CLAT stands for the Common Law Admission Test — the national entrance exam for India's 24 National Law Universities and 60+ other law colleges. CLAT UG takes you into a five-year integrated law degree straight after Class 12; CLAT PG is for LLM admission after an LLB. It is a two-hour, 120-question paper where every question sits under a reading passage.
Around 75,000 candidates sit CLAT each year for roughly 3,000 NLU seats. It is the single gateway to NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, NUJS Kolkata and the rest of the NLU system — and, increasingly, to private law schools that accept the same score.
This guide covers what the exam is, who can take it, what the paper looks like since the 2020 redesign, what a law degree costs, and how to start.
CLAT at a glance #
| Full form | Common Law Admission Test |
| Conducted by | Consortium of National Law Universities |
| For | 5-year integrated LLB (UG) · LLM (PG) |
| Taken after | Class 12 (UG) · LLB (PG) |
| Mode | Offline, pen and paper |
| Frequency | Once a year, usually early December |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Questions | 120 (UG) |
Who is eligible #
- CLAT UG: Class 12 with a minimum 45% aggregate (40% for SC/ST). Students appearing in Class 12 may apply.
- CLAT PG: an LLB degree with 50% (45% for SC/ST).
- No upper age limit for either paper — a rule people frequently get wrong.
- A gap year does not disqualify you, and graduates in any stream can take CLAT UG.
The exam pattern — and why it changed everything #
Since 2020, CLAT has been comprehension-led. Every question sits under a passage of roughly 450 words. You are not tested on legal knowledge; you are tested on whether you can read quickly and apply a principle exactly as stated.
| Section | Share of paper | Approx. questions |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 20% | 22–26 |
| Current Affairs incl. General Knowledge | 25% | 28–32 |
| Legal Reasoning | 25% | 28–32 |
| Logical Reasoning | 20% | 22–26 |
| Quantitative Techniques | 10% | 10–14 |
Marking: +1 for a correct answer, −0.25 for a wrong one.
That 450-word format is the whole game. Thirty passages in 120 minutes is four minutes per passage including its questions. Reading speed with retention decides the rank far more than how much law you have memorised — which is why our separate guide on why reading speed decides your CLAT rank exists.
What a law degree actually costs #
NLU fees run roughly ₹2–3 lakh per year, so ₹10–15 lakh across five years, plus hostel and mess. NLSIU and NALSAR sit at the upper end. Most NLUs offer need-based fee waivers, and education loans are standard.
How to start #
Step 1: Time yourself on one editorial #
Read a 450-word editorial, then answer five inference questions without looking back. If you cannot finish in four minutes with 80% accuracy, reading speed is your bottleneck — not legal knowledge.
Step 2: Learn to ignore what you know #
CLAT legal reasoning gives you the principle in the passage. Apply it exactly, even when it contradicts real law or your instinct. Candidates from law-adjacent families often lose marks here.
Step 3: Build a current-affairs routine, not a pile #
A weekly digest plus a monthly compilation beats daily news consumption. The questions come from roughly the last six months and are passage-based, not trivia.
Step 4: Decide about AILET separately #
NLU Delhi does not accept CLAT; it runs AILET, a harder paper with about 110 UG seats. If NLU Delhi is your target, plan for both.
What CLAT aspirants say
4.3 ★ average from 3 reviews
CLAT — frequently asked questions
What is the full form of CLAT?
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20 CLAT institutes on SahiPadho with verified fees, centres and student reviews — filter by your city.
Disclaimer: Pattern, eligibility and fees follow the latest Consortium of NLUs notification and change each cycle. Confirm on the official CLAT website before applying.
