The law entrance season for 2026 has arrived, and students have a chance to get into India’s leading law schools. Registration for exams like CLAT, AILET, SLAT, and LNAT is now open, and aspiring lawyers nationwide are preparing for these competitive tests passionately. Each entrance exam has its own structure, eligibility criteria, and timelines. CLAT is the most widely accepted law entrance exam, used by National Law Universities and many private colleges. AILET is specifically for NLU Delhi. SLAT is the gateway to Symbiosis Law Schools, and LNAT is used by Jindal Global Law School and BITS Law School Mumbai.
BITS Law School Mumbai accepts multiple entrance exam scores for admission to its integrated law programs. It recognises scores from the BITS Law Admissions Test (BITS LAT), CLAT, SLAT, LNAT, AILET, and Maharashtra Common Entrance Test for Law (MH CET Law).
Exam name | Courses offered | Institutes accepted | Frequency |
CLAT | 24 NLUs, GNLU Silvassa, IIULER Goa, and over 60 affiliated and private law schools | Once a year | |
AILET | BA LLB, LLM, PhD | National Law University, Delhi | Once a year |
SLAT | BA LLB, BBA LLB, B.Com LLB | Symbiosis Law School (SLS) Pune, SLS Noida, SLS Hyderabad, and SLS Nagpur | Twice a year |
LNAT | BA LLB, BBA LLB, and B.Com LLB | Jindal Global Law School and BITS Law School, Mumbai. | Once a year |
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is the most popular law entrance for undergraduates and postgraduates, conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs). It serves as the gateway to 24 NLUs and several other top law colleges across the country. The CLAT 2026 exam will be held offline in multiple cities nationwide.
Eligibility: For the UG programme, candidates must have passed 10+2 or an equivalent exam with at least 45% from a recognised board. Candidates applying for the postgraduate (PG) programme must complete an LLB or equivalent with at least 50% marks from any law school recognised by the Bar Council of India.
Exam Duration: The total duration of the test is 2 hours.
Total Questions: The paper includes 120 multiple-choice questions (MCQs).
Marking Scheme: Each correct answer awards +1 mark, and each wrong answer deducts 0.25 marks.
CLAT 2026 Syllabus: The question paper covers English language, Current Affairs, including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques.
Event | Dates |
Release of admission notification | July 20, 2025 (released) |
Application window | 01 August - 31 October |
15 days before the exam | |
CLAT 2026 examination date | December 7, 2025 (2:00 PM – 4:00 PM) |
Result declaration | Third week of December 2025 (around 10–14 December) |
All India Law Entrance Test (AILET) is conducted by the National Law University, Delhi, for admission into UG and PG law courses. It is an offline exam that lasts for two hours. UG aspirants must have passed their class 12 exams with a minimum of 45% marks, and PG requires a 3-year LLB or a 5-year LLB with a minimum of 50% marks.
The exam is offline, lasting two hours, with 150 multiple-choice questions for UG courses. The AILET syllabus is split into three key sections: English language, current affairs, including general knowledge, and logical reasoning. Correct answers score +1 mark, while every wrong answer results in a deduction of 0.25 marks.
Examination details | Timeline |
07 Aug - 10 Nov 2025 | |
Admit card release | November 30, 2025 |
Exam date | December 14, 2025 (Sunday), 2 pm-4 pm |
AILET result date | 3-4 days after the exam |
The Symbiosis Law Admission Test (SLAT) 2026 is conducted twice a year by Symbiosis International University for admission into its five-year integrated law programs. The online exam lasts 60 minutes and features 60 multiple-choice questions. Questions are equally divided among Logical Reasoning, Legal Reasoning, Analytical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and General Knowledge.
Aspirants must have cleared 10+2 with at least 45% to be eligible. There is no negative marking. After the exam, qualified candidates must clear a personal interview. The writing ability test has been discontinued from 2026, making preparation more focused and concise.
Events | Dates (Tentative) |
01 August - 30 Nov 2025 | |
Admit card release | SLAT phase 1: December 11, 2025 SLAT phase 2: December 18, 2025 |
SLAT phase 1: December 20, 2025 SLAT phase 2: December 28, 2025 | |
Declaration of SLAT result | January 15, 2026 |
The Law National Admission Test (LNAT) is an undergraduate admission test for law students, conducted by Pearson VUE. LNAT 2026 is now accepted by two Indian universities - Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) and BITS Law School, Mumbai. JGLS 2026 offers various diplomas, UG, and PG courses: BA Hons, BA LLB Hons, BBA LLB Hons, B.Com LLB Hons, LLM, and PhD. BITS Law School, Mumbai, offers two UG programmes: BA LLB Hons and BBA LLB Hons.
