CLAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 31 Oct' 25
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
Hello,
While NLUs are costly, you can still pursue government-funded law education through state-funded universities and their affiliated colleges that accept CLAT scores, such as institutes like Banaras Hindu University and Aligarh Muslim University.
I hope it will clear your query!!
It is always better to take the CLAT exam right after Class 12 if your goal is to build a career in law, because CLAT UG is specifically designed for admission into integrated five-year law programs like BA LLB, BCom LLB, or BBA LLB. Appearing after Class 12 saves you time, as you complete both graduation and law together in a single course. On the other hand, if you first complete graduation and then plan for law, you will not be eligible for CLAT UG but instead for CLAT PG, which is meant for admission into LLM programs. This path takes longer, because you first spend three or four years on graduation and then add another three years in an LLB program if you choose not to go for an integrated course. So, if you are already sure about pursuing law as your career, writing CLAT right after Class 12 is the smarter and time-saving option, while writing it after graduation makes sense only if you are considering higher studies in law or a shift in career later.
For CLAT, the most important topics are from Legal Reasoning, Current Affairs & GK, the Indian Constitution, English Language, Quantitative Techniques and Logical Reasoning. For a brief detail you can go through the following link: https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-important-topics
Thank You.
Hi dear candidate,
Both the colleges Maharaja Agrasen (MAIMS) or Gitarattan (GIBS) are affiliated to IP University and allows admission either by CLAT or IPU CET Law. Without either of these exams, your admission is NOT accepted there. You can try looking for management quota seats in these colleges if you have got good marks in 12th class.
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Hi dear candidate,
You can easily register yourself for CLAT exam by visiting the Consortium of NLUs official website and follow these steps:
Know the complete process at:
CLAT Registration 2026 (Started): Documents Required, Application Fee, Link, Steps to Apply
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