
CLAT is a national level entrance test organized by NLUs to provide admissions to law aspirants to 3 year and 5 year integrated LLB and LLM programs. CLAT 2021 official notification will be released in the 3rd week of December, 2020. Candidates who wish to appear for the exam can apply online from 1st week of January 2021.
There are 21 NLUs that participate in CLAT examination, along with 53 private universities accepting CLAT 2021 score. Students can apply for the exam at clat.ac.in using their personal email id and passwords.
Want to appear for CLAT 2020? Apply here
Latest: The consortium of NLUs has decided to change CLAT 2020 Exam Pattern. The number of questions are supposed to be reduced from 200 to 150. Official CLAT 2020 Notification has been released. The updated CLAT 2020 Syllabus will contain questions on English language, Current affairs including general knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques.
The Consortium announces changes in CLAT 2020 via Press Release. Read here
For LLM Admission Test, candidates who secure 40% marks (35% in case of SCT/ST/PWD) out of 100 objective questions will qualify for evaluation of their descriptive answers.
There is no upper age limit to apply for CLAT. Candidates appearing or having qualified class 12 with 45% marks (40% for SC, ST) satisfy CLAT 2020 Eligibility for LLB program.
CLAT 2020 Application fee for General, OBC and EWS category is INR 4000 while SC and ST candidates are required to pay a sum of INR 3500.
Upon successful registration, candidates can download their CLAT 2021 Admit card from the third week of April 2020.
CLAT 2021 Cutoff will be released separately for 21 NLUs in the month of June 2021.
CLAT 2020 Exam Dates have been released. Check Here
Candidates can refer to the following exam calendar for reference. The dates are tentative in nature and subject to change.
| Events | Tentative Dates (2021) |
|---|---|
| Application form releases | 1st week of January |
| Last date to apply | 4th week of March |
| Last date for online fee payment | 4th week of March |
| Admit card availability | 3rd week of April |
| CLAT 2021 Exam | 2nd week of May |
| Answer key publish | 3rd week of May |
| Result declaration | 4th week of May |
| Counselling session | 1st week of June |
CLAT Exam Core Committee defines the eligibility for LLB and LLM program. The eligibility is measured on the following grounds:
Age Limit: As per revised rules, there is no upper age limit for CLAT 2021.
Academic Qualification: Candidate must have passed 10+2 or any equivalent examination with at least 45% marks, 40% in case of SC/ ST students.
Appearing Candidates: Candidates appearing in the qualifying examination in April/ May 2020 are also eligible to appear in CLAT 2021.
Age Limit: There is no upper age limit for the LLM program.
Academic Qualification: Candidate must have an LLB or any other equivalent degree with at least 55% marks, 40% in case of SC/ ST students.
Appearing Candidates: Candidates appearing in the qualifying examination in March/ April 2020 are also eligible to appear in CLAT 2021.
Wish to know whether you are eligible for CLAT 2020 or not? Read here
CLAT Registration window will become functional from January 1, 2021. Visit the CLAT Official Website to access the application form of CLAT 2021. Completing CLAT Registration primarily involves four steps –
Law aspirants have to register first to get a provisional Registration ID and Password. The following details will be required:
Note: Information should be entered carefully as it cannot be changed in later stages. The credentials will be sent to the registered Email and Mobile No after completion of registration.
Log in with the temporary ID and Password (provided during registration), and upload the documents as instructed. Check Photo and Signature Size Format
| Document | Size and Format |
|---|---|
| Photograph | 20 kb – 50 kb in JPEG only |
| Signature | 10 kb – 20 kb in JPEG only |
Fill in further required details in the application form. The information can be entered in any order. The sections are as follows:
Personal Details like name, DOB, Gender, mobile number, category, Parent’s name, Residential Address etc.
Qualification Details such as graduating year, marks scored, name of the Board etc.
Preference for NLU as per your choice.
The final step requires the candidates to pay the application fee.
It can be paid through both online (Debit/Credit or Net Banking) and/or offline (Bank Challan) modes of payment.
Application fee for each category is tabulated below.
| Category | Application Fee (INR) |
|---|---|
| General/OBC/PWD/NRI | 4000 |
| SC/ST/BPL | 3500 |
Note: Candidates are not allowed to buy any hard copy of the online form and information brochure under any circumstances.
Read Career alternatives other than CLAT
CLAT Admit Card will be released in the third week of April 2021 for successfully registered candidates. A valid photo ID proof (Aadhar Card/Voter ID/ Passport/Driving license) along with CLAT Exam Admit Card is mandatory at the examination centre.
Step 1: Visit the official CLAT website i.e. clat.ac.in
Step 2: Click on ‘Download Admit Card’ tab.
Step 3: Enter Registered Email ID and Password
Step 4: Click on Login/ Submit tab.
Step 5: Check and download the hall ticket.
