The Consortium released the CLAT Exam pattern in August 2022. Looking at the CLAT exam pattern, the candidates will have a fair idea of what the actual exam would look like. It is essential to know the exam pattern and other exam details so that candidates understand what exactly they are preparing for.
CLAT Exam Pattern: Overview
CLAT, Common Law Admission Test, is a centralised test. It is administered for Undergraduate and Postgraduate admissions to courses in law. 18 December is the exam date for CLAT 2023. The Consortium holds the responsibility to conduct the exam.
Important Details | CLAT 2023 UG | CLAT 2023 PG |
Maximum Marks | 150 | 120 |
Mode of Examination | Pen and Paper Mode | Pen and Paper Mode |
Exam Duration | 2 hours (120 minutes) | 2 hours (120 minutes) |
Question types | MCQ Type | MCQ Type |
Total Questions | 150 Questions | 120 Questions |
Marking scheme | 1 mark will be awarded for every correct response,
Deduction of 0.25 for every incorrect response. |
1 mark awarded for every correct responses,
Deduction of 0.25 for every incorrect response. |
No. of Sections | 5 Sections
|
2 Sections
|
CLAT Exam Pattern: Section Wise
The CLAT exam is divided into 5 sections. The Consortium has provided details about each section like the difficulty level, word limit of the passages, the areas to be assessed, number of questions and the marks distribution of each section. We will discuss the CLAT exam pattern in terms of the section it comprises. The 5 sections are:
- English Language
- Legal Reasoning
- Logical Reasoning
- Quantitative Technique
- Current Affairs, including General Knowledge
CLAT Exam Pattern: English Language
The English Language section will include passages of 450 words. The difficulty level will be 12th grade. The total number of questions included would range from 28-32 questions.
The Areas/Skills that will be a focus in this section are:
- Comprehension of multiple viewpoints present in the passage.
- Drawing inferences and conclusions.
- Comparing and contrasting the various narratives and arguments laid out in the passage.
- To be able to make meaning of the words and phrases of the passage.
The essential topics of this section include:
Tenses, Articles, Prepositions, Active & Passive Voice, Modals, Concord (Subject-Verb Agreement), Verbs- Their formation and usage, Spotting grammatical errors in sentences.
CLAT Exam Pattern: Legal Reasoning
The Legal Reasoning section will include passages of 450 words. The difficulty level will be 12th grade. The total number of questions included would range from 35-39 questions.
The Areas/Skills that will be a focus in this section are:
- Identify and infer the rules and principles laid out in the passage;
- Application of rules and regulations to similar and varied scenarios; and
- To infer how alterations in rules or principles may change how they are applied in different scenarios.
The essential topics of this section include:
Legal Terms & Maxims, Indian Constitution, Torts, Criminal Law, Landmark Judgments, Reading Newspaper & Understanding legal concepts.
CLAT Exam Pattern: Logical Reasoning
The passages in the Logical Reasoning section have a word limit of 300 words. The difficulty level will be 12th grade. The total number of questions included would range from 28-32 questions.
The Areas/Skills that will be a focus in this section are:
- Comprehend the argument, its premises and conclusions.
- Read and identify the arguments set out in the passages.
- Critically analyse patterns of reasoning and assess how decisions may depend on particular premises or evidence.
- Infer what follows from the passage and apply these inferences to new situations.
- Draw relationships and analogies, identify contradictions and equivalence and assess the effectiveness of arguments.
The essential topics of this section include:
Series Completion; Number Series and Alphabet Series, Analogy, Blood Relation, Puzzle Test, Syllogism, Premises and Conclusion, Cause and Effect, Course of action.
CLAT Exam Pattern: Quantitative Technique
Unlike the other sections, the Consortium has not prescribed a word limit for the Quantitative Techniques section. The question of this section will be of elementary level, i.e. 10th grade. It will have approximately 13-17 questions.
The Areas/Skills that will be a focus in this section are:
- Deriving, inference and manipulation of numerical information given in the paragraphs or the form of other representations; and
- Application of 10th standard mathematical operations like ratios and proportions, introductory algebra, measurement and statistical estimation.
The essential topics of this section include:
Average, Percentage, Ratio & Proportion, Time & Distance, Volume & Surface Area, Statistics, Basic Algebra, Bar Diagram, Bar Graph, Tabular Diagram, Line Graph, Pie Chart.
CLAT Exam Pattern: Current affairs, including General Knowledge
This section demands awareness of current affairs. The passages in this section have a word limit of 450 words.
The focus here is on:
- Contemporary events of significance from India and the world;
- Arts and Culture;
- International affairs; and
- Historical occurrences of continuing importance.
The essential topics of this section include:
National & International Affairs, Government Schemes, Science and Technology, Summits and Conferences, Foreign Affairs, Arts and Culture, Awards and Honours, Sports, Science and Technology.
Keep these essential details in mind and prepare for your CLAT exam. For further information on CLAT 2023, visit the Consortium’s Official Website.