As the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2026 draws near on December 7, 2025, aspiring law students across India are intensifying their preparation. With almost 50 days left to the big day, it's time to channel your energy into targeted strategies that build confidence and competence. The Current Affairs Section (including General Knowledge), often a high-scoring powerhouse, tests not just your recall of events but your ability to connect them to broader contexts i.e. the skills indispensable for a legal career.
In this article, Hitbullseye aims to decode the section by exploring trends from recent years, followed by equipping every aspirant with actionable strategies to help you excel. Remember, CLAT is your gateway to prestigious National Law Universities. Stay focused, stay motivated and turn your preparation into a triumph.
Decoding the Current Affairs (including GK) Section
The Current Affairs section in CLAT is designed to evaluate your awareness of contemporary events and foundational knowledge, essential for a legal career where understanding societal, political and global dynamics is key. For CLAT 2026, the exam follows an established pattern decided by The Consortium of National Law Universities. Consult the table below to read about the exam pattern and sectional distribution:
|
Aspect
|
Details
|
|
Total Questions
|
120 Multiple-Choice Questions
|
|
Time Limit
|
120 Minutes
|
|
Mode of Test
|
Offline
|
|
Scoring
|
- +1 for correct answer
- -0.25 for incorrect answer
- No penalty for unattempted questions
|
|
Sectional Division
|
- Current Affairs: 28-32 questions | 25% of the paper
- English Lang: 22-26 questions | 20% of the paper
- Legal Reasoning: 28-32 questions | 25% of the paper
- Logical Reasoning: 22-26 questions | 20% of the paper
- Quant Techniques: 10-14 questions | 10% of the paper
|
Since the 2020 revamp, the Current Affairs Section has shifted to a passage-based format, emphasizing comprehension and analysis over isolated facts or trivia. The core of the section revolves around 5-7 passages, each up to 450 words long, drawn from contemporary journalistic or non-fiction sources like government press releases, editorials or reports. Questions test your ability to extract key details, draw inferences and apply contextual understanding. Common question types include:
- Fact-based: Direct details from the passage, such as dates, personalities or events.
- Inference-based: Logical conclusions or implications not explicitly stated.
- Contextual identification: Linking events to broader themes, like policy impacts or historical parallels.
- Static GK integration: Questions blending current events with foundational knowledge in areas like polity, geography or economy.
To succeed, develop the skill to read efficiently, skimming for key facts while delving deeper for connections. This section rewards those who stay informed through diverse sources and think analytically, mirroring the demands of legal practice. With a balanced mix of current (60-70%) and static GK (30-40%) in recent years, the focus is on applied awareness, making consistent engagement with news indispensable.
CLAT 2021-2025 Trends: Current Affairs Section
Analyzing trends from CLAT 2021 to 2025 reveals a consistent emphasis on passage-based questions, with variations in difficulty, question count and thematic focus. The section has maintained a 25% weightage, but question numbers were adjusted from 35 in earlier years to 28-30 recently for balance. Passages often cover interdisciplinary topics like international relations, polity, science and economy and require broad awareness. Difficulty has fluctuated, with inference-based questions becoming more prominent, rising from around 20-30% in 2021 to 40-50% in later years.
Here's a year-wise breakdown based on official patterns and expert analyses:
|
Year
|
Difficulty and Details
|
Passage Topics
|
Question Analysis
|
Good Attempt
|
|
2021
|
- Moderate-Easy
- 35 questions
- 7 passages
- Focus on direct facts and awareness.
|
- Environment
- International Relations
- Diplomacy
- Geopolitics
- Sustainability
-Global Governance
- Health
|
- 70% fact-based
- 20-30% inference and static GK
- Direct from passages, with 1-2 static per topic.
|
30+
|
|
2022
|
- Moderate
- 35 questions
- 7 passages
- Balanced national and international focus.
|
- Science & Tech
- Polity & Security
- Geopolitics
- Environment
- Economy
- Governance
- Defence
|
- 60% fact-based
- 30% inference
- 10% static GK integration.
