LLB At NLU Without CLAT 2025: What Are Your Options?

LLB At NLU Without CLAT 2025: What Are Your Options?

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CLAT Exam Date:07 Dec' 25 - 07 Dec' 25

Sumeet SudarshanUpdated on 24 Mar 2025, 04:07 PM IST

The Consortium of National Law Universities has postponed the CLAT 2025 counselling process indefinitely due to ongoing court cases. However, there is a way candidates can do an LLB at NLU without CLAT. A few National Law Universities offer 3-year LLB programmes in addition to 5-year LLB. The admissions into NLU 3-year LLB courses are not done through the Common Law Admission Test but through entrance exams conducted by respective universities. In this article, let’s look at the options candidates have to do an LLB at NLU without CLAT.

LLB At NLU Without CLAT 2025: What Are Your Options?
LLB At NLU Without CLAT: What Are Your Options?

Which NLUs Offer LLB Without CLAT?

There are three National Law Universities that offer LLB without CLAT. NLSIU Bengaluru, NLU Odisha, and DSNLU Visakhapatnam offer 3-year LLB programmes. These NLUs conduct their 3-year LLB admissions by conducting their own law entrance exams. These universities also feature in the NIRF law rankings 2024 and are among the top law colleges in India.

UPES Integrated LLB Admissions 2026

Ranked #18 amongst Institutions in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in India for Academic Reputation by QS Rankings | 16 LPA Highest CTC

Jain University, Bangalore - Law Admissions 2026

NAAC A++ Approved | Curriculum Aligned with BCI & UGC

NLUs Offering 3-year LLB

NLU

NIRF Ranking

Entrance Exam

NLSIU Bengaluru

1

National Law School Admission Test (NLSAT)

NLU Odisha

26

NLU Odisha All India Entrance Test (NAIET)

DSNLU Visakhapatnam

39

DSNLU Entrance Test (DET)

LLB At NLU Without CLAT: Exam Schedule

Candidates interested in enrolling for 3-year LLB programmes at NLU must be aware of the exam schedule. They must complete the application form online from the official website of the respective universities before the prescribed deadline. After the entrance exam, each NLU will conduct the admission process separately unlike CLAT counselling which is a centralised process. The table given below provides the timeline for the exams.

Entrance Exam Schedule for 3-year LLB at NLUs

Exam Name

Application Window

Exam Date

NLSAT (NLSIU Bengaluru)

January 2 to March 30, 2025

April 27, 2025

NAIET (NLU Odisha)

February 13 to March 31, 2025

May 11, 2025

DET (DSNLU Visakhapatnam)

First week of August 2025 (Tentative)

August 2025 (Tentative)

NLU 3-year LLB Seat Intake

The number of 3-year LLB seats at NLUs is far less than the 5-year LLB seats available through the CLAT counselling process. Given below is the seat intake of the 3-year LLB programme at the three NLUs.

3-year LLB Seats

Eligibility Criteria for LLB at NLU Without CLAT

Before applying for LLB admissions at NLU, candidates must make sure they fulfil the eligibility criteria as prescribed by the university. If a candidate fails to meet the eligibility requirements then they will be disqualified from the admission process. Given below are the 3-year LLB eligibility criteria for each of the three NLUs.

3-year LLB Eligibility Criteria

NLU

Educational Qualification

Minimum Passing Marks

Other Details

NLSIU Bengaluru

Graduation in any stream from a recognised university

45% for general, 40% marks for SC/ST/OBC/PwD candidates.


No age limit. Final-year graduation students can also apply.

NLU Odisha

45% for general/OBC, 40% marks for SC/ST candidates.


DSNLU Visakhapatnam

45% for general, 42% for OBC, and 40% for SC/ST categories.



NLUs Not Participating in CLAT 2025

NLU Delhi and NLU Meghalaya do not participate in the Common Law Admission Test. However, the application form for admissions into both NLUs are currently closed. NLU Delhi conducts its admissions through the All India Law Entrance Test conducted in offline mode. NLU Meghalaya admissions are done through a separate entrance exam conducted by the university. The universities offer BA LLB and LLM programmes.

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Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

Hello,

To check your CLAT exam hall ticket, go to the official website, log in with your registration or application number and password (or other login details), and the admit card will be displayed on the screen. You should then download and print at least two copies of the admit card for the exam and counselling process.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello,

Yes, you can prepare for CLAT through self-study. Many students do it and score well. But self-study works only if you are disciplined and follow a proper plan.

Here are a few points to keep in mind:

1. Know the syllabus and pattern.
Understand each section: English, Current Affairs, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quant.

2. Make a fixed timetable.
Study a little every day. Consistency matters more than long hours.

3. Use good books and online sources.
Choose reliable material so you don’t waste time.

4. Practice a lot.
Solve mock tests and previous papers regularly. This is the most important part of CLAT prep.

5. Analyse your mistakes.
Check where you go wrong and improve those areas.

6. Stay updated with current affairs.
Read daily news or monthly current affairs PDFs.

If you can follow these steps honestly, self-study is enough. If you feel stuck or need guidance with strategy, you can always use online classes or doubt-clearing support.

Hope it helps !

According to our prediction the date is tentatively on December 14, 2025 or CLAT 2026 admissions. You may read more about it here law.careers360.com/articles/clat-result

Choosing the right CLAT coaching is a personal decision that should align with your learning style, budget, and location. There isn't a single "best" one.

A humanistic approach suggests you consider these factors:

  1. Faculty & Focus: Look for institutions with experienced faculty who offer personalized doubt clearing, not just recorded lectures.

  2. Material Quality: The study material must be updated to the latest CLAT pattern, emphasizing Legal Reasoning and Current Affairs.

  3. Peer Environment: A strong peer group and competitive environment boost motivation.

The linked article from Careers360 provides context and lists major national players in the CLAT prep space, which you can use to start your comparison: https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-online-coaching . Choose the one that feels like the best investment in your future

Yes, there are several law colleges in India that offer admission without requiring CLAT or other national-level entrance exams — and one such option is MERI Institute, Delhi .

At MERI Institute , students can pursue law courses based on their 12th-grade merit , without the stress of competitive entrance tests. This makes it an excellent choice for those who want to build a career in law but prefer a more straightforward admission process.

The institute focuses on practical legal education , with experienced faculty members, regular court visits, moot court training, and interactive seminars that help students understand real-world legal practices. The campus environment is supportive and student-friendly, offering both academic guidance and personal growth opportunities.

So, if you’re looking for law colleges without CLAT , MERI Institute in Delhi can be a great fit—providing quality education, a balanced learning approach, and a pathway to a successful law career without the pressure of tough entrance exams.