CLAT is a crucial exam for any law aspirant. You must be on top of your game while preparing for this entrance exam and spare no effort to secure a seat in top law colleges. Law Prep Tutorial always tries to make this preparation journey inspirational, valuable, and easy for its students. Hence, we regularly share the CLAT toppers interview with you to guide you better.
Today we have Shruti, who has scored wonderfully and won laurels in the CLAT exam 2023. She is a student of our head branch, LPT Jodhpur. So, let’s hear from our special guest.
“I prepared for CLAT for six months. After 12th exams, students have to choose from many entrance exams, such as CLAT, JEE, etc. You need to crack an exam to get admission to a prestigious college. I faced the same situation, but fortunately, I had my parents and Law Prep Tutorial as my saviour, who supported and guided me at every step. They recognised my strength, and I got this opportunity to prepare myself alongside the best mentors and amazing peers who motivated me throughout my CLAT preparation journey.”
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Here’s a detailed CLAT topper interview with Shruti.
Q. You are from Ganganagar and came all the way to Jodhpur to join LPT. What made you trust LPT that they will help you get into one of the law schools?
Shruti- There are 70,000+ aspirants, and each of them wants to get into the best law schools. I aimed for the same and wondered if I would be able to get admission to a top NLU. For this, I needed the support of mentors who could guide me well, nurture my strengths, and help me work on my weaknesses. So, the thought was, if not Law Prep Tutorial, then what.
So, I would like to tell every aspirant that the way LPT has helped me nurture my strengths and recognise my weaknesses, and the personal attention that every teacher gave to me was a great motivation. Every week, we used to give CLAT mock tests and get a rank list, and whenever I saw my name dropping, it motivated me to do my best next time and reach the top. And everyone knows that LPT mock test series is the best, even tougher than CLAT.
Q. You got six months for preparation. What would be your advice to students preparing for this year’s CLAT to handle the pressure? Coming from Ganganagar and has aspirations of your parents and teachers attached with you. How did you handle that pressure?
Shruti- It depends on how well you are surrounded by good and supportive people. Every teacher at LPT and my parents supported me throughout my preparation journey, and that kept me motivated. I was able to handle all the pressure so well because of their support. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve what I did.
Q. Were you so sure about your CLAT selection?
Shruti- Honestly No. But rather than me, my parents and teachers were more sure about me and my selection, which motivated me to do well.
Q. The AILET paper was out of the box, and CLAT students were already nervous. How did you handle that pressure?
Shruti- We had AILET exam one week before CLAT, and the exam was a shocker. I did not do well in it. It was the lowest score I have ever got compared to what I scored in mocks and other tests. I did not reach even 50, and it was a shock.
But because I had the support of my teachers and parents, I was able to conquer it. Because I did not do well in AILET, I knew I had to do well in CLAT. I mean, how much time can I give to a college entrance exam, which is so important for me? So, I just kept thinking- I did not do good in AILET, but I will do well in CLAT.
Also read: Interview with Karthik J Lal, CLAT 2021 Topper (AIR 3)
Q. What were your strengths and weaknesses? How did you conquer your weaknesses?
Shruti- My strength was the reading section, which was 100 marks. As I have been reading books from a young age, it helped me go through the reading section and comprehensions. I did well in that.
My weaknesses were General Knowledge and Quantitative Techniques. Before my six months of CLAT preparation, I had never read newspapers, which was a hurdle for me because we got 35 questions in GK. And the same is true for QT, which was one of my major weaknesses.
Q- Are there any particular books you would suggest students read?
Shruti- I would say start with fiction and then move to non-fiction. These books really make a strong base when it comes to reading.
Let’s talk about subject-wise preparation.
For GK, I would suggest don’t go through a lot of resources. Just pick two sources, stick to them and keep revising them. The sources I relied on were notes from LPT teachers, which helped me eliminate answers from the CLAT paper.
Also, CLAT Express of the past 12 months. As I had six months to prepare, I was doing 2 CLAT Expresses a month, but I could still go through it. As I did not read newspapers for CLAT, this magazine has been my saviour.
I would also suggest reading newspapers regularly because questions come from different editorials and news sections. I got a question from June Editorial, which was the first one I read. So, I would say read newspapers, and it would make an impact.
This year, GK was a bit tricky. But at LPT, we learned that mugging up topics is not the way to go through this section. It’s more about eliminating wrong options and getting the correct answers because all that matters is the marks you get.
Mugging up things will not help you in the exam, and you will panic. So, we learn to open our minds and adopt elimination approach answers like smart lawyers.
For the CLAT Legal Aptitude preparation, the sheets and books provided by LPT were sufficient. I did not read any other source to prepare for this section, just the books suggested by my teachers.
My subject mentors at LPT deserve credit for my good marks in this section. I scored the best in this section.
Q. For QT, students who find it difficult are often confused about whether to skip it or attempt it. What would you suggest?
Shruti- I would say, at least, take a glimpse.
