CLAT 2024 Topper AIR 1 Jai Bohara says 'Good score in Boards doesn't guarantee good college'

CLAT 2024 Topper Jai Kumar Bohara shares his journey, his preparation tips, and many other suggestions to crack one of the toughest law exams; Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) with shiksha.com. Read further to know more.

CLAT 2024 Topper AIR 1 Jai Bohara says 'Good score in Boards doesn't guarantee good college'

CLAT 2024 Topper Jai Kumar Bohara in an exclusive interview with Shiksha.com speaks about how he focussed more on cracking the toughest law entrance exams; i.e. CLAT than the school exams. He says, "Good score in Board exams doesn't guarantee you a good college." In this article, we bring forward to you all the preparation tips, books he referred to, and strategies he followed to secure All India Rank 1.

Q. Congratulations! Did you expect to secure AIR 1 in CLAT 2024?

Ans.  No, I did not expect AIR 1 in CLAT 2024. However, when I appeared for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2024, I had this strong feeling that I would secure a single-digit rank. However, AIR 1 was something I had not expected.

Q. Did the change in CLAT Exam Pattern 2024 hamper your preparation?

A. Fortunately, No. However, it turned out to be in my favor. Initially, when I was preparing and the number of questions was reduced I was happy. My speed in solving the paper was good and with several questions reduced it was quite relieving for me. With time I started focusing on accuracy, time management, and all the other factors.

However, I felt that the Consortium’s decision to change CLAT Exam Pattern 2024 to reduce the number of questions was to make the exam more accessible. So, I made my study plan more general and I didn’t go by deep into topics. I studied a wider variety of topics and approached them generally. So, the exam pattern decision by the consortium was good as I could make a study plan and strategy as per the 120 questions.

Q. Which section did you feel was more challenging? And took more time in the exam?

A. On CLAT Exam day, I started my question paper with the CR section and it was ok for me. Other than that all other sections were quite easy for me. This year, the CR section was much harder as compared to previous years.

Q. How did you manage time between the Class 12^th Board Exam and CLAT Preparation?

A. I always had two priorities in mind. One was to prepare for CLAT, as it was in December, and it is more important than boards. And second priority was to maintain attendance in School. So, I had to go to school to maintain attendance but I didn’t study for boards apart from school. For the Board exams, I will start my preparation now. Because board marks will not fetch you a good college. It’s the entrance that will finally help you secure a good college.

Apart from that, I attended coaching classes, solved mock tests and kept a few hours for doubt clearing. Since, in the beginning, I was scoring very low in General Knowledge, I started devoting four hours to GK and the rest of the time to covering up any other gaps I noticed while solving mock tests. On average, I dedicated 12 hours of rigorous study every day without consulting any books.

Q. Do you feel coaching plays a very important part in clearing CLAT Exam?

A. I feel it's not like you can’t do without coaching. However, with coaching, you get good guidance. Coaching helps you to be consistent and motivated. With coaching you can do it more effectively.

Q. What was your study plan for CLAT?

A. I did not study any extra books. I studied only the material I was given by the coaching center. I ensure I solve mock tests and practice papers. I tried to maintain a consistent score while solving the mock tests. This helped me to approach both the easy and difficult sections of the entrance exam. If I am not solving mock, I am doing some practice questions in Quantitative Technique or CR. Limiting the study material while preparing for the CLAT Exam was a key. As there is no dirt of material available for CLAT Preparation.

Q. Do you think NCERT books are sufficient for CLAT Preparation?

A. I don’t think NCERT books have any relevance because exam pattern has changed a lot now. There is no connection with NCERT books.

Q. How did you deal with your strengths and weaknesses while preparing for CLAT Exam?

A. My strength was always QT from the start. I always tried to maintain the edge. I prepared in a way that I scored the best in QT. My weakness was GK initially. I used to score 2 to 3 marks out of 28 when I started. I devoted more time to GK then. I did not remember a lot of facts but I tried to understand the facts. Which in turn helped me to score well in the exam. I scored 26.25 out of 28 in CLAT Exam 2024. This happened because I analyzed the paper well. I realized the GK asked in any other exams and in CLAT Exam is far more different.

Q. Was Law always your choice as a career?

A. I started preparing for CLAT when I came in Class 12^th. In Class 11^th I decided to pursue my career in Law.

Q. Any tips for students who are planning to take the exam next year?

A. Keep a broad perspective every time you solve a mock. Every year the CLAT paper is different. Try solving as many mock tests as possible. Try and analyse previous years’ question papers and mock papers. Try to analyse the paper. Don’t just rely on your mock score. The more you analyse the question paper the more confident you will be to appear for CLAT Exam 2025. Do analyse your weaknesses and strengths from time to time.

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