CLAT Preparation 2022: Study Material, Tips, Books, Section-wise Weekly & Monthly Study Plan

For any law aspirant, getting a good score in CLAT and getting admission to a top NLU like NLSIU Bangalore and NALSAR is a dream. But being the go-to law entrance exam in the country, the competition offered by CLAT is so immense that unless your preparation is top-rung, you can't expect to get a rank good enough to break open the doors of the top NLUs. The question then is how does one prepare for CLAT 2023 exam within next few months. In this article, we take a comprehensive look at CLAT 2023 exam preparation, including when should you start solving sample papers, what is the right way to take notes, what to study and which topics to pay special attention to, and other important nuggets. Read on to learn what we have in store for you.

Latest Update:

• August 08: CLAT 2023 applications started. Apply here
• August 6: CLAT 2023 Applications to begin from August 8 onwards at - consortiumofnlus.ac.in, Check here

The Consortium of NLUs will now be conducting CLAT 2023 exam on December 18 from 2 pm to 4 pm. So, there is limited time remaining for the exam preparation. To crack a tough exam like CLAT, it is important for students to begin preparation at the earliest.    

CLAT 2023 Preparation Plan

A basic preparation plan for CLAT 2023 should look like as under: 

While the CLAT exam pattern was overhauled in 2020, the difficulty level of the paper has increased. Therefore, it is important to have a proper CLAT preparation plan in mind before starting with the study. The preparation plan for CLAT 2023 should be as under:  

• Know CLAT syllabus and understand the exam pattern and marking scheme well
• Gather best books for CLAT preparation along with other study material such as sample/previous year question papers
• Analyse your strong and weak subjects from the syllabus
• Make a well-thought CLAT study plan and adhere to it
• Practice CLAT previous year question papers
• Revise, revise and revise

Also Read: CLAT 2021 question paper (free PDF available) 

CLAT 2023 Syllabus & Exam Pattern 

Before talking about the exam preparation, it is important to be well-versed with the syllabus and pattern of CLAT 2023. Check important highlights for CLAT 2023 exam pattern and syllabus below:

CLAT Exam Pattern 2023

With no change in the exam pattern announced yet, the CLAT 2023 question paper will contain total 150 objective-type questions of 150 marks. The questions in the exam will be preceded by reading comprehension passages. You will have to read the passages and then answer the subsequent questions. The exam will be conducted in offline mode as a pen-and-paper test. Total duration to complete the CLAT exam will be two hours. Check important CLAT exam pattern highlights below:

Particulars	CLAT Exam Pattern Highlights
Exam mode	Offline
Exam duration	120 minutes (2 hours)
Test language	English
Type of questions	Comprehension-based MCQs
Exam subjects	5 (English Language, Current Affairs including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques)
Total questions	150
Maximum marks	150
Marking scheme	+1 for a correct answer -0.25 for an incorrect answer

Also Read: Tips to prepare for new exam pattern of CLAT 2023 by Harsh Gagrani

CLAT Syllabus 2023

Check section-wise highlights for CLAT syllabus below:

CLAT Sections	CLAT Syllabus Highlights
English Language	Proficiency will be tested based on questions related to comprehension passages and grammar There will be passages of 450 words based on the contemporary, historically significant fiction and non-fiction writing You will have to compare different viewpoints, draw out inferences and conclusions and also understand the meaning of words and phrases given in the passages
Current Affairs including General Knowledge	Proficiency will be tested based on your awareness about various aspects of static General Knowledge and Current Affairs Important topics for GK are Arts & Culture and History Important topics for Current Affairs are national and international events of last one year There will be reading passages of 450 words based on news, journalistic sources and other non-fiction writings
Legal Reasoning	Proficiency will be tested based on your general awareness of contemporary legal and moral issues Questions will be based on legal matters, public policy and moral philosophical enquiries There will be reading passages of 450 words based on fact-based situations or legal, public policy and moral scenarios
Logical Reasoning	Important topics for the section are relationships, analogies, logical sequences and arguments There will be reading passages of around 300 words You need to critically analyse the arguments given in the passage, identify the pattern of reasoning and then conclude the arguments
Quantitative Techniques	The section will carry short sets of passages based on facts, graphs, propositions, pictorials, textuals or diagrammatic representation of numerical data Important topics for the section are ratios and proportions, basic algebra, mensuration, and statistics

Also Read: Important topics to study from CLAT 2023 syllabus

Section-Wise CLAT Preparation Strategy 2023

You should ideally spend sufficient time on the preparation of each CLAT section. However, it should depend on your strengths and weaknesses for a particular subject that how much effort you want to put in its preparation. But, all the sections should be prepared irrespective of the fact. Below are the tips to prepare for each section of the CLAT exam: 

CLAT Preparation for English Section

The aim of this section is to test the comprehension, analytical, grammar and vocabulary skills of candidates. You will be required to correct the incorrect grammatical sentences, fill in the blanks with appropriate words, etc. The difficulty level of the questions will be of Class 12. Some of the important topics that you should prepare for English section of the CLAT exam include Grammar, Vocabulary, Antonyms/Synonyms, Word Meanings and Idioms and Phrases. 

