The main difference between CLAT UG and CLAT PG lies in the courses that one can gain admission into through the two exams. But that’s just skimming the surface. When it comes to CLAT UG vs CLAT PG comparison, it’s important to dive deeper and understand what the two exams constitute and what one needs to do in order to be eligible to appear for the exams.
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The Consortium of National Law Universities administers both, the Common Law Admission Test UG and Common Law Admission Test PG. As the name suggests, the former is for admissions into 5-year integrated undergraduate law programmes while the latter is for admissions into postgraduate LLM programmes at participating NLUs and affiliated colleges. Read on to find everything you need to know about the difference between CLAT UG and CLAT PG at one place.
While trying to understand the CLAT UG and PG difference, it also helps to know that there are many similarities between the two exams. The table below provides a snapshot of all the important points in the comparison between CLAT UG and CLAT PG.
| Particulars | CLAT UG | CLAT PG |
|---|---|---|
Conducting authority | Consortium of NLUs | Consortium of NLUs |
Frequency of exam | Once a year | Once a year |
Mode of exam | Offline | Offline |
Programmes offered | ||
Eligibility Criteria | 10+2 | LLB degree |
No. of participating NLUs | 24 | 21 |
Seats in NLUs | 3243 | 1373 |
Avg. No. of students appearing | 58000+ | 10000+ |

A major starting point of the difference between CLAT UG and CLAT PG is the eligibility criteria that candidates must fulfil in order to appear for the exams. This difference stems from the courses that are on offer via these two law entrance exams. The CLAT eligibility criteria pertains to the minimum educational qualification, minimum marks, and age limit
| Particulars | CLAT UG | CLAT PG |
|---|---|---|
Minimum educational qualification | 10+2 pass or equivalent Candidates appearing for class 12 exams can also apply. | 3-year LLB or 5-year LLB pass Candidates appearing for their final year exams can also apply. |
Minimum passing marks | 45% for candidates from General/OBC/PWD/NRI/PIO/OCI 40% for SC/ST candidates | 50% for candidates from General/OBC/PWD/NRI/PIO/OCI 45% for SC/ST candidates |
Age limit | No upper age limit | No upper age limit |
While both CLAT UG and PG are conducted in offline mode over a period of two hours, there is a big difference between CLAT PG and CLAT UG in terms of their exam pattern, topics in CLAT UG and CLAT PG topics. The CLAT UG syllabus tests the candidates on five fronts namely their English language proficiency, legal reasoning, logical reasoning, general knowledge, and quantitative ability. On the other hand, the CLAT PG syllabus tests the candidates knowledge about different laws.
Particulars | CLAT UG | CLAT PG |
|---|---|---|
Mode | Offline | Offline |
Type of questions | Multiple Choice Questions | Multiple Choice Questions |
Duration | 2 hours | 2 hours |
No. of questions | 120 | 120 |
Marks | 120 | 120 |
Marks per questions | 1 mark per correct answer | 1 mark per correct answer |
Negative marking | 0.25 mark for every wrong answer | 0.25 for every wrong answer |
Sections / Topics | English, Current affairs including GK, Legal reasoning, Logical reasoning, Quantitative techniques | Different areas of law |
Also check - NLU Delhi vs NLSIU Bangalore
Another major CLAT UG and PG difference which can be seen in the nomenclature of the exams itself, are the courses offered. Law aspirants can gain admission into various 5-year LLB programmes through CLAT UG whereas candidates are admitted into LLM programmes through CLAT PG.
Particulars | CLAT UG | CLAT PG |
|---|---|---|
Courses Offered | BA LLB (Hons.), BBA LLB (Hons.), B.Com LLB (Hons.), BSc LLB (Hons.), BSW LLB (Hons.) | LLM |
The difference between CLAT UG and CLAT can also be seen in the number of participating NLUs. There are 24 NLUs that offer admissions into 5-year LLB programmes through CLAT UG. However, when it comes to CLAT PG only 21 NLUs offer seats for LLM through CLAT PG. It is because CNLU Patna conducts its own admission process for LLM, whereas DBRANLU Sonepat and RPNLU Prayagraj do not offer LLM programmes. The total number of CLAT seats for UG and PG is 4616.
Also check - CLAT vs MH CET LAW
Particulars | CLAT UG | CLAT PG |
|---|---|---|
CLAT Seats | 3243 | 1373 |
NLUs | Courses | UG Intake | LLM Intake |
|---|---|---|---|
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | 300 | 120 | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | 132 | 66 | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | 132 | 100 | |
BA LLB (Hons), B.Sc LLB, LLM | 202 (BA LLB 134, B.Sc LLB 68) | 60 | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | 120 | 50 | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | 180 | 90 | |
BA LLB(Hons.),BCom LLB(Hons.),BSc LLB (Hons.), BBA LLB(Hons), BSW LLB(Hons), LLM | 172 (total seats for all the courses) | 57 | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | 66 | 33 | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | 169 | 48 | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | 180 | 60 | |
BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons) | 138( 69 seats each for BA LLB and BBA LLB | - | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | 60 | 60 | |
BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM | 180 (BA LLB 120, BBA LLB 60) | 50 | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | 134 | 60 | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | 60 | 40 | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | 138 | 69 | |
BA LLB (Hons), B.Com LLB (Hons), LLM | 120 (BA LLB 60 , B.Com LLB 60) | 60 | |
BA LLB (Hons) , BBA LLB (Hons), LLM | 100 | 50 | |
BA LLB (Hons) , BBA LLB (Hons), LLM | 120 (BA LLB 60, BBA LLB 60) | 60 | |
BA LLB (Hons) , BBA LLB (Hons), LLM | 120 (BA LLB 60, BBA LLB 60) | 60 | |
BA LLB (Hons) , BBA LLB (Hons), LLM | 120 (BA LLB 60, BBA LLB 60) | 80 | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | 120 | 50 | |
BA LLB (Hons) | 120 | - | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | 60 | 50 |
Also check - Reason to Take CLAT Exam
Another area of difference between CLAT UG and CLAT PG is the fees to be paid by the students. The NLUs fees structure differs across NLUs and the programmes offered by them. The highest fees among participating NLUs is charged by NLSIU Bengaluru where the cost comes to upwards of Rs 20 lakhs for the 5-year LLB programme. The table given below provides the NLU wise fees for different NLUs through CLAT.
