Get to know about the Supreme Court Law Clerk Exam Previous Year Question Papers: get pattern analysis, subject-wise trends, and preparation strategies for the SC Law Clerk exam.

Preparing for the Supreme Court Law Clerk-cum-Research Associate Exam requires more than just textbook knowledge. If you’re a final year law student or fresh graduate aiming for this prestigious position, you need strategic preparation tools that reveal exactly what the exam demands. Previous year question papers serve as your most reliable guide to understanding the exam’s actual pattern, difficulty level, and topic priorities.

The Supreme Court releases question papers from past years, and analysing these papers can transform your preparation from guesswork into targeted strategy. Let me walk you through how to leverage these papers effectively, from understanding the weightage distribution to mastering both the MCQ and subjective sections that together determine your selection.

Why Are Previous Year Question Papers Essential for SC Law Clerk Exam Success?

How Much Weightage Does Part II (Subjective) Carry Compared to Part I (MCQs)?

The Supreme Court Law Clerk Exam consists of two parts: Part I carries 100 marks for MCQs over 2.5 hours, while Part II carries 300 marks for subjective questions over 3.5 hours. This means Part II accounts for a substantial portion of your total written exam score, making it the decisive component of your selection. Most candidates focus heavily on MCQ preparation, but a lot of your success actually depends on mastering the subjective paper’s case synopsis, research memo, and analytical essay components.

How Do Previous Year Question Papers Reveal the Actual Exam Pattern and Difficulty Level?

Previous year papers show you the exact format you’ll face: the number of questions per subject, the complexity of legal scenarios presented, and the time pressure you’ll experience. When you attempt the 2024 or 2023 Part I paper, you immediately understand whether questions test superficial knowledge or require deep analytical application of constitutional principles, procedural codes, and recent Supreme Court judgments. This practical experience cannot be replicated through textbooks alone, as papers reveal the specific question-framing style and the balance between theoretical law and practical application.

What Advantages Do Previous Year Papers Offer Over General Study Material?

General study materials cover the entire syllabus comprehensively, but they cannot tell you which topics appear most frequently or how questions are actually structured in the exam hall. Previous year papers reveal that Constitutional law consistently carries 15-20 questions focusing on Articles 14, 19, 21, and recent fundamental rights judgments, while the Latest Developments section (introduced in 2023) now dominates with 20-25 questions on Supreme Court rulings from the past year. Understanding these trends helps you predict what the 2025 exam might emphasise, giving you a strategic advantage over candidates who prepare blindly without analyzing historical patterns.

Year-Wise Analysis of Supreme Court Law Clerk Previous Year Question Papers (2015-2024)

How Has the SC Law Clerk Exam Pattern Evolved Over the Years?

Major Pattern Changes from 2018 to 2024: What You Need to Know

The most significant pattern shift occurred in 2023 when the exam structure was substantially revised. English Comprehension questions, which previously accounted for 30 questions (2018-2021), were reduced to just 15 questions in 2023-2024, freeing up space for more law-focused content. Simultaneously, the General Aptitude and Awareness section that carried 20 questions until 2021 was completely removed from the 2023 examination pattern, reflecting a shift toward pure legal knowledge assessment rather than general reasoning ability.

The 2023 pattern introduced two critical additions: Contract Law as a dedicated testing area with 10-12 questions, and a new section called “Latest Developments in Law” carrying 15-20 questions focused exclusively on recent Supreme Court judgments and legal updates. These changes mean that if you’re preparing with papers from 2018-2021 without understanding the 2023-2024 pattern shift, you’ll be allocating study time to sections that no longer exist while missing entirely new high-weightage areas.

Which Sections Were Added or Removed in Recent Years?

As per the Scheme of Engaging Law Clerk-cum-Research Associates (January 2024), the current exam has three testing areas for Part I: Reading Comprehension (English passages with questions), Analytical and Legal Aptitude (covering Constitution, IPC, CrPC, CPC, Evidence Act, Contract Act), and Recent Developments in Law (Supreme Court and High Court rulings from the past year). The removal of General Aptitude means you no longer need to prepare logical reasoning puzzles, quantitative aptitude, or general awareness topics beyond legal current affairs. 

From Where Can You Download Official SC Law Clerk Previous Year Question Paper?

