CLAT
Gateway to NLU’s integrated law progrms
Gateway to NLU’s Integrated Law Programs
CLAT Entrance Exam 2023 Details
CLAT stands for Common Law Admissions Test. It is an all-India entrance examination conducted by the National Law Schools/Universities for admissions to their undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs (LL.B & LL.M). The responsibility of conducting the exam is rotated and given on the basis of seniority in an establishment.
There are 23 National Law Universities in India, with the National Law School of India University being the first to accept students in 1987. Out of the twenty-three NLUs, the National Law University in Delhi holds its own entrance exam, known as the All India Law Entrance Test. With the rise of other law schools that wanted to hold their admissions exams at the same time, students found it difficult to prepare for them. With the rise of additional law schools, students experienced a lot of difficulties preparing for entrance exams because they all wanted to have their admission tests at the same time. This topic has been discussed from time to time, with the goal of conducting a common admission examination to relieve students of the strain of taking several tests, but due to each law school’s autonomy, there was no central institution to coordinate activity in this respect.
Varun Bhagat brought the case to India’s attention in 2006 when he launched a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the Union of India and other National Law Universities in the Supreme Court of India. The Union of India was asked by the Chief Justice of India to confer with the National Law Universities in order to develop a single test. The Bar Council of India was a staunch supporter of the move.
The Ministry of Human Resources Development (Government of India) and the University Grants Commission of India convened a meeting of the Vice-Chancellors of seven National Law Universities, as well as the Chairman of the Bar Council of India, due to the lack of a central nodal authority to bring forth a consensus on the issue. After a series of similar discussions, the Vice-Chancellors of the seven National Law Universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on November 23, 2007, to administer a uniform admission test. CLAT was born as a result of this.
- The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a national level entrance exam for the candidates who want to get admissions into Under-graduate(UG) and Post-graduate(PG) law courses offered by National Law Universities (NLU) and all other major colleges accepting this exam.
- CLAT is conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities which was set up by all the NLUs in 2019 to conduct this exam.
- Its headquarters is based in NLSIU Bangalore and it comprises of:
- An Executive Committee
- CLAT Convener of the current year. (NUSRL, Ranchi for CLAT 2023)
- The CLAT Convenor for the following year
- Two co-opted Vice-Chancellors of NLUs.
- 23 National Law Universities (NLUs) participate in the CLAT exam to offer UG and PG law courses with 2500 seats available for the UG course and 720 seats are available for PG course.
- The National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi will conduct the offline based exam.
- Along with NLUs, 52 private institutions and DBRANLU Sonipat, Haryana accept this exam for admissions.
The CLAT question paper for UG courses consists of 150 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) based on understanding from five subjects: English Language, Current Affairs, General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques. The CLAT PG question paper includes objective and subjective questions from a variety of law areas, including constitutional law, jurisprudence, administrative law, criminal law, corporate law, and contract law, among others.
- The number of questions is reduced from 200 to 120-150. The Vice-Chancellor of NALSAR, Prof.
- Faizan Mustafa quoted, Asking students to solve 200 questions in 2 hours (120 minutes) is not right as it puts the candidate under a lot of mental pressure.
