All you need to know about the CLAT LEGAL REASONING section!
CLAT exam comprises mainly 5 sections: English Language, Logical Reasoning, Legal Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques and Current Affairs, and General Knowledge. You might find these sections in many other entrance exams, but legal reasoning is exclusive to the CLAT exam. The CLAT legal reasoning holds particular importance as a candidate’s CLAT legal reasoning score is one of the aspects considered for tie-breaking.
Tie-breaking mechanisms are needed when two or more candidates get the same CLAT score. So, in a CLAT score tie, the candidate with the highest CLAT legal reasoning score is granted admission. Therefore, the candidates must maximise their legal reasoning score in the CLAT exam.
To help you maximise your score in this section, you must know about the structure of the section and other essential details. You will get acquainted with the CLAT legal reasoning section through this article.
CLAT Legal Reasoning Overview
The section mainly focuses on the candidate’s general awareness of contemporary legal matters and moral issues. The candidates are not expected to have the prior legal knowledge to attempt the section. It includes passages that demand the application of general principles or propositions to given situations. To ace the section, you must focus on the skills being assessed and the factual and conceptual knowledge of contemporary legal matters.
| Items | Details |
| Name of the Section | CLAT Legal Reasoning |
| Type of Questions | Passage-Based MCQ Questions |
| No. of Passage | 4-5 |
| Difficulty Level | 12th Grade |
| No. of Questions | 35-39 Questions |
| Weightage of the Section | 25% of the Paper |
| Passage Word Limit | 450 Words |
| Marking Scheme | Includes negative marking.
1 mark awarded for every correct response. Deduction of 0.25 mark for every incorrect response. |
CLAT Legal Reasoning: Details about Passage and the Questions
The CLAT exam included passages ranging from 300-450 words, depending upon the section of the passage. A set of questions follows each passage. Comprehending the information, facts and narratives given in the passage, you are expected to answer the questions.
This section includes passages of 450 words. These passages may relate to facts or scenarios involving legal matters, public policy questions or moral philosophical enquiries.
The series of question asked will demand you to:
- Identify and infer the rules and principles set out in the passage;
- Apply such rules and principles to various fact situations; and
- Understand how changes to the rules or principles may alter their application to various fact situations.
CLAT Legal Reasoning: Important Topics
Apart from the skills mentioned earlier, there are specific topics that candidates must focus on. Questions from these topics appear almost every year in the CLAT exam.
- Fundamental Rights and Duties
- Judiciary
- Prepositions and facts
- Parliament- Executive, Legislature, President
- Landmark Judgments
- Important amendments and provisions
- History of Indian constitution
- Understanding legal concepts
- Current legal affairs
CLAT Legal Reasoning: Study Material
To prepare for this topic, you must be aware of contemporary legal and moral issues. Therefore you must read a newspaper daily, preferably the Hindu and The Indian Express. Apart from that, you can refer to specific books to refine the skills to be assessed and prepare for important topics of the section. These books are:
- Universal’s CLAT Guide
- LexisNexis Butterworths
- Bare Acts on the Indian Constitution
- Legal Awareness and Legal Aptitude by AP Bhardwaj
These books will help enhance or build legal aptitude.
Tips to prepare for CLAT Legal Reasoning
- The candidates must get into the habit of reading newspapers. That is the best way to stay updated with contemporary legal and moral issues. You can prefer reading the Hindu or the Indian Express.
- You must refine your reading and analytical skills to get a good score. Therefore you should start reading editorials, news analyses, legal documents, journals and articles. It will help you get acquainted with the jargon and register of the field and help you comprehend legal matters better.
- Along with skills building, you must also emphasise factual and conceptual knowledge. A good CLAT preparation book can help you obtain such knowledge.
- Make hand-made notes. Revise them regularly. Candidates should revise on a weekly and monthly basis.
- Attempt CLAT mocks and analyses your progress. Mocks will allow you to check your knowledge and track your performance. You can opt for a section-wise test instead of a complete CLAT mock test while focusing on the this section.
Apart from all of this, regularly visit the consortium’s official website. Keep yourself updated with the latest updates about the CLAT exam. Be well informed and keep up the hard work; you shall get what you deserve. All the very best to you!