NLU Name | NLU fees for CLAT UG (5-year LLB) | NLU fees for CLAT PG (LLM) |
|---|---|---|
NLSIU Bengaluru | Rs.4.10 Lakhs p.a | Rs. 4.10 Lakhs p.a. |
NALSAR Hyderabad | Rs. 2.70 Lakhs p.a | Rs. 1.75 Lakhs p.a. |
NLIU Bhopal | Rs. 3.30 Lakhs p.a. | Rs. 2.45 Lakhs p.a. |
WBNUJS Kolkata | Rs. 3.85 lakhs p.a. | Rs. 2.72 Lakhs p.a. |
NLU Jodhpur | Rs. 3.06 Lakhs p.a. | Rs. 2.28 Lakhs p.a. |
HNLU Raipur | Rs. 2.15 Lakhs pa | Rs. 1.65 Lakhs p.a. |
GNLU Gandhinagar | Rs. 2.58 Lakhs pa | Rs. 2.62 Lakhs p.a. |
GNLU Silvassa Campus | Rs. 2.58 Lakhs pa | Rs.2.62 Lakhs p.a. |
RMLNLU Lucknow | Rs. 1.70 Lakhs pa | Rs. 1.10 Lakhs p.a. |
RGNUL Patiala | Rs.2.59 Lakhs pa | 2.19 Lakhs p.a. |
CNLU Patna | Rs. 2.57 Lakhs pa | - |
NUALS Kochi | Rs.2.14 Lakhs pa | Rs. 1.63 Lakhs p.a. |
NLUO, Odisha, Cuttack | Rs. 2.47 Lakhs pa | Rs. 1.87 Lakhs p.a. |
NUSRL Ranchi | Rs.2.41 Lakhs pa | Rs. 2.20 Lakhs p.a. |
NLUJA Assam, Guwahati | Rs. 2.44 Lakhs pa | Rs. 2.11 Lakhs p.a. |
DSNLU Visakhapatnam | Rs. 2.09 Lakhs pa | Rs. 1.89 Lakhs p.a. |
TNNLU Tiruchirappalli | Rs. 1.17 Lakhs pa (TN SC/ST) Rs. 1.23 Lakhs pa (TN first generation graduate) Rs. 2.17 pa (All India SC/ST) Rs. 2.23 Lakhs pa (Others) Nil (TN Govt. schools quota) | Rs. 1.13 Lakhs p.a. (TN SC/ST) Rs. 1.68 Lakhs p.a. (All India SC/ST) Rs. 1.74 Lakhs p.a. (Others) |
MNLU Mumbai | Rs. 3.28 Lakhs p.a. (Maharashtra students) Rs. 3.62 Lakhs p.a. (All India) | Rs. 2.52 Lakhs p.a. (Maharashtra students) Rs. 2.64 Lakhs p.a. (All India) |
MNLU Aurangabad | Rs. 2.66 Lakhs pa (Maharashtra students) Rs. 3.12 Lakhs pa (All India) | Rs. 1.80 Lakhs p.a. (Maharashtra students) Rs. 2.05 Lakhs p.a. (All India) |
HPNLU Shimla | Rs. 2.98 Lakhs pa | Rs. 2.70 Lakhs p.a. |
DNLU Jabalpur | Rs. 2.96 Lakhs pa | Rs. 2.96 Lakhs p.a. |
DBRANLU, Sonipat, Haryana | Rs. 1.87 Lakhs pa | - |
MNLU Nagpur | Rs. 3.65 Lakhs pa | Rs. 3.13 Lakhs p.a. |
NLUT Agartala | Rs. 1.81 Lakhs p.a. | Rs. 1.51 Lakhs p.a. |
Also check - CLAT Vs SLAT
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
To gain admission into elite NLUs, it is necessary for a law aspirant to appear in CLAT PG.
UG in law refers to undergraduate programmes available in law such as 3-year LLB and 5-year LLB. PG in law refers to the postgraduate programme in law which is the LLM course.
CLAT PG is difficult to crack as over 10000+ students appear for just over 1300+ seats which translates into a success rate of just 10%.
On Question asked by student community
SASTRA Deemed University accepts CLAT scores for admission. They admit students based on CLAT scores as well as class 12 marks, with an aggregate score of 50% in English. Based on these scores, a merit list is published by the university.
SASTRA Deemed University accepts CLAT scores for admission. The eligibility criteria require class 12 marks, with an aggregate score of 50% in English, CLAT scores, and a maximum age limit of 19 years as of August 1, 2025.
With a rank of 3917 in CLAT PG, your best options for an LLM include top private universities that accept CLAT scores, along with CUETPG opportunities. Some of the best non-NLU options are BHU, LPU Jalandhar, UPES Dehradun, etc.
Hello Santosh,
Domicile cut-offs are unpredictable. You can apply and get a seat only if the domicile category is selected. You can apply, but the chances of getting either of them are rare.
CLAT is an entrance examination conducted for admissions into law colleges. The qualifying marks vary with the colleges. You should check the details on the website to get a clear idea regarding cut offs for the colleges. You will also get the exam pattern through the article shared.
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