Note In case a candidate forgets their password, they may retrieve it from the ‘Forget Password’ tab by clicking on the same and filling in the required fields.
The duration of the law entrance examination will be two hours. The offline mode exam will have 150 objective type questions. Highlights of CLAT exam pattern is as follows:
Mode of Examination: Offline
Number of Sections: LLB- 5 Sections and LLM – 3 sections
Nature of Questions: Objective type (MCQs)
Total Questions: 150
Marking Scheme: 1 mark of each question
Negative Marking: 0.25 marks will be deducted for a wrong answer
The question paper will contain five sections namely - English (Comprehension), General Knowledge & Current Affairs, Elementary Mathematics (Numerical Ability), Legal Aptitude and Logical Reasoning for undergraduate courses.
For every correct answer, a candidate will be awarded one mark and the ¼ or 0.25 mark will be deducted for every wrong answer.
Postgraduate courses as per CLAT Paper Pattern will contain three sections namely Constitutional Law, Jurisprudence, Contract, Torts, Criminal Law, International Law, IPR etc.
A total of 150 multiple choice questions will be there in the question paper for postgraduate courses.
In the LLM admission test, some subjective portion would also be included in 2020.
The details of the subjective portion will be worked out by the CLAT Executive Committee.
The consortium of NLUs releases the official CLAT Syllabus, and there are no changes in the curriculum. Applicants who are applying for UG program can refer to CLAT Syllabus from the official website which comprises of:
In this section, questions are from comprehension and grammar. They are designed to test a candidate’s aptitude in English. Assessment of the candidates in the comprehension section is based on their understanding of the passage, its central theme, the meaning of words etc. In the grammar section, candidates are assessed on spotting the errors, fill in the blanks with an appropriate choice etc.
Candidates’ awareness of national and international issues including static General Knowledge is tested in this section. It is important to keep oneself up-to-date with the news and other topics discussed in the print and digital media from January 2020 to April 2020.
In this section, questions are asked from elementary mathematics. Candidate’s calculative aptitude taught up to Class 10 is tested.
This particular section tests a candidate’s interest in the study of law along with their research aptitude and problem-solving ability. The official website states – ‘Questions will be framed with the help of legal propositions (described in the paper), and a set of facts to which the said proposition has to be applied. Some propositions may not be "true" in the real sense (e.g. the legal proposition may be that any person who speaks in a movie hall and disturbs others that are watching the movie will be banned from entering any movie theatre across India for one year). Candidates will have to assume the "truth" of these propositions and answer the questions accordingly.’
The logical reasoning section is designed to test a candidate's ability to identify patterns, rectify illogical arguments and relevant links. The questions will be based on syllogisms, logical sequences, analogies, etc. However, visual reasoning will not be tested.
The initial stage of preparation includes knowing about the exam pattern and syllabus of the exam. Students have to prepare five subjects namely English Comprehension, Elementary Mathematics, General Knowledge & Current affairs, Legal Aptitude & Logical Reasoning for undergraduate courses. Out of all the sections, Legal Aptitude is the most important section. In order to prepare this section, you can refer to the “Universal Guide to CLAT or A.P. Bhardwaj CLAT guide”. All applicants are advised to read newspapers regularly to prepare for current affairs questions. For elementary mathematics, candidates are required to prepare the syllabus of class 9th & 10th. In English comprehension, there will be 4-5 short passages on which around 20-22 questions will be asked with 7-8 questions based on antonyms & synonyms and rest questions will be on Grammar. Candidates can practice previous year mock test papers and may also refer to the topics from online tutorials available for CLAT.
Learn how to strategize your preparation for CLAT 2020. Read here
Here is a small list of books that the applicants may refer to during their CLAT preparation:-
| CLAT Book Name | Author/Publication |
|---|---|
| The Complete Success Package - CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) 2020 | Arihant Experts |
| Legal Awareness and Legal Reasoning For the CLAT and LL.B. Entrance Examinations | A. P. Bhardwaj |
| The Pearson Guide to the CLAT | Harsh Gagrani |
| CLAT Solved & Previous Year Paper | A. P. Bhardwaj |
Visit CLAT Official Website to check the results, carrying the qualifying status of candidates in CLAT 2021. Enter the registered Email ID and Password to access CLAT Results. The result is released in the form of scorecard which includes –
CLAT Scores
All India Rank (AIR)
Category Rank in CLAT
Step 1: Go to the official CLAT website
Step 2: Click on ‘Result’ tab.
Step 3: Enter your Registration No./ Roll No., DOB (dd/mm/yyyy) and security code.
Step 4: Click on the ‘Login’ tab.
Step 5: View your results.
NLU Authorities prepare the results.
It is compiled based on a candidate’s score in the law entrance exam.
The authorities also issue a merit list.
It will include state merit list and India merit lists.