Supreme Court Official Website Question Paper Archive (2015-2024)

The Supreme Court of India’s official website hosts all previous year question papers from 2015 onwards, making it your primary authoritative source for exam papers. You can download papers from 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023 (Part I and Part II separately), and 2024 (Part I and Part II separately) in PDF format directly from this page. Note that 2020 and 2022 papers are not available as the exam was not conducted those years due to the pandemic and other administrative reasons.

Part I (MCQ) of SC Law Clerk Previous Year Question Paper- Subject Distribution and Preparation Strategy

Subject-Wise Question Breakdown

Constitution of India: How Many Questions and Which Topics Repeat?

Constitutional law has consistently carried 15-20 questions across all years from 2018 to 2024, making it the single most important subject for Part I preparation. When you examine previous year papers, you’ll notice a clear pattern: questions concentrate heavily on Fundamental Rights (Articles 12-35), particularly the right to equality under Article 14, freedom of speech under Article 19, and right to life under Article 21. The exam regularly tests your understanding of landmark judgments interpreting these rights, such as Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978 AIR 597), Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala [1973 4 SCC 225], and recent privacy-related rulings.

Beyond Fundamental Rights, expect questions on the constitutional framework of the judiciary (Articles 124-147), parliamentary procedures, Centre-State relations, and constitutional amendments. The 2023 and 2024 papers showed increased focus on recent constitutional bench decisions, so you must prepare Supreme Court rulings from the past 2-3 years alongside foundational constitutional law principles. Questions often present factual scenarios requiring you to identify which constitutional provision applies or which remedy is available, testing practical application rather than mere theoretical knowledge.

Criminal Law (IPC, CrPC, Evidence): Year-Wise Question Count Trends

Criminal law subjects collectively account for 25-30 questions, distributed across IPC (10-11 questions), CrPC (10 questions), and Evidence Act (9-10 questions) based on 2023-2024 patterns. In earlier years (2018-2021), each subject carried 20 questions, but the 2023 pattern revision reduced individual subject weightage while maintaining strong overall criminal law representation. For IPC, questions focus on general exceptions, offences against human body (murder, culpable homicide, assault), property offences (theft, robbery, criminal breach of trust), and offences against public tranquility.

CrPC questions concentrate on arrest procedures, bail provisions, trial stages, appeals, and revision. The India Evidence Act 1872 questions test relevance and admissibility of evidence, presumptions, burden of proof, and examination of witnesses. The practical application approach continues here; expect scenarios where you must determine correct procedure, identify admissible evidence, or classify offenses correctly rather than simple definition-based questions.

Civil Law (CPC, Contract, Specific Relief): Topic Frequency

The Civil Procedure Code 1908 has maintained 10-11 questions in recent papers, focusing on jurisdiction, suit structure, written statement, discovery and inspection, judgment and decree, appeals, and execution proceedings. Questions often present procedural scenarios requiring you to identify the correct court jurisdiction, appropriate remedy, or procedural step rather than asking for bare provisions. The exam tests whether you understand how civil litigation actually progresses through various stages.

India Contract Act 1872 introduction in 2023 as a dedicated testing area brought 10-12 questions covering essentials of valid contract, consideration, offer and acceptance, breach of contract, and remedies. Questions draw from both the Contract Act and the Specific Relief Act 1963, testing your understanding of when specific performance is granted versus when damages suffice. Since this is a relatively new addition, preparing thoroughly from the 2023-2024 papers reveals the exact approach and difficulty level for Contract Law questions.

English Comprehension and Vocabulary: Pattern Changes from 2018-2024

English Comprehension carried 30 questions in papers from 2018-2021, but was reduced to 15 questions in the 2023-2024 pattern. This section tests reading comprehension through passages (often legal or constitutional in nature), vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitutions), sentence correction, error spotting, and idioms/phrases. The 2023 Part I paper, for instance, included a passage on the GST Council’s federal structure requiring candidates to answer questions on interpretation, inference, and vocabulary understanding within that specific legal-economic context.

