CLAT Topper Tips: Pay attention to Maths!

Anant Khanna CLAT 2015 AIR 6

Rank 6 holder in CLAT 2015, Anant Khanna completed his schooling from La Martiniere College. Talking about his prep strategy for CLAT exam, Anant very candidly revealed that his coaching centre, Team Satyam, helped him become well-equipped to perform well in the exam and secure a score of 133.5.

Anant shared that he prepared for two years to crack CLAT and his secret mantra to score high in CLAT is that one should practice Maths every single day during his/her prep time and attempt as many mock tests as they can.

Shiksha.com got talking with Anant Khanna and he shared his success mantra and tips to crack CLAT exam.

1) How did you prepare for the exam?

My basic preparation for the CLAT was following whatever my coaching teachers told me and practising the course material provided by the coaching centre.

2) Which coaching classes did you join for CLAT prep?

I was enrolled in the 2 year programme at Team Satyam.

3) When should one start preparing for the exam?

One year prior to the exam is the best time to start preparation. But this one year should consist of focused preparation for the CLAT and no other competitions.

4) How long did you prepare for the exam and how many hours did you study in a day?

I prepared for two years, though I later realised that instead of studying for two years, I could have concentrated my attention and devoted just one year into preparing for CLAT into one. I studied for roughly 3 hours a day when I was studying boards and CLAT, and this jumped up to 6 hours a day along with one mock test daily when I was not spending any time in board examinations.

5) List some important books you referred to for covering the syllabus?

I exclusively used the CP study material.

6) Are there any important topics to score well?

For a student scoring below 100, all sections need to be improved to reach at least a triple digit score, while for those scoring 110-120, Maths needs to be picture perfect for it is Maths which acts as a deciding factor for the NLU a student gets admission in.

7) Any study tips from your experience?

Students must practice maths daily, there is no other way to get Maths in one's grasp. Also, do at least two mock tests per week till the boards, following which, at least a mock a day, the more you practice, the better.

8) What as per you are the mistakes one should avoid while preparing for the exam?

There are two cardinal sins a student can commit while preparing for the examination:

1) Going off course- Doing way more than is required, especially in GK; and

2) Sailing on two boats- There needs to be absolute focus at all times, and planning has to be done in order to score well, planning at both macro and micro levels. The student must know by what date his course will be over. My mother used to tell me, "Failing to plan is planning to fail".

9) How did you prepare for different sections of the exam?

English: Reading and writing. Correct reading and writing is the only way to get this done, here a good English teacher is a boon.

Maths: Daily practice, as I said earlier, no shortcuts for this one.

GK: The newspaper is more than enough, albeit a good newspaper such as the Hindu.

Logical Reasoning: Again, practice, there are some tricks which can be learnt, but these aren't essential.

Legal: I practiced using past years' papers, and the TS course material had cases with decisions which helped out a lot as those answers usually can not be incorrect.

10) When did you start revising the syllabus?

Although my revision started in January, there was no hard and fast beginning for revision as different sections were completed at different times.

11) How did you manage time while giving the exam?

Time management comes from giving mocks, as that tells a student which section to do first and which one to do later. For instance, if I'm weak in Logic, I'll do it right in the end so the loss is minimised. Some also prefer to do GK first which gives a psychological advantage as GK hardly takes 15 minutes.

12) What mistakes should one avoid while giving the exam in order to score well?

One must learn to move on, and not get stuck on a question. Skip any question that takes longer than the allotted 36 seconds, and this way you do an easy question later in the paper, save time there, and return to this one later. Due to this skipping policy, I had a good five minutes remaining at the end of my paper.

13) Which as per you was the most difficult section in the exam?

GK was my weakest since I never liked to study it. But do not be prejudiced against GK just because I find it difficult, it is one of the most scoring subjects for students who are good at it. And since I found it difficult, I put in the maximum efforts into this.

14) Is there any section that plays the “deciding factor” for securing good ranks in the exam?

As I said earlier, Maths is a deciding factor between 120 and 140 score (Because scoring a perfect 20 is not a very big deal). It is also on the basis of one’s score in Maths which helps to determine if he/she can secure admission in an NLU or not.

15) How can one overcome their weaknesses during their preparation time?

Weaknesses are nothing but indicators to tell us where to work hard. Like if having low stamina is my weakness I will work to increase my stamina and it will obviously take more work than say increasing my speed, if I am a runner. Similarly, as a CLAT aspirant, if I'm weak at a section, I work hard to eliminate the weakness. Same goes for a non-sectional weakness like concentration or something else, work hard enough at it, and it will definitely go away.

16) Any advice for aspirants who will be taking the exam this year?

Take a day off right before the exam. If the exam is on the 10^th, stop studying on the 9^th, relax, play a sport or a video game, or watch a movie, just do anything that relaxes you, don't do last minute preparation. This way you'll be fresh when the exam starts and so you'll be able to focus more and also, do less last minute preparation. The less scattered the information in your head will be. Above all, be confident and don't get bogged down by the fact that your friend has read 365 books, you still may score better. Work smarter, not harder!  

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