CLAT Exam 2025: Registration (Open), Dates (Out), Syllabus, Preparation Tips, Question Papers

The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) has released the CLAT 2025 application form on July 15, 2024. Eligible candidates can register and fill out the application form of CLAT exam online from its official website, consortiumofnlus.ac.in. The CLAT exam date 2025 is Rs. 4,000 for general candidates and Rs. 3,500 for SC/ST candidates. The last date to submit the CLAT application form 2025 is October 15. The consortium has also released the first CLAT 2025 sample paper on September 13, 2024. Candidates who have completed CLAT 2025 registration can download the sample paper through their CLAT login. The offline-based CLAT 2025 will have 120 objective-type questions to be asked from topics mentioned in the exam syllabus. CLAT 2025 syllabus broadly covers the English language, general knowledge and current affairs, legal, logical and maths subjects.
Also Check | How many candidates appear in CLAT, success rate

What is CLAT Exam?

The Common Law Admission Test, also known as CLAT is a national-level law entrance exam conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities (CNLUs). The CLAT scores are accepted for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate law programs offered by 24 national law universities and over 60 affiliated colleges. CLAT is conducted across the country, in offline, pen and paper format.

What's New In CLAT 2025?

A change introduced in CLAT 2025 is that candidates are not required to fill in their NLU preferences at the time of CLAT 2025 registration. Instead, candidates must submit their NLU preferences at the time of counselling after the CLAT 2025 results have been declared. This change provides the candidates with the opportunity to target specific NLUs as per their CLAT 2025 score.

Revised CLAT 2025 Syllabus

The Consortium of NLUs has reduced the number of questions in the CLAT entrance exam to make it more student-friendly. The total number of questions in the CLAT exam was reduced to 120, which was earlier 150. The section-wise distribution of questions is given below.

CLAT 2025 Syllabus and Pattern

Good Score in CLAT 2025

As per the CLAT cut-off trends available for last year, a good score in CLAT 2025 is expected to be 100+ marks for general category candidates for admission into top NLUs such as NLSIU Bengaluru and NALSAR Hyderabad. The good score in CLAT varies across category. A good CLAT score for EWS and OBC candidates is expected to be 90+ marks and 80+ marks respectively. For SC/ST category, a good score in CLAT 2025 is expected to be around 75+ marks.

CLAT 2025 exam events

CLAT Highlights: Registered candidates, intake, NLUs (Updated)

Being conducted at a national level, thousands of candidates attend the CLAT entrance exam every year. It is one of the most competitive law entrance exams in India at present. Mentioned below are the details of the CLAT exam in the previous years.

CLAT Exam Highlights: Registered Candidates and Seat Intake

CLAT Colleges 2025 and Seat Intake

The CLAT colleges include both national law universities and over 60 law schools that will sign the memorandum with the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs). At present, there are 24 NLUs and an off campus of GNLU Gandhinagar, and GNLU Silvassa that accept CLAT scores. Only NLU Delhi and NLU Meghalaya are not participating in the CLAT exam. NLU Prayagraj was a new NLU that was added in the list of CLAT colleges last year. Candidates can check the complete list of NLUs participating in CLAT below along with courses and seat intake offered by each of them.

CLAT 2025 UG Seat Intake

CLAT NLU 2025 Information Brochure

The Consortium of NLUs has published the information brochure for all the NLUs participating in CLAT 2025 on its official website. The CLAT 2025 information brochures for NLUs contain important details about the NLU admission process, their seat intake, courses offered and fees. The table given below provides the free download links for NLU 2025 information brochures.

CLAT 2025 NLU Brochure Free Download Links

CLAT 2025 Exam Analysis

The Common Law Admission Test is considered one of the most difficult law entrance exams in the country. With CLAT exam analysis, candidates can decode the exam and estimate the level of preparation needed for CLAT 2025. The CLAT 2025 exam analysis will include important topics covered in the exam, good attempt, expected good score in CLAT and the cut off for top NLUs. As per the CLAT 2024 exam analysis available for last year, the CLAT exam was easy due to the reduced number of questions. 

History of CLAT

The inception of CLAT as the common test has its roots in the 2007 case, Varun Bhagat v. Union of India when a parent of law aspirant argued for a centralized test. Following this, the first Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) was organised in 2008 for seven national law universities. 

