CLAT quantitative techniques syllabus
Quantitative Techniques is the smallest section at roughly 10 per cent, and the only one the Consortium gives a difficulty level for. The mathematics is 10th standard operations, and the four areas named are ratios and proportions, basic algebra, mensuration and statistical estimation.
It is also the only section with no stated passage length. Instead of a 450 word passage you get short sets of facts or propositions, or other textual representations of numerical information. The CLAT UG syllabus hub page covers the other four sections.
Pattern
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions in this section | 10 to 14 |
| Share of the paper | Roughly 10 per cent |
| Marks per question | 1 |
| Deducted for a wrong answer | 0.25 |
| Passage length | Short sets of facts or propositions, or other textual representations of numerical information. No word length is stated |
| Sectional timing | None. Two hours cover the whole paper |
The Consortium publishes these counts as approximate ranges rather than fixed numbers, so the figure moves between cycles while the paper total holds at 120.
| Section | Questions | Share of the paper |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 22 to 26 | Roughly 20% |
| Current Affairs, including General Knowledge | 28 to 32 | Roughly 25% |
| Legal Reasoning | 28 to 32 | Roughly 25% |
| Logical Reasoning | 22 to 26 | Roughly 20% |
| Quantitative Techniques | 10 to 14 | Roughly 10% |
| Total | 120 | 100% |
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What the section tests
- Deriving information from the passages or the questions
- Inferring and manipulating numerical information set out in those passages
- Applying 10th standard mathematical operations to that information
- Ratios and proportions
- Basic algebra
- Mensuration
- Statistical estimation
The phrase textual representations of numerical information is doing real work. Data often arrives as prose rather than as a clean table, and extracting it correctly is as much of the task as the arithmetic that follows.
What is not in this section
- No mathematics beyond 10th standard operations
- No trigonometry
- No calculus
- No coordinate geometry
- No statistics beyond estimation
- No calculator
How to spend the time
Do not abandon this section. Ten to fourteen questions at 10th standard level is a reliable block of marks, and candidates who write it off are giving away roughly a tenth of the paper to save a few minutes.
Practise extracting numbers from prose. The named format is textual representations of numerical information, so the first task in most questions is building the table the question did not give you.
Ratios and proportions carry the largest share of what is named, and they are also the fastest to compute once the data is extracted. Start there.
Because there is no sectional timing, this section competes with the rest of the paper for minutes. Sit full papers so you learn where it naturally falls in your order. Browse the available CLAT UG practice papers.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the section entirely to save time, and giving away roughly 12 marks
- Preparing mathematics above 10th standard level
- Starting the calculation before extracting all the data from the prose
- Treating it as a data interpretation section with clean tables, when the data often arrives as text
- Guessing blind at 0.25 a wrong answer on questions that usually have a definite answer
- Leaving it to the final ten minutes, when extraction takes longer than the arithmetic
Quantitative Techniques against the passage sections
| Feature | Quantitative Techniques | The four passage sections |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 10 to 14 | 100 to 116 between them |
| Share | Roughly 10 per cent | Roughly 90 per cent |
| Stated passage length | None | About or up to 450 words |
| Stated difficulty | 10th standard operations | None stated |
| Input format | Facts, propositions, textual numerical information | Continuous prose |
| Answer type | Usually a definite computed value | Judgement from the text |
Frequently asked questions
How many Quantitative Techniques questions are in CLAT?
10 to 14, which is roughly 10 per cent of the 120 question paper and the smallest section.
What level is the mathematics?
10th standard mathematical operations. This is the only CLAT section with a stated difficulty level.
Which topics are named?
Ratios and proportions, basic algebra, mensuration and statistical estimation.
Is trigonometry asked?
No. Nor is calculus or coordinate geometry.
Are calculators allowed?
No.
Is this section passage based?
It uses short sets of facts or propositions, or other textual representations of numerical information, rather than the 450 word passages used elsewhere.
Should I skip this section?
Skipping it gives away roughly 12 marks of 10th standard arithmetic, which is usually a poor trade.
Is there negative marking?
Yes, 0.25 for a wrong answer.
Is there a stated passage length?
No. This is the only section the Consortium gives no word length for.
Does this section have its own time limit?
No. CLAT has no sectional timing.