These lists are prepared as per candidate’s category, like, Unreserved/SC/ST/OBC/Women/SAP for CLAT 2021 exam.
Note: NLU Delhi does not accept CLAT Scores as they have their admission procedure.
The cut off for CLAT is subject to increase, with the increase in the number of test-takers every year. It is expected to increase by 5% to 10% this year. The results are declared by CLAT Participating institutes individually.
Cut off is the minimum score that needs to be secured to participate in the counselling procedure.
CLAT Cut Off forms the basis of counselling and seat allotment.
CLAT cut off is based on multiple factors such as:
The difficulty level of the paper,
Availability of seats,
Average marks scored in the test
Total test population.
Tabulated below is the first rank list:
| National Law University Name | NLU Cut off 2019 | NLU Cut off 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| NLSIU Bangalore | 131 – 132 | 139.5 |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 128 – 129 | 132.75 |
| WBNUJS Kolkata | 125 – 126 | 124 |
| NLIU Bhopal | 119 – 120 | 119.75 |
| NLU Jodhpur | 122 – 123 | 119 |
| GNLU Gandhinagar | 117 – 118 | 116.75 |
| HNLU Raipur | 113 – 114 | 112.5 |
| RMLNLU Lucknow | 112 – 113 | 112.25 |
| RGNUL Punjab | 111 – 112 | 107.5 |
| MNLU Mumbai | 115 – 116 | 106.5 |
| CNLU Patna | 109 – 110 | 101.75 |
| NLUO Odisha | 109 – 110 | 101.25 |
| NUALS Kochi | 109 – 110 | 100.75 |
| NUSRL Ranchi | 108 – 109 | 100.5 |
| NLUJA Assam | (-) | 99.75 |
| TNNLS Tiruchirappalli | 106 – 107 | 99.25 |
| DSNLU Visakhapatnam | 106 – 107 | 99.25 |
| MNLU Nagpur | 105 – 106 | 99 |
| HPNLU | (-) | (-) |
The CLAT Office will conduct the centralised counselling.
Seats will be offered as per ‘merit-cum-preference’ basis.
Candidate must indicate the NLU where they prefer to take admission.
To secure allotted seat during counselling procedure, candidates to deposit INR 50,000.
How to attend CLAT Counselling?
Step 1: Visit the official website of CLAT and click on ‘CLAT Counselling 2021’ link.
Step 2: Provide login credentials i.e. User Id/ Registration Id and Password.
Step 3: Click on ‘Counselling’ tab.
Step 4: Go through the indicative seat allotment list of NLUs.
Step 5: Pay the requisite amount of CLAT 2021 counselling fee (applicable to only those candidates who have their names in the indicative list for the first time).
Step 6: Use the ‘Seat Lock’ option given against the allotted NLU.
Step 7: Save a copy of the NLU seat allotted list. Click on Logout option
CLAT 2021 Application Form
CLAT 2021 Admit Card
CLAT 2021 Score Card
Class 10th Marks-sheet (Date of Birth proof)
Class 12th Marks-sheet (Academic Qualification/ Eligibility Criteria)
Caste Certificate (If applicable)
Specially-Abled Certificate (If applicable)
NRI Certificate (If applicable)
Sponsored NRI Certificate (If applicable)
Domicile Certificate (If applicable)
Read More about CLAT 2020 Counselling
question: When is CLAT exam conducted every year?
Ans. The Common Law Admission Test or CLAT is held on the second Sunday of May every year. Nearly 50 thousand candidates register online for the law entrance examination.
question: What is the age-wise eligibility to appear for CLAT Exam?
Ans. Although from the year 2016, the authorities removed the upper age limit, the lower age limit to apply online is below 20 years of age as on 1st July 2020 (22 years in case of SC/ST and Persons with Disability candidates). Check CLAT Eligibility
question: Is there an option to write CLAT in offline mode?
Ans. Yes, the examination will be conducted in pen-paper mode, i.e. offline mode. Earlier, the examination was conducted in computer-based mode.
question: Is there any requirement of computer skills for appearing in CLAT 2021?
Ans. Law aspirants appearing for CLAT only need to operate the computer mouse.
question: How many seats are there in National Law Universities?
Ans. For the year 2021, there are 19 NLUs offering admissions to law aspirants as per candidates score in CLAT 2021. The National Law Universities will offer a total of 2984 seats. As two new NLUs have been added, the number of seats has also increased. Check CLAT Reservation.
question: Can a student apply to any other Law School / University using CLAT Score?
Ans. Yes, students can apply to several other private colleges using CLAT score. Top Law Schools/ Universities, that accept CLAT Scores, are -
Alliance University, Bangalore
Asian Law College, Noida
Amity University, UP
Azim Premji University, Bangalore
Delhi Institute of Rural Development, Holambi, Delhi
Institute of Law, Nirma University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat
University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttrakhand
School of Law, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Manipal University, Jaipur
REVA University, Bangalore
SRM University, Delhi NCR
question: What are the other major Law Entrance Exams for Law at the undergraduate level?