|
28-32
|
|
2023
|
- Moderate-Difficult
- 35 questions
- 5 passages
- Lengthy passages with unexpected themes.
|
- Polity
- Technology
- Sports
- Economy
- Socio-Economic
|
- 50% fact-based
- 40% inference
- 10% static GK; emphasis on unusual current affairs.
|
19-24
|
|
2024
|
- Moderate
- 28 questions
- 5-6 passages
- Easier than prior year with a balanced mix.
|
- International
- Science & Tech
- Global Affairs
- Economy
- Awards
|
- 50% fact-based
- 30% inference
- 20% static GK; more static than current in some slots.
|
20-22
|
|
2025
|
- Moderate
- 28-30 questions
- 5 passages
- High-scoring with objective focus.
|
- Polity & Gender
- Sports
- History
- International Relations
- Geography & Legislation
|
- 60% fact-based
- 30% inference and logic-based
- 10% static GK; mostly direct from passages.
|
20-23
|
These trends show a shift toward analytical, inference-driven questions, with passages becoming more sourced from real-world texts like government releases and editorials. The reduction to 120 questions from 2024 streamlined the section, but static GK's role grew to 30-40%. Slot variations exist, but overall, the section remains accessible for well-prepared candidates. Inference questions have risen from 20-30% in 2021 to 40%+ recently, underscoring the need for contextual reading. Good attempts typically yield 90th percentile scores when accuracy exceeds 85%.
How to Build a Strong Foundation for CLAT 2026?
With CLAT 2026 approaching, now is the time to solidify your foundation and refine your skills. If you've been preparing since a while now and have strengthened your conceptual knowledge, shift to consolidation. If you are just starting, prioritize high-impact activities. Mastering Current Affairs requires discipline, but the rewards are immense. Adopt these motivational strategies to propel your progress:
- Cultivate Daily Reading Habits: Build awareness by reading editorials from reputable sources like The Hindu, Indian Express or PIB releases. Aim for 30-45 minutes daily to cover national, international and static links. This not only exposes you to diverse topics but also trains you to spot implications quickly, a skill that will shine in passages on geopolitics or polity.
- Master Passage Navigation: When practicing, skim passages first (30-45 seconds) to grasp the main events, timelines and tones. Summarize key facts mentally, then tackle questions using elimination. Focus on inferences by asking: "What are the broader impacts?" Practice with official mocks to simulate exam pressure.
- Strengthen Static GK and Current Integration: Learn core static areas like polity (e.g., Constitution articles), history (key movements) and geography (treaties) through resources like Lucent's GK or NCERT excerpts. Link them to currents, for example, Article 370 with recent reorganizations. Avoid rote learning, apply in passages to cement understanding.
- Targeted Practice for Question Types: Dedicate time to specific drills, 2-3 passages daily for fact extraction and inferences. For static, practice identifications. For currents, summarize events in context. Time yourself, allocate 1-1.5 minutes per question. If stuck, move on; revisit later. Leverage elimination in mocks, as CLAT's MCQs reward logical deduction.
- Incorporate Timed Sessions and Analysis: Practice at least 10-15 questions daily, scaling to full sections weekly. Analyze errors and categorize them as factual or inferential. Track progress in a journal, celebrate improvements to stay motivated. Join study groups for discussions, as debating events sharpens perspectives.
Remember, consistency is your ally. As a CLAT aspirant, you're not just preparing for an exam, you're forging the foundation for an impactful legal career. The Current Affairs (including General Knowledge) section, with its emphasis on awareness and analysis, equips you with skills that extend far beyond the test. By harnessing past trends, adopting smart strategies, and maintaining unwavering discipline, you can transform challenges into opportunities.
Stay engaged! Read widely, practice relentlessly and believe in your potential. A strong score here isn't about perfection, it's about persistent effort and strategic insight. As you gear up for December 7, 2025, carry this motivation forward. Success awaits those who prepare with purpose.
In upcoming articles, we'll delve into the remaining three sections, namely, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques.
All the best! Your journey to law school starts with this step!