The LNAT exam is conducted online and lasts for a total of 2 hours and 15 minutes, divided into two sections. Section A features 42 multiple-choice questions based on 12 argumentative passages, with a time limit of 95 minutes. Section B requires candidates to write one essay from a choice of three topics, aiming to evaluate candidates’ argumentative and writing skills, with a 40-minute time limit.
Event | Important dates |
Registration opens (Phase 1) | 1 August 2025 |
Registration closes (Phase 1) | 20 January 2025 |
Exam date | 1 September 2025 - 20 January 2026 (As per slot booking) |
Admission | January 2026 |
Making the right choice and planning exam strategies depend on understanding these exams’ individual patterns and requirements. Candidates should familiarise themselves with important dates, syllabus, and testing methods to maximise their chances of success. Preparing early, following a focused revision plan, and practising with mock exams are essential steps. Competition is high, but with precise planning and the right approach, students can secure a place in reputable law schools and begin a successful legal career in 2026.
On Question asked by student community
If you have secured a CLAT 2026 rank of 13656 and are aiming for admission to LLM programmes in National Law Universities (NLUs), it’s important to understand how selection usually works. LLM admissions at most NLUs depend primarily on the candidate’s CLAT PG rank, but the level of competition is high because many applicants compete for a limited number of seats. With a rank around 13656, the chances of securing a seat in the most sought-after NLUs like NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata or National Law University Delhi are quite slim because these institutions tend to have much higher closing ranks for most specialisations in their LLM programmes.
However, your rank keeps you in a position to explore other good NLUs and national law schools where the closing ranks are relatively lower or have larger seat matrices. Institutions such as Hidayatullah National Law University Raipur, National Law University Odisha, Gujarat National Law University, Tamil Nadu National Law University, Chanakya National Law University Patna and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University Lucknow have historically had closing ranks beyond the top five NLUs. These universities often offer quality legal education, experienced faculty, moot court activities, internships and decent placement opportunities for LLM graduates. Many of them also have specialisations in areas like constitutional law, corporate law, human rights law and international law, giving you options to pursue your interests.
It is also essential to remember that CLAT PG counselling usually happens in multiple rounds, including mop-up and stray vacancy rounds, through which seats in various universities are reallocated as candidates make changes or withdraw. With a rank in the mid-range, participating in all counselling rounds will improve your chances because some seats open up later in the process. Apart from NLUs, some universities and law schools that accept CLAT PG scores may also offer admission based on home-state quotas or reserved category benefits if applicable to you. Evaluating all these options with an open mind will help you find a suitable law institute where you can pursue your LLM and build your legal career.
All the best.
With a CLAT PG rank of 1257 in the SC category and being a woman candidate with Rajasthan domicile, you do have a realistic chance of securing admission to several National Law Universities, though the top NLUs may be difficult at this rank. Admission chances depend heavily on category-wise cut-offs, domicile reservations, and how many seats are available in a given year. For top-tier NLUs like NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, or NLUD, the closing ranks for SC category usually fall much lower, so chances there are minimal. However, you should definitely consider mid- and lower-ranked NLUs where SC category cut-offs often extend beyond 1200–1500 ranks.
You should prioritise NLUs that offer domicile or state quota benefits, especially those closer to your home state or neighbouring regions. National Law University Jodhpur (if applicable under domicile or category movement), Hidayatullah National Law University Raipur, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University Lucknow, Gujarat National Law University Gandhinagar, Maharashtra National Law University (Nagpur or Aurangabad), National Law University Odisha, and Tamil Nadu National Law University are some options where candidates in the SC category with similar ranks have secured seats in previous counselling rounds. Lower-tier NLUs like Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Himachal Pradesh National Law University, and Dharmashastra National Law University can also be kept in your preference list as safer options.
Your strategy should be to keep a wide preference list during counselling, placing mid-ranked NLUs first and then moving to lower NLUs, rather than restricting yourself only to a few choices. Also, stay active during subsequent counselling rounds and vacancy rounds, as many seats in the SC category are filled later due to withdrawals. Overall, while top NLUs may be tough, you have a fair chance of getting into a decent NLU if you plan your preferences smartly and remain flexible.
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.
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