By Sathyavathi
All the candidates who are appearing for the CLAT Exam in 2020 need to know the Exam Pattern for CLAT. The Exam Pattern for CLAT – UG and CLAT – PG is different. The CLAT Exam tests a student on various parameters and the intense competition makes it necessary that a student is well prepared. We have compiled the syllabus for CLAT for the convenience of the candidates. Read the article to get detailed information regarding the exam pattern, syllabus and more information related to CLAT exam.
CLAT Exam Pattern
The exam pattern is different for CLAT UG and CLAT PG exams but both are conducted in offline mode. Let us have a look at the exam pattern of CLAT.
Exam pattern for CLAT UG (LL.B) exam
The Exam Pattern of CLAT – UG exam for admission to the LLB program comprises of MCQs only. The subjects covered, number of questions asked and the marks allotted to each subject in the CLAT exam are mentioned below –
| Subjects | Number of Questions | Marks |
| English and comprehension | 40 | 40 |
| Elementary Mathematics (Numerical Ability) | 20 | 20 |
| General Knowledge and Current Affairs | 50 | 50 |
| Logical Reasoning | 40 | 40 |
| Legal Aptitude | 50 | 50 |
| Total | 200 | 200 |
Duration of the CLAT exam is 2 hours.
Exam Pattern for CLAT PG (LL.M) Exam
This exam is conducted in offline mode, and has both subjective and objective questions.
The number of questions and marking scheme for MCQs is as follows:
| S.No | Subjects | Number of Questions | Marks |
| 1 | Constitutional Law | 40 | 40 |
| 2 | Law Subjects such as Contract, Torts, Criminal Law, International Law, IPR and Jurisprudence | 60 | 60 |
| 3 | Total | 100 | 100 |
Check out the list of entrance exams after graduation, here
Pattern of CLAT PG (LL.M) written exam
The paper will include two essay type questions each carrying 25 marks; the topics of the essay would be based on law and contemporary issues. The word limit for the essays will be 800 words.
The time duration for both the exams together is 2 hours. The MCQs will have a negative marking of 0.25 and for every right answer, 1 mark will be given.
Marking scheme of CLAT
Every correct answer gets a score of 1 mark and there is negative marking in CLAT of 0.25 for every wrong answer in CLAT exam. In case a question is left unanswered or marked for review, no negative marking will be done in CLAT exam.
What is CLAT?
The Full Form of CLAT is Common Law Admission Test. CLAT is one of the many Law Entrance Exams in India. It is a national level entrance examination for admission into national law schools. Thousands of candidates who opt for a career in law sit for the CLAT exam every year. It is for admissions to both LL.B and LL.M degree courses. LLB and LLM have Latin expansions: the full form of LLB is Latin Legum Baccalaureus and in English it is Bachelor of Legislative Law. The full form of LLM is Latin Legum Magister. They represent UG and PG degree programmes in Law. The CLAT exam is conducted by the various law universities in rotation.
Also see: Career Options in the Legal Profession
Check out the tips on career preparation and planning, here
Check out the details on Corporate Law as a career option, here
CLAT Syllabus – Syllabus of CLAT EXAM 2020
The syllabus for CLAT exam is different for UG (LL.B) and PG (LL.M) exams.
The LL.B exam is more generic and tests the knowledge upto class 12. Let us have a look at the topics covered in the CLAT exam syllabus–
CLAT UG syllabus:
| Sections | Topics |
English | comprehension passagesGrammarword meaningsincorrect/correct sentences |
Mathematics | algebraprofit and losstime and workaverage, speed and distancepermutation-combination and venn diagramsnumerical abilityLogical and Analytical reasoning skills |
| General Knowledge & Current Affairs | Static general knowledgeCurrent Affairs- nationalCurrent Affairs- international |
Also see: Career options after class 12, here
CLAT PG syllabus:
The syllabus of CLAT PG Exam is vast and tests legal technicalities as well as the knowledge of various laws.
Here are the sections in the CLAT PG (LL.M) exam:
- Constitutional Law
- Law of Torts
- International Law
- Jurisprudence
- Intellectual Property Law
- Law of Contracts
- Criminal Law
Top Law Colleges in India accepting CLAT score
Here is a list of Top Law Colleges in India accepting CLAT score–
- National Law School of India University, Bangalore (NLSIU)
- NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad (NALSAR)
- National Law Institute University, Bhopal (NLIU)
- The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata (WBNUJS)
- National Law University, Jodhpur (NLUJ)
- Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur (HNLU)
- Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar (GNLU)
- Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow (RMLNLU)
- Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala (RGNUL)
- Chanakya National Law University, Patna (CNLU)
- National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi (NUALS)
- National Law University, Orissa (NLUO)
- National University of Study & Research in Law, Ranchi (NUSRL)
- National Law University & Judicial Academy, Assam (NLUJA)
- Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Visakhapatnam (DSNLU)
- The Tamil Nadu National Law School, Tiruchirappalli (TNNLS)
- Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai
- Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur
- Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad
- School of Law, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun.
Eligibility for CLAT 2020
CLAT- UG (LL.B exam)
Age limit:
- Unreserved/ NRIs/ NRI Sponsored category candidates below 20 years of age as on July 01, 2020.
- SC/ ST/ OBC/ Specially Abled Persons (SAP) category candidates below 22 years of age as on July 01, 2020
- There is no upper age limit.
Educational Qualification:
- For Unreserved /OBC /Specially Abled Persons (SAP) and other categories – A minimum of 45% marks required in class 12th or equivalent exam.
- For SC/ST Category – A minimum of 40% marks required in class 12th or equivalent exam.
Also see: LLB Entrance Exam preparation tips here
CLAT- PG (LL.M) Exam
Age Limit:
- There is no upper age limit
- The lower age limit is 22 years as on July 01, 2020.
Educational Qualifications:
Law aspirants appearing for CLAT LLM Program should have secured a minimum percentage in qualifying examination (i.e. LL.B./ 5-Year Integrated LL.B. (Hons.)/ any other equivalent exam). The marks vary as per candidate’s category.
- For Unreserved /OBC /Specially Abled Persons (SAP) and other categories: a minimum of 55% marks are required.
- For SC/ ST category – a minimum of 50% marks is required.
Admission procedure for CLAT exam
The application form of CLAT exam is to be filled online. One has to check the CLAT website for updates and registration. One should first complete the registration process by entering various fields like name of the applicant, mobile number and email id. The candidate will also have to enter and confirm the password.
In the application form you have to enter the following details:
- Personal details – In this section, one has to enter your name, date of birth, parent’s name, nationality, category under which admission is sought, and gender. If the candidate wishes to use the services of a scribe, the request must be made on this page.
- Address of correspondence – Enter address for correspondence, name of the state and district, and pin.
- Permanent address – Details like permanent address, the name of the state and district, mobile number, and email id have to be filled in this section.
- Select course applied for admission – Choose from the two options – Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG).
- Educational qualification – In this section, one has to enter name of qualifying exam passed, board, exam status, month and year of passing, percentage of marks obtained in qualifying exam, etc.
Then you have to upload a photograph and signature. The maximum size of photo is 500 KB and for signature, it is 100 KB.
Also see: Admission procedure in top law colleges, here
Application Fee for CLAT Exam
The fees for application is Rs. 4000 for general candidates. For SCs and STs, it is Rs. 3500.
Also see: detailed information on various career options, here
CLAT 2020 Application Procedure
Top Law Universities accepting CLAT Score