non-math students to prepare for and what

should be their overall preparation strategy for mathematics?

Hema Raman: The level of math questions in CLAT is confined to elementary math which

every student studies between classes VII up to class X. So non- math students are not at any

disadvantage. Sheer practice coupled with knowledge of short cuts will help them to crack this

section.

Careers360: Majority of undergraduate students take engineering or medicine as their future

career path. Law is less popular among students. We would like to know career prospects for

those who wish to take up law after 12th.

Hema Raman: Apart from thriving legal practice in areas such as Intellectual Property Rights,

Taxation, Arbitration, Corporate Law etc., law graduates are in demand by top Legal firms,

LPO’s, Banking and Public Sector Organizations. Media Houses, NGO’s, Government Departments, Judicial Services are other avenues open to law graduates.

Recommended Books by the Experts

Experts recommend the following books for CLAT 2014 preparation –

General Knowledge –

Pratiyogita Darpan

The Hindu

The Frontline

10th standard books on Geography, History, Civics and Science

English –

Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis

English is Easy by Chetnanand Singh

Reasoning –

Analytical Reasoning by M K Pandey

Verbal Reasoning by R S Agarwal

Arithmetic –

Objective Arithmetic by R S Agarwal

General –

Universal’s LLB Entrance Guide

CLAT 2014 Co-Convener talks about NLU expectations

CLAT 2014 is scheduled to be held on May

11, 2014. Gujarat National Law University

(GNLU) is conducting CLAT 2014 which is a

common entrance test for admission to

various law courses in all 14 National Law

Universities. In this interview with

Careers360, CLAT 2014 Co-Convener Dr. Thomas Mathew shares insights on NLUs'

expectations along with CLAT exam and preparation strategy for law aspirants. The CLAT Co-

Convener says that cracking CLAT depends on self practice, time management and belief in

hard work.

Dr. Mathew also talks on what is expected from law aspirants and advises them on CLAT exam

preparation strategy.

Excerpts below:

Careers360: What made it to change the counselling procedure from offline to online in CLAT

2014?

Dr. Thomas Mathew: There had been no counselling after the declaration of the results of

CLAT in past. Till now the students used to give the preferences before the test while filling the

application form. This would often lead to change of the preferred NLUs by the candidate after

the allotment of seats and this would cause problem of re-shuffling.

The reasons for going for online application form are as follows:

Easy access to the application form by the candidates. Access of the form from

home/nearby place (internet cafe etc.)

Submission of the form within deadline. No delays.

Editions in the form are possible before final submission. So chances of less error.

Careers360: How will the new counselling procedure help the aspirants?

Dr. Thomas Mathew: Candidates can prefer for the best suitable NLU of their choice based on

the performance in the test.

Chances of change of preferred NLU by the candidate will be minimal, so less chance of re-

shuffling and hence lesser problems faced by the candidates at large.

Entire admission process may get completed early.

Careers360: Please share your thoughts on the institute's expectations from the aspirants.

What are the key qualities that you look for while taking admissions?

Dr. Thomas Mathew: After 12th it is totally a new field (which they have not studied till 12th)

being opted by the candidates so candidates should have zeal to excel in the field of their

interest and make a mark not only in India but worldwide. If there is zeal then a candidate who

knows his strengths and weaknesses will know how to use their strengths effectively to

succeed.

Careers360: Please share some suggestions on how an aspirant can improve himself/herself

before taking admission in the NLUs?

Dr. Thomas Mathew: Candidates should list out their strengths and weaknesses. Later, they

should work more to improve the weaknesses. The abilities that should be developed are that of

research, finding facts from documents, effective way of listing the facts, improving vocabulary

skills for better and effective way of representation.

Careers360: Besides academic activities, please throw some light on the other activities which

make GNLU unique?

Dr. Thomas Mathew: Our stress at GNLU is on overall development of students and more

importantly shaping them into a good human being who is there for the needs of society. In

this regard, various cultural and co-curricular activities, sports activities, internal or external

moots, social awareness programmes, blood donation camps etc are conducted at our institute.

Careers360: Please share the importance of industrial interaction for students pursuing

graduation in law colleges.

Dr. Thomas Mathew: Theoretical study along with the practical exposure is the tool to yield

results. So such exposures help in understanding the things from overall perspective.

Careers360: Please share the preparation strategy for CLAT 2014 when aspirants are just few

months away from the coveted exam for Law.

Dr. Thomas Mathew: There is no set pattern for how to prepare for CLAT or any other exams.

However, Aspirants should put their time and effort in preparing the subject that they consider

them to be weak at. There are students who can get hold of a particular topic in less time than

others. But it might be required for someone to invest more time and effort. Therefore,

depending on their caliber they should plan their preparation.

Following are the five areas on which the CLAT is based:

English Comprehension

General Knowledge/Current Affairs

Elementary Mathematics

Legal Aptitude

Logical Reasoning

Careers360: Please share your inputs on the scope of Law in current scenario?

Dr. Thomas Mathew: Law is an important measure for creating a disciplined and caring

society, hence the scope is tremendous. Avenues need to be seen where the interest lies;

especially with the constant developments taking place in the society.

Careers360: Please throw some light on the future prospects of law graduates.

Dr. Thomas Mathew: The possible future prospects of the law graduates are Judiciary, Law

Firms, Advocacy/Litigation, Corporate Offices (Law Officers), NGOs, Civil servants

(UPSC) academics and entrepreneurs.

Careers360: Please share your insights on the challenges an aspirant will have to face taking

law as a career and how he/she can prepare to cope?

Dr. Thomas Mathew: With the ever changing and frequent developments taking place in

society, either the laws do keep on getting amended or there is the requirement of amendments

already or new ones need to be framed. So, an aspirant needs to keep self always updated of all

the developments both in the legal field and otherwise so that he/she can contribute effectively.

Those who become dormant will not be able to leave any mark.

Careers360 wishes you Good Luck for CLAT 2014!!!

Hope next year your interview features in this E-book!!!