Common Law Admission Test
CLAT stands for Common Law Admissions Test — an all-India entrance examination conducted by the National Law Schools and Universities for admission to their undergraduate and post-graduate degree programmes (LL.B and LL.M).
The responsibility of conducting the exam is rotated among the universities on the basis of seniority in establishment. Law is a dynamic subject and cannot be studied in isolation from political science, economics and other fields, so getting into an NLU gives students the best environment and platform to study it.
The Common Law Admission Test is an all-India entrance examination conducted on rotation by 22 National Law Universities for admission to their under-graduate and post-graduate degree programmes.
| Exam highlights | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam name | CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) |
| Conducting body | Consortium of National Law Universities |
| Exam level | UG and PG |
| Frequency | Once a year |
| Mode | Offline |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Purpose | Admission to BA LLB, BCom LLB, BSc LLB, BBA LLB, BSW LLB and LLM courses |
The CLAT exam is conducted every year by the Consortium of NLUs, made up of representatives from the top NLUs that accept the CLAT score — every NLU except NLU Delhi. It was established in 2017 to regularise admission into the NLUs.
The Consortium also undertook the first major change to the CLAT exam pattern in 2020. It is headed by an executive committee with members from NALSAR Hyderabad, NLU Jodhpur, NLSIU Bangalore and NLIU Bhopal.
CLAT tests aptitude and reasoning across five sections. Each question carries one mark, and 0.25 marks are deducted for every incorrect answer.
| Section | Questions | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 28 – 32 questions | 20% of the paper |
| Quantitative Techniques | 13 – 17 questions | 10% of the paper |
| Logical Reasoning | 28 – 32 questions | 20% of the paper |
| Current Affairs, including General Knowledge | 35 – 39 questions | 25% of the paper |
| Legal Reasoning | 35 – 39 questions | 25% of the paper |
| Total | 150 marks | 120 minutes |
The paper carries 150 questions drawn from five subjects. Every section is passage-based rather than made up of direct questions.
This section tests proficiency in English through comprehension passages of about 450 words each — fiction or non-fiction, contemporary or historical. Candidates are questioned on their understanding of the passage and its central theme, and on the meanings of words used in it. Inference is key: you have to grasp the main idea discussed, including any counter-arguments the passage makes.
This section also consists of passages of around 450 words rather than the direct questions asked in earlier years, derived from news, journals and similar sources. Questions can cover the static portion as well, so do not skip it entirely. Reading newspapers daily — particularly articles covering a Bill, a judgment or other legal information — helps in preparing for this section.
The maths section presents short sets of facts or propositions, graphs, or other textual, pictorial or diagrammatic representations of numerical information, followed by a series of questions. These take the form of data interpretation: you infer information from the given passage and answer accordingly.
This section tests your interest in the study of law, research aptitude and problem-solving ability. Questions are based on passages of roughly 450 words relating to facts or scenarios involving legal matters. Each passage contains rules and principles that you identify and apply to the questions.
The logical reasoning section tests your ability to identify patterns and logical links, and to rectify illogical arguments. Questions are based on passages of about 300 words.
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