Amity University-Noida Law Admissions 2026
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CLAT Vs LSAT—India: Candidates aspiring to get into top law schools in the country have to pass one important hurdle and that is the law entrance exams. The CLAT and LSAT—India are two very popular exams to gain admission into law programmes in India, giving rise to the LSAT—India vs CLAT debate. Through the Common Law Admission Test, candidates can get admission into National Law Universities in the country and 65 participating colleges. On the other hand, through the Law School Admission Test - India, candidates can get into some of the top private law schools and other participating law colleges. Is that the only difference between CLAT and LSAT—India? No. The difference between LSAT—India and CLAT lies on many other fronts. Read the full article to get all details in the CLAT vs LSAT—India comparison.
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Particulars | LSAT—India | CLAT |
Conducting Body | Pearson Vue | Consortium of National Law Universities |
Exam Level | National Level | National Level |
Frequency of exam | Twice a year | Once a year |
Participating Institutes | ||
Law programmes offered | 5 year LLB, 3 year LLB, LLM | 5 year LLB, LLM |
An important difference between LSAT—India and CLAT lies in the colleges and courses a candidate gets admission into after attempting the exam. In CLAT, there are participating NLUs and colleges that accept CLAT scores. On the other hand, in the LSAT—India there are colleges that accept the LSAT—India scores and admit candidates into the courses. Given below are important points in this regard for the two exams
CLAT
The Consortium of National Law Universities conducts CLAT once a year.
There are 24 participating NLUs in the CLAT exam
Through the CLAT UG and CLAT PG examinations, candidates are admitted into the 5 year integrated law courses and LLM course
Other than the participating NLUs, candidates can also get admission into law courses in 65 participating colleges
LSAT—India
Pearson Vue administers the LSAT—India twice a year
There are 17 participating institutes for LSAT—India at present which are very very well-known private law schools in the country.
Candidates can get admission into the 5 year LLB, 3 year LLB and LLM courses through the LSAT—India exam
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Another important difference between CLAT and LSAT—India lies in the exam pattern of both exams. The CLAT 2024 exam pattern includes 120 questions to be completed in 2 hours. On the other hand, LSAT—India 2024 exam pattern has 92 questions to be completed in 2 hours and 20 minutes. The table given below describes the exam pattern of both exams.
CLAT Vs LSAT—India - Exam Pattern Overview
Particulars | CLAT | LSAT—India | |
Mode of Exam | Offline | Online - remote proctored mode | |
Duration | 2 hours | 2 hours 20 minutes | |
Language | English | English | |
Type of Questions | Objective Type Questions | Objective Type of Questions | |
Number of Questions | 120 questions | 92 questions (approximate) | |
Total Marks | 120 | Candidates would be marked on a score between 420 and 480 | |
Negative Marking | 0.25 for every wrong answer | No negative marking | |
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There are some major differences between CLAT and LSAT in terms of their syllabus. While the focus of both the CLAT syllabus and LSAT syllabus is on testing the reading and critical thinking ability of candidates, the exams vary in terms of the sections and the content of their syllabus. Given below is the syllabus of both the law entrance exams.
CLAT UG Syllabus
Sections | No. of Questions | Total Time |
English | 22-26 | 120 Minutes |
Current Affairs including GK | 28-32 | |
Legal Reasoning | 28-32 | |
Logical Reasoning | 22-26 | |
Quantitative Techniques | 10-14 |
CLAT PG Syllabus
Sections | Number of Questions | Time |
| 120 | 120 minutes |
Jurisprudence, Administrative Law, Law of Contract, Torts, Family Law, Criminal Law, Property Law, Company Law, Public International Law, Tax Law, Environmental Law, and Labour & Industrial Law |
LSAT—India Syllabus
Sections | Number of Questions (Approximate) | Time Allotted |
Analytical Reasoning | 23 | 35 minutes |
Logical Reasoning (1) | 22 | 35 minutes |
Logical Reasoning (2) | 23 | 35 minutes |
Reading Comprehension | 24 | 35 minutes |
CLAT is considered to be one of the lengthiest law entrance exams and close to 70000 candidates appear for it every year. 120 questions to be completed in 120 minutes, candidates get approximately 1 minute per question. Some of the NLUs such as NLSIU Bengaluru and NALSAR Hyderabad are ranked among the top 5 law schools in NIRF law rankings 2023 issued by the Ministry of Education.
LSAT—India on the other hand is conducted by Pearson Vue which is well-known globally for administering exams. LSAT—India also has some big names from private law schools as its participating institutes. With approximately 92 questions to be completed in 120 minutes, candidates get more time per question when compared to CLAT. There is no negative marking as well.
So, In the CLAT vs LSAT—India debate over the difficulty level it can be said that LSAT—India is relatively easier than the Common Law Admission Test.
Also Read: Top Law Entrance Exam - CLAT, AILET, AP LAWCET, TS LAWCET, MH CET Law
To understand the level of competition in the LSAT—India vs CLAT, one has to see the number of candidates appearing for the exam and the number of seats on offer. Around 70000 candidates write the CLAT exam every year. There are approximately 3300 seats for 5 year LLB and close to 1300 seats for LLM.
On the other hand, close to 10000 candidates appear for the LSAT—India exam and about 5000 seats are on offer for 5 year LLB, 3 year LLB and LLM.
The difference between LSAT—India and CLAT in terms of the level of competition looks quite significant with more competition present in CLAT.
While there are many differences between LSAT—India and CLAT, both exams also have a few similarities and converging points. Overlaps in the syllabus of the exams will also ease the pressure on the candidates to prepare for these exams.
Both CLAT and LSAT India contain questions where the candidates have to read a piece of text or passage and answer questions based on the passage.
