For Tina Chakraborty, WBNUJS was never just another law school on a preference list—it was the dream. A former Head Girl of Army Public School, Barrackpore, State Topper in Class X, School Topper in Class XII, and Runners-Up at the Inter APS National Debate Competition, Tina built a reputation for excellence both inside and outside the classroom.
When her first CLAT attempt did not take her to her dream university, she chose determination over disappointment. Taking another shot at the exam, she returned with greater focus and secured her place at WBNUJS, where she is now pursuing B.A. LL.B. (Hons.).
Beyond academics, Tina has a keen interest in legal research, policy discourse, and emerging areas of law, and currently serves on the editorial teams of the Society for International Trade & Competition Law and the Intellectual Property and Technology Laws Society. In this interview with CLAT Essentials, she reflects on the challenges, lessons, and mindset that helped her turn a setback into success.
Q. Congratulations on your outstanding achievement. Could you share your immediate reaction upon receiving the news that you are joining WBNUJS, and what this success signifies for you personally?
To provide some context, the results were released unexpectedly on the evening of December 7th the day before my AILET examination at around 11–12 am. A friend called to inform me, but I initially dismissed it as a prank. When I finally mustered the courage to check, my reaction was, to put it best, bittersweet. My aim had always been WBNUJS even had I secured AIR 1, NUJS was where I wanted to be. Yet after such rigorous preparation, I had genuinely hoped for a stronger rank, and that expectation weighed on me in the moment.
It was my family who grounded me and reminded me that I had, in fact, achieved my dream. Their words helped me shift my perspective, and I soon realised what a disservice I was doing to myself by lamenting what was, ultimately, a remarkable outcome.
Beyond the result itself, this success has been a profound learning experience. The drop year fundamentally transformed me as a person it allowed me to engage with exceptional peers, forge meaningful friendships, and, most importantly, sharpen my logical reasoning, which has proved invaluable not only for CLAT but also in law school.
Q. What motivated your decision to pursue a career in law?
I often describe my relationship with law as an arranged marriage it was not a choice I had consciously planned. Even in Grade 11, I had no clear idea of what I wanted to pursue. It was my school principal, Moitreyee Ma’am, who asked me what I wanted to do in the future, and somewhat instinctively, I said “law.” She then introduced me to Clat Essentials, and after my very first class there, I was certain this was the path for me. The emphasis on applying pure logic to real-world problems gave me a sense of intellectual clarity and purpose that I had not experienced before, and that conviction has only grown stronger since.
Q. Could you outline the daily routine you adhered to during your preparation? Specifically, how did you structure your day to ensure effective study hours versus necessary breaks?
During my Grade 12 preparation, my routine was fairly unstructured I studied whenever I could: in school, after school, and at the CLAT Essentials centre. That phase was primarily about building a strong foundation. My drop year, by contrast, was focused on filling gaps and refining my skills.
During the drop year, my days broadly fell into two categories. On home-study days, I would typically start around 10–11 am, have brunch, and study until 5 pm. I reserved 5–6 pm for family time, and then resumed from 6 pm until 2–3 am, interspersed with breaks, often doing doubt-clearance sessions with CE faculty. On days when I came to the centre, I would aim to arrive by noon, take mocks or study until 7–8 pm, and then head home.
One habit that kept me consistently on track was preparing a weekly timetable and drafting a fresh daily schedule each morning. It helped me monitor what I had planned against what I had actually accomplished. I should also mention that there was a period during my drop year when I had completely lost motivation and was barely studying for 2–3 hours a day. My mentor’s personal check-ins during that time were what pulled me back on track a reminder of just how important good mentorship is, not just academically, but mentally as well.
Q. The decision to take a drop is rarely easy; there’s societal pressure, self-doubt, and uncertainty. How did you mentally prepare yourself for the drop year before it even began? And how did you know it was right for you?
The drop was, in a sense, my second option. The only reason I had missed NUJS in my first attempt was one QT passage the difference between NUJS’s cut-off that year and my score was exactly six marks. I knew that with dedicated time, I could bridge that gap.
I am fortunate to have an extremely supportive family. The moment I explained the situation to them, they were fully behind my decision. I also consulted my mentor, who affirmed that a drop year would be a good idea given my goals. That said, I will not pretend the decision was emotionally easy even after making it, I felt a deep sense of having failed, and it took time to come to terms with that.
A drop year brings both abundant time and enormous pressure. Watching friends join college while you stay back can feel like falling behind in life. But what kept me going was the unwavering faith of my family and my mentor. Looking back, I genuinely believe the drop year made me stronger and better not just as a student, but as a person.
Q. Did your study routine evolve as the exam date approached, particularly in the final month? How did your strategy in the last 30 days differ from the initial phase of your preparation?
Absolutely there is a significant difference between the early months of preparation and the final stretch. In the initial phase, the focus was squarely on strengthening core skills, particularly logical reasoning. As the final month approached, General Knowledge became the primary area of attention, since by that stage your notes must be ready and revision takes centre stage.
