CLAT UG Topper Aarav Bajaj Says, "Studied 12 hours a day to crack the CLAT Exam"

CLAT UG 2026 Topper Aarav Bajaj (AIR 51) shares how studying for 12 hours a day helped him to crack the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) UG with shiksha.com. Read further to know more.

CLAT UG Topper Aarav Bajaj says, "Studied 12 hours a day to crack the CLAT Exam"

CLAT UG 2026 Topper Aarav Bajaj, in an exclusive interview with shiksha.com, shared how he studied for 12 hours a day to crack the CLAT Exam. "I had quite a hard time managing both school and CLAT prep. I tried my best to cover the chapters that I could in school lectures and make as much use of the time I had lying around in school to study as much as I could," he added. 

Congratulations! Did you expect to be the topper of CLAT 2026?

Thank you so much! In all honesty, not at all. I went into the exam hall in the belief that I would be lucky if I got into a Tier 1 NLU, but my fate had other plans for me. Of course, I had prepared my absolute best, but at the end of the day, you never know what could happen on exam day.

What was the preparation strategy that helped you crack CLAT 2026?

My preparation started in November 2024. I joined CLAT Possible. It was a world of its own, from the confusing Critical reasoning concepts to the Supreme Court judgments, and I can’t even get started on GK. My strategy for subjects other than GK was to cover my concepts well in advance and start practising and applying them to mocks. For the CLAT GK section, my strategy was to be consistent, in a way to cover the newspapers each day, making notes from them and other sources such as the compendium and relating them to static GK concepts.

How did you manage time between board exams and entrance exam prep?

I had quite a hard time managing both school and CLAT prep. I tried my best to cover the chapters that I could in school lectures and make as much use of the time I had lying around in school to study as much as I could. I had humanities subjects in 12th hence there was some overlap with legal studies and political science with CLAT prep, which made it easier. Once most of my curriculum was covered after August, I decided to divert all my attention to CLAT prep with around 12 hours of studying each day.

Did you take any coaching for this exam?

I was associated with a coaching institute. I also acquired a few test series, compendiums and gave All India Open mocks from other coaching. I would say that the guidance provided by my teachers was truly invaluable. And I mustn't forget to tell all future aspirants, try to disregard your first All India Open mock score, you can come a long way from it.

Also Read: CLAT 2026 Topper Roshan Sengupta says 'Sticking to one mock test pattern will not be useful'

What study plan did you follow for this exam?

I was trying to balance school and 75% attendance altogether, so it wasn’t easy to have a schedule, but after August, on the days school was off. I used to go to my coaching centre from 10 am and study there with a few of my friends who are fellow CLAT aspirants till 6 pm.

In that duration, I used to attempt mocks and analyze them extensively the same night, and cover quants and GK each night till 12 am to start the day all over again tomorrow. On school days, it was similar, but my mornings were occupied by school, and then I would go straight to the centre to study.

Which books did you read to prepare for the exam?

For subjects like Critical Reasoning, English and Legal Reasoning, I relied on the classes and also the fundamental books given by the coaching. In particular, I practised their Legal PYQs book extensively, along with GMAT club questions. For GK, I studied from the CLAT Possible compendiums. I relied on Lucent’s GK book and Arihant’s Static GK booster. For Quants and Analytical Reasoning, I practised mainly from mocks.

How did you deal with your strengths and weaknesses while preparing for the exam?

The first step in dealing with your weaknesses is to identify them. I did a CLAT mock analysis and compared my sectional scores with my ideal scores.  After that was done, I tried to make sure that I remained consistent with my strengths, like the quantitative aptitude section and legal reasoning section. For my weaknesses, I tried to work on them constantly until I could say that it was now a strength of mine, and to seek advice from my mentors on how to improve upon them.

What other law entrance exams did you take or are planning to take?

The other law entrance exam that I took was AILET 2026, in which I secured 128.5 marks out of 150 and a rank of 208. I do not intend to take any other law entrance exams.

Also Read: CLAT 2026 Topper Chhavi Poplani says 'Analysed my mistakes after each mock tests'

Was law always your first preference?

I had always been fascinated by law and eventually, after the naive me in 9th grade solidified that dream. It felt like it was all I ever wanted to do as far back as I could remember. It is a very intriguing subject for me and always has been and hence it wasn’t a debate for me as to what I wanted to be when I grew up.

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

The advice I would give to my juniors is, firstly, on the day of the exam, always stay calm. This exam rewards clear-headedness, and it makes reasoning just this little bit easier. Secondly, for prep, give it your all. Tie up any loose ends, make your strengths even stronger and never give up. Remember your aim and achieve it.

What are your future plans?

For now, after boards, I intend to prepare my best for law school and get to know as much as I can about NLSIU. Long term, I wish to focus on my studies and also gain as much real-world experience through internships and make my mark in the field of law.

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