As a student of law, you are supposed to be aware of all the important happenings around you. No doubt this is why the CLAT exam also tests your knowledge of the same. Wondering how to prepare for the CLAT General Knowledge section? We’ve got some great advice for you in this article.
About the CLAT General Knowledge Section
The Current Affairs including General Knowledge section of Common Law Admission Test will contain a total of 35-39 questions.
Particulars: CLAT Current Affairs & GK Highlights
Total marks: 35-39
Negative marking: -0.25 for incorrect answer
Total weightage in CLAT exam: 25%
In this section, you will be provided passages of up to 450 words each followed by a series of multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The section will contain total six to seven reading passages followed by five to six questions. Each question will carry one mark.
The passages will be derived from news, journalistic sources and other non-fiction writing. The questions may include an examination of legal information or knowledge discussed in or related to the passage. These will not require any additional knowledge of the law beyond the passage.
Each passage will be followed by a series of questions that will require you to demonstrate your awareness of various aspects of current affairs and general knowledge, including:
- Contemporary events of significance from India and the world;
- Arts and culture;
- International affairs; and
- Historical events of continuing significance;
- news, journalistic sources and other non-fiction writings.
For Current Affairs, candidates should keep themselves updated about:
- Events happening nationally of at least last one year.
- Events happening internationally of at least last one year.
Static GK refers to universal truths that do not change.
- According to previous trends, anywhere from 14 to 27 questions could be asked.
- Because the topic is so large, structure and organize your approach.
- Study by subject or topic, and if you get bored with one, go to another; however, don’t forget about static GK.
- To improve your time and accuracy, solve past year’s question papers, practise examinations, and other tests.
- Reduce the amount of study material you have and go over your notes on a regular basis.
CLAT 2022 Current Affairs Study Guide
- The most crucial aspect of preparing for current events is to stay up with current events throughout the world.
- Install an excellent current affairs app on your phone to be informed on what’s going on in the country and around the world. Or simply follow our CLATalogue GK series.
- Always keep track of any events that are taking place.
- To attempt CLAT GK, there is no need to memorize facts and figures; comprehending the foundations of a certain event is sufficient.
- Don’t spend too much time on issues that aren’t on the syllabus.
- CLAT GK is a fairly cut-and-dry area; you either know or don’t know the answer. You can easily score in the GK section if you are well-informed on current events.
- It is a section that is not difficult to prepare for, but it will take a lot of dedication and hard effort to sit and read every day.
Here are some pointers to help you study for CLAT GK more effectively:
- Every day, read well-known newspapers such as The Hindu, The Times of India, Indian Express, Business Line, Dainik Tribune, and Business Standard. And always keep up with the latest news. Here’s a quick cheat sheet on reading the newspaper for CLAT.
- If you think it’s significant, take notes or keep newspaper cuttings.
- Make sure you haven’t missed anything by going over the day’s news analysis.
- While studying for General Knowledge, you do not need to read the opinion editorials. Concentrate on reporting the facts.
- If you read the questions first, you’ll know what to look for while you read the passage. This will speed up the process of solving the passage and moving on to the next one.
- Take as many practise examinations and sample question sheets as you can.
- Maintain a consistent notebook of significant events and read it at the end of the week.
- Stay updated and practice daily.
1. Take CLAT General Knowledge Mock Tests
Need to know what the CLAT exam actually feels like? Take the help of mock tests! Appearing for mock tests will not only prepare you for entrance and increase your precision but will also boost your confidence to sit and ace the exam.
There are numerous centers providing test series. Many online platforms also offer mock tests. Choose a mode that is convenient for you. Make sure to give individual subject mock tests to understand your strengths and weaknesses in the general knowledge subject.
Also, try to give at least 10 full-length mock tests to get an idea of the actual exam.
2. Choose the Study Material Wisely
One of the most crucial factors which will affect your CLAT score immensely is the study material that you will choose. There is a tremendous amount of study material available both online and offline. Selecting the best and accurate study material will help you get an insight into how the actual entrance exam will be.
Various online and offline study materials promote that they will help you clear CLAT, but in reality, they house out-dated portions and improper questions. Choose the study material that is suitable for your understanding and adheres to the current exam pattern precisely.
3. Avoid Guesswork
If you have prepared for the CLAT general knowledge section well, then out of the four options, you would be pretty sure about the answer. If you are not confident about any question, do not indulge in guesswork.
If answered correctly, a question will award you one mark, and answered incorrectly, 0.25 marks will be deducted. If you leave a question unanswered, marks will neither be awarded nor deducted.
If confident, mark the correct option. Else, the wisest choice is to leave the question that you are doubtful about.
4. Read Newspapers
The best way to keep yourself abreast with the latest happenings of the world is by reading newspapers daily. However, you should not read just any newspaper but reputed ones such as The Hindu and The Statesman.
Also, it is advisable to go through the editorial section of the newspaper as it help build your vocabulary and also develop analytical skills, which is extremely important for CLAT exam. Apart from reading the newspapers, it is also important to refer to some books for GK.
My strategy while preparing for the CLAT General Knowledge Section
- First, I used read The Hindu newspaper for 30 minutes daily.
- Then, I used to consult different apps like Live Law, Bar and Bench and Jagran Josh from which I could check out top events daily and important law cases.
- I would then segregate news into different sections like relevant, famous and not important and I would write the important events down and research about them.
- Also, I used to refer to books and other such material while reading.
- I also solved quizzes on current affairs.
CLAT 2021 General Knowledge Section analysis (Exam in July 2021)
- Passage 1: World Water Day (passage from March 2021)
- 3 questions were passage-based, 2 questions were related to static GK.
- Passage 2: Tso Kar Wetland Complex as the 42nd Ramsar Wetland List (Passage from Dec 2020)
- 4 passage-based, 1 static GK.
- Passage 3: Chabahar Day and Port (passage from March 2021)
- 1 passage-based, 4 static GK.
- Passage 4: F4R Framework affirmed by UN (passage from march 2021)
- 1 passage-based, 4 static GK.
- Passage 5: Covid-19 vaccines (Passage from jan 2021)
- 3 passage-based, 2 static GK.
- Passage 6: PM Modi confers the Gandhi Peace prize 2020 upon Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (passage from March 2021)
- 2 passage-based, 3 static GK.
- Passage 7: India China clash in Galwan Valley (passage from June 2020)
- 4 passage-based, 1 static GK.