I can broadly break down the final month into three phases. In the first two weeks, I reduced my mocks to about two or three per week. In the third week, I cut it down to two, and in the final week, just one. It is important to note that this schedule was tailored to my specific level of preparedness with my CE mentor’s guidance, it may be entirely different for someone else. One should never blindly follow another person’s timetable; always adapt it to your own situation.
Something else worth addressing is the mental state of a student particularly a dropper in the last month. The pressure is immense, and self-doubt can creep in very easily. It becomes harder to concentrate, and the fear of the day itself is very real. But it is essential to trust your preparation at that point. Life has a way of working itself out all one needs to do is put in the effort and have faith.
Q. The preparation journey is often long and arduous. How did you navigate periods of burnout or suboptimal performance in your mock tests to maintain your momentum?
I will be candid I was never someone who handled a poor mock performance particularly well. My first instinct was always to feel disheartened, and only then to rationally analyse what had gone wrong. Given how demanding the process is, experiencing burnout periodically is entirely normal.
What helped me most was speaking to my parents and taking deliberate breaks. Going out with friends and simply stepping away from studying for a bit also made a real difference. And I would be remiss not to mention my CE mentor, who was consistently available whenever I was feeling low, and a conversation with him had a way of setting things right. The takeaway is simple: reach out to your mentor, speak to your loved ones, and do not feel guilty about taking a break when you genuinely need one.
Q. CLAT is distinct for its high-pressure, speed-intensive nature. How did you manage exam-day anxiety, and did you utilize any specific techniques to maintain composure during the test?
Taking a large number of mocks was, without doubt, the single most effective thing I did for exam-day composure. My body had grown so accustomed to the mock environment that sitting for CLAT felt, in many ways, like just another mock. The pressure was present, but it was manageable.
On a more personal note, doodling helps me focus it is something I practised both during mocks and in the actual exam. For others, brisk walking just before the test can work well. I would encourage students to experiment with different techniques during their mocks to discover what works best for them individually.
One tactical point I would emphasise is that you are not obligated to attempt the paper in the printed section order. Identify your stronger sections and build momentum with those first. Additionally, mastering the art of skipping is crucial do not spend disproportionate time on a difficult passage. Move on, solve the accessible questions with confidence, and return to the harder ones later with more time and composure. The students who reach top ranks are not necessarily the ones who find the paper easy; they are the ones who refuse to let pressure derail them.
Q. With the abundance of study material available, could you list the primary resources, books, periodicals, or platforms that you found most indispensable to your success?
For subjects other than General Knowledge, I primarily relied on CE workbooks and theory books. For Logic and English, I supplemented with GMAT and LSAT past-year questions. For Mathematics, I used R.S. Aggarwal for practice and supplemented it with online topic-specific tests.
General Knowledge requires a more deliberate approach. I worked through the topic list provided by Clat Essentials, which covered over 300 topics, and also used monthly compendiums from reliable online sources. For note-making, I referenced Drishti IAS, official government websites, and newspaper articles. As the exam approached, concise one-shot videos on YouTube and various online compendiums also proved useful. The key with GK, however, is consistent revision and learning actively from mock tests, which expose you to a wide variety of important topics and question types.
Q. How instrumental were mock tests in your overall preparation strategy? Specifically, how did they aid in your conditioning for the actual exam environment?
Mock tests were absolutely central to my preparation. Attempting a sufficient number of mocks builds speed, helps you identify the strategy that works best for you, and ensures that by the time the actual examination arrives, you know exactly what you need to do and how to do it. Beyond performance, mocks also significantly enhance stress management capabilities and help you pinpoint which subjects, sections, and question types are your strengths and weaknesses allowing you to direct your study time accordingly.
Q. Beyond merely attempting mock tests, how did you approach the post-test analysis? Did you maintain a systematic record of errors to track your improvement?
Attempting a mock without analysing it is, as my mentor always said, a pure waste of time. In the early stages of my preparation, each mock analysis took me at least three to four dedicated hours of personal review. This time reduced gradually as I gained more experience and became more efficient. After my individual analysis, I would sit with peers either at the centre or on a group video call to discuss doubts collectively. We would then take our remaining questions to the mentors for final clarity.
I also took my mentor’s personalised feedback after every mock, which was invaluable given the depth of his experience. In terms of record-keeping, I maintained an organised Excel sheet logging my scores, which I would also share with my mentor for feedback. Systematic tracking like this makes your progress visible and helps you have more informed, productive conversations with your mentor.
Q. Given the vast scope of General Knowledge and Current Affairs, what methodology did you adopt to stay updated efficiently without feeling overwhelmed?
Clat Essentials fosters an environment that practically necessitates daily GK engagement daily Telegram quizzes and weekly medal tests ensured that I was making notes consistently at the right time, leaving sufficient time for revision before the exam. That structured, habitual approach made a significant difference.
In addition, I regularly read news articles on important topics as they arose. As the exam drew closer, one-shot YouTube videos and online compendiums helped consolidate knowledge efficiently. The fundamental principle, however, is consistent revision. GK is not a subject you can cram the more you revise and the more varied your exposure through mock tests, the better your retention and recall on the day of the exam.
