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The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a national-level entrance exam for undergraduate and postgraduate law programs at National Law Universities (NLUs) in India. It is considered one of the toughest entrance examinations in the country, with an acceptance rate of only around 3-5%. The CLAT is conducted by the Consortium of NLUs, which consists of 26 universities. The exam is taken after the Higher Secondary Examination or 12th grade for admission to integrated undergraduate law degrees and after graduation for Master of Laws (LL.M.) programs.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Test Type | Entrance Exam |
| Purpose | Admission to undergraduate and postgraduate law programs at National Law Universities (NLUs) in India |
| Conducting Body | Consortium of NLUs, consisting of 26 NLUs |
| Eligibility | Indian nationals and NRIs who have passed Class XII with minimum 45% marks for the general category and 40% for the reserved category |
| Exam Mode | Offline (pen and paper) |
| Acceptance Rate | Approximately 3-5% |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Participating Institutions | 26 NLUs in India, including NLU Bangalore and National Law University, Delhi |
| Related Exams | All India Law Entrance Test (AILET), Symbiosis Law Admission Test (SLAT), Law School Admission Test India (LSAT – India) |
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What You'll Learn
National Law University entrance requirements
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is one of the toughest entrance examinations in India, with an acceptance rate of only 3%. The CLAT is taken after the Higher Secondary Examination or 12th grade for admission to integrated undergraduate degrees in Law. Before the CLAT was introduced, National Law Universities (NLUs) conducted their own separate entrance tests, which caused students a lot of stress and meant they often missed tests.
There are 26 NLUs in India, the first of which was the National Law School of India University, also known as NLU Bangalore, which admitted its first students in 1988. One NLU, the National Law University, Delhi, still conducts its own separate entrance test called the All India Law Entrance Test.
The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) releases the CLAT eligibility criteria, which include details on the minimum educational qualifications, minimum marks, and age limit. For Senior Secondary School/Intermediate (10+2) students, the minimum marks required are 45% in aggregate (40% for SC and ST candidates). There is no upper age restriction for the test. For LL. B/B. L. Degree students, the minimum marks required are 50% in aggregate (45% for SC and ST candidates).
The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) offers a five-year integrated undergraduate B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) degree programme, which is its flagship degree. Admission to this programme is based on merit as assessed through the CLAT. NLSIU also offers a one-year postgraduate degree in law (Master of Laws), for which admission is also through the CLAT. NLSIU has recently announced a new 3-year BA (Hons.) programme with the option of an additional 4th year for the upcoming Academic Year 2025-26. Admission to this programme will be on the basis of an all-India National Law School Admission Test (NLSAT-BA).
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Eligibility criteria
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a national-level entrance exam for undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes at National Law Universities (NLUs) in India. The Consortium of NLUs, which consists of 26 NLUs, conducts the exam. The CLAT is highly selective, with only around 3%-to-5% of students gaining admission to NLUs.
To be eligible to take the CLAT, candidates must be Indian nationals or NRIs. Foreign nationals wishing to take the exam should contact the relevant University directly.
Candidates must have passed the Class XII Higher Secondary Examination or 12th grade with a minimum of 45% marks for general category students and 40% for SC, ST, and reserved category students. Candidates who are awaiting their board results are also eligible, provided they can produce evidence of passing the qualifying examination upon admission.
For LLB programmes, candidates must have an LLB/BL degree or its equivalent from a recognised University with a minimum of 50% marks in aggregate (45% for SC, ST, and reserved category candidates).
There is no upper age restriction for the CLAT.
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Exam format
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a national-level entrance exam for undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes at National Law Universities (NLUs) in India. The CLAT is conducted by the Consortium of NLUs, which consists of 26 NLUs. The exam is taken after the Higher Secondary Examination or the 12th grade for admission to integrated undergraduate degrees in Law (BA/BBA/B.COM/B.SC/BSW LLB). It is also taken after graduation in an undergraduate law programme for Master of Laws (LL.M) programmes.
