CLAT Exam Pattern

What is CLAT Exam ?

The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a national level entrance exam for admissions to undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) law programmes offered by 24 National Law Universities in India.

CLAT is organized by the Consortium of National Law Universities, comprising representative universities.

Several affiliate universities and organisations also use the CLAT exam for admissions and recruitment respectively.

All admissions to the 5-year integrated LL.B. and LL.M. programmes that commence in the Academic Year 2024-2025 shall be through the CLAT 2024

CLAT 2024 Exam Pattern – Latest Update

What’s New in CLAT UG?

CLAT Exam Pattern has been revised by the Consortium of NLUs. As per the revised pattern, there will be 120 questions instead of 150 for CLAT UG. There are no new changes introduced in CLAT Exam Pattern 2024 for PG.

What’s New in CLAT PG?

CLAT PG 2024 exam pattern will remain same as the previous year with no changes. The paper has only one section which includes Constitutional Law and other areas of Law. Candidates have to attempt 120 questions within 2 hours. Each topic carries a 50-50 weightage

As per CLAT PG 2024 exam pattern there are two types of question format i.e., MCQ based and Objective Type. According to CLAT PG 2024 marking scheme, 1 mark is awarded for each correct answer, and 0.25 marks are deducted for every incorrect answer. CLAT PG 2024 Question Paper carries a total weightage of 120 marks.

CLAT Entrance Exam 2023 Dates and Events

EventCLAT 2023
Release of admission notification November 14, 2023
Online registration starts1st week of January 2023 (Tentative)
Release of CLAT admit cards4th week of April 2023
CLAT examMay 8, 2023 (Announced)
Official CLAT answer key releasesTo be notified
Window to raise objectionsTo be notified
Release of final answer keyTo be notified
Declaration of results To be notified
Commencement of counsellingTo be notified

CLAT Entrance Exam Eligibility 2023

The consortium will release the updated eligibility criteria of CLAT Exam 2023 for admission to 5-year LLB and LLM courses on its official website. These criteria will include parameters like academic qualification, minimum marks, age limit, etc. 

Course-wise CLAT Exam eligibility criteria:

 UG programmePG programme
Qualifying examThe candidate must have passed 10+2 or an equivalent examThe candidate must have passed 5-year integrated or 3-year LLB exam.
Minimum marksGeneral – 45% SC/ST – 40%General – 50% SC/ST – 45%
Age limitNo upper age limit has been prescribed for UG courses.There is no upper age limit for admission to PG courses.

CLAT Exam Registration 2023

The NLU Consortium will release CLAT Exam application form 2023 tentatively in the 1st week of January, 2023. The CLAT application form will be available in online mode only at consortiumofnlus.ac.in. To register for CLAT Exam 2023, you need to have a valid email ID and phone number. Upon registration, you can fill the various fields in the form like applicant details, upload documents, select the exam center, and pay the application fee. 

How to fill the CLAT 2023 application form

  • Registration – Go to the consortium website and click on the “Register” button. In the form that opens, enter your mobile number and email id
  • Fill the form – There will be different fields like personal information, communication details, qualifying examination status, preferences (exam center and NLU), and reservation. You need to duly fill all the fields.   
  • Pay the application fee – In the penultimate step, you need to pay the application fee, which is category-specific, in online mode using credit or debit cards, or net banking.
  • Submit the form – Before submitting the form, ensure that it is complete in all respects. 

CLAT Exam application fee 2023

CategoryCLAT Application Fee (in Rs)
General/OBC/PWD/NRI/PIO/OCI 4,000
SC/ST/BPL3,500
CLAT previous years’ question papers fee500

CLAT UG & PG Exam Pattern 2024

The CLAT test pattern for UG (Undergraduate) and PG (Postgraduate) differs slightly. 

  • In the UG exam, you will be tested on English, GK, Logical Reasoning, Legal Aptitude, and Quantitative Ability.
  • In the PG Exam, you will be tested on subjects of the undergraduate program and including Constitutional Law, Jurisprudence, Administrative Law, Law of Contract, Torts, Family Law, Criminal Law, Property Law, Company Law, Public International Law, Tax Law, Environmental Law, and Labour & Industrial Law.

CLAT Exam Pattern: Overview

NomenclatureDetails
Number of Sections5
SectionsEnglish including comprehension, General Knowledge and Current Affairs, Legal Reasoning; Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques
Total no. of questions120
Total marks120
Marks per question1
Negative MarkingYes (0.25 deducted for a wrong answer)

CLAT Exam Pattern: Section-wise Distribution

Sr.No.SubjectsQuestions(approx.)Sr.No.
1English including Comprehension23-241
2General Knowledge and Current Affairs29-302
3Legal Reasoning28-303
4Logical Reasoning23-244
5Quantitative Techniques10-125

**Negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer

CLAT New Exam Pattern 2024 – Marking Scheme

  • As per the latest announcement by Consortium, the CLAT UG Pattern shall comprise 120 questions instead of 150 questions.
  • The 120 questions will continue to be organised into five sections: English Language, Current Affairs including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques.
  • Each question carries one mark, with a negative marking of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer.
  • Therefore, students must avoid guesswork and only answer the questions they are confident about.
  • The CLAT Question Paper will have passages followed by a series of questions except for the quantitative section.
  • The difficulty level of the Common Law Admission Test for UG programs will be class 12.
  • The total time duration of the exam is 2 hours, i.e., 120 minutes for both UG and PG programs.