Q. Time management is critical in a 120-minute examination. Could you walk us through your section-attempt strategy?
Time allocation is indeed crucial, and while every question paper demands a slightly different approach which one discovers through mocks and analysis I am happy to share the framework that worked for me. These are upper limits, and I would often move away from a section if it seemed unduly difficult or time-consuming:
English: 25 minutes; General Knowledge: 10 minutes; Logical Reasoning: 25 minutes; Legal Reasoning: 30 minutes; Quantitative Techniques: 15 minutes. This left me with a buffer of approximately 15 minutes, which I could allocate to whichever section demanded it most. That buffer proved extremely valuable in the actual examination.
Q. In hindsight, is there any aspect of your preparation strategy that you would alter or improve upon if given the chance?
Reflecting on my first attempt specifically, I would definitely have invested more time and effort in Mathematics. It is a section that can either earn you a significantly better rank or cost you one. The margin that Mathematics creates can be decisive, and I underestimated it initially. My strong advice to future aspirants is to take Mathematics seriously from the very beginning practise extensively, work on your speed, and ensure your fundamental concepts are solid.
Q. How did you approach your second attempt differently — strategically, mentally, and in terms of resource selection?
The most significant changes in my second attempt were: completing the Mathematics syllabus in its entirety and actively working on my speed; taking substantially more mock tests; and placing a much greater emphasis on thorough post-mock analysis to ensure my doubts were resolved properly. In general, having a full year dedicated exclusively to preparation allowed me to be far more disciplined and deliberate in every aspect of my approach.
Q. Did you take up any dedicated mentoring support, and how important do you think one-on-one mentoring from experienced educators is in shaping a student’s CLAT preparation?
Yes, I have been under Clat Essentials’ guidance since the very beginning of my preparation journey, and I can say without hesitation that it has been life-transforming. I genuinely believe his mentorship was a decisive factor in my getting into NUJS.
The very nature of CLAT demands a trained logical mind. That kind of thinking, in my experience, is best developed by interacting with individuals who have deeply internalised logic themselves and can guide you through that process. Beyond academics, the personalised feedback, the mental support during difficult phases, and the accountability that comes with a dedicated mentor are things that no self-study routine can fully replicate.
Q. The comprehension-heavy format of CLAT rewards strong readers. Was reading always a habit for you, or did you consciously build it during prep — and if so, how?
Reading has been a habit for me, developed particularly during the COVID period around Grades 9 and 10. However, my reading was largely confined to fiction, which meant there was little variety in what I engaged with. That needed to change. When I began my CLAT preparation, my mentor actively pushed me towards diversified, more purposeful reading editorials, legal commentaries, non-fiction articles which significantly broadened both my comprehension skills and my general awareness.
Q. What do you think was the most common mistake CLAT aspirants make?
There are two major mistakes that I observe consistently: taking Mathematics too lightly, and failing to properly analyse mock tests. Both are silent rank-killers. Mathematics can be the deciding factor between a good rank and a great one, and attempting mocks without rigorous analysis is essentially wasted effort. If you do not have time to analyse a mock thoroughly, it is better to take fewer mocks and analyse them well than to take many and learn nothing from them
Q. How should students prepare for a difficult or unpredictable CLAT paper?
Remember that if the paper is difficult for you, it is equally difficult for everyone else. The cut-off will adjust accordingly. What matters in those 120 minutes is that you remain calm and give your absolute best. Do not let a challenging passage or an unexpected question format rattle you composure under pressure is often what separates the top ranks from the rest.
Q. Comparison with peers is one of the most silent yet damaging traps during CLAT prep. Did you ever fall into it, and how did you learn to block out that noise?
Absolutely, and many times. Mock test rankings would genuinely unsettle me I would find myself doubting whether I would succeed at all. What consistently helped me was speaking with my mentors and my parents. Their perspective helped me interpret mock scores more constructively as diagnostic tools rather than definitive verdicts and gradually, I was able to approach comparisons with far more equanimity.
Q. Based on your experience, what is your primary advice for future aspirants targeting CLAT 2027?
Stay calm. Please take Mathematics seriously and practise it consistently. Attempt a large number of mocks. Invest sincerely in the preparation phase, and trust that everything else will follow. The journey demands hard work, but if you put in the effort with focus and consistency, things will fall into place.
Q. Finally, what is your message to students who are currently weighing whether to take a drop for CLAT 2027 — both those who should take it and those who perhaps shouldn’t?
My honest answer is that it depends on your individual situation. If you are considering a partial drop, factor in the demands of your current college and whether you can genuinely balance both. If you are absolutely certain about a particular institution and willing to commit fully to the process, then I would say go ahead. That was my position I knew I wanted NUJS, I was willing to take the risk, and I am glad I did. But it must be a well-considered decision, not an impulsive one. Know your ‘why’, have the right support in place, and trust the process.
A CLAT Essentials Interview by Oyishee Bose