NLUs offering 3-year LLB: Complete List, Entrance Exams, Course Details & Fees
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NLUs offering 3-year LLB: Complete List, Entrance Exams, Course Details & Fees

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Updated on 30 Sep 2025, 02:24 PM IST

National Law Universities (NLUs) are India’s top institutes for legal education. There are 24 NLUs in India, and most of them admit students through the CLAT entrance exam. While all NLUs offer 5-year integrated law programmes, a few also offer 3-year LLB, opening themselves up for graduate students interested in studying law.

NLUs offering 3-year LLB: Complete List, Entrance Exams, Course Details & Fees
4 NLUs offering 3-year LLB

The 3-year LLB course in NLUs is open to all students irrespective of their stream of graduation. The courses are designed to offer focused legal training and prepare the students for the legal profession.

Currently, four NLUs offer 3-year LLB programs. CNLU PaTS LAWCET 2024: Counselling (Started), Web Options, Seat Allotment, Cut off, Collegestna is the latest in the list to add a 3-year LLB course in 2025. The mode of admission to these courses remains university-specific entrance exams.

NLUs Offering 3-Year LLB Courses

National Law University

Entrance exam

NLSIU, Bangalore

National Law School Admission Test (NLSAT-LLB)

CNLU, Patna

CNLU Entrance Test (CNLU-ET)

NLU, Odisha

NLUO 3-year LLB Entrance Test (NAIET)

NLU, Visakhapatnam

DSNLU 3 Year LLB Entrance Test (DET)

3-Year LLB Course Offered by NLUs in India

The 3-year LLB at NLUs is designed for graduates from various disciplines seeking entry into legal practice or academic specialisation. The curriculum emphasises analytical skills, legal reasoning, and practical training to prepare students for a variety of law careers.

Admission to the 3-year LLB course in the NLUs is through university-specific entrance exams. Each university maintains distinct admission criteria and exam patterns aligned with its academic standards.

National Law School Admission Test (NLSAT) Admission

The NLSAT is the exclusive entrance exam conducted by NLSIU Bangalore for admission to its 3-year LLB (Hons.) programme. The total intake for this course is 120 students. Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university with a minimum of 45% aggregate marks (40% for reserved candidates). Final year graduation students can also apply, provided they complete their degree by December.

The NLSAT consists of a single question paper divided into two parts: Part A and Part B, with a total duration of 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes). Part A contains 75 MCQs covering comprehension, current affairs, and critical reasoning, with negative marking for wrong or unanswered questions. Candidates scoring above zero in Part A qualify for Part B evaluation, which includes subjective questions that test legal aptitude and analytical ability. Final admissions are based on total score and reservation policies.

CNLU Entrance Test (CNLU-ET)

The CNLU Entrance Test (CNLU-ET) is the specific exam for admission to the 3-year LLB (Hons.) course at Chanakya National Law University, Patna. It is conducted offline once a year, usually in the months of May or June. Registration starts around March or April, and candidates must register online via the official CNLU website and pay the applicable application fees (₹3,000 for general and ₹2,500 for reserved categories).

Candidates applying for CNLU-ET must hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university. The minimum marks required as per the category are 60% for general/BC/EBC/EWS/PWD and 55% for SC/ST.

The exam features 120 multiple-choice questions covering three main areas:

  • English (including reading comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary)

  • General awareness (aligning with UPSC Civil Services prelims level)

  • General & critical reasoning (logical, analytical puzzles and arguments)

Each question carries one mark; 0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer. The selection is merit-based. The university conducts an online counselling session to shortlist the candidates in the last stage.

NLU Odisha All India Entrance Test (NAIET)

NLU Odisha offers admission to its 3-year LLB programme through the NLUO All India Entrance Test (NAIET). The total intake for this course is 60 students. It is an offline exam conducted once a year. Candidates must have scored a minimum of 45% aggregate marks (40% for SC/ST) in graduation to apply. Final-year students can also apply, but they must submit proof of passing before admission.