If you are aware of the topics and you can do it, then go for it. If you are not sure, stay calm and give your time to other subjects. Tell yourself; it’s fine if I don’t know these questions. I am going to invest my time in the subjects I am good at, where I know I will get nearly all answers correct. So, don’t panic when you get unexpected questions in the exam.
QT was my biggest fear, and within a month, every teacher recognised that it was my weakness. They knew that I was not going to attempt this section. But they told me to practise it every day so that I am well-prepared. If it’s my day, then I am definitely going to attempt it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. I attempted just one question.
Q. So, you are a perfect example and inspiration for students who are not good at QT. Even if you are not attempting QT, you are still sailing the safe boat. Right?
Shruti- Yes, definitely. It’s fine if you are not prepared well for Quantitative Techniques and can’t answer questions in this section.
But I tried this section in the main exam, which was my biggest fear. It’s fine if I couldn’t get through it, but it motivated me to do well in other sections.
Also read: Interview with Prachi Mathur, CLAT 2021 Topper (AIR 12)
Q- Moving on to Critical reasoning. What were your preparation scenarios for this section?
Shruti- Critical Reasoning is a section that gives us bouncers, and you are never sure about the answers. But I had faith in my subject teachers.
The sheets they provided proved to be really helpful. They were way tougher than the main exam, which prepared me well. As I was not able to attempt QT, Critical Reasoning was my saving grace.
Q. Any books that you would suggest?
Shruti- I would recommend GMAT, which is good for practice. Also, the modules and CLAT sheets. Another thing is CLAT mock tests help you recognise your weaknesses, so you can work on them, and there will be no bouncers in the main exam.
Q. Talking about your favourite section- English. Everyone says that with a strong command of English, you can crack CLAT. How true is this statement in any CLAT aspirant journey?
Shruti- It is 100% true. To score good marks and secure top ranks, you need to have a great command of English. All the sections are in English, and you get 100 questions.
Q. What about students from a Hindi medium academic background? Do they face issues while preparing for CLAT?
Shruti- At LPT, I would say that students are given enough time and personal attention they need. So, it’s fine if you are from the Hindi medium. It wouldn’t hamper your preparation but will motivate you to give your best. Language is no barrier if you have good teachers.
In the beginning, when I started preparing for CLAT, we were given many short stories and books by our teacher. Going through those reading resources helped my peers and me a lot.
Must Know for Every CLAT Aspirant:
| CLAT Eligibility Criteria | CLAT Exam Pattern |
| CLAT Age Limit | CLAT Marking Scheme |
| How to Prepare for CLAT? | Best Books for CLAT |
Q. Students often have questions regarding vocabulary. They wonder if 6-8 months would be enough to prepare for English. Did you do anything special for vocabulary?
Shruti- English vocabulary is like an infinite ocean. It will never get over. What I did was read English Is Easy by Chetananad Singh. It helped me form a strong base. Then I went through the sheets provided to us by LPT and mentors. Also, I read the vocabulary book given by LPT. All these were more than sufficient for me.
Q. We have a broad section of the LPT module. Did you solve all of them?
Shruti- I solved around 5-6 and not all of them. I skimmed through them because of a shortage of time. So, at least, I was aware.
Q. This year, the English section was more about the Indian environment. Were you able to give enough time to it, or you needed more time?
Shruti- I think the English section was doable and not that tough. If you have practised well, you will be able to score a minimum of 20+. But this is possible only if you have read and answered tougher passages.
If you have gone through easy passages during CLAT preparation, you are in for a shock. You will waste 10-15 minutes recovering from that. So, go through difficult and complex passages, so when you face 1-2 challenging passages, you wouldn’t panic and breeze through it. As they say, confidence is the key.
Q. What would you suggest students do step-by-step to prepare for English?
Shruti- Give sufficient time to prepare. You have a year, so give at least two months to reading books and novels, fiction and non-fiction. Also, start reading newspapers daily, start from the beginning.
Trust your teachers and the sources they provide. Don’t study from too many resources. Moreover, learn at least ten words a day for better vocabulary, be it from newspapers, books, or any other source you find helpful. For root words, make a copy of 100-150 root words.
So, you can memorise them, and if they come in the exam, you will be able to answer them. Also, it would help eliminate wrong answers.
Also read: Interview with Shreyas Datar, CLAT 2021 Topper (AIR 7)
Q. What would you like to tell CLAT aspirants about Law Prep Tutorial?
Shruti- LPT has helped me a lot in scoring well on the CLAT exam. It has great mentors who give personal attention to each student. They recognise your weaknesses, like on the very first day. I was told to work on my vocabulary.
Also, they scolded me because I was sitting on the last bench (laughing). So, it was great knowing that someone was watching over me all the time. When you know that there’s always someone for you, it works wonders.
Q. Would you recommend LPT to other students?
Shruti- Definitely, every subject teacher has helped me throughout, and LPT has played a key role in my success. So, I will recommend students join LPT.
Final Words
So, now you have all the CLAT preparation tips by toppers that will help you throughout. Also, we are sure you understand how LPT has been a stepping stone for Shruti’s success. For more such insightful CLAT 2023 topper interview sessions, stay tuned.
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