In 2014, seven other national law universities joined CLAT. The exam was conducted online this time. However, a permanent secretariat for the CLAT consortium was still elusive. In 2015 - A PIL was filed by Professor Shamnad Bashir seeking an institutionalized system with a permanent secretariat for the conduct of CLAT. The case eventually led to the setting up of the CLAT Consortium in Bengaluru in 2018. The mode of the CLAT exam was also changed from online to offline. 

Earlier, the CLAT was being conducted by national law universities on a rotation basis. Now, with a permanent secretariat, CLAT is conducted by a seven-member executive committee consisting of a convenor, president, vice-president, secretary-treasurer and other members.

As of 2025, CLAT scores are accepted by 24 out of 26 national law universities. NLU Delhi and the recently established NLU Meghalaya are conducting separate entrance exams. NLU Delhi conducts the All India Law Entrance Test (AILET), whereas NLU Meg organises MEG-UAT and MEG-PAT for admissions to UG and PG programs.Consortium of NLUs

Candidates appearing in the CLAT exam 2025 must meet the eligibility criteria prescribed by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs). Since the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is conducted for both UG and PG programmes, the eligibility criteria are also different for each level. The details of CLAT UG and CLAT LLM eligibility criteria are given below.

CLAT2025 eligibility criteria - Highlights

UG CLAT 2025 eligibility criteria - Details

Candidates have to meet the following conditions;

• Candidates should have passed Class 12 with at least 45% marks (40% for SC and ST students) from a recognized board or institution.
• Candidates who will appear in Class 12th board exams in April-May 2025 are also eligible to appear in the exam. However, the admission of such students will be subject to fulfilling the required eligibility criteria.
• Candidates who have completed a diploma or any other programme equivalent to Class 12th can also apply for CLAT exam 2025.

CLAT LLM eligibility criteria 2025

The eligibility criteria for LLM-CLAT are given below;

• Candidates should have passed graduation in Law (3-year LLB or 5-year LLB) from a recognized university.
• They must have obtained at least 50% marks (45% in the case of SC and ST candidates) in the qualifying examination. Further, candidates appearing in the final year of the LLB degree programme are also eligible.

CLAT 2025 age limit

There is no age limit for appearing in CLAT 2025. Further, there are no restrictions on the number of attempts.

Mode of Application : Online

Mode of Payment : Net Banking | Credit Card | Debit Card | Paytm | BHIM

The Consortium of NLUs has opened the CLAT 2025 application form on July 15, 2024. Eligible candidates who wish to appear in CLAT 2025 can register online and fill out the CLAT application form 2025, by visiting the CLAT official website - consortiumofnlus.ac.in. The deadline to submit the CLAT 2025 application form is October 15, 2024. The CLAT PG 2025 application form will also open at the same time. This year, candidates are not required to fill in the CLAT NLU preferences at the time of registration. Candidates will be required to submit the preferences after the result.

How to fill CLAT Application Form 2025?

Candidates had to follow the steps mentioned below to fill out the application form of CLAT 2025.

• Registration: To register, enter your name, email id, mobile number, and other details. 
• Fill in relevant details: Here enter personal, academic, and contact details and reservation details. Candidats are also required to select the program of study (UG or PG), 
• Upload documents: Scanned copies of the signature, photograph, and other documents in the prescribed specification (refer to the table below) have to be uploaded.

Document Required for CLAT 2025 application form                   

• Application fee: Depending on the category of the candidate, the application fee may vary as shown in the table below.

CLAT 2025 registration fee

CLAT Application Form 2025: Important points to remember

• During the document verification process of CLAT counselling 2025, all details entered in the form will be verified. Exam officials will demand originals of all essential documents to be produced before them. In case of any inconsistency in the information shared in the application form, the candidate may be disqualified.
• Candidates must carefully all the information in the CLAT 2025 application form. Certain information such as programme and category cannot be changed or edited after submission of the application form.
• Also, simply meeting the eligibility criteria is no guarantee for admission, as the final CLAT seat allotment will be based on the merit rank of the candidate in the online exam. 
• Candidates can gain CLAT seat allotment in only those NLUs which are part of their NLU preferences at the time of registration.

You may also check- 

• CLAT Registration 2025 Last Date
• CLAT 2025 Registration Fees

Application Fees

Sometimes the candidate may need a little assistance in their CLAT exam preparation to get over the line. Like the candidate may want to know about some tools that can assist them to improve accuracy or improve speed. 

