CLAT 2021 Topper Interview: Garima Banka, AIR 9, says take mocks most seriously
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Garima Banka, a native of Bihar, topped CLAT 2021 with AIR 9. Read below to know how she prepared for the exam and what tips she provides for the CLAT aspirants.
Garima Banka, a student of St. Josephs School, Bhagalpur, Bihar, scored 113.25 in CLAT 2021 and bagged AIR 9 in the examination. She is currently pursuing BA LLB from the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore. She comes from a business background and aspires to be a social worker.
Shiksha got in touch with Garima to know how she prepared for the exam and what are her future plans. Here are the excerpts of Shiksha’s interview with Garima Banka.
Q. Congratulations! Did you expect to be the topper of CLAT 2021?
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A. Securing 9th position in All India Rank (AIR) was way beyond my imagination as I was scoring very low ranks in my coaching mocks till the very end. However, somehow, the question paper seemed to me within my comfort zone during the exam and I was able to make it.
Q. What was your preparation strategy that helped you crack CLAT 2021?
A. Taking a lot of mocks towards the end and analyzing each mock thoroughly helped me gain command over the paper. I also studied all the current affairs topics in detail and revised them umpteen times as current affairs form a major part of the CLAT exam and is a scoring section.
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Q. Did you take any coaching for the exam?
A. I was enrolled in Legal Edge's one-year classroom program. Apart from it, I took test series of one other coaching institute.
Q. What study plan did you follow for the exam?
A. I initially went slow with everything. I devoted a lot of time in the initial months reading novels and taking my time to understand the editorials to hone my reading skills. Even while solving English, Critical Reasoning and Legal passages, I went very slow and focused on strengthening the concepts. Then towards the end, I spent the majority of time practicing the questions through mocks and other materials and gained speed.
Q. Which books did you read to prepare for the CLAT exam? Mention the names of the books.
A. I primarily used the Legaledge RSMs to study and practice. I also referred to the GMAT official guide for CR (Critical Reasoning) and RS Aggarwal’s Quantitative Aptitude book for Maths.
Q. How did you deal with your strengths and weaknesses while preparing for the exam?
A. I played with my strengths in mocks by attempting more questions from my strong section. While practicing, I devoted a greater part of my day to my weaker sections.
Q. Tell us about your family background.
A. I hail from a small town in Bihar. My family has a business background. My mother is a housewife and I have two younger siblings.
Q. What are your hobbies?
A. I like reading fiction novels, especially ones belonging to the suspense thriller genre. I also like binging on Netflix and listening to songs.
Q. What other law entrance exams did you take or are planning to take?
A. I was planning to take ALIET, MHCET Law and BLAT (BHU UET Law) apart from CLAT. I also appeared for SLAT 2021.
Q. Was law always your first preference?
A. I initially thought to pursue English Honours from Delhi University but then I decided to pursue law finding it a more lucrative profession.
Q. Any tips for students who are planning to take these exams in future?
A. I would advise all the law aspirants to keep their options open and not completely restrict themselves to CLAT. In addition, my biggest advice is to take mocks most seriously and use them as a tool to learn from your mistakes. Don’t get disheartened by low scores and keep believing in yourselves no matter what.
Q. What are your future plans?
A. I aspire to go to the judiciary, as I want to be a social worker. However, I am yet to discover my actual interests and I am looking forward to the 5 years of my law school to help me discover myself.
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Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
No, CLAT is generally considered more difficult than CUET as CLAT exam requires more intense reading and preparation. It also involves intense time pressure as candidates are required to read around 15,000 words across 30 passages before answering the questions.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
Choose Commerce if you want an early foundation in business and finance for corporate law, or Arts (Humanities) if you prefer subjects that align closely with reading comprehension and current affairs for the CLAT exam.
Both streams make you fully eligible for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) and
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Ministry of Education can release the NLUs NIRF Ranking soon on its official website. There is no time line announced by the ministry in this regard.
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Answered a week ago
NLSIU Bengaluru, which has held the top spot in the Law category every year since NIRF introduced it in 2018.
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No, the NIRF Law Ranking 2026 will be released soon by the Minsitry of Education on its official website.
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Answered 2 weeks ago
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
Yes, the Consortium removed two Test Cities from the CLAT 2027. The removed test cities are Vellore and Tiruvarur. CLAT 2027 exam date is December 6.
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Answered 3 weeks ago
Candidates are required to pay the CLAT Registration/Form fee as per their category. The Consortium prescribed the category-wise form fee. Without submitting the CLAT form fee, the registration will not be completed.
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No, a domicile certificate is not mandatory for all candidates. It is only required if you intend to claim a reservation/ seat under state quota (offered by specific NLUs). Students can skip this document if they are applying solely under the All-India open category.
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Answered 3 weeks ago
Yes, only Indian Citizens can fill and appear in CLAT. The Foreign nationals can take admission in NLUs but through different official channel.
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