- The website for CLAT is changed this year as a new body is formed by the NLUs to conduct the exam. New website- www.consortiumofnlus.ac.in
- There are a few additions in the question type also this year as comprehension-based questions from Quantitative Techniques, English, Current Affairs, Logical Reasoning, and Deductive Reasoning will be asked
- The Consortium is also thinking of introducing cut-off marks for LLM admissions
| National Law Universities | Changes/ Additions in the seat matrix |
|---|---|
| Maharashtra National University (MNLU), Nagpur | Candidate belonging to Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) and who has the Maharashtra Domicile ONLY is eligible to update his/her reservation category in the Application form. It is available in both UG and PG courses |
| Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU), Visakhapatnam | NRI Sponsored Category is added for both UG and PG courses. NOTE- No action is required from the applicant if he/she has already selected "YES" to the question or Do you belong to the NRI Sponsored category? in the application form, this category will be automatically applied |
| Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), Gandhinagar | NRI Sponsored Category is added for both UG and PG courses. NOTE- No action is required from the applicant if he/she has already selected "YES" to the question ? Do you belong to the NRI Sponsored category?in the application form, this category will be automatically applied |
| The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata | NRI Sponsored Category is added for UG Course only and All India OBC category has been revoked for both the courses. |
| NOTE- No action is required from the applicant if he/she has already selected "YES" to the question ? Do you belong to the NRI Sponsored category? in the application form, this category will be automatically applied | |
| Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Mumbai | Candidate belonging Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category and who has Maharashtra Domicile ONLY is eligible to update his/her reservation category in the Application form. It is available for both UG and PG courses. |
| Himachal Pradesh National Law University (HPNLU), Shimla | Candidates from BC/OBC and All India EWS category are eligible to update their reservation category in the Application form for the PG course ONLY |
| Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Aurangabad | PG course has been added to this Institution. Applicants can update their order of preferences as required |
| National Law University of Odisha (NLUO) | Eligibility Criteria for Odisha Domicile Reservation- Candidates who have passed 12th or equivalent examination from the State of Odisha and secured at least 60% marks (or its equivalent grade) in the said examination from any recognized college/university in the State of Odisha |
| Particulars | Description |
|---|---|
| Name of the exam | Common-Law Admission Test |
| Common name | CLAT |
| Conducting body | NUSRL, Ranchi |
| Mode of exam | Offline |
| Number of questions | 150 |
| Question type | Multiple Choice Questions |
| Number of Applications | Around 59,000 |
| Participating NLUs | 21 |
| Programs offered | BA LLB, B.Sc LLB, BBA LLB, B.Com LLB, BSW LLB, and, LLM |
CLAT 2023 Eligibility Criteria
The consortium publishes the eligibility criteria for admission to 5-year LLB and LLM courses offered by the participating NLUs on its official website. These criteria cover things like academic qualifications, minimum grades, and age limits, among other things. Note that affiliate colleges may have more criteria than those listed here; thus, you should check the website of the relevant university for the most up-to-date information.
- Eligibility Criteria for Undergraduate Program
- Candidate must have cleared Class 12th examination or any other examination which has an equivalent status from any recognized board/university
- Candidate should have obtained a minimum of 45% marks (General Category/OBC/ Specially-abled Category) and a minimum of 40% marks (SC and ST category) in the qualifying examination
- The upper age limit for the UG program has been revoked after the decision of the Bar Council of India (BCI).
- Eligibility Criteria for Postgraduate Program
- Candidate must have a Bachelor's degree in law like LLB, both 5-Year and 3-Year LLB degrees are accepted or any degree which has an equivalent status
- A candidate should have obtained a minimum of 55% marks (General/OBC/Specially-abled Category) and a minimum of 50% marks (SC and ST category) in the qualifying examination
- The upper age limit for the PG program has been revoked after the decision of the Bar Council of India (BCI).
- CLAT 2023 Eligibility Criteria Highlights
- Candidate must have a Bachelor's degree in law like LLB, both 5-Year and 3-Year LLB degrees are accepted or any degree which has an equivalent status
- A candidate should have obtained a minimum of 55% marks (General/OBC/Specially-abled Category) and a minimum of 50% marks (SC and ST category) in the qualifying examination
- The upper age limit for the PG program has been revoked after the decision of the Bar Council of India (BCI).
- Documents required by the NRI/NRI Sponsored Category for Admissions
- A copy of the valid Indian Passport of the Student
- A copy of the valid Indian Passport of the Sponsor. (NRI Sponsored Category).
- Visa acquired in the last 12 months by the Applicant
- Visa acquired in the last 12 months by the Sponsor
- A certificate from the local embassy stating that the applicant is NRI/OCI/PIO card
- A certificate from the local embassy stating that the Sponsor is NRI/OCI/PIO card
- An affidavit by the Sponsor which indicates his/her interests in the educational affairs of the candidate and willingness to fund the education of the candidate for the period of his/her course
CLAT 2023 Exam Pattern
- The CLAT Consortium of NLUs had held a conference on November 23, 2019, to announce the CLAT exam and some major changes in the exam pattern.
