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Are you dreaming of a legal career? The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is your first step to accomplish your dream courtroom. Whether you want to become a lawyer, a judge or a policy expert-CLAT is where it all begins.
CLAT is a national-level entrance exam for getting admissions into top law universities for undergraduate (UG) as well as postgraduate (PG) programs. Common Law Admission Test is generally conducted during the month of December every year.
This blog will cover all the details regarding the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) like the syllabus of the exam, eligibility criteria, application process, tentative dates of exam and everything that you need to know before applying and appearing for the CLAT exam.
What is CLAT?
CLAT is a national level offline entrance conducted for admissions into undergraduate and postgraduate law programs offered by 24 National Law Universities (NLUs). The CLAT exam is organised by the Consortium of NLUs every year during the month of december.
The registration process for CLAT form starts from the month of August and closes by November. The admit cards for the same are released in the initial weeks of December. The results are declared within one month of exam, generally the results are declared in the month of January.
It doesn’t matter if you aspire to become a corporate lawyer, a civil judge, a criminal case handler or a policy expert, your Law journey begins with the CLAT exam. CLAT is not just an exam but a path to pave ways for new beginnings.
CLAT 2025 Key Highlights
The key aspects of the common law admission test includes the basic details about the exam which are listed below for your convenience:
Exam Name | Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) |
Exam Level | National |
Courses offered | UG- BA LLBPG- LLM |
Exam Mode | Offline |
Duration | 2 Hours (plus extra 40 minutes for PWD candidates) |
Question Type | MCQs |
Negative Marking | Yes (-0.25 for every wrong answer) |
Conducting Body | Consortium of NLUs |
Do Check: List of all Important Full Forms
Top NLUs accepting CLAT scores
There are a total of 24 National Law Universities participating in CLAT, these are one of the best law universities in India. By cracking the CLAT exam, you can get admission into your dream law school. A rank-wise of the top NLUs participating in CLAT 2025 is listed below.
RANK | NLU | RANK | NLU |
1 | NLSIU Bengaluru | 13 | NLU Odisha |
2 | NALSAR Hyderabad | 14 | NUSRL Ranchi |
3 | NLIU Bhopal | 15 | NLUJA Guwahati |
4 | WBNUJS Kolkata | 16 | DSNLU Visakhapatnam |
5 | NLU Jodhpur | 17 | TNNLU Tiruchirappalli |
6 | HNLU Raipur | 18 | MNLU Mumbai |
7 | GNLU Gandhinagar | 19 | MNLU Nagpur |
8 | GNLU Silvassa | 20 | MNLU Aurangabad |
9 | RMLNLU Lucknow | 21 | HPNLU Shimla |
10 | RGNUL Patiala | 22 | DNLU Jabalpur |
11 | CNLU Patna | 23 | DBRANLU Sonipat |
12 | NUALS Kochi | 24 | RPNLU Prayagraj |
National Law University Delhi (NLU Delhi) does not accept CLAT, it takes admissions by its own exam-AILET (All India Law Entrance Test) |
CLAT 2025 Syllabus Overview
CLAT offers admissions in both UG and PG programs, the syllabus for both the programs differ in terms of the difficulty level and knowledge. Let’s have a look at the syllabus for both CLAT UG and CLAT PG programs.
1. CLAT UG (BA LLB)
The main topics in the CLAT UG syllabus are stated further:
- English Language
- Current Affairs with General Knowledge
- Legal Reasoning
- Logical Reasoning
- Quantitative Techniques
2. CLAT PG (LLM)
The main topics in the CLAT PG syllabus are stated further:
- Constitutional Law
- Jurisprudence
- Other law subjects such as Contract, Torts, Criminal Law etc.
- Go through these topics thoroughly as these hold the maximum weightage in the exam.
- If you will focus on learning and clearing concepts without directly jumping onto the final stage of preparation, you can definitely ace the CLAT exam in your first attempt.
Also Check: BMT Full Form
Eligibility Criteria for CLAT
CLAT is open to all the students who wish to make their career in the field of law, but there are certain requirements that the candidate needs to meet to be eligible to register for the exam.
UG Programs
- For programs like BA LLB, a candidate must’ve completed 10+2 with a minimum of 45% marks (40% for SC/ST)
- There is no upper age limit to attempt the exam.
PG Programs
- For programs like LLM it is required to have a bachelor’s degree in LL.B or equivalent degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST)
- Final year students can also apply.
Also Check: CFT Full Form
Preparation strategy and tips for CLAT
CLAT preparation is not very difficult if you know how to prepare for it, with the right mindset and full dedication you can ace the CLAT exam and start your dream career.
Keep the following key points in mind while preparing for the Common Law Admission Test.
- Focus on NCERT
- Practice legal and logical reasoning everyday
- Start reading newspaper to build strong foundation on current affairs and general knowledge
- Start giving mock tests, this helps to analyse your performance
- While preparing, always prepare short notes side by side- it helps in last minute revisions.
How to apply for CLAT 2025?
To apply for the CLAT exam, make sure you use only the official websites and trusted sources to avoid getting scammed and prevent frauds. You can follow the below steps to apply for the CLAT 2025 exam easily
- Visit the official website of Consortium of NLUs
- You can register by entering your mobile number, email id and by creating a strong password for your account
- Fill the CLAT application form
- (You’ll see an option to fill the form on the official website once the application opens)
- After filling the basic details in the form, upload the required documents
- Click Next and submit the application fee
- (Application fee: General/OBC/PWD/NRI- ₹4000; SC/ST/BPL- ₹3500)
- Click on Submit button
- And the last yet the most important step, don’t forget to download the confirmation slip.
Also Check – GK on CLAT Exam
Important Dates for CLAT 2025 (Tentative)
National-level competitive exams like CLAT can often cause stress, burden and anxiety. In such a situation it is better to clear, relax and calm your mind and focus on your preparation and timeline of the exam, because timeline is the most important aspect while applying for any competitive exam.
Event | Date (Tentative) |
Application start | August 2025 |
Application deadline | November 2025 |
Admit card release | November end/December beginning |
Exam Date | December 7, 2025 |
Result Declaration | January 2025 |
What should be your Focus now?
- Start preparing early if you’re aiming to give CLAT in December 2025, then start building strong fundamentals in all CLAT sections to get admission in one of India’s top law universities.
- Make sure to keep all the necessary documents ready (like Class 10th and 12th mark-sheets, ID proofs, category certificates, PwD certificates, passport photo, etc.) before the application window opens to avoid last minute chaos.
- Always stay up to date, you can regularly visit the official websites for regular updates.
Also, the official brochure and complete schedule for CLAT 2025 will soon be released by Consortium on their official website, you can check it out on consortiumofnlus.ac.in
CLAT Full Form FAQs
Can I give CLAT after Class 12?
Yes. You can appear for the UG CLAT right after your Class 12 exams, provided you meet the minimum marks criteria.
How many times can I attempt CLAT?
There is no limit on the number of attempts. You can give this exam as many times as you want.
Is coaching necessary for CLAT?
No, it is not mandatory to take coaching, but structured coaching or online courses can help streamline your preparation.