This section of the CLAT question paper cannot be attempted by cramming up the syllabus, it needs to be prepared consistently. You can prepare for the section by following the tips given below:

• Read newspapers: Read some good newspapers and magazines daily. While reading, do not forget to go through the editorial section of the paper. It is the most important part of a newspaper as it helps develop opinions about a topic, which will further help you understand the arguments and statements laid out in the passage.    
• Have discussions: Engage in regular discussions with your peers or study group. You can discuss a particular passage from the CLAT English section and try to figure out the main theme, arguments and conclusions set out in the passage together. 
• Practice grammar: To improve your English grammar, it is must that you practice, practice and practice. You do not need to pick up any fancy book but can just start from any good Class 10 grammar book. 
• Improve vocabulary: Improving English vocabulary needs consistent effort and practice. You can improve it by finding and memorising the meaning of any new word that you come across while reading a book or newspaper.

How to Attempt Questions?

• Usually a passage will have one point followed by arguments and statements. Try to identify the main point being made in the passage.
• Once done, try to extract information related to Who, What, Why, When and Where from the passage
• Pay close attention vocabulary questions. They will be of two types - one, asking the simple meaning of a word/phrase and two, asking the meaning of a word/phrase in the context of the passage.
• Pay attention to the wordings used in the questions. Sometimes, the language can be twisted to judge your reading comprehension skills

Also Read: CLAT 2023 preparation strategy & tips to attempt questions in English Language Section

CLAT Preparation for Current Affairs including GK Section

The section can be prepared easily if you regularly keep a track of all news and events around the world and of national importance. You should follow all the controversial stories and legal judgements regarding current events. Apart from this, you should increase your awareness about general knowledge related to personalities & events, awards & recognitions, History and Art & Culture. 

Listed below are some newspapers, magazines and apps that you can refer to keep your GK and Current Affairs up to date: 

• Newspapers - The Hindu, GK Today, The Telegraph, Economic Times
• Magazines - The Chronicles, Outlook India, India Today
• Apps - Twitter, Inshorts, Business Insider

How to Attempt Questions?

• Make sure of reading the entire passage before attempting the questions. While doing so, try to pick clues about the answers to the questions
• Try to find out the main theme of the passage
• Make sure of reading all the four given options before answering a particular question 

Also Read: CLAT Preparation 2022-23: How to attempt questions in Current Affairs & GK section?

Download CURRENT AFFAIRS 2022-23 Guide - Click Here

CLAT Preparation for Legal Reasoning Section

CLAT Legal Reasoning is one of the highest weightage sections of the exam and thus should not be taken lightly. The section will include reading passages of about 450 words on legal matters, public policy questions and moral philosophical enquiries. The best way to master this section is by improving your reading and analytical skills. For the same, you can follow the preparation strategy mentioned below:

• Spend about two to three hours everyday in reading good newspapers, magazines and blogs related to static and current legal issues
• Go through all the important cases decided in last one year, all the new amendments and enactments done in the parliament and all other contemporary issues

How to Attempt Questions?

• Read the passage and identify the principles and facts set out in it
• Break down the principle into smaller parts to gain better understanding of the passage
• Pay close attention to the small tweaks in the facts that can have a big impact on the outcome of a question
• Avoid applying any pre-existing knowledge of laws as it can lead to errors

Also Read: CLAT Preparation 2022-23: How to attempt questions in Legal Reasoning section?

CLAT Preparation for Logical Reasoning Section

This section of the CLAT exam is closely related to English Language and Legal Reasoning sections. Therefore, you can adopt a similar preparation strategy as for English and Legal Reasoning. Some of the important topics to prepare for CLAT Logical Reasoning section include Logic Games, Syllogisms, Relationships and Analogies. 

How to Attempt Questions?

• Carefully identify the premises and conclusions in the passage
• Thereafter, identify the overall theme or the main point being made in the passage
• Identify the set of arguments made in the passage
• Read each question carefully before attempting it

Also Read: CLAT Preparation 2022-23: How to attempt questions in Logical Reasoning section?