- The major changes were the reduction in the number of questions from 200 to 150 as the candidates undergo a lot of mental stress and changes in the question type such as comprehension based questions on English, Quantitative Techniques, Legal Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, General Knowledge including Current affairs.
| Section | Number of Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English | 28-32 | 28-32 |
| Legal Aptitude | 35-39 | 35-39 |
| Logical Reasoning | 28-32 | 28-32 |
| General Knowledge with Current affairs | 35-39 | 35-39 |
| Quantitative Techniques | 13-17 | 13-17 |
| Total | 150 | 150 |
NOTE- 0.25 marks (Negative Marks) will be deducted for every wrong answer
| Section | Number of Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Constitutional Law | 40 | 40 |
| Other Areas (Jurisprudence, Administrative Law, Law of Contract, Torts, Criminal Law, Family Law, Company Law, Public International Law, Property Law, Tax Law, Environmental Law, and Labor and Industrial Law) | 60 | 60 |
| Descriptive Type Questions | 2 (Essay questions) | 50 |
| Total | 102 | 150 |
NOTE- 0.25 marks (Negative Marks) will be deducted for every wrong answer
CLAT 2023 Important Dates
- CLAT Consortium had released the exam calendar of CLAT 2023 but because of the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, they had to make changes in the exam calendar.
- Here are some changes in the exam calendar according to new announcements made by the Consortium
| CLAT 2023 NOTIFICATION RELEASES | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 |
|---|---|
| Online registration starts | January 2023 |
| Admit card releases | April/May 2023 |
| CLAT 2023 exam | May/June 2023 |
| Official CLAT answer key releases | June/July 2023 |
| Window to raise objections | June/July 2023 |
| Release of final answer key | June/July 2023 |
| Declaration of CLAT 2023 result and merit list | June/July 2023 |
| Commencement of counselling | July/August 2023 |
CLAT 2023 Admission Process
- How to fill CLAT application form:
- The Consortium of National Law Universities had started the application form on January 01, 2023, but due to the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, the Consortium has decided to extend the last date to submit the Application form.
- Below is the process to fill the Application form stepwise
Syllabus for CLAT 2023
The first step toward effective exam preparation is to properly review the CLAT exam pattern and curriculum. The more familiar a candidate is with the number, kind, and character of questions, the more confidently he or she can attempt the CLAT paper.
CLAT (UG) is administered in a paper-and-pencil format. There are a total of 150 questions worth 150 points that candidates must answer in two hours. The exam consists of comprehension-based objective-type questions.
The CLAT pattern for the LLM includes both objective and subjective questions from several law disciplines. The Consortium, however, eliminated the descriptive part from the exam in 2023. In total, there were 120 objective questions in the exam, which candidates had to complete in 120 minutes.
| Verbal Ability | Quantitative Ability | Logical ReasoninG | General Knowledge and Current affairs | Legal Aptitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehension passages | Algebra | Analytical Skills | Contemporary events of significance in India and around the world | Study of law |
| Grammar | Profit and loss | Inferring the information from the passage and applying it to other facts and situations | Static General Knowledge | Research aptitude |
| Synonyms and Antonyms | Time and work | Analyze the patterns and forming a chain of arguments | Historical events | Problem tackling ability |
| Erroneous Statements | Average, speed and distance | Events related to Arts and Culture | Questions based on hypothetical situations | |
| Fill in the blanks with appropriate words | permutation-combination and venn diagrams | |||
| numerical ability |
- Constitutional Law
- Law of Torts
International Law - Jurisprudence
- Intellectual Property Law
- Law of Contracts
- Criminal Law
- Administrative Law
- Family Law
- Company Law
- Tax Law
- Environmental Law
- Labor and Industrial Law
- Public International Law
CLAT preparation tips for English Section
- The degree of difficulty of the questions in this section is the same as in Class 12 English.
- Important areas to study for this section include vocabulary, antonyms/synonyms, reading comprehension, grammar, idioms, and phrases.
- Make it a habit to read the editorial pages of reputable newspapers like The Hindu.
- Daily practice with grammatical questions will help you master the fundamentals.
CLAT preparation tips for Current Affairs including GK
- Regularly read newspapers and publications such as The Chronicles and Outlook India to stay up to date on all the latest news and events.
- Keep track of all significant legal decisions.
- Concentrate more on history and art & culture issues in GK.
CLAT preparation tips for Legal Reasoning
- Reading newspapers and blogs about static and current legal topics might help you improve your reading and analytical skills.
- You can also read newspaper and magazine essays written by some of India’s most well-known lawyers.
- Every day, practice a Legal Reasoning passage.
- Allowing your preconceptions or prior knowledge of the law to influence your answer when practicing is not a good idea. Remember that the answer to the question can only be found in the passage.
CLAT preparation tips for Logical Reasoning
- Relationships, Analogies, Logical Sequences, and Arguments are just a few of the crucial topics to study for this part.