Ans. Some of the major law entrance exams in India are as follows -
AILET
SET
IPU CET
KLSAT
LSAT-India
Christ CET
ULSAT
Army Law School Entrance Test
Jamia Millia Islamia University, Faculty of Law – Common Entrance Test
question: If I do not clear the minimum CLAT Cut off 2021, will I still be eligible for final admissions?
Ans. No, in order to qualify for further admission procedure it is necessary to obtain the minimum cut off for CLAT. Failing this step may lead to a candidate's ineligibility to get admissions in any of the law schools accepting CLAT Scores.
question: When and how will I receive my CLAT Admit Card 2021?
Ans. Candidates who registered successfully will be issued their admit cards online at clat.ac.in. The document will not be sent via post. Know Details CLAT Admit Card
question: In case I lose or misplace my admit card at the exam centre, can I download it later?
Ans. Yes, you must contact the concerned authorities since they may help you with downloading the duplicate admit card.
question: On what occasions do students need to make payments on the CLAT website?
Ans. Candidates are required to make payments on the following occasions in order to be enrolled in the NLUs :
Submitting the Online Application Form
Whether interested in downloading Previous Year’s Question papers and
While participating in the counselling session.
question: Will I be given extra sheets/ papers for calculations/ rough work?
Ans. Yes, candidates appearing for the law entrance examination will be given sheets for rough work or calculations at the exam centre by the invigilators. However, no candidate can carry his or her notebooks or copies for any rough work.
question: How does CLAT Committee decide which NLU will hold the law exam?
Ans. The order is decided according to the founding year of the respective NLU.
question: Can you list down the items that are banned from being carried at CLAT Exam Centre 2020?
Ans. The following items or materials are strictly prohibited at the CLAT Exam Centre:
Mobile Phones
Books/ chits/ sheets
Electronic Gadgets
Watches
Calculator
Stationary
question: Does any college offer placements with salaries of 10 Lakh – 14 Lakh per annum?
Ans. Colleges, which offer placements with salaries of 10 Lakh – 14 Lakh per annum are:
National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore
NALSAR University of Law (NALSAR), Hyderabad
The National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal
The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata
question: What colleges offer placements with salaries of 7 Lakh – 10 Lakh per annum?
Ans. Colleges offering placements with salaries up to 7 Lakh to 10 Lakh per annum are:
National Law University (NLU), Jodhpur
Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur
Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), Gandhinagar
National Law University, Delhi
Symbiosis Law School, Pune
Symbiosis Law School, Noida
Government Law College, Mumbai
Indian Law Society, Pune
question: Who are the major Law Firms who recruit from National Law Universities?
Ans. The major Law Firms who recruit from National Law Universities are:
Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co
AZB & Partners
Khaitan & Co
J Sagar Associates
Luthra & Luthra
Trilegal
Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan
Nishith Desai Associates
Anand and Anand
Desai & Diwanji
Economic Laws Practice
Wadia Ghandy & Co
Phoenix Legal
DSK Legal
Fox Mandal
question: Are there any major MNCs who recruit from National Law Universities?
Ans. The major MNCs who recruit from National Law Universities are:
ITC Ltd.
SAIL
ICICI Bank
HDFC Bank
Unilever
P & G
Nestle
Tata
Infosys
question: Is there any arrangement for SAPs or PwDs?
Ans. Yes, there are arrangements made for the categories. They are as follows:
They can either opt to arrange for their scribe or make a request to the CLAT office to provide one for them.
They will be entitled to a compensatory time of 40 minutes.
question: How can I get past years CLAT question papers?
Ans. The past years CLAT question papers will be available at clat.ac.in. To download the previous year papers, a requisite fee need to be paid. For this year, INR 400 needs to be paid to access the papers.
question: Other than CLAT which other Law Entrance Exams should be kept in mind?
Ans. Apart from CLAT, there are various other state and a national level law examination that one should be aware of. They are as follows:
AILET - All India Law Entrance Test (AILET) for admission in National Law University (NLU), Delhi.
Symbiosis Entrance Test (SET) conducted by the Symbiosis International University to get admission into Symbiosis Law School.
CET IPU or the Common Entrance Test conducted by Indraprastha University, Delhi is used to provide admissions into various law colleges situated in Delhi and NCR including Amity Noida.
LSAT-India which is known as a standardised test adopted to provide admissions in multiple law colleges across India.
question: What is the meaning of ‘Merit-cum-Preference’ basis in CLAT Counselling?
Ans. The term means that the allotment of seats will be given as per the candidate’s score in CLAT 2020 and the order of preference given by them at the time of registration.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.