How to Attempt Lengthy Passage Based Questions in CLAT 2025?

08 February, 2024
Artika Shan

Practising reading comprehension for CLAT is crucial since lengthy passages are an important part of the exam pattern. Each passage contains 300-400 words, followed by five to six multiple-choice questions. In each section, except quantitative techniques, aspirants must solve passages of approximately 400-450 words. Practising comprehension of passages is the key to success. These tips will help you answer lengthy passage-based questions in CLAT 2024. Here’s how to answer CLAT 2024 passage-based questions.

How to answer lengthy passage-based questions in CLAT 2025?


  1. Finding the central idea in the first five lines of the passage
    The first five lines of the passage should explain what the passage is about. Analyze the core knowledge of the passage and determine whether it belongs to the narrative, descriptive, or argumentative category. Solving answers becomes easier when options are eliminated that do not apply to the passage.

  2.  Intent of the passage
     Analyze the positive and negative connotations of the author’s words. Examine grandiose, introspective, acerbic, dogmatic, witty, opinionated, and introspective tones. These are some typical tones and questions. The tone used by authors can also be neutral or mixed. As a result, it is important to examine the tone of the passage.


  3.  Solve more, practice more
     Practicing reading comprehension in advance will assist you in preparing for the CLAT exam. If the CLAT exam involves passages, the best strategy is to locate the answers to the passages from last year’s CLAT question papers. This will help you discover new ways to improve your reading comprehension to prepare for CLAT and not have to come across new passages.

  4.  Make note of keywords and highlight critical points in the question paper
    Consider the keywords in the passage as you read the question. Know which questions should be solved first and which should be left for the end.

  5. Logical structure
    There is a need for a deep understanding of the reading passages to answer the questions. Pay attention to the way certain words affect the flow of the passage. It is easy to answer questions such as which title best suits the passage if one has a general understanding of the passage structure. Moreover, it will make it easier to identify the differences in viewpoints or counterarguments.

Depending on the CLAT exam pattern, the difficulty level of each question may vary. Thus, one may need more time to answer tough questions. It is also important to avoid guessing in the exam if one is uncertain about the answer. Consider moving on to the next question if the current question is time-consuming and difficult. The moment you have finished reading the passage, make it a habit to summarize it. By doing so, you will be able to understand its gist. It is also possible to develop one’s method of solving comprehension problems. The key to scoring a high grade is to solve the problem in the shortest amount of time.

Practice is another important factor to keep in mind in CLAT preparation. By doing so, you will be able to open the doors to improving your grades. Studying comprehension frequently will improve your vocabulary, pace, accuracy, and everything else. Moreover, when solving a comprehension, set a timer. This will assist you in understanding the time taken to read each passage.

When reading the comprehension, don’t start reading it like a novel. While reading the passage, the hands, brain, and eyes must work in coordination. It is also important to develop the habit of finding valuable keywords and underlying them. In this way, one does not have to go through unnecessary information when searching for an answer. When responding to a passage in which one is unfamiliar with the subject matter, one should avoid expressing their expertise. Ensure that you adhere to the statistics provided in the comprehension.

The CLAT exam pattern is such that reading comprehension questions are different from those studied in school. Thus, the student or aspirant needs to understand the passage’s premise and context. The above-mentioned tips are the best ways to attempt the lengthy passage-based questions in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT).  You can contact IMS for more information about the CLAT exam and other CLAT classroom and CLAT live programs. Get in touch with our admission consultants to understand how IMS can guide and help you get a good score and admission to the right university abroad.