CLAT 2025 Preparation Tips 

• Candidates need to be well-versed with the exam pattern and syllabus.
• Practice sufficient mock tests and sample papers to edify learning and to hone problem-solving skills.
• CLAT aspirants are also advised to follow a proper timetable for preparation.
• Candidates should choose books that are easy to follow, meet quality standards, and contain lots of practise material to prepare for the exam.
• Regular revision is the key to scoring good marks in exams.
• Maintaining equanimity is crucial for effective preparation. To achieve that stay in the moment, instead of flying into the future or pondering the past. 

CLAT 2025 last-week and exam-day tips

• Solve sample papers: The last most should involve extensive solving of CLAT sample papers 2025. While in the preliminary phases of the CLAT exam preparation one may solve one sample paper a week, the number in the last month and weeks can be increased. One may solve as many sample papers as possible.
• Mock test: The idea of CLAT mock tests 2025 is to get an exam-like experience, which may include a pressure-cooker situation. Considering the exam will be now conducted in online mode, mock tests will help the candidate to understand navigation, how questions are presented, how questions can be answered, and manage time. Note that there will be 150 multiple choice questions that have to be answered in 120 minutes. This means speed and accuracy will be important qualities for success in the exam.
• Don't study new topics close to the exam: Unless you are thoroughly done with what you have already taken up, better don't get entangled in new topics, because it will eat into your last phase of exam preparation. Remember the last phase is all about acceleration, which includes doing fast revision, solving sample papers, and taking mock tests. But if you bring in new topics, you will break the flow; also note that new topics will take more time to master, which you can ill afford at this stage.  
• How to answer the CLAT question paper 2025: The questions asked in the CLAT exam 2025 can be placed in three groups: easy, moderate, and difficult. It is recommended that the candidate starts with easy questions, before answering moderate and difficult questions. Also, if one gets stuck with a difficult question, better not spend too much time on it, but instead move on to the next question.
• Stay composed even in difficult situations during exams: Sometimes the question paper may turn out to be more difficult than expected, or you may not be able to answer an easy-looking question. In those situations, it is important to keep one's cool and not get rattled. Take a deep breath and move on to the next question.
  Also read | Last minute preparation tips to ace CLAT 2025 exam

CLAT UG Sample Papers - Based on new CLAT exam pattern

Download CLAT subject wise sample papers                                                                           

CLAT 2025 best books for exam preparation 

When preparing for CLAT exam 2025, it is important to have dependable and high-quality study material. The CLAT best books 2025 will be those that are easy to understand, and contain few to no errors, including problem sets and instructions. 

CLAT Exam Reference Books

Candidates preparing for CLAT exam should be well-versed with the exam pattern and syllabus. The CLAT exam pattern informs the candidates about the test structure, number of questions and their types, marking scheme and several other test modalities.

As per the CLAT 2025 exam pattern, It is an offline-based exam, with OMR sheets and question papers. CLAT 2025 question paper comprises 120 multiple-choice type questions in CLAT UG and 120 questions in CLAT LLM. All questions are based on comprehension passages. The details of the exam pattern are mentioned below.

CLAT Exam Pattern 2025

Candidates who wish to appear in CLAT 2025 can solve a good number of mock tests during their preparation. There are multiple benefits of taking the CLAT mock test 2025. The Consortium of NLUs has released the first CLAT 2025 sample paper on September 13, 2024. Registered candidates can access the sample paper through their login.

Benefits of attempting CLAT mock test

• Mock tests contain similar types of questions to those asked in the exam. So, solving these problems will help candidates judge the difficulty level of CLAT 2025 and plan accordingly.
• The success in mock tests can be indicative of exam readiness or lack of it. If readiness is lacking, one may need to pull up one's socks and try harder.
• Doing well in mock tests would also give the candidate lot of confidence to carry to the actual exam.
• CLAT mock tests will teach the candidate time management skills and also how to wriggle out of a tricky problem by keeping a cool head.
• Effective prioritizing of questions is an art that can be cultivated by solving the CLAT mock test. Students who master this art will be able to lock down all the sure-shot questions first, before moving on to tricky and not-so-sure questions.

How to attempt CLAT mock test?

• Make sure to attempt mock tests which are updated as per the latest syllabus and exam structure.
• Follow a time table for attending mock test and attempt at least one CLAT mock test a day.
• After attempting the mock test, spend time on analysing the performance and identify weak areas and improve on them.
• Solve 4-5 papers and then try to identify any trends or patterns such as important topics, repeated questions. This will help the candidate to strategize for the exam.

