The Common Law Admission Test, popularly known as CLAT is a national level law entrance exam in India. The CLAT exam is considered a gateway to prestigious national law universities (NLUs) and other prominent law schools in India. Every year, over 60,000 candidates take the CLAT exam. Most of them compete for 5-year integrated LLB courses offered by NLUs, while around 10,000 participate for LLM admissions.
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The CLAT exam is conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs). The exam is held in December every year. The scores of CLAT are accepted by 24 NLUs, an off-campus of GNLU Gandhinagar in Silvassa and over 60 law schools across the country.
Full name | Common Law Admission Test |
Exam date | First week of December every year |
Conducting body | Consortium of National Law Universities (CNLU) |
Courses offered | 5-year integrated LLB and LLM courses |
Participating NLUs | 24 |
CLAT affiliated colleges | 60+ |
Number of test takers for CLAT | 60,000+ |
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is essentially for law aspirants looking to pursue LLB or LLM courses. However, going beyond the admission scenarios, the CLAT exam can also be used to find jobs in Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and the Indian Army. In short, candidates should apply for CLAT with the following objectives.
To seek admission in 5-year integrated LLB courses offered by NLUs and affiliated law schools
Jobs offered by PSUs based on CLAT PG scores
Since CLAT is conducted at two levels - CLAT UG and CLAT PG, candidates applying for the exam should meet the following conditions.
Candidates must meet the CLAT eligibility criteria before filling up the application form. The eligibility criteria vary depending on the course selection. The details of course-wise eligibility criteria are explained below.
Candidate must have passed class 12th from a recognised board with at least 45% marks (40% in the case of SC/ST candidates).
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Candidates must have completed an LLB course (3-year LLB or 5-year LLB) with at least 50% marks (45% in the case of SC/ST candidates) from a recognized university.
Many students wonder if CLAT scores can be used for getting admission to 3-year LLB courses. However, the CLAT exam is not conducted for 3-year LLB. The 3-year LLB falls at the postgraduate level, however, it is still equivalent to a 5-year LLB, not an LLM which requires knowledge of various laws.
The CLAT UG is conducted for Class 12th students and therefore cannot be applied for 3-year LLB admissions.
The consortium releases the CLAT application form in the first week of July every year. The CLAT registration website is consortiumofnlus.ac.in. Candidates need to fill in personal and communication details, exam centre preferences, reservation status and NLU preferences while filling out the application form for the CLAT exam.
The CLAT registration fee is Rs. 4,000 for General/OBC/PWD/NRI candidates and Rs. 3,500 for SC/ST/BPL candidates. The CLAT registration fee is generally much higher than many other law entrance exams and therefore, often seen as a barrier by underprivileged candidates willing to study law in NLUs.
Reading, critical thinking and analytical skills are considered essential for a successful career in Law. Therefore, the CLAT syllabus is designed to test these skills. The CLAT UG has five sections;
English and comprehension
Legal aptitude
Logical reasoning
Maths
General knowledge and current affairs
Unlike many other law entrance exams, the CLAT UG syllabus is vast and as a result, the question paper turns very lengthy. 120 multiple choice type questions are asked from comprehension-based passages and thus require a lot of reading and analysis of paragraphs.
Since CLAT is not conducted in vernacular languages, English becomes a dominant factor in the entrance exam. This also leads to the criticism that CLAT favours candidates who have previously studied in English medium. The state board students or those who study in regional languages remain at a typical disadvantage as they have to go the extra mile by working on the English language and vocabulary.
CLAT LLM syllabus covers almost every aspect of the LLB course. The subjects in CLAT LLM are taken from the subjects of LLB courses. Candidates are expected to demonstrate a decent understanding of various laws, constitutions, and current legal affairs. The CLAT LLM question paper too has comprehension-based questions. The topics covered in CLAT LLM are mentioned below;
Constitutional Law
Jurisprudence
Administrative Law
Law of Contract
Torts
Family Law
Criminal Law
Property Law
Company Law
Public International Law
Tax Law
Environmental Law
Labour & Industrial Law
The CLAT exam is accepted by all National Law Universities (NLUs) except NLU Delhi and NLU Meghalaya. There are 24 NLUs and GNLU’s off-campus that are part of the CLAT consortium and participate in the admission process. The list of such NLUs is given below.
S No. | States | NLUs |
|---|---|---|
1 | Karnataka | NLSIU Bengaluru |
2 | Telangana | NALSAR Hyderabad |
3 | West Bengal | WBNUJS Kolkata |
4 | Madhya Pradesh | NLIU Bhopal |
5 | Rajasthan | NLU Jodhpur |
6 | Chhattisgarh | HNLU Raipur |
7 | Gujarat | GNLU Gandhinagar |
8 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli | GNLU Silvassa Campus |
9 | Uttar Pradesh | RMLNLU Lucknow |
10 | Punjab, India | RGNUL Patiala |
11 | Bihar | CNLU Patna |
12 | Kerala | NUALS Kochi |
13 | Odisha | NLUO, Odisha, Cuttack |
14 | Jharkhand | NUSRL Ranchi |
15 | Assam | NLUJA Assam, Guwahati |
16 | Andhra Pradesh | DSNLU Visakhapatnam |
17 | Tamil Nadu | TNNLU Tiruchirappalli |
18 | Maharashtra | MNLU Mumbai |
19 | Maharashtra | MNLU Nagpur |
20 | Maharashtra | MNLU Aurangabad |
21 | Himachal Pradesh | HPNLU Shimla |
22 | Madhya Pradesh | DNLU Jabalpur |
23 | Haryana | DBRANLU, Sonipat, Haryana |
24 | Tripura | NLUT Agartala |
25 | Uttar Pradesh | RPNLU Prayagraj |
As mentioned above, CLAT witnesses the participation of over 60,000 candidates every year. These students are grouped into two categories - 5-year LLB through CLAT UG and LLM through CLAT PG. Over 50,000 candidates opt for CLAT UG alone, whereas around 10,000 candidates appear for CLAT LLM.
