By Clat Possible Team I Sep 06, 2022
CLAT Preparation, or any test preparation for that matter, can be broken down into 4 phases. Depending on the time available and your strengths and weaknesses, the duration could vary. Yet, the broad phases remain the same. These phases are Discovering, Foundation-building, Rehearsing, and Peaking.
The first phase is DISCOVERY. During this phase, you do a lot of research on Law as a career option, your aptitude and interest, and the CLAT test structure per se. Most of you will visit websites, ask Google, visit some Clat Coaching institutes and ask friends or seniors. Some of you may also try a Diagnostic Test to figure out where you stand in each subject area. A few also try to speak with practicing lawyers to get a feel of the profession.
This is followed by a very elaborate phase of BUILDING THE FOUNDATION. Though you would have covered most of the subject areas and content in your school years, you will quickly realize that this phase is quite different! While the schooling process emphasized the process of solving the questions, the focus now is on getting the answer quickly. This is usually achieved by revisiting and strengthening the core concepts from multiple viewpoints. Arriving at the answer using multiple strategies is very critical.
As you approach the CLAT Exam Date, you would have already got good practice in theory by reading books, and notes and attending classes. This has prepared you well by giving a solid groundwork for the next phase, which we call as REHEARSAL phase. Just as an actor prepares by going through the lines many times before the actual stage performance, you must prepare well for the D-Day. Simulating the real test by giving Mock CLAT tests in a similar environment is critical. However, it is even more important to analyze your performance critically. As a ground rule, you should be spending about 2-3 times the time analyzing a test than writing it.
Past years’ CLAT papers are readily available and you must make a schedule for writing as many of them as possible. CLAT papers tend to repeat question formats and you will identify the popular ones while attempting them.
The final phase is of getting into a mental model of readying for the final performance. While the previous three phases are important, this final phase of PEAKING at the right time involves a lot of non-academic preparation as well. If you burn out early, you need to slow down in the final days. Some of the strategies that you should follow are similar to an athlete preparing for a marathon event. A few days before the race, you take strategic breaks and divert your pressured brain into relaxing things like a comedy movie or an outing with friends. You must also get more than enough sleep during the final lap.
We will discuss more of these phases as we go. But if you are already in the REHEARSAL phase for the upcoming Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), you must switch to going through the past years’ papers. Get in touch with your mentors and they might be able to help you get the most out of your time.
All the best with your preparation!