The reduction in question count doesn’t mean you should neglect English preparation: 15 questions still represent 15% of Part I marks. However, the time you previously allocated to practicing 30 questions can now be redirected toward legal subjects, particularly the new Latest Developments section. Focus your English preparation on reading complex legal passages from Supreme Court judgments and legal articles, as these mirror the passage complexity you’ll encounter, rather than general comprehension practice from non-legal sources.

Latest Developments in Law: The New High-Weightage Section Since 2023

The Latest Developments in Law section, introduced in 2023, has become the highest-weightage single component of Part I with 15-20 questions focused exclusively on recent Supreme Court and significant High Court judgments from the past year. This section tests whether you’re keeping current with judicial developments, covering landmark constitutional bench decisions, important criminal law rulings, arbitration law judgments and civil law precedents, and judgments on emerging legal issues like technology, environment, and social justice. From year-wise question paper analysis, we see that 2023 carried 20 questions and 2024 maintained 15 questions in this section.

Preparing for this section requires a different strategy than traditional law subjects because the content changes annually: what’s “recent” for the 2024 exam becomes outdated for 2025. You must follow Supreme Court judgments from January 2024 onwards, focusing on constitutional bench decisions (typically 5+ judges), important two-judge bench rulings on contentious issues, and judgments that modify or overrule earlier precedents. Questions ask about the ratio decidendi, the legal principle established, the constitutional articles interpreted, or the practical implications of specific judgments rather than just case names and dates.

How to practice MCQs using Previous Years Papers

Paper Solving Schedule: Which years to prioritise

Start with the 2024 Part I paper as your diagnostic test to assess your current preparation level, followed by the 2023 paper to confirm the current pattern. Then work backwards through 2023, 2022, so and so forth for foundational practice, noting that the earlier papers follow the old pattern with 30 English questions and General Aptitude section, so adjust your focus accordingly. Solve at least one complete paper per week, dedicating 2.5 hours under strict exam conditions, followed by 2-3 hours analysing answers, reviewing concepts, and noting repeated topics for targeted revision.

How to Analyse Mistakes: Conceptual Errors vs Time Management Issues vs Careless Mistakes

After attempting each paper, categorize every wrong answer into three buckets: conceptual errors (didn’t know the legal principle), time management issues (knew the answer but rushed through), and careless mistakes (misread question or marked wrong option despite knowing correct answer). Conceptual errors require topic revision: if you miss multiple Constitutional law questions, dedicate specific study sessions to that subject with focused reading from V.N. Shukla’s or D.D. Basu’s Constitution of India or relevant Supreme Court judgments. Time management mistakes indicate you need more timed practice to build speed without sacrificing accuracy.

Careless mistakes, often the most frustrating, reveal attention issues that improve through deliberate practice of reading questions twice before answering and marking carefully on OMR sheets. You can maintain a mistake analysis journal where you note the question topic, your mistake category, and the correct concept: this journal becomes your personalized revision tool in the final days before your exam, helping you avoid repeating the same errors.

Attempting papers under timed conditions

Always simulate actual exam conditions when practicing previous year papers: sit at a desk with a printed paper, use a timer set for exactly 2.5 hours, avoid referring to books or notes, and mark answers on a separate sheet as you would on an actual OMR. This timed practice builds the mental stamina needed to maintain focus for 150 minutes straight and helps you develop an internal sense of pace; approximately 60 seconds per question; that prevents you from getting stuck on difficult questions while time runs out.

Negative Marking Strategy

When it comes to negative marking, your strategy must shift from attempting all questions to attempting only those where you can eliminate at least two options confidently. Track your accuracy percentage in practice papers: if you’re consistently above 70% accuracy, attempt all questions; if below 60%, focus on accuracy over attempts and skip questions where you’re purely guessing.

Develop a system during practice: first pass through the paper attempting all questions you know immediately (30-40 minutes), second pass for questions requiring calculation or deeper thought (60-70 minutes), and final pass for review and educated guessing on remaining questions (20-30 minutes).