The CLAT exam format emphasises comprehension-based questions, where each passage is substantial. This challenges students to understand and quickly navigate through the content while maintaining accuracy. The exam is conducted offline in pen-and-paper mode. Only Indian nationals and NRIs can appear in the test. The foreign nationals desirous of taking admission to any course in any of the participating Law Universities may directly contact the concerned University offering seats for foreign nationals.
The Consortium of NLUs releases the CLAT eligibility criteria, mentioning details regarding the minimum educational qualification, minimum marks and age limit. For undergraduate programmes, students must have passed Class XII with a minimum of 45% marks for the general category and 40% for the reserved category. For postgraduate programmes, students must have an LL. B/B. L. Degree or an equivalent degree from a recognised University with not less than 50% marks in aggregate (45% for SC and ST candidates). There is no upper age restriction for the test.
The CLAT is considered one of the top 10 toughest entrance examinations in India, with an acceptance rate as low as 3%. Before the introduction of the CLAT, National Law Universities conducted their own separate entrance tests, requiring candidates to prepare and appear separately for each of these tests. The introduction of the CLAT has reduced the burden on students and allowed them to appear for a common entrance exam instead of multiple tests.
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Acceptance rate
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a national-level entrance exam for undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes at National Law Universities (NLUs) in India. The CLAT is considered one of the toughest entrance examinations in India, with an acceptance rate of only around 3%-5%.
The low acceptance rate is due to the
The CLAT is conducted by the Consortium of NLUs, which consists of 26 NLUs across India. The exam is open to Indian nationals and NRIs who meet the minimum educational qualification, minimum marks, and age limit criteria. The minimum educational requirement is a Senior Secondary School Certificate with a minimum of 45% marks (40% for SC and ST candidates), and there is no upper age restriction.
The CLAT is conducted annually, and the responsibility for conducting the exam is rotated among the participating law colleges based on their seniority. The exam is held offline in pen-and-paper mode, and candidates must appear for the exam after their Higher Secondary Examination or 12th grade for admission to integrated undergraduate law degrees. The CLAT is also required for admission to Master of Laws (LL.M) programs after graduation in an undergraduate law program.
The introduction of the CLAT has helped streamline the law school admission process in India. Before the CLAT, each NLU conducted its own separate entrance tests, requiring candidates to prepare and appear for multiple exams, which caused stress and scheduling conflicts for students. The CLAT has provided a more unified and efficient admission process, reducing the burden on students and helping them gain admission to some of the top law schools in the country.
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History of the test
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a national-level entrance exam for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate law programs at top universities in India. It is considered one of the toughest entrance examinations in India, with an acceptance rate of only 3%.
The Common Law Admission Test was introduced to mitigate the stress and inconvenience faced by students who had to prepare for and appear in multiple separate entrance tests conducted by different National Law Universities (NLUs). Before the CLAT, the 26 NLUs in India conducted their own entrance tests, which often conflicted with other major entrance tests, causing students to miss tests.
In 2006, a parent of a law aspirant, Varun Bhagat, filed a Public Interest Litigation against the Union of India and various National Law Universities in the Supreme Court of India, arguing for a centralized test. The Chief Justice of India directed the Union of India to consult with the NLUs to formulate a common test. The Bar Council of India strongly supported this move.
On November 23, 2007, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Vice-Chancellors of seven National Law Universities to conduct a common admission test. The first Common Law Admission Test was organized in 2008 for these seven universities. The responsibility of conducting the exam was to be rotated annually among the law colleges, based on their seniority in establishment.
In 2014, seven more national law universities adopted the CLAT, and the exam was conducted online for the first time. As of 2025, 24 NLUs accept CLAT scores for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate law programs.
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Frequently asked questions
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a national-level entrance exam for undergraduate and postgraduate law programs at National Law Universities (NLUs) in India.
Only Indian nationals and NRIs can take the test. Foreign nationals must contact the individual universities for admission. To be eligible, students must have passed Class XII with a minimum of 45% marks (40% for reserved categories).
The Common Law Admission Test is considered one of the toughest entrance exams in India, with an acceptance rate of around 3-5%. Students are advised to prepare with practice tests and guidance from mentors.
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