Undoubtedly, CLAT is the most popular law entrance exam in India. However, over 40 law entrance exams are conducted in India. These include university, state and national-level law entrance exams. The major law entrance exams include AILET for NLU Delhi, MH CET Law for Maharashtra law colleges, TS LAWCET for Telangana law colleges, LSAT India for 15+ private law colleges, and CUET law for central universities and 100+ private law schools.
The CLAT exam is very different from OLETs. It is one of the most comprehensive law entrance exams. One major difference between CLAT and OLETs is that most of the OLETs have straightforward objective-type questions whereas CLAT requires reading comprehension passages before answering any question.
The NLUs offer a combined intake of over 3,300 seats through the CLAT exam. Most of the NLUs offer around 120-180 seats. Among CLAT participating NLUs, NLSIU offers the highest 300 seats in BA LLB. NLIU Bhopal also offers 202 seats. The remaining NLUs offer less than 200 seats. Apart from this, NLUs also offer around 238 seats for NRI/NRI-sponsored candidates. For the LLM programme, the NLUs offer around 1300 seats with a wide range of specializations. Around 55 seats are offered to NRI/NRI-sponsored candidates in LLM courses.
NLUs also offer domicile reservations at both UG and PG levels. Domicile reservation in CLAT NLU is as per the rules laid down by state governments. Due to this, there is no uniformity in the domicile reservation given by NLUs. It ranges from 25-62% of their intake. For example, NLUs in Maharashtra offer domicile reservation up to 62% of their intake, whereas NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad and NLU Jodhpur reserve 25% of their intake for domicile candidates. There are NLUs such as NLIU Bhopal, HNLU Raipur, and CNLU Patna that reserve 50% of seats for domicile candidates.
You may also check - CLAT Full Form
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is conducted every year to offer admission to 26 National Law Universities (NLUs) in India.
Students who have completed their Class 12 with at least 50% marks from a recognised board are eligible to appear for CLAT entrance.
Yes, to be eligible for CLAT, general category candidates are required to secure at least 50% marks in Class 12, and for reserved category candidates the minimum required marks in 45%.
Hello,
Yes, you can take part in CLAT counselling even if you passed through a supplementary exam. But make sure you have your final passing marksheet or result before the admission process starts.
Most colleges will ask for proof that you have passed your Class 12 before giving final admission. So, if your result comes out in time, you won’t face any problem.
Hope it helps !
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a national-level entrance exam for law programs in India. As a Class 12 student, you're eligible to take the exam if you meet the minimum percentage requirements: 45% for general category and 40% for SC/ST.
Exam Pattern:
- Mode: Offline (pen-and-paper test)
- Duration: 2 hours
- Questions:120 multiple-choice questions
- Subjects: English Language, Current Affairs & GK, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques
- Marking Scheme: 1 mark for correct answers, -0.25 marks for incorrect answers
Subjects and Weightage:
- English Language (20%):Comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, and verbal reasoning
- Current Affairs & GK (25%): Awareness of current events and general knowledge
- Legal Reasoning (25%): Understanding legal principles and rules
- Logical Reasoning (20%): Logical and analytical reasoning skills
- Quantitative Techniques (10%): Mathematical operations and problem-solving
Preparation Tips:
- Start early to cover all topics thoroughly
- Practice regularly with mock tests to familiarize yourself with the exam format and timing
- Utilize resources like CLAT study materials and online platforms for structured preparation
- Join study groups to share knowledge and stay updated
Coaching and Study Materials:
- Consider joining CLAT coaching after your 12th board exams, unless you're a self-study expert
- Use recommended study materials like "Word Power Made Easy" by Norman Lewis for English, "Lucent's General Knowledge" for GK, and "Manorama Yearbook" for current affairs
*Eligibility and Application:*
- Check the official CLAT website for application deadlines and process
- Ensure you meet the minimum percentage requirements and have a valid ID proof
and passport-sized photographs.
For more information CLAT 202 6
Hello,
In Vijayawada, several institutes offer CLAT coaching alongside intermediate studies. Here are some options:
1. Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy
2. Abhyaas LawPrep
3. T.I.M.E. Institute
4. Career Launcher
5. IMS Victory Academy
Hope it helps !
The CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) syllabus includes five main sections: English Language, Current Affairs including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques. For preparation, some recommended books are *Word Power Made Easy* by Norman Lewis for English, *Lucent’s General Knowledge* for GK, and *Manorama Yearbook* for current affairs. For Legal Reasoning, *Universal’s Guide to CLAT & LLB* is useful, while *A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning* by R.S. Aggarwal helps with reasoning. For Quantitative Techniques, *Quantitative Aptitude* by R.S. Aggarwal is a good choice. Regular mock tests and previous years' papers also enhance preparation.
Hello aspirant,
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) was conducted on 1 December 2024 and the Consortium released results on 7 December 2024.
However, due to legal proceedings that are underway, candidates should keep their eyes on the Consortium for a finalised result and admission process.
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