CLAT Preparation for Mathematics Section 

You need to recollect basic fundamentals of the Class 10 Mathematics syllabus if you have not studied the subject in Class 11 and 12. You will have to cover the CLAT Mathematics syllabus by understanding one concept per day and practising mock papers alongside. The section will carry 13-17 questions only but there is negative marking too for wrong attempts. Therefore, you should be careful and practice well for the section by clearing difficult concepts, understanding formulae and using mock papers. Candidates need to spend at least three months to develop speed and accuracy in this section. Important topics to prepare for this section include Basic Algebra, Ratios and Proportions, Mensuration and Statistics.

How to Attempt Questions?

• Analyse the graphical information carefully before attempting a question; remember the questions in the section will be more logic-based rather than formulae-based
• Keep your rough notes neet and handy so that you can refer them quickly if needed

Also Read: CLAT Preparation 2022-23: How to attempt questions in Quantitative Techniques section?

Important Section-wise CLAT Books 2022-23

Check out some important section-wise CLAT books for preparation:

CLAT Books for English Section

• Objective General English by SP Bakshi
• The Pearson Guide to the CLAT
• Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
• CLAT Guide by Tata McGraw-Hill

CLAT Books for Current Affairs including GK Section

• Manorama Year Book
• General Knowledge 2022, 2021 by Arihant Publications
• Lucent’s General Knowledge

CLAT Books for Legal Reasoning Section

• Universal’s Guide to CLAT LLB Entrance Examination
• Pearson's Legal Awareness and Legal Reasoning 
• Pearson’s Guide to the CLAT

CLAT Books for Logical Reasoning Section

• A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning by RS Aggarwal
• Arihant’s A New Approach to Verbal and Analytical Reasoning
• Analytical Reasoning (English) by MK Pandey

CLAT Books for Quantitative Techniques Section

• 30 days wonder for Maths by S Chand
• Pearson's Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations
• Quantitative Aptitude by RS Aggarwal

CLAT Question Papers & Mock Tests

The preparation for CLAT exam is incomplete without practicing CLAT previous year question papers, sample papers and mock tests. It is important to solve CLAT question papers due to the following reasons:

• Provides exam-like atmosphere
• Helps know the difficulty level of the paper
• Helps analyse the strong and weak areas for the exam
• Improves time management skills
• Boosts confidence

Also Read:

CLAT 2021 question paper	CLAT 2020 question paper
CLAT 2019 question paper	CLAT 2018 question paper

How to Prepare for CLAT without Coaching?

In the current COVID times, it is difficult to step out of the house to join a coaching institute. Howver, the question, "How to prepare for CLAT 2023?" keeps hovering the minds of a lot of candidates. Therefore let us check out some essential tips to prepare for CLAT 2023 without coaching:

• Study plan: Having a monthly and weekly study plan in place is extremely important to ensure consisent studies. However, the CLAT study plan should be such that it should have complete details on the subjects and topics to be studied every day. Along with that, the study plan should also include frequent breaks to ensure that you have some relaxing time.
• CLAT question papers: Regular practice is the key to success for CLAT 2022 exam. Therefore, do not shy away from practicing as many CLAT question papers and sample papers as you can. However, remember that after attempting a paper it is also must to analyse it well so that you can work on your weaker areas.
• Revision: While preparing for a national-level entrance exam like CLAT, it is not only important to study but also retain what you study for a longer duration of time. And for that, regular revision is the key.

Also Read: CLAT Preparation Strategy 2023 amid COVID

CLAT Exam Analysis

Every year, after the law entrance exam is conducted, Shiksha reach out to experts and students to know the difficulty level and paper pattern of CLAT exam. To know the difficulty level of CLAT exam conducted in previous years, click on the links below:

• CLAT 2021 Exam Analysis 
• CLAT 2021 Student Reaction and Analysis
• CLAT 2020 Student Reactions
• CLAT Exam Analysis 2019 by Expert
• CLAT 2019 paper analysis by students
• CLAT 2018 Exam Analysis
• CLAT 2017 Exam Analysis 

Check complete details about CLAT exam analysis.

