Common Mistakes to Avoid While Preparing for CLAT Exam

The CLAT test requires a well-thought-out study plan, strategic problem solving, and a good understanding of the Clat study material. Check out some of the most common mistakes to avoid when studying for the CLAT so you can do well on the test.

Every year, 23 National Law Universities in India hold the Common Law Admission Test, or CLAT, to decide who will get into their undergraduate and graduate law programmes. CLAT scores are also used by a number of private colleges to choose law students. Also, it's not unusual for public sector companies like Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) to hire candidates based on their CLAT scores to handle their legal matters. Now, the importance of the test makes it clear that you need to plan ahead if you want to pass the CLAT exam with flying colours. In this blog, we'll look at some of the most common mistakes that students make when studying for this test.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Getting Ready for the CLAT

Since the test is used to decide who gets into some of India's most prestigious law schools, candidates are expected to have a very high level of aptitude and reasoning skills. This makes it very important to study for the test in the best way possible and try to make as few mistakes as possible.

But given that it is human nature to make mistakes, what most of us can aim for is to at most observe and learn from others. "Learn from the mistakes of others," says a well-known quote by Eleanor Roosevelt. You won't have enough time in your life to make them all yourself." So, let's talk about some of the most common mistakes people make when studying for the CLAT.

Not Taking Enough Practice Tests

This is one of the most common mistakes students make, and they don't even realise how much it hurts their grades as a whole. To breeze through the CLAT paper, you need to be fast and accurate and know how to use your time well. The only way for a student to get faster and better is to practise. And there's no better way to get ready than to take a bunch of practise tests. Mock tests give you the practise you need to know which questions to skip, which ones to come back to, and when to switch from one subject to another. It also helps people learn how to deal with the stress and worry that come with timed tests like the CLAT.

Now, it's also important to figure out when the best time is to take these mock tests. Even though it is a good idea to take section- and topic-specific tests as soon as they are taught and full-length CLAT mock tests once a week, it is especially important to pay attention to them in the last few months. They will help you figure out which topics are good and which ones aren't so you can spend more time on the good ones and have enough confidence to finish the paper.

Trying to answer questions before fully understanding the ideas

Some students try to save time by going straight to the questions and not even reading the theory once. This might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but it is one of the worst things a student taking the CLAT could do. Even small changes in the questions can throw these students off and make them nervous. It's important for students to realise that they need to understand the theory, not the questions. Questions are there to help you learn more about and understand the theory, not the other way around. So, it's best to go over the theory well and clear up any questions with the help of your friends and teachers before moving on to the questions.

Not Reading the Whole Question Before Trying the Paper

Some parts of the question might not be read by the student, and they might only use some of the information to answer the question. The worst part is that the person who wrote the question knows about this trick and has set up the options in a way that makes it easy to trick the students. The student, on the other hand, marks the wrong answer with confidence and loses points because of it. So, students should read all of the questions carefully before starting to answer them.

Not Using a Plan to Solve the Paper

There is a good chance that the paper will start with a hard question or that it will have more than one hard question. This is done to see if the student can handle the problem when they are under pressure. So, if a student just works through the paper in question order, without skipping the hard ones or switching sections when needed, the student might get frustrated and not be able to work as hard on the other questions. So, it's best for students to use mock tests to figure out which part of the test they're best at and the best order in which to take the different parts.

Here are some things to keep in mind as you solve the paper:

If you need to, you can switch between sections.

Try the test several times, starting with the easy questions and working your way up to the harder ones.

Start with your favourite and easiest subject so you can answer the most questions early in the test. Solving a lot of questions early on will give you the confidence you need to do well on the rest of the paper.

Based on the questions, take away options.

Whenever you feel stressed while writing the paper, try to relax. Take a moment to catch your breath before moving on to the next question or section.

Not Making a Plan for the Month Before the Test

We would strongly suggest that you make a plan for your last month and set short-term goals, like for a week or a day. Not only does making a list of topics help you stay organised, but it also makes sure you don't forget any important ones. Planning helps clear your mind because everything is laid out and organised in front of you, so you don't have to keep track of everything in your head. If you plan and choose the topics every day, you can relax in the last few days before the test and won't have to cram too much information into your brain in a short amount of time.

Not studying history and current events on a regular basis

Since there is no set or defined curriculum for this part of the exam, you should read newspapers and magazines regularly. In fact, it would be great if you could make it a habit to read the newspaper every day at the same time, whether it's early in the morning, in the evening, or late at night. All questions from the current events section that you already know the answers to are like bonus questions because you don't have to spend much time on them. Besides newspapers, there are a lot of other online resources that can help you learn more about both old and new legal issues. Check out the list of "essential GK and current affairs" to find some good platforms and resources.

Not spending enough time on reading

Reading is an important part of getting ready for the CLAT. Students have to read passages for English Language, Current Events, Legal Reasoning, and Logical Reasoning. Now, the only way to improve your reading speed, comprehension, and ability to think critically is to read every day. You can read whatever you want, whether it's a story or something that will teach you something. Slowly but surely, your reading speed, vocabulary, and the English language in general will get better. Practice some comprehension questions to get a feel for the kinds of questions you'll be asked and to figure out where you need to improve.

Not taking care of health properly

It is very important for a student to stay healthy so that he can do his best on the test and pay full attention to the paper. So, you should sleep for at least 7–8 hours and keep a regular sleep schedule. Students are always told that going to bed and getting up early is good for them. Take care of your diet. Every day, eat milk, dry fruits, and fruits. It is very important for you to keep your body moving, so work out and do yoga every day. Yoga not only helps you keep your health in good shape, but it also helps you focus better. Don't study for long hours straight. We suggest that you take short breaks and let your mind rest so that you don't get stressed out or tired.

These are some of the most common things people do wrong on the CLAT exam that are easy to avoid and can help you get a better score. We know that studying for these kinds of exams is very stressful, so we suggest that you keep the above points in mind to make as few mistakes as possible.