📅 Published on: 12.12.2025
Preparing for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) requires a strong understanding of the exam pattern, question types, and difficulty level. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by solving and analysing the CLAT previous year question paper. Toppers, coaching experts, and even the consortium highly recommend practising CLAT previous year papers because they give the closest representation of the real exam.
This comprehensive guide covers everything related to CLAT previous year question papers, CLAT exam question paper, CLAT last year paper, CLAT sample papers, and CLAT exam sample papers. You will learn why they are crucial, how to use them effectively, and how they improve your scores.
Why CLAT Previous Year Question Paper Is Essential
The CLAT previous year question paper serves as an authentic source to understand the exam’s structure. Unlike mock tests or coaching material, real question papers reveal:
- Types of passages asked
- Difficulty trend of each section
- Weightage distribution
- Time required per passage
- How deep analytical and logical reasoning is tested
Students who consistently solve CLAT previous year papers develop a strong command over comprehension-based questions. Since CLAT is not memory-based but analytical, solving PYQs builds the right thought process.
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🌟 Understanding the CLAT Exam Pattern Through PYQs
The CLAT exam question paper follows a comprehension-based pattern across all sections. This pattern has remained stable since the 2020 revision.
Sections in CLAT Exam:
- • English Language
- • Current Affairs and General Knowledge
- • Legal Reasoning
- • Logical Reasoning
- • Quantitative Techniques
By solving 5–10 years of CLAT previous year papers, aspirants understand how much time each section takes and which topics frequently appear.
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🌟 CLAT Exam Question Paper Structure
Below is the general structure of the CLAT exam question paper:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Mode | Offline (Pen-and-Paper) |
| Total Questions | 120 |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Negative Marking | -0.25 for each wrong answer |
| Question Type | Passage-based MCQs |
CLAT Last Year Paper – Difficulty Analysis and Trends
Analysing the CLAT last year paper is a great way to understand what to expect in the upcoming exam. Over the last few years, the level of CLAT has been moderately difficult, but the complexity lies in reading-intensive passages.
Trends Observed in Recent CLAT Last Year Papers:
- English: Moderate; vocabulary is contextual and not direct.
- GK/Current Affairs: More analytical rather than factual.
- Legal Reasoning: Passage-based questions focusing on principles.
- Logical Reasoning: Lengthy passages testing inference skills.
- Quantitative Techniques: Interpreting charts and basic maths.
Thus, going through the CLAT last year paper helps understand the evolving nature of the exam.
Download CLAT Previous Year Papers
Year | UG Paper | Answer Key |
2024 | ||
2023 | ||
2022 | Download PDF | |
2021 | Download PDF | Download PDF |
2020 | Download PDF | Download PDF |
2017 | Download PDF | |
2025 |
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Read moreHow to Use CLAT Previous Year Question Papers Effectively
Simply solving CLAT previous year papers is not enough. You must follow the right strategy:
1. Start With Section-Wise Practice
Begin by solving one section at a time from previous papers. For example:
- • English passages for 1 week
- • Legal reasoning passages next week
- • Logical reasoning after that
This builds conceptual strength.
2. Move to Full-Length CLAT Exam Question Papers
Take complete CLAT papers under exam-like conditions. This improves:
- • Time management
- • Speed
- • Accuracy
3. Analyse Your Mistakes Thoroughly
After every test, check:
- • Wrong answers
- • Guesswork questions
- • Conceptual errors
- • Time-consuming passages
Maintaining an error notebook helps track consistent mistakes.
4. Repeat the Process
Solve all CLAT previous year question papers at least twice before the exam.
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🌟 Benefits of Solving CLAT Previous Year Papers
- Real exam familiarity
- Improvement in reading speed
- Enhanced logical deduction
- Boost in accuracy and confidence
- Clear understanding of marking strategy
A candidate who solves 15–20 CLAT previous year papers will always perform significantly better than someone who studies only theory.
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🌟 CLAT Sample Papers – Why They Are Important
While PYQs show what has been asked, CLAT sample papers help students prepare for what may be asked. They simulate the real exam environment and often include innovative question patterns.
Key Advantages of CLAT Sample Papers:
- • Provide extra practice beyond real papers
- • Help identify potential new question types
- • Increase stamina for reading long passages
- • Reduce exam fear
Good CLAT exam sample papers closely follow the official style of the consortium.
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🌟 Difference Between CLAT Sample Papers and Previous Year Papers
| Feature | Previous Year Papers | Sample Papers |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Official | Coaching/Experts |
| Difficulty | Actual | Predicted |
| Reliability | Highest | Moderate–High |
| Purpose | Analyse pattern | Improve practice |
Both CLAT previous year question papers and CLAT exam sample papers are essential for complete preparation.
How Many CLAT Previous Year Papers Should You Solve?
To ensure maximum success, experts recommend:
- Minimum: 10 years
- Ideal: 15–20 papers
- Plus: 30+ CLAT sample papers
More practice directly improves your score.
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🌟 Step-by-Step Plan to Score 100+ Using CLAT PYQs
- Solve 3–4 CLAT previous year papers to understand the base pattern.
- Strengthen reading comprehension and analytical skills.
- Solve 1 CLAT exam question paper every week.
- Analyse mistakes in-depth.
- Revise important GK topics daily.
- After 2 months, increase attempts to 2 papers per week.
- In the last month, solve both CLAT last year paper and sample tests repeatedly.
This routine has helped hundreds of students secure NLUs every year.
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🌟 Common Mistakes Students Make With CLAT Previous Year Papers
Many aspirants make errors such as:
- • Solving papers without time limits
- • Not analysing incorrect answers
- • Ignoring reading speed
- • Relying only on books, not PYQs
- • Memorising previous questions instead of understanding logic
Avoid these mistakes for better results.
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🌟 Expert Tips for Using CLAT Exam Sample Papers
- Always attempt sample papers in strict exam conditions
- Track your score progress in a separate notebook
- Focus more on comprehension and less on guesswork
- Aim for 85% accuracy in sample papers
- Compare difficulty with CLAT last year paper for balance
By the time you solve 20+ CLAT exam sample papers, you’ll develop a strong exam temperament.
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🌟 Conclusion
The CLAT previous year question paper, CLAT previous year papers, CLAT exam question paper, CLAT last year paper, CLAT sample papers, and CLAT exam sample papers are the most powerful resources for CLAT preparation. They help candidates understand the exam pattern, improve accuracy, build confidence, and analyse their performance at every stage.
Whether you are a beginner or an advanced aspirant, practising these papers consistently will significantly boost your chances of securing a top NLU.
