About CLAT

The concept of National Law Universities to act as a pace-setter and testing ground for bold experiments in legal education came up because the pattern of legal education at traditional Universities was not found to be satisfactory. In course of time, fourteen National Law Universities were established to achieve excellence in legal education. These Universities are national in the sense that substantial number of seats in all these Universities are filled-up by students from all over India and the academic staff are also recruited on all India basis. Till 2007 each National Law University conducted tests separately in different Centres spread all over the country and thousand of students after their 10+2 examinations took those multiple admission tests at considerable expense and with lots of inconvenience. In order to avoid the hardship faced by the candidates in appearing in a number of tests for admission to different individual Universities initiative was taken for conducting a Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) for admission to different National Law Universities.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by seven National Law Universities. The experience in CLAT-2008 has been that larger catchment area provides better quality of students. Therefore, in addition to the CLAT founder seven National Law Universities, the four other National Law Universities joined CLAT in the year 2009. It was agreed by the Committee consisting of all the Vice-Chancellors that the test would be conducted by the National Law Universities by rotation. Accordingly, (CLAT)-2008 and CLAT- 2009 were conducted by National Law School of India University, (NLSIU), Bangalore and NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad respectively. CLAT-2010was conducted by National Law Institute University, Bhopal &following 11 National Law Universities were member of CLAT-2010 which are as follows:

1. National Law School of India University, Bangalore.
2. NALSAR University of Law, Hyderebad.
3. National Law Institute University, Bhopal.
4. West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences,  Kolkata.
5. National Law University, Jodhpur.
6. Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur.
7. Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar.
8. Dr. Ram Manohar  Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow.
9. Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala.
10. Chanakya National Law University, Patna.
11. National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi.

Eligibility

10+2 Examination or equivalent with not less than 50% marks for General and 45% marks for SC/ST/OBC* and Persons with Disability*. (Students taking qualifying examination in March/April are also eligible to apply).

Age Limit

Not more than 20 years in case of General and 22 years in case of SC/ST/OBC* and persons with disability* as on 1st July. *Subject to reservation at the University concerned.

Test Paper Pattern

Weightage Wise Subject Areas