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CLAT Postgraduate (PG)

Common Law Admission Test – Postgraduate (CLAT) PG is a national-level law entrance examination conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) once every year for admission to LL.M. (Master of Laws) programmes offered by participating National Law Universities and other institutions across India.

Participating National Law Universities (NLUs)

The National Law Universities accepting CLAT scores include:

  1. National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru
  2. NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
  3. National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal
  4. WB National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata
  5. National Law University (NLU), Jodhpur
  6. Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur
  7. Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), Gandhinagar
  8. GNLU – Silvassa Campus
  9. Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU), Lucknow
  10. Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Patiala
  11. Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna
  12. National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS), Kochi
  13. National Law University Odisha (NLUO), Cuttack
  14. National University of Study & Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi
  15. National Law University & Judicial Academy (NLUJA), Guwahati
  16. Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU), Visakhapatnam
  17. Tamil Nadu National Law University (TNNLU), Tiruchirappalli
  18. Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Mumbai
  19. Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Nagpur
  20. Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar / Aurangabad
  21. Himachal Pradesh National Law University (HPNLU), Shimla
  22. Dharmashastra National Law University (DNLU), Jabalpur
  23. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Law University (DBRANLU), Sonipat
  24. National Law University Tripura (NLUT), Agartala
  25. Dr. Rajendra Prasad National Law University (RPNLU), Prayagraj
  26. India International University of Legal Education & Research (IIULER), Goa

Also, several affiliate universities and organisations also use the CLAT exam for admissions and recruitment respectively.

Exam Pattern

  • Mode: Offline (Pen & Paper Based)
  • Duration: 2 Hours
  • Questions: 120 Objective-Type MCQs
  • Maximum Marks: 120
  • Negative Marking: 0.25 mark for every incorrect answer
  • Medium: English only

Syllabus / Subjects

The CLAT PG paper is based largely on core LL.B. subjects. Questions are generally comprehension-based and require application of legal principles.

Major areas include:

  • Constitutional Law (major focus area)
  • Jurisprudence
  • Administrative Law
  • Law of Contract
  • Torts
  • Criminal Law
  • Family Law
  • Property Law
  • Company Law
  • Public International Law
  • Tax Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Labour & Industrial Law

Brief Overview– What the Exam Tests

Questions are generally comprehension-based and are drawn from primary legal materials, such as:

  • Important court judgments / case laws
  • Statutes / legislative provisions
  • Rules, regulations and legal extracts

Candidates are provided extracts from judgments, statutes or regulations, followed by questions designed to test their ability to:

  • Read and understand legal passages, including issues, arguments and viewpoints discussed in them.
  • Demonstrate awareness of the legal issues, facts and context arising from the passage or the judgment/statute from which it is taken.
  • Summarise and analyse the passage
  • Apply legal knowledge and concepts from the relevant field of law.

As part of the preparation strategy, candidate should:

  • Read and revise important judgments and landmark cases from different areas of law
  • Practice identifying legal issues, arguments and principles discussed in judgments
  • Refresh knowledge of important constitutional and statutory provisions
  • Pay attention to recent judgments, legal developments and legislative changes
  • Revise historical case law, amendments and important legal provisions to build stronger conceptual understanding

Since the exam is passage-based and application-oriented, preparation should focus on understanding legal concepts and judicial reasoning, not only memorizing provisions.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates may apply if they have:

Completed LL.B. / Equivalent Degree

with minimum qualifying marks:

  • General / OBC / PWD / NRI / OCI / PIO: 50% marks
  • SC / ST / PwD: 45% marks

Final-Year LL.B. Students

Candidates appearing in the final year / final semester of LL.B. are also eligible to apply, subject to producing proof of qualification at admission stage.

Age Limit: No upper age limit.

Application Process & Fee

Completely online through the official CLAT portal.

Application Fee

  • General / OBC / NRI Candidates: ₹4,000/-
  • SC / ST / BPL / PwD Candidates: ₹3,500/-

Counselling & Admission Process

Admission is conducted through centralised online counselling organized by the Consortium of NLUs.

Seat allotment is generally based on:

  • CLAT PG Rank
  • Reservation / Category
  • College Preferences filled by candidate
  • Seat availability

In case of equal scores, tie-breaking is generally done in the following order:

  1. Higher Age
  2. Computerised Draw of Lot