CLAT — Previous Year Pattern Questions

Legal Reasoning

Q1. Principle: A person is liable for the natural and probable consequences of his actions.

Fact: A throws a stone at a dog. The stone misses the dog and hits B, causing injury.

Question: Is A liable to B?

Answer: Yes. Throwing a stone in a public place where people are present makes injury to a person a natural and probable consequence. A failed to take care, and the injury to B was foreseeable.

Q2. Principle: Nobody can transfer a better title than he himself has.

Fact: X steals Y's car and sells it to Z, who buys it in good faith for full value.

Question: Can Z claim ownership against Y?

Answer: No. X had no title to the car. He cannot transfer what he does not have (nemo dat quod non habet). Z, despite being a bona fide purchaser, cannot get good title from a thief. Y can recover the car from Z.

Q3. Principle: An agreement without consideration is void except when it is made on account of natural love and affection between parties standing in a near relation.

Fact: A, for natural love and affection, promises to give his son B Rs 5,000. A puts this promise in writing and registers it.

Question: Is this a valid contract?

Answer: Yes. Section 25, Exception 1 of the Indian Contract Act — a written and registered agreement on account of natural love and affection between near relations is valid even without consideration. Father-son = near relation.

Logical Reasoning

Q4. All actors are dancers. No dancer is a singer. Conclusions:

I. No actor is a singer. II. Some actors are singers.

Answer: Only I follows. If all actors are dancers and no dancer is a singer, then no actor can be a singer. Conclusion I follows. II is the opposite and doesn't follow.

Q5. Statements: Some books are pens. All pens are erasers.

Conclusions: I. Some books are erasers. II. All erasers are pens.

Answer: Only I follows. Some books are pens + All pens are erasers → Some books are erasers (valid syllogism). II reverses a universal statement — not valid.

English Language

Q6. Passage comprehension: The passage argues that the right to privacy, once considered a luxury, has become essential to human dignity in the digital age.

What is the author's primary concern?

(a) Privacy is expensive to maintain

(b) Technology has made privacy impossible

(c) Privacy is now a fundamental need linked to human dignity

(d) Only wealthy people need privacy

General Knowledge & Current Affairs (Legal)

Q7. The National Human Rights Commission was established under:

(a) Fundamental Rights provisions of the Constitution

(b) Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993

(c) Civil Procedure Code

(d) A Constitutional Amendment

Q8. The right to education is guaranteed under which Article of the Indian Constitution?

(a) Article 21 (b) Article 21A (c) Article 45 (d) Article 19

Answer: Article 21A — added by 86th Amendment 2002. Free and compulsory education 6-14 years.

CLAT Exam Pattern (UG)

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Time: 2 hours. Negative marking: -0.25. Qualifying marks: 45% (40% for SC/ST).

Target: 110+ for NLU Delhi, 105+ for NLU Bangalore.