CLAT 2025 Exam Day Strategy How to Manage Time, Accuracy & Stress

CL Team December 05 2025
2 min read


When CLAT is just one day away, your preparation won’t change—but your strategy can make all the difference. A smart exam-day plan helps you stay calm, maximize accuracy, and manage limited time effectively.

In this blog, you’ll find a clear, actionable CLAT 2025 exam-day strategy that toppers follow to secure high ranks.


1. Know Your Time Allocation Before You Enter the Hall

CLAT is a speed + comprehension test. You must decide how many minutes you’ll give each section:

  • English: 22–25 minutes

  • Current Affairs/GK: 10–12 minutes

  • Legal Reasoning: 30–32 minutes

  • Logical Reasoning: 25–28 minutes

  • Quantitative Techniques: 10–12 minutes

 Stick to your plan.
 Don’t get emotionally stuck on one question.


2. Attempt GK First — Build Confidence Quickly

GK is the fastest-scoring section in CLAT.
Start with it to gain momentum and reduce stress.

Benefits:

  • Quick questions = quick confidence

  • Saves time for Legal & LR

  • Helps settle exam anxiety


3. Legal Reasoning = The Game Changer

Legal is usually the lengthiest and highest-scoring section.

Strategy:

  • Read passages smartly: identify principle → facts → apply

  • Skip extremely long passages initially

  • Don’t chase perfection; aim for moderate accuracy with speed

Remember: Every extra minute saved here benefits LR & English.


4. Logical Reasoning: Aim for Accuracy First

LR questions are concept-based.
Focus on selecting quality questions, not all questions.

Tips:

  • If a passage feels confusing, skip immediately

  • Target 70–80% accuracy

  • Keep calm and read slowly—misreading = negative marking


5. English: Don’t Overthink RC Passages

CLAT RCs are straightforward but time-consuming.

Follow this:

  • Skim passage → read questions → revisit relevant part

  • Don’t try to memorize the whole paragraph

  • Stick to the author’s tone and logic


6. Quantitative Techniques: Pick Only Comfortable Sets

QT is short but tricky.

Your strategy:

  • Attempt only the easy sets (ratio, percentage, graph-based questions)

  • Skip long calculations

  • Maintain 70–80% accuracy

Don’t allow QT to kill your time.


7. Manage Stress With a Simple Rule: Breathe & Break

CLAT is a long, intense exam.
Every 20–25 minutes, give yourself a 5–7 second mental reset:

  • Put pencil down

  • Take one deep breath

  • Relax shoulders

  • Restart with fresh focus

This prevents panic and boosts accuracy.


8. Avoid These 5 Common Exam-Day Mistakes

 Getting stuck on one difficult passage
 Random guessing (negative marking hurts)
 Speed without comprehension
Over-reading passages
 Panic when seeing tough questions

Remember: CLAT is designed to feel tough. Stay steady.


9. What to Do If Anxiety Hits During the Exam

Use the 3-step control method:

 Stop — pause for 3 seconds
 Breathe — slow inhale/exhale
 Reset — move to the next question

You won’t lose marks for calming yourself, but you will lose marks for panicking.


10. Last-Minute Exam Hall Strategy

  • Don’t discuss questions with friends before the exam

  • Keep admit card & ID ready

  • Reach 45–60 minutes early

  • Don’t attempt every question—attempt wisely

  • Trust your preparation

  • Stay hydrated but avoid too much water


Final Takeaway

CLAT is not a test of knowledge—it's a test of decision-making under pressure.
Your ability to manage time, maintain accuracy, and stay calm will decide your score more than anything else.

Walk into the exam hall confident, focused, and ready to win.