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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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
To improve CLAT logical reasoning, candidates must start by reading editorial articles daily to identify premises and conclusions, and practice passage-based questions under strict time constraints.
C
Contributor-Level 7
Answered Yesterday
Although there a lot of books, a couple of recommended options are shared here -
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S. Aggarwal
- MK Pandey's Analytical Reasoning
M
Contributor-Level 7
Answered Yesterday
As early as possible as this will give candidates ample time to build reading speed and critical thinking skills to solve the questions with ease.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
No, it is not that easy since it comprises 20% of total marks, skipping it makes clearing overall cut-off impossible.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 days ago
Neither online coaching nor classroom coaching is better than the other; in any case, it all depends on your discipline and timing. Online coaching will save you time from travelling through Lucknow, whereas classroom coaching gives you discipline and instant solutions to your doubts.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 days ago
There are several renowned CLAT coaching institutes in Lucknow which conduct weekend or flexible batches for school-going students. The top ones are Law Prep Tutorial, CLAT Possible, Career Launcher, Grace Elite Academy, and others.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 days ago
The best CLAT coaching centre in Lucknow is one that should be selected on the basis of experienced faculty, mock tests followed by thorough analysis, study materials and smaller batch sizes. The major coaching institutes in Lucknow are LegalEdge (Toprankers), LawPrep Tutorial and Career Launcher. A
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 days ago
While there is no available audit and comparison of success rate made officially and released to the public, LegalEdge by Toprankers, LawPrep Tutorial, and CLAT Possible have been known to be among those with the best success rate for CLAT preparation in Lucknow.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 days ago
For professional students in Lucknow, top coaching institutes that provide the best guidance include LegalEdge from Toprankers (Hazratganj), Career Launcher (Hazratganj & Aliganj), and LawPrep Tutorial (Hazratganj). These coaching institutes provide a hybrid/online batch facility, a video backup fac
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 days ago
The cost of CLAT preparation course in Lucknow comes in the range of INR 60,000-INR1,65,000, while the premium offline classes in Lucknow cost between INR1,00,000 to INR1,30,000 annually. There is variation in costs due to various factors, including the nature of the institute and the duration of co
A
Contributor-Level 6