The NAIET question paper will have 120 multiple-choice questions to be completed within two hours. The syllabus includes the following subjects:

  • English (approx. 40-45 questions)

  • General awareness (approx. 30 questions)

  • Logical reasoning (approx. 40-50 questions).

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Candidates will be awarded one mark for each correct answer, and there is no negative marking for incorrect or unattempted questions. Candidates must register online, complete fee payment, and appear on the exam date as announced on the official NLU Odisha website.

DSNLU 3-Year LLB Entrance Test (DET)

NLU Visakhapatnam conducts the DSNLU 3-Year LLB Entrance Test (DET) every year to admit graduates from any discipline. Application fees range from Rs. 1,800 for SC/ST to Rs. 2,500 for the general category.

The exam is offline (pen and paper-based) and includes 100 objective-type multiple-choice questions, each carrying 1 mark. The exam duration is 120 minutes, and there is no negative marking. Subjects covered are General Knowledge, Legal Aptitude, and Current Affairs.

Eligibility for DET requires a recognised bachelor’s degree with at least 45% aggregate marks for the general category, 42% for BC, and 40% for SC/ST candidates. Candidates with slightly lower percentages in graduation can qualify if they have higher marks in additional graduation or post-graduation degrees.

The total intake for the programme is 132 seats, including 12 supernumerary seats for foreign citizens, NRIs, and NRI-sponsored applicants. Admission is strictly based on DET scores. The qualifying mark for DET is 35%, with no minimum for SC/ST candidates.

3-Year LLB Fees at NLUs

National Law University

Annual fees (INR)

NLSIU, Bangalore

₹5,06,000

₹5,01,500 (SC/ST)

CNLU, Patna

₹1,85,470

NLU, Odisha

₹2,47,520

NLU, Visakhapatnam

₹1,70,000

The annual fees for 3-year LLB programmes at National Law Universities vary significantly due to differences in infrastructure, facilities, and location. These fees include tuition, examination, development, and hostel and mess charges. Candidates should carefully evaluate the eligibility criteria, course details, entrance exams, and fee structures of NLSIU Bangalore, CNLU Patna, NLU Odisha, and NLU Visakhapatnam before registering for the courses.

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Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

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.

For CLAT 2025, the General Knowledge and Current Affairs section has around 28 to 32 questions. These questions come from recent news, events, and general topics like the Constitution, international issues, awards, and government schemes.

You should mainly focus on current events from the last 12 to 18 months. The exam gives short passages from newspapers or magazines, and you have to answer questions based on those passages.

The most important topics are national and international current affairs, major government policies, legal news, awards and honours, science and technology updates, sports events, important personalities, and environmental issues.

Some of the most expected topics for CLAT 2025 are global conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war and Middle East updates, major elections in India and other countries, new laws, bills, and reforms in India, international meetings like G20 and COP climate conferences, important awards in 2024 and 2025, recent achievements in science and space technology, and new government schemes and court judgments.

To prepare, you should read current affairs daily, revise important news from April 2024 till now, and practice passage-based questions from mock tests. Static GK (like history, geography, or constitution) should also be studied but only the parts that are connected to current events.

Career360 website for CLAT GK: https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-gk-questions


Hello dear candidate,

Yes, you are right UGC rules do not allow two regular full time courses simultaneously.

But for CLAT or NLU admission they only check if your 12th certificate is valid and is from a recognized board, not if you did another course along with it.

The BCI also do not reject candidate for this reason.

Thank you.

Hello,

If you are from Delhi and appearing for CLAT, then you come under the General (All India) category, as CLAT reservation is based on the domicile of NLUs, and Delhi does not have a National Law University under CLAT (NLU Delhi conducts AILET separately).So, you can apply for CLAT through All India Quota, and if you don’t get a seat in NLUs. You can apply through CLAT, AILET, or private law colleges like Amity, Symbiosis, or IPU for admission.

Keep both CLAT and AILET options open to maximize your chances.


Hope you understand.