About CLAT
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a national level entrance exam for admissions to undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) law programmes offered by 22 National Law Universities around the country. CLAT is organized by the Consortium of National Law Universities consisting of the representative universities.
The pattern of Question Paper for the UG Courses in CLAT
- Maximum Marks : 120
- Duration of CLAT Exam: 02:00 Hours
- Multiple-Choice Questions: 120 questions of one mark each
- Subject areas with weight-age:
| Subject Areas with weightage: | (approximate number of questions) |
| English Language | 22-26 questions, or roughly 20% of the paper |
| Current Affairs, including General Knowledge | 28-32 questions, or roughly 25% of the paper |
| Legal Reasoning | 28-32 questions, or roughly 25% of the paper |
| Logical Reasoning | 22-26 questions, or roughly 20% of the paper |
| Quantitative Techniques | 10-14 questions, or roughly 10% of the paper |
- Negative Marking: 0.25 Mark for each wrong answer
UG Syllabus & Guide
Introduction and Overview
The UG-CLAT would focus on evaluating the comprehension and reasoning skills and abilities of candidates. Overall, it is designed to be a test of aptitude and skills that are necessary for a legal education rather than prior knowledge, though prior knowledge occasionally may be useful to respond to questions in the Current Affairs section.
The UG-CLAT shall be a 2-hour test, with 120 multiple-choice questions carrying 1 mark each. There shall be negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer. These questions would be divided across the following 5 subjects:
- a) English Language
- b) Current Affairs, including General Knowledge
- c) Legal Reasoning
- d) Logical Reasoning
- e) Quantitative Techniques
- a) English Language
In this section of the UG-CLAT , you will be provided passages of about 450 words each. These passages will be derived from contemporary or historically significant fiction and non-fiction writing, and would be of a standard that a 12th standard student may be able to read in about 5-7 minutes.
Each passage will be followed by a series of questions that will require you to demonstrate your comprehension and language skills, including your abilities to:
– Read and comprehend the main point discussed in the passage, as well as any arguments and viewpoints discussed or set out in the passage;
– Draw inferences and conclusions based on the passage;
– Summarise the passage;
– Compare and contrast the different arguments or viewpoints set out in the passage; and
– Understand the meaning of various words and phrases used in the passage.
- b) Current Affairs Including General Knowledge
In this section, you will be provided passages of up to 450 words each. The passages will be derived from news, journalistic sources and other non-fiction writing. The questions may include an examination of legal information or knowledge discussed in or related to the passage, but would not require any additional knowledge of the law beyond the passage.
Each passage will be followed by a series of questions that will require you to demonstrate your awareness of various aspects of current affairs and general knowledge, including:
– Contemporary events of significance from India and the world;
– Arts and culture;
– International affairs; and
– Historical events of continuing significance.
- c) Legal Reasoning
In this section, you will be expected to read passages of around 450 words each. The passages may relate to fact situations or scenarios involving legal matters, public policy questions or moral philosophical enquiries. You will not require any prior knowledge of law. You will benefit from a general awareness of contemporary legal and moral issues to better apply general principles or propositions to the given fact scenarios.
Each passage would be followed by a series of questions that will require you to:
– Identify and infer the rules and principles set out in the passage;
– Apply such rules and principles to various fact situations; and
– Understand how changes to the rules or principles may alter their application to various fact situations.
- d) Logical Reasoning
The Logical Reasoning section of the UG-CLAT will include a series of short passages of about 300 words each. Each passage will be followed by one or more questions that will require you to:
– Recognize an argument, its premises and conclusions;
– Read and identify the arguments set out in the passage;
– Critically analyse patterns of reasoning, and assess how conclusions may depend on particular premises or evidence;
– Infer what follows from the passage and apply these inferences to new situations;
– Draw relationships and analogies, identify contradictions and equivalence, and assess the effectiveness of arguments.
- e) Quantitative Techniques
The Quantitative Techniques section of the UG-CLAT will include short sets of facts or propositions, graphs, or other textual, pictorial or diagrammatic representations of numerical information, followed by a series of questions. You will be required to derive information from such passages, graphs, or other representations, and apply mathematical operations on such information.
The questions will require you to:
– Derive, infer, and manipulate numerical information set out in such passages, graphs, or other representations; and
– Apply various 10th standard mathematical operations on such information, including from areas such as ratios and proportions, basic algebra, mensuration and statistical estimation.
Eligibility (UG Programme)
- There will be no upper age limit for UG Programme in CLAT .
- As regards minimum percentage of marks in the qualifying examination (i.e., 10+2 or an equivalent examination), the candidates must have secured:
- Forty five percent (45%) marks or its equivalent grade in case of candidates belonging to General / OBC / PWD / NRI / PIO / OCI categories
- Forty Percent (40%) marks or equivalent in case of candidates belonging to SC/ST categories.
- Candidates who are appearing in the qualifying examination in March/April, are also eligible to appear in CLAT examination. However, they shall be required to produce an evidence of their passing the qualifying examination at the time of admission, failing which they shall lose their right to be considered for admission.
- The result of the qualifying examination (i.e., 10+2) shall be submitted by the candidate at the time of admission failing which the candidate shall be ineligible for admission to the Course.
- In case of equal marks, the break of tie shall be by the following procedure and order as under:
- Higher marks in the component / section on legal aptitude in the CLAT exam;
- Higher age;
- Computerised draw of lots.
22 National Law Universities
- National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru
- National Academy of Legal Study and Research (NALSAR) University of Law, Hyderabad
- National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal
- West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata
- National Law University (NLU), Jodhpur
- Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur
- Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), Gandhinagar
- Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU), Lucknow
- Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Punjab
- Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna
- National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS), Kochi
- National Law University Odisha (NLUO), Cuttack
- National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi
- National Law University and Judicial Academy (NLUJA), Assam
- Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU), Visakhapatnam
- Tamil Nadu National Law University (TNNLU), Tiruchirappalli
- Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Mumbai
- Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Nagpur
- Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Aurangabad
- Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla
- Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur
- B.R. Ambedkar National Law University, Sonepat