- Shortcuts for solving Logical Reasoning questions can be quite beneficial.
- Identify the premises and groups of arguments before attempting the passage.
- Every day, practice at least one logical reasoning passage.
CLAT preparation tips for Mathematics
- The level of difficulty of the problems in this part is the same as in Class 10 Maths.
- To master the section, you must understand all of the concepts in the Class 10 Maths syllabus conceptually.
- Basic Algebra, Ratios and Proportions, Mensuration, and Statistics are all important topics to study for this section.
- Learning how to solve problems quickly will help you in this part as well.
CLAT 2023 Admit Card
The Consortium of NLUs had declared the exam calendar of CLAT 2023 in the last week of December but because of the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, all the dates had to be postponed accordingly.
| Events | Details |
|---|---|
| Release Date of Admit Card | To be Notified |
| Mode of disclosure of Admit Card | The online mode only. |
- Log on to the official website of the CLAT Consortium of NLUs, www.consortiumofnlus.ac.in
- The candidate can log in into his/her account by entering the mobile number and password which was used to fill the Application form
- Once the candidate has logged in, there will be an option on the dashboard itself.
- Click on the ˜Download Admit Card’ button
- The candidate gets a preview option of the Admit card, verify and ensure all the details like Name of the candidate, examination center, registration number, etc
- Download at least 2-3 copies of admit card on an A4 size paper and sign the Admit card to validate it
- The candidate has to carry the admit card to the examination center
CLAT 2023 Answer Keys
- National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi is the head of conducting the CLAT Consortium for this term but the exam has been postponed three times already due to the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19.
- After the examination, National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi will declare the answer key for Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) programs separately.
- Firstly, the Provisional Answer key will be disclosed on the official website of CLAT Consortium in PDF format for the candidates as they can check all the answers according to the questions and verify the answers
- Release of final CLAT 2023 answer key
- After the disclosure of the Provisional Answer key, if any discrepancies are found by the candidates, they can file an objection to the CLAT Consortium for the same.
- After taking into consideration all such objections the CLAT Consortium will declare the Final Answer key.
- A candidate can get a fair idea about his/her scores after the declaration of Final Answer key and analyze the chances of getting in the preferred NLU by comparing it to last year's cut-offs
CLAT 2023 Result
- Visit the official website of the CLAT Consortium , www.consortiumofnlus.ac.in
- Log into the account by filling your registration details and password
- On successful registration, the result link will be flashed on the dashboard only
- Check your CLAT score, rank, and qualifying status
- Download the CLAT Score Card and take printouts of the result sheet
CLAT 2023 Cut Off
National University of Study and research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi will declare the cut-offs after the announcement of results. The experts will declare the estimated cut-offs after analyzing the paper on the examination day itself. Cut-offs are the minimum marks or the least rank at which the candidates are offered seats for admission. Cut-offs are dependent on various parameters such as difficulty level of the exams, total intake of NLUs, and other colleges accepting CLAT and the number of applicants.
Due to some major changes in the exam pattern this year like reduction in the number of questions to 150 from 200 the cut-offs are expected to go high. However, comprehension based questions are going to be included this year which will reduce the level of difficulty of the exam. This changed/new exam pattern was introduced in the month of January 2020 so the candidates have less time to get acquired with this new exam pattern which makes the prediction of cut-offs more difficult. CLAT Consortium will declare the cut-offs for three rounds of Counselling procedure separately and the candidates who have scored less than the cut-offs of Round-1 can take part in the Round-2 and subsequently
- The dates given below is a tentative CLAT calendar for this year
| PARTICULARS | DETAILS |
|---|---|
| Registration for Exams Start | 1st January 2023 |
| Last Date to submit Application Form | 15th June 2023 |
| Admit Card Download | 1st Week July 2023 (July) |
| Exam Date | 23rd July 2023 |
| Result Date | 27th July 2023 |
- CLAT 2022 Application Form
- CLAT 2022 Admit Card
- CLAT 2022 Score Card
- Receipt of Payment of Counseling Fees
- Class 10th Marksheet and Passing Certificate
- Class 12th Marksheet and Passing Certificate
- Caste/Tribe Certificate. (If applicable)
- Caste/Tribe Validity Certificate. (If applicable)
- Domicile Certificate. (If applicable)
- Specially-Abled Certificate. (If applicable)
- NRI Certificate. (If applicable)
- NRI Sponsored Certificate. (If applicable)