Both exams try to assess the candidate’s complex reading ability and logical and reasoning skills as these skills are deemed very necessary in the legal profession.
The emphasis on reading and reasoning is also evident by the lower weightage assigned to Mathematics in the CLAT and the absence of such a section in the LSAT—India.
As can be seen above, a lot of differences exist between the two popular law entrance exams. To answer the question of LSAT—India or CLAT is best? one has to look at the colleges that one can get into after clearing the exams and also look at the future prospects after completing legal studies from a particular institute. The perceptions about a particular institute may differ among the candidates leading to varied perceptions about which one is the better exam.
However, candidates would do well to appear for both exams. This will greatly increase the pool of colleges available to the candidates. Certain similarities in the syllabus of both exams exist as outlined above. This will help candidates prepare for both exams at the same time.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
There are 65 private colleges participating in CLAT 2024.
As of now, there are around 12 law colleges associated with LSAT India.
The LSAT—India is administered by Pearson Vue
At present there are 17 participating colleges for LSAT—India
CLAT is undoubtedly one of the biggest law entrance exams in India. Compared with LSAT, CLAT is more widely accepted.
There are differences between LSAT—India and CLAT in terms of syllabus, exam pattern and participating colleges. However, they also converge on certain points. Both the exams are a test of the candidate's comprehension and reasoning ability.
There are 23 NLUs that are participating in the CLAT 2024 with the exceptions being NLU Delhi and NLU Meghalaya that have their own exams.
On Question asked by student community
Hello
With a CLAT PG rank of 1257 in the SC category (women), you definitely have a realistic chance of getting an NLU, though the very top one is less certain. You should still keep the top NLUs first in your preference list because movement happens during counselling. Prefer this order: NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata, NLIU Bhopal, GNLU Gandhinagar, then other NLUs as backups. Your category and women's reservation work in your favour. Fill choices wisely and stay patient through multiple rounds, your chances are good.
With a CLAT PG rank of around 11,000, getting admission into the top National Law Universities (NLUs) is not likely, as their general category cut-offs usually close much earlier. However, you still have realistic chances in lower-ranked and newer NLUs, especially in the later rounds of CLAT counselling or through vacant seats.
At this rank, you may consider NLUs such as NLU Tripura, NLU Meghalaya, NLU Nagaland, NLU Sikkim, NLU Andhra Pradesh, NLU Odisha, NLU Jabalpur, and NLU Aurangabad, particularly if you belong to a reserved category like SC, ST, OBC, EWS, or have domicile or women reservation applicable. Cut-offs for these universities tend to go higher in rank compared to older NLUs, and seats often open up in subsequent counselling rounds due to withdrawals.
If you do not secure an NLU seat, you should also strongly consider reputed state and private law universities that accept CLAT PG scores or conduct their own entrance tests. Universities such as Faculty of Law, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Delhi University (DU – through CUET PG), Jamia Millia Islamia, Symbiosis Law School, Christ University, Jindal Global Law School, and Nirma University are good alternatives for LLM aspirants. Many of these institutions offer strong academic exposure, experienced faculty, and good research opportunities, sometimes even better than newer NLUs.
Overall, while a rank of 11,000 limits options in top NLUs, admission is still possible in newer NLUs or good non-NLU law universities, provided you actively participate in counselling rounds and keep backup options ready.
With a CLAT 2026 All India Rank around 2070, Telangana domicile, and holding an OBC certificate (girl candidate), your chances of getting admission into a top-tier NLU like NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, NUJS Kolkata or NLU Jodhpur are quite low, as their closing ranks are usually much higher. However, you still have realistic chances in several mid-tier and newer NLUs, especially if OBC reservation and domicile or women reservation is applicable.
Based on previous years’ counselling trends, you can reasonably expect chances in NLUs such as NLU Odisha (Cuttack), NLIU Bhopal (borderline, depending on category movement), NLU Assam (Guwahati), DSNLU Visakhapatnam, TNNLU Tiruchirappalli, HPNLU Shimla, NLU Tripura, NLU Meghalaya, NLU Sikkim, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar NLU Sonipat. Some of these universities see rank movement in later rounds and vacancies, particularly for reserved categories and women candidates.
Since you are from Telangana, you should definitely keep NALSAR Hyderabad in your preference list, but only after all higher NLUs, as the domicile quota is limited and usually closes at a much better rank. Still, it is worth trying because domicile and category together can sometimes help in spot or vacancy rounds.
Your best strategy would be to prepare a balanced preference list: first include all top NLUs, then mid-tier NLUs like NLU Odisha and NLIU Bhopal, followed by newer and lower-ranked NLUs where your rank has a stronger chance. Make sure you actively participate in all counselling rounds, including vacancies, as many seats open up after withdrawals.
Cut-offs vary every year depending on seat intake, category distribution, and counselling dynamics, so even if you miss out in early rounds, you should not lose hope. Keep your documents ready, track counselling updates closely, and stay flexible with preferences to maximize your chances of securing an NLU seat.
Hello there,
Here is a list of government and semi-government colleges that accept CLAT score:
However, these universities also carry out separate registration to apply using your CLAT Scorecard.
I hope this helps you.
Thankyou.
Hello,
With EWS rank 2673 in CLAT 2026, you are unlikely to get the top NLUs like NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, NLIU Bhopal, or RMLNLU Lucknow .
You have good chances for mid-tier NLUs such as:
DBRANLU Sonepat
MPDNLU Jabalpur
IIULER Goa
NUSRL Ranchi
DSNLU Visakhapatnam
CNLU Patna BBA LLB
RPNLU Prayagraj (in later rounds)
Most newer MNLUs like Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Silvassa
Final allotment can vary depending on counselling rounds and seat availability
You can also use our CLAT College Predictor Tool to predict which colleges you can get based on your score and rank.
Hope it helps !
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