CLAT UG cheat sheet

Identify the main idea by locating the topic sentence, usually first or last in a paragraph; supporting details elaborate but do not replace it.

Inference questions: the correct answer must be necessarily true given the passage, not merely plausible or consistent with outside knowledge.

Tone and attitude words: 'critical', 'analytical', 'laudatory', 'skeptical', 'ambivalent'; match the author's stance, not the subject's.

Vocabulary in context: substitute each option into the sentence; the correct choice preserves both meaning and grammatical fit.

Para jumbles: find mandatory pairs (pronoun referents, chronological markers, cause-effect links) before testing full sequences.

Logical flow errors in a paragraph: non sequitur, circular reasoning, overgeneralisation, and unsupported causal claim.

Antonym/synonym questions: watch for degree (e.g., 'warm' vs 'hot') and connotation (positive/negative) mismatches.

Reading speed vs accuracy: skim for structure (headings, first sentences), then scan for specific names, dates, and numbers.

Indian polity: Article 368 governs constitutional amendment; basic structure doctrine from Kesavananda Bharati (1973) limits amending power.

Key economic indicators: GDP growth, CPI inflation, repo rate (RBI), fiscal deficit as % of GDP, and current account deficit.

International groupings: UNSC permanent members (China, France, Russia, UK, US); G20, BRICS, QUAD, SCO, ASEAN membership and purpose.

Climate governance: UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol (1997), Paris Agreement (2015) - NDCs, 1.5°C/2°C targets, COP presidency rotation.

Indian constitutional bodies: Election Commission (Art. 324), CAG (Art. 148), UPSC (Art. 315), Finance Commission (Art. 280).

Awards and indices: Nobel Prizes, Bharat Ratna, Padma awards; UNDP HDI, Transparency International CPI, WEF Global Gender Gap.

Space and defence: ISRO missions (Chandrayaan, Aditya-L1, Gaganyaan), DRDO systems, and India's nuclear doctrine (No First Use).

Static GK frequently tested: national parks and states, classical dance origins, currency of countries, capitals, and founders of institutions.

Rule-based questions: apply the given principle to the facts even if it conflicts with actual law; the principle controls.

Ratio decidendi binds lower courts; obiter dicta is persuasive only. Distinguish holding from incidental remarks.

Criminal law basics: mens rea (guilty mind) + actus reus (guilty act); strict liability offences require no mens rea.

Torts: negligence elements - duty of care, breach, causation (factual and proximate), and damages; defences include contributory negligence and volenti non fit injuria.

Contract law: offer + acceptance + consideration + intention + capacity = valid contract; minor's agreement is void ab initio (Mohori Bibee).

Constitutional principles: Article 14 (equality), 19 (freedoms with reasonable restrictions), 21 (life and personal liberty), 32 (writs).

Legal maxims: res ipsa loquitur, caveat emptor, audi alteram partem, actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea.

Precedent hierarchy: Supreme Court > High Court > District Court; larger benches bind smaller benches of the same court.

Syllogism: use Venn diagrams; 'some A are B' does not imply 'some B are A' unless the statement is symmetric; check all possible diagrams.

Conditional reasoning: 'If P then Q' implies 'not Q then not P' (contrapositive), but not 'Q then P' (converse fallacy).

Assumption questions: the correct assumption is necessary for the argument; negate it - if the argument collapses, it is the assumption.

Strengthen/weaken: identify the conclusion and evidence; the answer affects the link between them, not an unrelated fact.

Seating arrangement: draw fixed positions first (corners, ends), then apply relative clues; eliminate options that violate any clue.

Blood relations: convert statements to a family tree; use symbols (+ male, − female) and vertical/horizontal links for generations.

Number and letter series: check differences, ratios, squares/cubes, and alternating patterns before assuming a single rule.

Cause-effect: correlation does not imply causation; look for alternative explanations and reverse causation.

Percentage change = (new − old)/old × 100; successive changes of a% and b% give net change a + b + ab/100.

Profit and loss: SP = CP × (100 + profit%)/100; discount is on marked price, profit is on cost price.

Simple interest SI = PRT/100; compound interest CI = P(1 + R/100)^T − P; for 2 years, CI − SI = P(R/100)².

Time-speed-distance: distance = speed × time; relative speed adds when moving opposite, subtracts when same direction.

Ratio and proportion: if a:b = c:d then ad = bc; partnership profit shares are proportional to capital × time.

Averages: new average after adding/removing an item = (sum ± item)/new count; weighted average = Σwx/Σw.

Permutation and combination: nPr = n!/(n−r)!; nCr = n!/[r!(n−r)!]; arrangements of identical items divide by factorial of repeats.

Probability = favourable outcomes / total outcomes; independent events multiply, mutually exclusive events add.

Mensuration: area of circle = πr², triangle = ½ × base × height; volume of cylinder = πr²h, sphere = (4/3)πr³.