Part II (Subjective) of SC Law Clerk Previous Year Question Paper- Structure and Preparation Guide

Understanding the 300-mark Subjective Paper

Case Synopsis (100 Marks): Format, Word Limit, and Evaluation

The Case Synopsis question provides you with a complete case file (typically a Special Leave Petition or Appeal with supporting documents) and requires a concise 750-word summary covering key facts, legal issues before lower courts, the ratio of the impugned decision, and grounds for appeal to the Supreme Court. The official sample guide reveals seven evaluation parameters: your ability to identify and marshal relevant facts, identify legal issues, comprehensively summarise the legal/factual discussion in the impugned decision, state the ratio clearly, articulate relevant grounds before the Supreme Court, condense information logically, and maintain brevity. This tests your legal research assistant skills; can you quickly analyse a complex case file and extract what a Supreme Court judge needs to know for deciding whether to grant leave?

Research Memo (75 Marks): Legal Reasoning and Use of Sources 

The Research Memo question presents a factual dispute along with relevant statutes and precedents, requiring you to draft a 500-750 word reasoned analysis excluding irrelevant information. The official evaluation focuses on five parameters: effective use of legal sources, precise legal language, clear exposition of law, thorough analysis of facts with proper law application, and logical structure of your opinion. Unlike the case synopsis which summarizes existing materials, the research memo tests your ability to formulate legal reasoning and reach conclusions based on statutory interpretation and precedent analysis: skills you’ll use daily as a law clerk when judges ask you to research specific legal questions.

Analytical Essay (75 Marks): Topic Patterns and Writing Approach

The Analytical Essay provides five topic choices, and you select one to write a 350-500 word structured essay presenting coherent arguments supported by appropriate examples and proper grammar. Past patterns suggest topics cover contemporary legal issues (judicial independence, technology and law, environmental jurisprudence), constitutional themes (separation of powers, federalism, fundamental rights evolution), or jurisprudential concepts (natural justice, rule of law, access to justice). The evaluation emphasises your ability to present a clear thesis, develop arguments logically, support positions with relevant examples or case law, demonstrate balanced analysis considering multiple perspectives, and maintain formal legal writing standards without grammatical errors.

How to Practice Subjective Answers?

Analysing Official Sample Answers: What Makes a High-Scoring Response?

The Supreme Court’s official sample guide from May 2023 provides complete sample questions with model answers for all Questions 1 and Question 2 of Part II. Study the sample brief answer carefully: notice how it begins with essential case details (SLP number, parties, court, date), then systematically covers facts in chronological order with specific dates and document references, explains the impugned judgment’s reasoning succinctly, and concludes with clear grounds of appeal without unnecessary elaboration. The model answer stays strictly within word limits while covering all required elements, demonstrating that conciseness doesn’t mean incomplete – it means eliminating redundancy and focusing on legally relevant information.

Building Legal Writing Skills Through Repeated Practice

Legal writing for Part II differs fundamentally from essay writing or law school assignments because it demands precision, brevity, and formal structure. Start practicing at least 8-10 weeks before your exam by writing one complete Part II answer weekly – alternating between case synopsis, research memo, and analytical essay. Initially, write without time pressure, focusing on structure and completeness; review your draft against the official sample answers noting where you included irrelevant information, missed key legal issues, or exceeded word limits. Gradually introduce time constraints: if the actual exam allows 70 minutes for case synopsis, practice completing it in 60 minutes, leaving buffer time for review and corrections during the actual exam.

Time Management for 3.5-Hour Subjective Exam

The Part II exam provides 3.5 hours (210 minutes) including 30 minutes reading time, meaning you have 180 minutes for actual writing across three questions carrying 100, 75, and 75 marks. A proportional time allocation would be: 70 minutes for case synopsis (including 10 minutes for reading the case file), 55 minutes for research memo, and 55 minutes for analytical essay. However, many candidates find the case synopsis most time-consuming due to document analysis, so consider allocating 80-85 minutes there if you’re a slower reader, compensating by reducing analytical essay time since you only write one of five topics, saving topic-selection time. Always reserve the final 10-15 minutes for reviewing all three answers, correcting obvious errors, and ensuring you haven’t exceeded word limits.

Topic-Wise Preparation Guide Based on Supreme Court Law Clerk Previous Year Question Paper

Which Constitutional Law Topics Are Frequently Asked?

