CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) is an entrance exam that is held on the national level for admissions to candidates in undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) law courses. These courses are primarily offered at 22 NLUs and other universities/colleges accepting exam scores.

The exam used to be conducted by NLUs on a rotational basis until the year 2018. But from the year 2019 onwards, it is administered by a permanent authority formed by the universities, that is, The Consortium of NLUs. The headquarters of this consortium is located at NLSIU Bangalore. It comprises of:

• The CLAT Convenor of the present year 
•  An Executive Committee
•  The CLAT Convenor of the coming year.

CLAT has become the well-recognised law entrance exam in India. It opens doors for aspirants to take admission into the top law schools, including 22 NLUs. There are also other 40 private law colleges and universities across India that are offering admission in UG and PG law courses based on the candidate’s CLAT scores. With this one law entrance exam, a candidate can study at one of the prominent law schools in India. In India, there are many Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) that are accepting CLAT LLM scores for recruitment.

Every year, around 50,000 candidates from all corners of the nation appear for the CLAT exam. The pattern of exam is modified each year considering the convenience of the candidates. Take the CLAT exam if you want to pursue your career in law.

CLAT Eligibility

The eligibility is estimated on the following grounds:

For LLB Program

There is no age bar for CLAT.

A candidate must have passed 10+2 from a recognized board with 45%. For SC/ST students, the required percentage is 40%.

For LLM Program

There is no age bar for the LLM program.

A candidate must have passed LLB or equivalent with 55%. For SC/ST students, the required percentage is 40%.

The break up of marks is generally as follows :

CLAT Application Process

To register for the CLAT exam, visit the CLAT official website and fill the form. There are primarily four steps involved in the CLAT application process–

Step 1: Basic CLAT Registration

A candidate should first register to get a registration ID and Password.

Note: Make sure you enter all the details carefully as they cannot be changed in later stages. The credentials are sent to the registered email and mobile no. after finishing the registration process.

Step 2: Upload Photo & Signature

With the use of provided ID and password at the time of registration, log in further, and upload the required documents as asked. Do check the size format of photo and signature before uploading:

Photograph: 20 kb-50 kb in JPEG only

Signature: 0 kb-20 kb in JPEG only

Step 3: Fill the CLAT Application Form

Fill all the necessary columns in the application form. You can enter the details in any order. The sections you need to fill are:

• Name, DOB, Gender, Parent’s name, Residential Address, mobile number, category, etc.
• Qualification details like marks scored, graduating year, name of the Board, etc.
• Choose NLU as per your preference.

Step 4: Pay CLAT Application Fee

• In this step, a candidate must pay for the application fee.
• You can pay the fee both online and offline modes of payment.
• The candidates belonging to General/OBC/PWD/NRI category must pay 4000 INR.
• The candidates belonging to SC/ST/BPL category must pay 3500 INR.

Note: Keep a hard copy of the online form handy for future reference.