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    Difference Between CLAT UG and CLAT PG - Eligibility, Pattern, NLU wise Courses and Seat Intake
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    • Difference Between CLAT UG and CLAT PG - Eligibility, Pattern, NLU wise Courses and Seat Intake

    Difference Between CLAT UG and CLAT PG - Eligibility, Pattern, NLU wise Courses and Seat Intake

    Sumeet SudarshanUpdated on 21 Mar 2025, 12:21 PM IST

    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.

    This Story also Contains

    1. CLAT UG Vs CLAT PG: Overview
    2. CLAT UG and PG Eligibility Criteria
    3. CLAT PG Vs CLAT UG: Exam Pattern
    4. Difference Between CLAT UG and CLAT PG: Courses
    5. CLAT UG Vs CLAT PG: Seat Intake
    6. CLAT UG vs CLAT PG: NLU wise Courses and Seat Intake
    7. CLAT UG vs CLAT PG: Fees Structure
    Difference Between CLAT UG and CLAT PG - Eligibility, Pattern, NLU wise Courses and Seat Intake
    CLAT UG Vs CLAT PG - (Image by pressfoto on Freepik)

    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.

    CLAT UG Vs CLAT PG: Overview

    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.

    CLAT UG vs CLAT PG Snapshot

    ParticularsCLAT 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

    5-year LLB

    LLM

    Eligibility Criteria

    10+2

    LLB degree

    No. of participating NLUs

    24

    21

    Seats in NLUs

    3243

    1373

    Avg. No. of students appearing

    58000+

    10000+

    Infographics - CLAT UG vs CLAT PG

    Infographics - CLAT UG vs CLAT PG

    CLAT UG and PG Eligibility Criteria

    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

    CLAT UG vs PG: Eligibility Criteria

    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

    CLAT PG Vs CLAT UG: Exam Pattern

    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.

    Exam Pattern of CLAT UG and CLAT PG

    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

    Difference Between CLAT UG and CLAT PG: Courses

    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.

    CLAT UG Vs CLAT PG: Courses Offered

    Particulars

    CLAT UG

    CLAT PG

    Courses Offered

    BA LLB (Hons.), BBA LLB (Hons.), B.Com LLB (Hons.), BSc LLB (Hons.), BSW LLB (Hons.)

    LLM

    CLAT UG Vs CLAT PG: Seat Intake

    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

    Seat Intake for CLA UG and CLAT PG

    Particulars

    CLAT UGCLAT PG

    CLAT Seats

    3243

    1373

    CLAT UG vs CLAT PG: NLU wise Courses and Seat Intake

    NLUs

    Courses

    UG Intake

    LLM Intake

    NLSIU Bengaluru

    BA LLB (Hons), LLM

    300

    120

    NALSAR Hyderabad

    BA LLB (Hons), LLM

    132

    66

    WBNUJS Kolkata

    BA LLB (Hons), LLM

    132

    100

    NLIU Bhopal

    BA LLB (Hons), B.Sc LLB, LLM

    202 (BA LLB 134, B.Sc LLB 68)

    60

    NLU Jodhpur

    BA LLB (Hons), LLM

    120

    50

    HNLU Raipur

    BA LLB (Hons), LLM

    180

    90

    GNLU Gandhinagar

    BA LLB(Hons.),BCom LLB(Hons.),BSc LLB (Hons.), BBA LLB(Hons), BSW LLB(Hons), LLM

    172 (total seats for all the courses)

    57

    GNLU Silvassa Campus

    BA LLB (Hons), LLM

    66

    33

    RMLNLU Lucknow

    BA LLB (Hons), LLM

    169

    48

    RGNUL Patiala

    BA LLB (Hons), LLM

    180

    60

    CNLU Patna

    BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons)

    138( 69 seats each for BA LLB and BBA LLB

    -

    NUALS Kochi

    BA LLB (Hons), LLM

    60

    60

    NLUO, Odisha, Cuttack

    BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM

    180 (BA LLB 120, BBA LLB 60)

    50

    NUSRL Ranchi

    BA LLB (Hons), LLM

    134

    60

    NLUJA Assam, Guwahati

    BA LLB (Hons), LLM

    60

    40

    DSNLU Visakhapatnam

    BA LLB (Hons), LLM

    138

    69

    TNNLU Tiruchirappalli

    BA LLB (Hons), B.Com LLB (Hons), LLM

    120 (BA LLB 60 , B.Com LLB 60)

    60

    MNLU Mumbai

    BA LLB (Hons) , BBA LLB (Hons), LLM

    100

    50

    MNLU Nagpur

    BA LLB (Hons) , BBA LLB (Hons), LLM

    120 (BA LLB 60, BBA LLB 60)

    60

    MNLU Aurangabad

    BA LLB (Hons) , BBA LLB (Hons), LLM

    120 (BA LLB 60, BBA LLB 60)

    60

    HPNLU Shimla

    BA LLB (Hons) , BBA LLB (Hons), LLM

    120 (BA LLB 60, BBA LLB 60)

    80

    DNLU Jabalpur

    BA LLB (Hons), LLM

    120

    50

    DBRANLU, Sonipat, Haryana

    BA LLB (Hons)

    120

    -

    NLUT Agartala

    BA LLB (Hons), LLM

    60

    50

    Also check - Reason to Take CLAT Exam

    CLAT UG vs CLAT PG: Fees Structure

    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 Fees Structure

    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)

    Q: Is CLAT PG necessary?
    A:

    To gain admission into elite NLUs, it is necessary for a law aspirant to appear in CLAT PG.

    Q: What is UG and PG in law?
    A:

    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.

    Q: Is CLAT PG difficult to crack?
    A:

    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%.

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    Questions related to CLAT

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to CLAT ?

    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.