Fundamental Rights Questions

Fundamental Rights dominate Constitutional law questions in previous year papers, with Article 14 (Right to Equality) appearing most frequently through scenarios testing reasonable classification, arbitrariness doctrine, and the intelligible differentia test established in State of West Bengal v. Anwar Ali Sarkar [1952 AIR 75]. Questions often present hypothetical government policies or actions, asking you to determine whether they violate equality principles or fall within permissible classification. Similarly, Article 19 (Freedom of Speech, Assembly, Association, Movement, Profession) appears through scenarios testing the scope of these freedoms and the permissibility of restrictions under Article 19(2)-(6), requiring you to apply the proportionality test. 

Article 21 (Right to Life and Personal Liberty) has expanded dramatically through judicial interpretation, and exam questions reflect this evolution by testing privacy rights, right to livelihood, right to clean environment, right to speedy trial, and right to shelter. You must know not just the constitutional text but the landmark judgments that have read implied rights into Article 21, as questions present factual scenarios requiring you to identify which specific aspect of Article 21 is engaged and what remedies are available.

Recent Constitutional Bench Judgments That Appear in Exams

Constitutional bench decisions (5+ judges) from the past 2-3 years form a significant portion of the Latest Developments section and also appear in regular Constitutional law questions. Recent papers have tested candidates on Association of Democratic Reforms vs Union of India [2024 INSC 113] on constitutionality of electoral bond scheme, State of Punjab vs. Davinder Singh [2024 INSC 562] on validity of sub-classification within reserved categories, Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India [Writ (Civil) Petition No. 1031 of 2019] on the aspect of internet shutdown and freedom of speech, Joseph Shine v. Union of India [(2019) 3 SCC 39] on the point of adultery and Article 21, etc. When preparing, focus on the constitutional articles interpreted, the legal test applied by the Court, the majority opinion’s ratio decidendi, and any dissenting opinions that might indicate evolving legal thought.

What Criminal and Civil Law Topics Require Attention and Preparation?

IPC Sections and Case Laws

For IPC preparation, prioritise sections on culpable homicide and murder with their distinctions, hurt and grievous hurt, common intention vs. common object, general exceptions covering acts done by mistake, accident, necessity, or under legal authority, property offenses including theft, extortion, robbery, dacoity, criminal breach of trust, cheating, and defamation. Previous year papers consistently test these provisions through factual scenarios rather than asking for bare definitions, so practice applying sections to different fact patterns.

What questions to expect in CPC and CrPC Sections

CPC questions typically present procedural scenarios requiring you to identify the correct court jurisdiction, determine whether a suit is properly valued and stamped, apply the principles of res judicata and res sub judice, or identify the appropriate stage for specific procedural actions like filing written statements, amendment of pleadings, or discovery applications. The exam tests whether you understand civil litigation mechanics: for example, whether a particular relief can be granted at the interim stage or requires a full trial, or whether an order is appealable or not.

CrPC questions focus on arrest and bail provisions (when arrest without warrant is permissible, when police must produce accused before magistrate within 24 hours, distinction between bailable and non-bailable offenses, bail conditions, investigation procedures (when FIR must be registered, powers of investigating officers, submission of charge sheet within statutory timelines), and trial procedures (framing of charges, examination of witnesses, judgment delivery). Previous year papers show a preference for questions testing your understanding of accused persons’ rights and procedural safeguards rather than prosecution procedures, reflecting the legal profession’s role in protecting individual liberty against state power.

How to Prepare for Latest Developments in the Law Section?

Which Supreme Court Judgments from the Past Year Are Exam-Relevant?

Constitutional Law Judgments: Focus on Supreme Court decisions from January 2024 onwards involving fundamental rights challenges, federalism disputes, constitutional interpretation questions, and basic structure doctrine applications. Key areas include electoral bond scheme judgments, free speech and media regulation cases, privacy and surveillance matters, reservation and equality issues, and judicial appointments (collegium system challenges). Don’t just memorize case names: understand the constitutional provisions interpreted, the legal reasoning applied, and the practical implications for governance and individual rights.

Civil Law Judgments: Track significant rulings on contract interpretation, property disputes, family law matters (particularly matrimonial remedies and maintenance), commercial law (arbitration, insolvency, corporate disputes), tort law (defamation, negligence, nuisance), and administrative law (judicial review of government actions, natural justice violations). Cases involving novel technological issues (cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, data protection), environmental law (pollution control, forest rights, climate change), or social welfare legislation (labor rights, consumer protection) are particularly likely to appear given their contemporary relevance and evolving legal frameworks.