CLAT previous year's papers

Candidates should also solve all previous year's CLAT papers, especially those based on the new exam pattern. The CLAT previous year's question papers would also be helpful in understanding the type of questions asked in the examination and topics that appear frequently in the test paper. While registering for CLAT, candidates may purchase the question papers on payment of Rs 500. However, the official question papers of CLAT at FREE of COST are provided below.

The Consortium of NLUs will issue the CLAT 2025 admit card tentatively in the third week of November 2024. CLAT admit card is a mandatory document for appearing in the examination.

Further, the admit card mentions various details such as candidate roll number, application number, exam centre name, address, CLAT exam reporting time and instructions. One must download and take a printout of the admit card to the designated CLAT exam centre on the exam day.

How to download CLAT admit card 2025?

Candidates can follow the steps mentioned below to download their admit card of CLAT 2025.

• Visit the CLAT official website of the CLAT consortium
• A login window will open
• Enter your registration or application number and password
• Enter your NLUs preferences (minimum five), and click on update NLUs preferences
• The CLAT admit card will be displayed on screen in downloadable pdf format
• Download the admit card and take a printout

CLAT admit card login window

CLAT 2025 Exam Guidelines

As per the CLAT 2025 exam guidelines, the candidate has to report to the CLAT 2025 exam centre at least one hour before the commencement of the exam. Also, after 15 minutes after the commencement of the CLAT exam, no candidate will be allowed fresh entry.

To take the test, the candidate has to display a printout of the admit card and a valid and original photo ID proof.

No baggage counter

There will be no baggage counter at the exam venue and candidates will be solely responsible for the safe keep of their belongings. So, it is advisable not to carry non-essential items to the centre.

If the candidate wants, they may visit the exam centre to check out the location, travel route, distance and traffic situation. However, no candidate will be allowed beyond the main entrance gate, except on exam day and that too is only on producing the admit card and photo ID.

Important items to carry to the CLAT exam hall

• Blue/Black Ball Pen

• Admit Card

• Any original photo ID proof issued by the Government.

• Transparent water bottle.

• Own mask, gloves and personal hand sanitiser.

• Self-health declaration

• Disability certificate for PWD candidates

CLAT exam day 2025 - Things to avoid

• Electronic/communication devices such as mobile phones

• Any kind of watch, calculator, headphones, etc.

• Sheets of paper including blank sheets are not allowed inside the examination hall.

Candidates may also note that the consortium or the security staff at the exam centre will not be held responsible for the loss and damage of any property/gadgets of candidates.

The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) will publish the CLAT 2025 answer key a day after the exam is conducted, on its official website - consortiumofnlus.ac.in. Candidates can also raise their objections against the provisional answer key till a specified date. The answer key of CLAT 2025 can be used to calculate the marks in the examination.

Further, in case of any discrepancies in the answer key or question papers, candidates will have the opportunity to object to it. The objections will be reviewed by the expert committee of CLAT 2025. In case the raised objections are found to be valid, necessary changes to the answer key will be made and result will be prepared accordingly. The final CLAT 2025 answer key will be released after reviewing the objections raised by the candidates.

How to download CLAT 2025 answer key?

• Open the CLAT examination portal - consortiumofnlus.ac.in
• Click on the master question paper and answer key links
• The CLAT answer key will be displayed on the screen
• Download and calculate your answers

How to calculate marks using CLAT answer key 2025

As per the official marking scheme of CLAT 2025, every correct answer will fetch 1 mark, while for an incorrect answer 0.25 marks will be deducted. Use the following formula to calculate probable scores.

For e.g. If the number of correct answers is 100 and incorrect answers is 40 then the total marks will be calculated as-

Total CLAT Marks = (100*1) - (40*0.25)

Therefore; Total marks = 100 - 10 = 90

How to raise objections against CLAT 2025 answer key?

Candidates will be given around two days to raise their objections against the key. The CLAT objection fee is Rs. 1000 per question. In case of the objections are accepted, the objection fee will be refunded.

Steps to raise objections against CLAT answer key 2025

• Visit CLAT 2025 official examination portal
• Login using your mobile number and password
• Click on the "Raise" objection option
• Select the type of objection - about the question or about answer key
• Select the question ID and add a comment
• Submit the objection

CLAT Question Paper & Answer Key - Previous Year's

The CLAT 2025 result will be declared tentatively a week after the exam. Candidates can download their results from the official website of the NLU Consortium. They will need the application number and date of birth to download the admit card. 

