CLAT, AILET 2020 Topper Interview: Take mocks, manage time to score good, says Anhad Kaur

Anhad Kaur Mehta topped the AILET 2020 and CLAT 2020 with AIR 1 and AIR 7, respectively. Know what preparation strategy and study plan she adopted to crack the law entrance exams.

Anhad Kaur Mehta, a student of Bhavan Vidyalaya, Chandigarh, secured 108.75/200 marks in CLAT 2020 and 102/200 score in AILET 2020. No one knew that Anhad, who once thought of becoming a chef, would one day don the black coat. Anhad, 19, is currently pursuing law from the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru. She began her preparation for CLAT and AILET when she was in Class 11. Her father is a surveyor and loss assessor and mother a counsellor. She loves to sketch, read books and listen to music in her leisure time.

In an exclusive conversation with Shiksha, Anhad shares AILET and CLAT 2021 preparation tips and her secret to success.

Q. Did you expect to be the topper of AILET and CLAT 2020?

A. No, I did not expect to become the topper of either AILET or CLAT. It was a pleasant surprise. I only focused on improving my shortcomings and tried to perform better with each CLAT mock test .

Q. What was your preparation strategy that helped you crack CLAT and AILET 2020?

A. I remained resilient throughout my preparation, which helped me perform well in the exams. I became a little demotivated when the pandemic hit India and the CLAT exam pattern was also changed. But I continued to concentrate on improving my sectional scores and was never afraid of getting a low score. This helped me prioritise the tasks I had to complete.

Q. How did you manage time between board exams and entrance exams preparation?

A. Plan a schedule keeping in mind your school hours too. I managed to strike a balance between both board exam preparation and competitive exams. During school days, I would make sure that I devoted at least two hours to CLAT and AILET preparation and focused on boards during the rest of the time.

Q. Did you take any coaching for these exams?

A. Yes, I took coaching classes for CLAT and AILET preparation from a private institute in Chandigarh. It was a two-year course, which began in Class 11. When I was promoted to Class 12, I was able to secure a scholarship from a well-known coaching institute, which gave me access to their coaching material as well as mock tests.

Q. What study plan did you follow for these exams?

A. On an average, I spent two hours preparing for CLAT and AILET. During these two hours, I would prepare a list of topics I needed to work on based on my sectional scores in mock tests. Then, I would set a timer and solved tests and question sheets. This helped me strengthen my basics and ultimately improved my mock scores.

Q. Which books did you read to prepare for these exams?

A. I consulted different books for different sections. Below are the books and material I referred to during my preparation.

Quantitative aptitude: RS Aggarwal and coaching material

English: CAT/GMAT RC passages and CLAT and AILET previous years’ papers

Legal reasoning: CLAT sample papers released by the CLAT Consortium

Critical reasoning: GMAT passages of varying degrees of difficulty and mocks.

General Knowledge: Newspapers, online websites for study material

Also read:

• Best Books for AILET 2021 Preparation

• Best Books for CLAT 2021 Preparation

Q. How did you deal with your strengths and weaknesses while preparing for these exams?

A. I would focus more on my weaknesses to ensure that I could at least score something in those questions. For instance, quantitative aptitude is my weakness. So, I made sure that I worked on it because if your quant is sorted then it is easier to get a good overall score.

Q. Was law always your first preference?

A. No, law was not my first preference as I wanted to become a chef when I was a kid. But as I grew up, I considered law as an ideal profession and decided to pursue a career in it.

Q. Any tips for students who are planning to take these exams in future?

A. There is no need to stress about these exams and if one is motivated and putting in all efforts, it is more than enough. It is important to stay calm. Attempt questions that you are confident about in the beginning and manage time to avoid mistakes. Keep taking CLAT mock tests as these help identify your strong and weak areas during the preparation process.

Q. What are your future plans?

A. I am currently pursuing BA LLB from the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru. At the moment, I am not clear on what I will choose to do after completing my graduation.

Read More: 

• CLAT 2020 Topper Interview: Regular practice, consistency key to success, says Aprajita
• CLAT Syllabus 2021
• AILET Syllabus 2021: Download Latest Syllabus PDF 
• How is CLAT different from AILET? Key differences in Pattern, Syllabus, Difficulty Level