Criminal Law Judgments: Priority areas include bail jurisprudence refinements (particularly in economic offenses and terrorism cases), sentencing guidelines, evidence appreciation standards, accused rights during investigation and trial, sexual offence law interpretations, and death penalty commutation petitions. Pay special attention to judgments modifying or overruling earlier precedents, establishing new tests or principles, or addressing procedural loopholes that had enabled injustice, as these represent significant legal developments that examiners expect law clerk candidates to know given the position’s research and analysis requirements.

Building a Current Affairs Legal Database for Quick Revision

Start maintaining a simple spreadsheet from January 2024 with columns for date, case name, constitutional/statutory provisions involved, key legal principle established, and practical implications. Allocate 30 minutes daily to reading Supreme Court judgment summaries from SCI’s official website or reliable legal news platforms like Bar & Bench or Live Law, adding significant rulings to your database immediately. Focus on judgments where the bench size is 3+ judges, constitutional bench decisions, cases where Supreme Court modifies its earlier rulings, or matters involving conflicting High Court precedents that Supreme Court resolves, as these carry higher exam relevance than routine two-judge bench decisions on standard legal questions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Practicing SC Law Clerk Previous Year Questions Papers

Part I (MCQs)- Common Pitfalls

Misreading Questions Under Time Pressure

The most frequent mistake in Part I is misreading questions due to rushing – for example, overlooking words like “NOT,” “EXCEPT,” “INCORRECT,” or “CANNOT” that completely reverse the question’s meaning. When you’re attempting your third question and realize you misread “Which of the following is NOT a valid defence under IPC,” your correct legal knowledge becomes useless because you marked the one option that IS a valid defence. During practice, develop a habit of underlining or mentally noting these keywords before reading options, slowing down just 5 seconds per question to ensure accurate comprehension rather than saving 5 seconds but losing the entire question’s marks.

Ignoring Negative Marking Strategy

The thumb rule is, do not attempt a question that you’re completely guessing on. Candidates often feel they must attempt all 100 questions, but leaving 10-15 highly uncertain questions unanswered while getting 75-80 questions confidently correct yields better results than attempting all 100 with 20-25 wrong answers carrying penalties. Track your accuracy during practice paper solving – if you consistently score below 65% when attempting all questions, shift strategy to attempting only questions where you can eliminate at least two obviously wrong options, treating the exam as an accuracy test rather than a speed test.

Part II (Subjective)- Common Pitfalls

Exceeding Word Limits in Case Synopsis and Research Memo

Word limits in Part II (750 for case synopsis, 500-750 for research memo, 350-500 for analytical essay) are strict evaluation parameters, and exceeding them demonstrates inability to condense information; a critical skill for law clerks who must provide judges concise, relevant analysis rather than lengthy documents. Candidates often write 900-1000 word case synopses trying to include every detail from the case file, but the official evaluation focuses on “ability to condense information” and “brevity” as explicit criteria. Practice editing your drafts ruthlessly: if your initial synopsis is 850 words, identify 100 words of repetitive content, unnecessary adjectives, or marginally relevant facts that can be eliminated without losing essential legal information.

Missing Key Legal Issues in Case File Analysis

The case synopsis question provides extensive case file materials including trial court judgment, appellate court judgment, and Supreme Court SLP documents, and candidates often miss crucial legal issues by focusing only on the most obvious dispute while overlooking secondary issues that courts actually discussed. For example, in the official sample case file, the primary issue is whether a sale deed was a genuine sale or merely security for a loan, but secondary issues include burden of proof principles, credibility of witness testimony, and evidentiary value of police complaints – missing these secondary issues results in an incomplete synopsis that scores lower despite correctly addressing the main issue.

Conclusion

Mastering Supreme Court Law Clerk previous year question papers transforms your preparation from theoretical study into strategic, targeted practice focused on what the exam actually tests. The shift from the old pattern (pre-2023) to the current pattern (2023-2024) means you must prioritize recent papers for accurate practice while using older papers selectively for subject-specific preparation, always adjusting for removed sections like General Aptitude and newly added areas like Contract Law and Latest Developments. Your success depends less on how many topics you’ve studied and more on how well you understand the exam’s priorities: Constitutional law and Latest Developments dominate Part I, while Part II’s 300 marks require legal writing skills that develop only through repeated practice with case synopses, research memos, and analytical essays.

