Time is almost up! As the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) approaches close on December 07, 2025 (Sunday), it is important to retain tips about how you will manage your time in order to maximize your score. The entrance exam has multiple sections and a limited time frame, making it crucial to have a clear strategy and maximize your performance.
In this article, Hitbullseye will detail actionable time management tips to help every candidate make the most of their time during the exam. Here, we’ll break down the best approaches for tackling each section of the exam, strategies to help you avoid wasting precious time on tricky questions and share some techniques to maintain a calm and focused mindset throughout the test. So, let’s dive in!
How To Allocate Time Per Section?
Understanding how much time to spend on each section of the exam is the first step in managing your time effectively. All the five sections: English, General Knowledge (GK) and Current Affairs, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques (Maths) demand a different level of attention and focus. Here's a breakdown of how to allocate your time:
English Language (20 questions – 25 minutes)
- Time Allocation: 25 minutes
- Why This Works: English comprehension questions generally require careful reading, but they aren't as time-consuming as other sections. The goal is to read each passage carefully, but quickly, and answer the questions without delving in too much.
- Strategy: Start by scanning the questions before reading the passage to understand what to look for. Avoid spending too much time on difficult vocabulary; focus on answering based on context and understanding the main ideas of the passage.
General Knowledge and Current Affairs (35 questions – 20 minutes)
- Time Allocation: 20 minutes
- Why This Works: GK and Current Affairs questions are usually fact-based and require quick recall. This section often contains straightforward questions that don’t demand deep analysis.
- Strategy: For GK, focus on reading questions first to spot keywords that could help you quickly identify the correct answer. If you don't know an answer immediately, move on for the time being and revisit later if there’s time.
Legal Reasoning (35 questions – 30 minutes)
- Time Allocation: 30 minutes
- Why This Works: The Legal Reasoning section contains passages that require logical deduction and understanding of legal principles. These can take more time to solve, but since they tend to be more predictable than others, allocating around 35 minutes will help you maximize your score.
- Strategy: Begin by reading the questions and legal principles first to understand the context, then read the passages. This helps you quickly identify the key points and answer with confidence. Focus on identifying relationships between legal concepts and their applications in the given scenarios.
Logical Reasoning (30 questions – 25 minutes)
- Time Allocation: 25 minutes
- Why This Works: Logical Reasoning can be tricky but tends to be more predictable once you’ve practiced enough. Questions related to puzzles, syllogisms and analogies typically take time to solve, so it’s important to stay efficient.
- Strategy: Start with the questions you feel most confident about. Avoid spending excessive time on a single question. If you get stuck, move on and come back to it later. Use logical elimination techniques to reduce answer choices quickly.
Quantitative Techniques (15 questions – 20 minutes)
- Time Allocation: 20 minutes
- Why This Works: Maths questions are typically straightforward but can be time-consuming if you don't manage your pace well. Since the number of questions is fewer compared to other sections, you don’t need to spend a lot of time here.
- Strategy: Read the question carefully and identify the easiest way to solve it. If you’re unsure about the solution, use the elimination method. Only attempt calculations if you feel confident; otherwise, leave the question and come back if time permits.
Ideal Time Allocation
- English Language: 25 minutes
- General Knowledge & Current Affairs: 20 minutes
- Legal Reasoning: 30 minutes
- Logical Reasoning: 25 minutes
- Quantitative Techniques: 20 minutes
Total Time: 120 minutes (2 hours)
How to Tackle Time-Consuming Questions?
Time management isn’t just about knowing how to allocate your time; it’s also about how you use it wisely when you’re in the thick of the exam.
- Skip Difficult Questions and Move On: It's tempting to spend too much time on tough questions, but this can easily backfire. By skipping difficult questions and returning to them later, you ensure you don’t waste valuable time when you're stuck.
- Use the Process of Elimination: When you're unsure of an answer, eliminate the options that you know are wrong. This increases your chances of selecting the right answer even if you're guessing.
- Keep Track of Time While Working Through Sections: It’s easy to get absorbed in a single question or section and lose track of time. By setting time checks every 10–15 minutes, you can ensure that you're on pace to finish each section.Glance at the clock at regular intervals. If you’re running behind, increase your pace slightly. If you’re ahead, you can afford to spend a bit more time on challenging questions.
Stay Calm and Relaxed During the Exam
Stress can cause your brain to freeze and reduce your efficiency during the exam. Maintaining a calm and focused mindset is crucial for managing your time effectively.
Practice Deep Breathing Techniques: Breathing exercises help reduce anxiety and improve focus, which is especially important during intense exam moments. During the test, if you feel overwhelmed, pause for a moment and take a few deep breaths to calm your nerves. This can help you refocus and regain your composure.
Visualize Success: Visualizing success can increase your confidence and decrease the likelihood of panic. It helps you mentally prepare to tackle the exam calmly.
Stay Positive and Trust Your Preparation: A positive mindset helps you stay resilient even if you encounter difficult questions. If you’ve prepared well, remind yourself that you’re capable of handling whatever comes your way. Whenever you feel doubts creeping in, repeat positive affirmations like “I’ve prepared for this,” or “I can do this.” Trust your instincts and knowledge.
Why Time Management Works and How it Impacts Your Performance?
Efficient time management directly correlates with your ability to maximize your score. By ensuring that you allocate time correctly, tackle time-consuming questions strategically, and remain calm, you can boost your overall efficiency and accuracy. Here's how time management positively impacts your performance:
- More Time for Review: A well-managed approach leaves you with more time to go over questions you initially skipped, which could make the difference in your final score.
- Reduced Anxiety: Knowing that you have a plan allows you to approach the exam with less anxiety. This, in turn, helps you stay focused and think more clearly during the test.
- Improved Accuracy: By managing your time wisely, you give yourself the space to think critically and logically, leading to better answers and fewer careless mistakes.
Effective time management on exam day can make all the difference. By allocating your time wisely across sections, tackling challenging questions strategically, and staying calm under pressure, you can significantly enhance your chances of scoring well. Remember, time management is not about rushing; it’s about pacing yourself, making smart decisions, and using every minute to its fullest potential.
On exam day, you are your best asset. Trust in your preparation, stay focused, and keep calm. If you stick to the time management strategies discussed in this article, you’ll be able to navigate the exam with confidence and maximize your chances of success.
Good luck, and remember… Time is your ally when managed wisely!
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