Legal Reasoning is the most crucial section of CLAT designed to test the research skills of candidates. It also assesses their problem-solving efficiency and evaluates interest in studying law. Hence, the questions are asked related to a wide range of related topics.
Although most institutes have a specific syllabus for CLAT legal reasoning section, the exam paper often surprises you by asking unexpected questions. For example, in CLAT 2023, most passages were based on current affairs, and one was from NALSA. Hence, we can say that aspirants have to study beyond books to clear this section.
Many students often ask us, ‘how to prepare legal reasoning for CLAT?’. Resolving this common query, our experts have shared a few proven tricks and tips that will certainly help you in your preparation.
CLAT Legal Reasoning: An Overview
The CLAT legal reasoning section consists of passages related to legal issues. The questions are mostly straightforward and test candidates’ ability to put forward the best supporting argument or conclusion. Hence, you must acquire unbiased and excellent comprehension skills to answer correctly.
You will be given situations and have to apply your legal knowledge to decide the case. The section also tests your ability to understand and distinguish the rules and principles in the passage.
| Number of Passages | 4-8 passages |
| Number of Questions | 35-40 |
| Marking Scheme | 1 mark for every correct answer0.25 will be deducted for every wrong answer. |
Also read: How to Prepare for CLAT 2024? The Toppers Strategy
Analysis of CLAT Legal Reasoning 2023 Paper
Before we share the tips to prepare legal aptitude for CLAT, let’s have a look at the question paper for CLAT 2023. We will analyze why students couldn’t score higher marks despite getting straightforward questions.
There were 8 passages containing 40 questions. Here were the topics covered:
- Electoral Bonds (Nov 8, 2022)
- Cruelty (Oct 28, 2022)
- Criminal Procedure Identification Act 2022 (Sep 22, 2022)
- Blocking of Twitter Accounts ( Oct 28, 2022)
- NALSA (FAQs from the website)
- Surrogacy (Oct 13, 2022)
- Internet Shutdown (Oct 21, 2021)
- Consumer Protection Act (Feb 10, 2022)
Most of the articles were from the most popular and frequently-visited websites, such as The Hindu, Indian Express, etc. Except for one topic (Internet Shutdown), most were from the last 3-4 months, which was an advantage for candidates.
Unlike CLAT 2022 paper, which had more theoretical-based questions, legal reasoning in CLAT 2023 was more about current affairs. So, it’s clear that there is no set syllabus or topics for the exam. Many institutes claim to cover all the legal aptitude topics in the classes, but if we compare the question paper of the last two years, we can see that the section is too wide with no specific CLAT legal reasoning syllabus.
The best advice for candidates is even if you don’t study everything, be consistent, work smart, and think like a lawyer. Rest assured that with a mindset of a lawyer, you can answer all the questions correctly and crack the exam easily.
Also read: Time Management Tips for CLAT preparation
Common Issues Candidates Face in Legal Reasoning
As there is no prescribed syllabus or topics to study for legal reasoning, aspirants face many challenges. They start preparing without proper mentorship or professional guidance, which, at times, can hamper their studies.
Here’s a breakdown of common problems that students face:
1. Not Understanding Passages
This is one of the major issues aspirants encounter throughout their preparation journey. They struggle with understanding passages, making it difficult to find the correct answer. If they somehow get the answer right, they still couldn’t place the exact problem they had.
They only focus on that specific passage but can’t comprehend the flaw in preparation for legal reasoning. So, it’s necessary that they understand where they are lacking in this section.
2. Treating Legal Reasoning like English Comprehension
When we read English comprehension, our approach is to find the answer in the given passage and copy that. But that’s not how you solve legal reasoning for CLAT. Yes, you will find the answer, but applying the law is tricky. The section demands you apply the correct law in the right manner.
3. Getting Emotional
Let’s get it straight.
This is your CLAT exam, where you are assessed for your legal knowledge, not your emotional factor. So, while evaluating the options, your focus should be on finding relevant answers and not seeking justice. So, search for the law in the passage and based on that, mark your answers.
4. Fear of ‘Not Knowing’
You prepare hard for CLAT, leaving no stone unturned and go for the exam with utmost confidence. However, as soon as you see the question paper, all your energy and confidence face a setback. You realise that you haven’t read any of the given passages before.
But you need to understand that’s what the aim of this exam is. The consortium doesn’t expect you to know these passages, or else everyone will crack CLAT with flying colours. The intention is to assess how better you can perform when faced with an unexpected situation.
Also read: CLAT Success Tips & Tricks by Gnanankit (AIR 1, 2023): Topper Interview
How to Prepare for CLAT Legal Reasoning 2024?
1. Solve Previous Years’ Papers
This is one tip that every mentor gives because solving samples and previous years’ papers hone your skills and knowledge. It is the most reliable way to assess your performance, find your strengths and weaknesses, and improve yourself.
It enhances your paper-solving speed and accuracy and also gives you an idea of the types of questions asked in the exam. Solve at least 1 paper a week and track your results.
2. Read Newspapers Regularly
If you see the legal reasoning questions for CLAT 2023, you will notice that most topics were from newspapers. Hence, it’s important that you read newspapers, journals, and magazines daily.
Make it a part of your lifestyle, and be assured you will see benefits in no time. Refer to our YouTube channel to learn to analyse The Hindu regularly and stay updated with current affairs.
3. Read Judgements and Legal Articles
The consortium doesn’t expect you to know all the laws, but they want the candidate to be familiar with key legal terms. These are common English words with the detailed legal definition. So, when you start reading judgements and articles related to law, you gain a fair understanding of these terms.
4. Overcome the Fear of Not Knowing
As we said earlier, you don’t have to know everything. The real challenge is to read the passage and answer them on the spot. There is no specific book that you have to refer to, like your school exams.
CLAT evaluates your understanding of the legal field, so the questions are beyond books and topics. That is why the exam demands consistency and practice.
5. Formulate Legal Reasoning Questions
This effective and result-driven tip gives you brilliant results within a few weeks. Team up with a friend or a few other aspirants. Now, each one of you will pick a random passage, create 5-7 questions, and ask each other to answer them.
This will not only ensure regular practice, but you will also begin to understand the examiner’s mindset. Also, you will solve more questions and build confidence.
Final Thoughts!
In a nutshell, no matter how many tips we share, the key is consistency and practice. So, never miss your class, revise topics every week, read as many newspapers and articles as you can, and attempt regular CLAT mock tests. This will familiarise you with CLAT legal reasoning questions and answers. For more guidance and subject-wise strategies, you can visit Law Prep Tutorial’s YouTube channel.
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