Begin with testing using the 2024 paper, followed by systematic practice of all available years while maintaining the strategic focus described throughout this guide: topic-wise preparation based on actual question distribution, timed practice that simulates real exam pressure, and continuous refinement of both your MCQ-solving speed and subjective answer quality. Remember that the Part II subjective paper carries 75% of your written exam marks, so allocate your preparation time proportionally: even if MCQs feel more comfortable because they’re similar to law school exams, invest substantial effort in developing the concise legal writing and case analysis skills that Part II demands and that you’ll use daily as a law clerk researching and drafting for Supreme Court judges.

Frequently Asked Questions on Supreme Court Law Clerk Previous Year Question Paper 

Where Can I Download Supreme Court Law Clerk Previous Year Question Papers for Free?

Download all official question papers from 2015-2024 directly from the Supreme Court of India’s website at no cost. Papers from 2023-2024 include both Part I (MCQ) and Part II (Subjective) separately; earlier years provide combined papers.

How Many SC Law Clerk Previous Year Question Papers Should I Solve Before the Exam?

Solve all available papers from 2018-2024 at minimum (six complete papers), with mandatory focus on 2023-2024 papers reflecting current pattern. Attempt each paper under timed conditions, followed by thorough answer analysis and concept revision.

Are Part II Subjective Question Papers Available Online?

Yes, Part II subjective papers for 2023 and 2024 are available on the Supreme Court website, along with the official sample guide with model answers. Earlier years (2015-2021) had combined papers without separate Part II sections.

How Has the SC Law Clerk Exam Pattern Changed from 2018 to 2024?

The 2023 pattern removed the General Aptitude section (20 questions) and reduced English from 30 to 15 questions, while introducing Contract Law (10-12 questions) and Latest Developments in Law (15-20 questions) as new dedicated testing areas.

Which Subjects Carry the Most Questions in Part I MCQs?

Latest Developments in Law carries the highest weightage (15-20 questions) in current pattern, followed by Constitution (15-20), English (15), and Criminal Law subjects collectively (25-30 across IPC, CrPC, Evidence).

How Should I Prepare for the Latest Developments in the Law Section?

Maintain a current affairs legal database tracking Supreme Court judgments from January 2024 onwards, focusing on constitutional bench decisions, fundamental rights cases, and judgments establishing new legal principles. Read daily judgment summaries from reliable legal news platforms.

Are Answer Keys Available for SC Law Clerk Previous Year Question Papers?

Yes, the Supreme Court releases official answer keys after the exam, typically within days of the examination, allowing candidates to self-assess performance. Answer keys include options for filing objections if candidates identify errors.

How Can I Improve My Score in Part II Subjective Paper?

Practice writing case synopses, research memos, and analytical essays weekly using the official sample guide’s model answers as benchmarks. Focus on conciseness, staying within word limits, identifying all legal issues, using precise legal language, and structuring answers logically.

Should I Solve Papers in Timed Conditions or Untimed Initially?

Start with untimed solving to understand content depth and develop accuracy, then transition to strictly timed conditions (2.5 hours for Part I) after solving 2-3 papers. Final 4-6 weeks before the exam, attempt all papers under timed conditions exclusively.

What Books Should I Use Alongside Previous Year Papers?

Use V.N. Shukla’s or D.D. Basu’s Constitution of India, Ratanlal & Dhirajlal’s IPC, C.K. Takwani’s CrPC and CPC, Wren & Martin’s English Grammar, and most importantly, read recent Supreme Court judgments directly from the official website for Latest Developments preparation.

How Important Is the 2024 Question Paper for 2025 Preparation?

The 2024 paper is critically important as it confirms the continuation of the 2023 pattern with the Latest Developments section and reduced English questions. Use it as your primary diagnostic and pattern-understanding tool for 2025 exam preparation.

Can Final Year Law Students Access SC Law Clerk Previous Year Question Papers?

Yes, all previous year papers are publicly accessible on the Supreme Court’s official website with no restrictions. Final year students can download and practice papers to prepare alongside completing their law degree.