CLAT result is provided in the form of individual scorecards. Along with the result, an invite list is also released for counselling purposes.  

How to download CLAT result 2025?

• Visit the CLAT official website 
• Click on the result link 
• In the CLAT login window, enter the registration/application number and date of birth
• The CLAT result 2025 would be displayed on the screen
• Download and take a printout of the result

Details mentioned on the CLAT 2025 result

• Name of the candidate
• Roll number
• Category under which admission is sought
• Program of study (UG / PG)
• CLAT score 
• CLAT All India Rank (AIR)
• CLAT 2025 category rank (CR)

CLAT 2024 Toppers

CLAT UG 2023 Toppers

CLAT 2022 Toppers

CLAT LLM topper 2022

CLAT 2021 toppers interview, rank, marks

CLAT 2020 toppers interview

CLAT 2025 Merit List

The merit list of CLAT 2025 mentions the roll number, marks and merit rank of the candidates. The CLAT merit rank is important as it is referred to for inviting the candidates for counselling and seat allotment.

CLAT Merit List 2025 - Tie-breaking procedure

• The candidate who has a higher score in the “Legal Aptitude” section of CLAT 2025 will be placed higher in the merit list
• If this step, the candidate who is senior in age will get a higher rank
• If the tie is still undecided, a computerized draw of lots will be used to decide the merit rank of such candidates.

The CLAT 2025 cut off will be released in online mode. The consortium releases the cut off for each round of CLAT counselling. The cut off is the minimum marks required for admission to a national law university participating in the counselling. CLAT cut off 2025 will be different for each NLU, depending on the number of seats offered by NLU, number of applicants and reservation policy. 

CLAT 2024 NLU Wise Cut Off - Round 1

CLAT Previous Year Cut-offs

In order to secure admission to a desired NLU, candidates must clear the cut-off. Meanwhile, candidates can check the NLU-wise cut-off trends of previous years to know about the expected cut offs for this year. Mentioned below are the details of the previous year's cut-off of CLAT exam with the details like opening rank and closing rank.

NLUs Cut-Off 2023 for 5-year LLB courses

*state category reservation

The following table describes the category-wise NLUs cutoff 2023 for admission into the LLM course.

NLUs LLM Cut Off 2023

*state category reservation

What is a good score in CLAT 2025?

To decide what is a good score you have to first identify the NLU you want to get admission into. And the last rank (or cutoff rank) for which admission is offered in that institute can be considered to be a good score. That said the cutoff fluctuates depending on a host of parameters like seat intake, the performance of candidates in CLAT 2025 total applicants, and the CLAT merit rank of these applicants. So, you will be in the safe zone only if you score a little higher than the past year's cutoff rank.

CLAT 2025 expected cut-off marks

Mode of Counselling: Online

The CLAT 2025 counselling will be conducted in online mode. The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) will release the CLAT merit list 2025 on the basis of scores of candidates. Candidates included in the merit list of CLAT 2025 will be eligible for admission to the allotted National Law Universities. Candidates are required to fill their NLU preferences at the time of counselling. They will be able to gain admission in only those NLUs which are part of their preferences. 

The counselling of CLAT 2025 will be conducted in five rounds, in online mode. After each round, the consortium will release the seat allotment for all national law universities participating in the common admission process. Around 15, 000 candidates in CLAT UG and 3,000 candidates are expected to be invited for CLAT counselling 2025.

CLAT counselling fee 2025

The counselling fee of CLAT 2025 is Rs. 30,000. For SC and ST candidates, the counselling fee is Rs 20,000. Candidates can pay the counselling fee online while registering for the counselling. The counselling fee will be adjusted with the NLU course fee. 

CLAT Seat Allotment 2025

The CLAT seat allotment is made on the basis of the merit rank of the candidate and NLU preference selected. The seat allotment of CLAT 2025 will be announced for each law school, in five rounds. After each round of seat allotment, candidates will have the following options;

• Accept the seat allotment and complete the admission process
• Apply for upgrade and submit NLU fee
• Exit the admission process

Post Round 5 seat allotment, the candidate has two options before him:

• Accept the allotted seat
• Exit the admission process.

To accept a seat, the candidate will have to pay the NLU fees and complete admission formalities. However, if the candidate is unhappy with the allotted seat, they may exit the admission process without paying the admission fee.

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