CLAT Exam Pattern: Key Features

  • Another significant change in the CLAT exam pattern was the reduction in the number of questions. In CLAT 2023-2024, students can expect 120 questions, and total marks will be 120.
  • The CLAT exam will be conducted in the Pen and Paper mode as announced by the consortium in the recent notification.
  • There is no change in the duration of the exam. The CLAT 2023-2024 will be for 120 minutes.
  • The change in the CLAT pattern indicates the stress on the reading abilities of the CLAT aspirant. Students have to be skilled in inferential reasoning, and students with good reading habits will be better positioned to crack CLAT.
  • CLAT exam will comprise passages of 450-500 words containing 5-6 questions.
  • Reading skills are important as each section will contain passages and questions related to it.
  • The candidate needs to be quick in reading and understanding the passages to answer the questions efficiently and in time.
  • Candidates must strategize their time to complete the examination in the given time and with 100% accuracy.
  • Thus, to prepare well for the exams, you must be through with the CLAT Exam Pattern. For more information about the CLAT, you can visit the official CLAT website.

CLAT UG 2024 Syllabus

CLAT offers admission for the graduate course right after passing 12th and admission for a postgraduate course, therefore the syllabus will be different for each of them. The question paper will be based on the English language, Quantitative Techniques, Current Affairs including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning and Logical Reasoning. CLAT tests the 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.

Level of questions – The level of the CLAT syllabus for each section of the CLAT question paper will be as under:

CLAT Syllabus 2024 for UG Course  
SubjectDifficulty Level
English language12th
Current Affairs including General Knowledge12th
Legal Reasoning12th
Logical Reasoning12th
Quantitative Techniques10th

CLAT UG 2024 Exam Pattern

NomenclatureDetails
Number of Sections5
SectionsEnglish including comprehension, General Knowledge and Current Affairs, Legal Reasoning; Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques
Total no. of questions120
Total marks120
Marks per question1
Negative MarkingYes (0.25 deducted for a wrong answer)

CLAT UG Syllabus 2024- Subject-wise weightage

CLAT Syllabus 2024 for UG Course  
SubjectDifficulty Level
Current Affairs including General Knowledge25%
English language20%
Legal Reasoning25%
Quantitative Techniques10%
Logical Reasoning20%

Eligibility for the Undergraduate Programme

There will be no upper age limit for UG Programme in CLAT 2024.

  • 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, 2024 are also eligible to appear in CLAT 2024 examination. However, they shall be required to produce 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 2024 exam;
  • Higher age;
  • Computerised draw of lots

CLAT PG 2024 Exam Pattern

Mentioned below is CLAT PG 2024 Exam Pattern

ModeOffline – Pen and Paper
Duration120 Minutes (2 Hours)
SectionsObjective/ Passage-based Questions
Nature of QuestionsMCQ/ Essay Type
Number of Questions120 questions
MediumEnglish only

CLAT PG 2024 Marking Scheme

ParametersMarks Awarded
Total Marks120 Marks
Marks Awarded+1 for every correct answer in objective type
Negative Marking-0.25 marks for every wrong answer
Unattended Questions0 marks

CLAT PG 2024 Section-wise Marks Distribution

The questions for CLAT PG 2024 cover various topics at the undergraduate level. Topics asked during the exam include several different legal topics like Contract Law, Property Law, Family Law, etc. The exam tests how the candidates can use their abilities to make legal arguments with their knowledge of laws.

SectionQuesationNumber of QuestionsMarks Allotted
Section AConstitutional Law    120    120
Section BContract, Torts, Criminal Law, International Law, IPR and Jurisprudence
Section CLaw Topics and Contemporary Issues

CLAT PG 2024 Syllabus

CLAT PG 2024 Syllabus tests the candidate’s knowledge of the law at an undergraduate in both practical and theoretical knowledge. The different objective-type questions will be based on passages that will be provided.

Candidates appearing for CLAT PG 2024 Exam need to have in-depth knowledge about the following topics:

Constitutional LawJurisprudence
Administrative LawLaw of Contract
TortsFamily Law
Criminal LawProperty Law
Company LawPublic International Law
Tax LawEnvironmental Law
Labour & Industrial LawOther Legal Areas

Participating National Law Universities

  1. National Law School of India University, Bangalore (NLSIU)
  2. NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad (NALSAR)
  3. National Law Institute University, Bhopal (NLIU)
  4. The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata (WBNUJS)
  5. National Law University, Jodhpur (NLUJ)
  1. Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar (GNLU)
  2. Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow (RMLNLU)
  3. Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala (RGNUL)
  4. DR.B.R.Ambedkar National Law University, Haryana
  5. Gujarat National Law University Silvasa

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