CLAT Topper Interviews

One of the best ways to prepare for CLAT is also by knowing how previous years' topper prepared for the law entrance exam. Click on the links below to check some CLAT topper tips and know how they prepared for the exam:

CLAT Topper Interviews (UG)
CLAT 2021 Topper Interview: From a doctor’s family, Manhar Bansal, AIR 1, chooses a different path	CLAT 2021 topper: Sukarm, AIR 5, says improve reading speed to manage time
CLAT 2020 Topper Interview: AIR 1, Aprajita says Regular practice, consistency is key to success	CLAT, AILET 2020 Topper Interview: Take mocks, manage time to score good, says Anhad Kaur
AILET & CLAT 2019 Topper Interview: AIR 1, Saumya Singh shares prep tips	CLAT 2019 Topper Interview: AIR 2, Harsh Tomar wants to become a corporate lawyer
CLAT Topper Interview 2019: AIR 5 Mouli Jain used Pomodoro technique for preparation	CLAT 2019 Topper Interview: AIR 8, Shubh Mittal wants to be a politician
CLAT 2018 Topper Interview: AIR 1, Aman Garg shares his success mantra	CLAT 2018 Topper: AIR 6, Shikhar Agarwal shares that being calm & focused is important
CLAT 2017 Topper Interview: AIR 1 Rajat Maloo shares his Success Mantra	Meet CLAT 2017 Girl Topper Radhika Sarda
CLAT 2017 Topper Interview: AIR 4, Sumit Kumar Gupta wants to join NUJS	CLAT 2017 Topper Interview: AIR 5, Himanshu Ashwani advises aspirants to take mock tests regularly
CLAT 2016 Topper Viraj Ananth to join NLSIU Bangalore – Know more about how he got AIR 1	-
CLAT Topper Interviews (PG)
CLAT PG 2020 Topper Interview: Sahil, AIR 5, says take mock tests for better results	CLAT PG Topper Interview 2019: AIR 5, Shiwali Agarwal wants to become a Legal Advisor
CLAT PG 2019 Topper Interview: AIR 9, Anshuman Singh wants to join judicial services	CLAT PG Topper Interview 2019: AIR 10, Sourabh Jain shares his success mantra
CLAT PG Topper Interview 2018: AIR 1, Aayush Singhal shares his success mantra	CLAT PG 2017 Topper: AIR 1, Pranav Tripathi is from NLSIU Bangalore
CLAT PG 2017 Topper Interview: AIR 2, Swati Verma is from Delhi University	CLAT PG 2017 Topper Interview: AIR 5, Rajat Shukla wants to get into a PSU
CLAT PG 2017 Topper Interview: AIR 6, Satyendra Kumar Tiwari shares his success mantras	CLAT PG 2017 Topper Interview: AIR 9, Saptarshi Das wants to become a Judge

How to Prepare for CLAT in 1 Month?

Check out some quick tips to prepare for CLAT in one month:

• Take a fresh look at CLAT 2023 syllabus and pattern to check you did not miss any important topic
• Prepare a proper study plan to revise all the topics you have studied so far
• Practice as many CLAT sample papers, question papers and mock tests as pssible. Once attempted, also analyse the paper to know your weak and strong areas for the exam.
• Stay away from studying completely new topics
• Be determined to achieve your set goal 
• Take care of your mental and physical health. Eat and sleep well and keep your mind calm.

How to Prepare for CLAT in 1 Week?

Check the CLAT 2022-23 last week preparation tips below:

• Do not pick new topics: Picking new topics for study in the last week is a bad idea as it can lead to confusion between different concepts, thereby leading to poor performance in exam
• Revise: Revise, revise and revise as that is the best you can do to ensure you score maximum marks in topics you are confident in
• Practice: Practice is the key to success in CLAT 2022 exam. Therefore, solve as many CLAT previous year question papers and sample papers as possible 

CLAT 2022 Exam Day Tips - Dos & Don'ts

Check out some essential CLAT exam day preparation tips:

• Do not try to study any new topics on the day of the exam
• Reach the allotted CLAT exam centre at least one hour before the exam 
• Read the instructions given on the CLAT question paper 2022 carefully before starting with the exam
• Check if the number of pages and questions are in sync with the instruction provided in the question paper
• Read the passages, questions and all the answer options carefully before attempting the questions
• Do not spend too much on a single question if you do not know the answer; move to the next question

Important FAQs related to CLAT Preparation 2023

Q: How should I start preparing for CLAT?

Q: How much time is required for CLAT preparation?

Q: Is CLAT exam tough?

Q: Can I crack CLAT exam without coaching?

Q: What type of GK is asked in CLAT?

Q: Can an average student clear the CLAT exam?

Q: Is coaching necessary for CLAT?

Q: How many hours a day should I study for CLAT exam?

Q: Can I get admission in NLU without CLAT?

Q: When should I start practicing the CLAT sample papers and take mock tests?

Q: Is one month preparation enough for CLAT?

Q: How can I crack CLAT in one month?

Q: How much time should I keep for CLAT revision?

Q: Can I prepare for CLAT in 10 days?

Read More: 

• CLAT colleges 2022
• Colleges accepting CLAT scores for admission
• List of NLUs in India
• How to prepare for CLAT 2022 in three months?
• 2 months preparation strategy & tips for CLAT 2022