The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2023 results were announced on Friday. Indianexpress.com spoke to the toppers to know what are their future plans and how did they crack the entrance exam. Abhinav Somani, AIR 1 Feeling ecstatic with his result, Somani’s story is an interesting one. Hailing from a family of doctors, all he knew after class 10 was that he didn’t want to pursue medicine. He took up humanities in class 11. “My father suggested that I should give CLAT a chance and if I find it interesting I can continue with it or find something else. Therefore, I joined the CLAT coaching at Career Launcher and decided to follow this path.” Abhinav wants to join NLSIU, Bangalore. “I don’t have exposure in the field. So, I think I will just go to college and explore.” Speaking of why he chose law as a career option, he said, “When I studied legal theory, I realised I have a deep interest in it. I like Political Science as a subject. Everyone talks about the laws but actually knowing what the laws are, I found that to be intriguing.” Practice makes perfect stands true for Abhinav who practised each day for CLAT. “A few things that I did consistently was reading the newspaper daily for general knowledge— especially the Explained section of the indianexpress.com . Then, I frequently gave mock tests. I used to analyse my performance and get my doubts cleared and attend classes regularly,” said Abhinav. With only board exams left, Somani is not too worried as he has his college in hand. “Now since I have only my board exams pending, I see it as an exciting opportunity as I have six months to pursue a hobby, learn a new skill, either learn a language or join a summer programme.” It is important to take out time for yourself amidst such a tight schedule. The CLAT topper shares us how he used to destress. “I listened to music. I love reading so I used to take out my favourite books and read a passage. I took my dogs out for walks and sometimes I just took a nap.” Sharing a few tips and tricks on how he cracked the exam, Abhinav said, “For the English section, one should read regularly - fiction, non-fiction, whatever grabs your attention. As for the GK section, reading the newspaper regularly and revising it would be enough. Don’t worry too much about legal theory, just read the theory and passage carefully. For logical reasoning, don’t overthink the options, just understand it well and try to eliminate the options (that strategy usually works well) and, last but not the least, mathematics. It is fairly simple and just keep calm and an open mind.” Shubham Thakare, AIR 3 During the COVID-19 pandemic, Thakare was looking for something that piqued his interest. Apart from looking at NEET and JEE as an option after class 12, he also thought of exploring a different career option. “I was interested in social sciences and thought of pursuing a career in that field,” said Thakare. The topper too wants to join NLSIU, Bangalore and shares how he started preparing for his goal from class 11 itself. “I began my preparation as soon as I got in class 11. I studied past year's papers, understood their pattern and then I studied the relevant concepts for 5-6 months and after that, it was just practice. I used the study material provided by my coaching and for maths, I studied books available in the market for various exams such as banking, and railways.” Speaking of practice, Shubham told indianexpress.com that he gave over 100 mock tests. “It prepares you for time management. I knew how much time each section demands. Mocks also increases your speed,” said Thakare about the mock tests. But, ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,’ therefore, Thakare ensured that he took time for recreational activities as well, “I listened to music every day and watched Anime. I also used to play basketball and worked out every day for physical fitness," he said. “Those who are appearing for CLAT should practice questions of various difficulty levels. I have noticed that papers can be unpredictable and can ask myriad variations of questions,” said Shubham. Arnav Maheshwari, AIR 4 It is a euphoric experience for Arnav Maheshwari as he not only cleared CLAT 2023 but also qualified AILET. Maheshwari, who is a keen debater, believes this is the best career option for him. “I have always been interested in debating and have participated in many MUNs (Model United Nations). I came to the conclusion that law is the apt career option for me.” A student of humanities, Arnav was always interested in Political Science and History. “I believe while I can pursue my debating not only as a skill, why not pursue it as something as a career option and I am really passionate about it. I believe that debating and standing up to what I feel is right is something that is intrinsic to me. And, if I can apply that and use it in such a way that it creates an impact and law offers me to do that. Law is a noble profession and can create a mass impact.” Maheshwari has two options in mind for his under-graduation — NLSIU Bangalore and NLU Delhi. “These two are premier institutions of the country and offer great opportunities and choosing between them is something that I have found very difficult. I am discussing this with others before finalising it.” To release his stress, Arnav would talk to his friends every day and engage in some other activities such as playing a sport. “I would talk to my friends and share my thoughts about what is bothering me, what am I thinking and everything. I also play football and I do watch TV shows and anime.” I would suggest aspirants to write many mocks as they are 90 per cent of your CLAT test. Be alert during the paper. And unlike JEE or NEET it is a skill-based paper. You need to develop a perspective through an aspect by having a lot of practice at reading and solving different kinds of questions and understanding what a passage says because it is a reading based paper and it is imperative to have faith in yourself.”
