With a score of 147.5 in CLAT 2017, Sumit Kumar Gupta secured Rank 4 in the law entrance exam. A Science stream student of Sainik School Goalpara, Assam, Sumit secured 87.2% in his Class 12 Board exams.
Apart from being passionate about making a career in Law, Sumit loves to read books and play volleyball. NLSIU Bangalore is mostly the national law university (NLU) of choice for most CLAT toppers. But that is not the case with Sumit who wants to secure admission at The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS).
In a candid interview with Shiksha, Sumit shared his CLAT prep strategy and future goals. Read the complete interview below for more details.
Q. Congratulations on your success! Did you expect to be the topper of CLAT?
Thank you, after the AILET results I was confident that I would be in top 10 of CLAT but Rank 4 came as a pleasant surprise. After I saw my result, I thanked almighty and informed my parents about the CLAT result.
Q. Whom do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my parents, teachers and my friends.
Q. Could you tell us your preparation strategy that helped you crack CLAT exam?
I gave many mock tests. After giving the test I used to jot down my weaknesses and strengths and started working on them accordingly. I stretched myself covering a variety of study material. Later on, I solved around 60 mock tests.
Q. Could you talk a little about how you prepared for the different sections of CLAT exam?
For vocabulary I referred to books by Norman Lewis. I read The Hindu on a daily basis. Also, I tried analysing grammar upto Class 10 and worked on it. I also read Qualitative English by S Chand publication.
For Maths, I read Quantitative Mathematics by RS Aggarwal and for Logical Reasoning I used a book by Arihant publication.
For Legal Aptitude, I had a simple formula i.e. sticking to the principle even if it is wrong.
For GK, I used various magazines like TIT-BITS and Pratiyogita Darpan.
Apart from this, I read study material that I received from my coaching centre.
Q. Did you take any coaching for this exam?
Yes, I enrolled for a correspondence course of CLAT Path, Patna which helped me immensely.
Q. What study plan did you follow for this exam?
I had a simple approach that is to work on my weaknesses and also keep my strengths in view. I devoted quality time to my studies (around 6-8 hours) and used to solve a mock test daily in the later stage of my preparation.
I worked on my weaknesses on a daily basis and devoted around 4-5 hours to that. In addition, I also kept in touch with my strengths.
Q. What other law entrance exams did you take?
I took AILET and secured 10th rank in it. View AILET 2017 Topper Profiles.
Q. Was law always your first preference?
No, since I studied in Sainik School, joining the Defence Forces was always my first preference but due to some medical issues I couldn't join the same. Later on, I analysed my strengths and chose Law as a career as this course also fascinated me very much.
Q. How was the CLAT exam this year?
CLAT exam was great this year. The pattern was a little different to that of the last year. Read CLAT 2017 Exam Analysis.
Q. Any tips for students who are planning to take the exam next year?
Tips for students appearing next year is that CLAT is a dynamic exam. You need proper planning along with a time table. Stick to your time table and stretch yourself to cover wide range of topics. Solve mock tests and work on your weaknesses and strengths. Don't panic and start working hard. All will be good at the end if you have prepared diligently.
Q. What are your future plans?
It is not decided yet but I will be considering two options i.e. either I will go for Corporate Sector or I will prepare for Civil Services.
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Meet CLAT 2017 Girl Topper Radhika Sharda
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Student Forum
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Yes, a student with a low CLAT 2026 score can still secure admission to Chandigrah University's BA LLB or B.Com. LLB Programs. CU does not requie CLAT fro admission, as it has its own entrance exam called CUCET, which is mandatory for all law aspirants. Your admission depends entirely on CUCET perfr
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Yes, you heard it right, Chandigarh University has its own admission process and you can skip CLAT, because as the university has their own entrance test which is CUCET and this test is mandatory for your admission. If you score well in CUCET then you can get a scholorship that reduces your fees a l
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Hi.
The advantages of choosing Chandigarh University for law studies after clearing CLAT 2026 are-
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Chandigarh University's University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS) has a practical and career-focused curriculum that helps CLAT 2026-qualified students prepare for corporate law, litigation, or the judiciary. The programme covers all important subjects, including corporate law, criminal law, con
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No, CLAT exam is not mandatory for taking admission in BA LLB at Chandigarh University. For taking admission in university, you need to pass the Chandigarh University Common Entrance Test (CUCET). This test is mandatory for your admission. If you score well in CUCET then you can get a scholarship th
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The process to access official sample papers of CLAT 2026 is as under-
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Candidates can follow the process mentioned below to check the CLAT seat allotment result:
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The Consortium of NLUs will begin CLAT Counselling Process 2026 once the CLAT Results are announced. The counselling process of CLAT will be conducted in online mode on the official website of Consortium of NLUs; i.e. consortiumofnlus.ac. The Counselling Process will be held in five rounds.
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- Go to consortiumofnlus.ac.in.
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Yes, the cnsortium of NLUs has released the CLAT admit card online. The candidates registered for the exam are issued the hall ticket online. The CLAT 2026 Exam is scheduled to be held on December 07, 2025.
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Exam On - 7 Dec '25
