CLAT Exam: All You Need To Know
CLAT full form is the Common Law Admission Test. It is a national level entrance exam conducted by 21 National Law Universities (NLU) in India, for the aspirants who need to get admission for the law programs.
CLAT Exam 2021 official notification will be released in the 3rd week of December 2020. Candidates who wish to appear for the exam can apply online from the 1st week of January 2021.
There are 21 NLUs, along with 53 private universities accepting the CLAT Exam 2021 score. Students can apply for the exam at clat.ac.in using their personal email id and passwords.
There have been few changes in the upcoming CLAT entrance exam 2021. The changes include:
There is no upper age limit to apply for the CLAT entrance exam 2021. Candidates appearing or having qualified class 12 with 45% marks (40% for SC, ST) will be satisfied for CLAT Exam 2021 Eligibility for BA LLB entrance exam.
CLAT Exam 2021 application fee for the General, OBC, and EWS category is INR 4000 while SC and ST candidates are required to pay a sum of INR 3500. After successful registration, candidates can download their CLAT entrance exam 2021 admit card starting from the third week of April 2021. BA LLB entrance exam cutoff will be released separately for 22 NLUs in the month of June 2021.
Important Dates – CLAT Exam 2021
Application form releases |
1st week of January |
Last date to apply |
31st March 2021 |
Last date for online fee payment |
4th week of March |
Admit card release |
3rd week of April |
CLAT 2021 Exam date |
13th June 2021 |
Answer key publish |
to be notified |
Result declaration |
to be notified |
Counselling session |
to be notified |
To save you time & efforts, we have compiled all the important details related to the CLAT entrance exam 2021 here.
You can continue reading below or check out this short video in which we have explained in brief about the CLAT 2021 Registration process, Exam Pattern, How to fill the Application form, CLAT Exam Preparation tips & much more
Eligibility Criteria – CLAT Exam 2021
The CLAT entrance exam 2021 eligibility is based on the following:
- There is no upper age limit for CLAT Exam 2021.
- Candidates must have passed 10+2 or any equivalent examination with at least 45% marks, 40% in case of SC/ ST students.
- Candidates appearing in the qualifying examination in April/ May 2021 are also eligible to appear in BA LLB entrance exam.
Steps to Fill CLAT 2021 Application Form
CLAT entrance exam 2021 registration will start from January 1, 2021. Visit the CLAT Exam 2021 Official Website to access the application form of BA LLB entrance exam. There are four primary steps to be completed for filling the application form. They are:
Step 1: Basic CLAT Exam 2021 Registration
You have to register first to get a provisional Registration ID and Password. The following details will be required:
(Note: Relevant Information must be entered carefully as once entered cannot be changed later. The credentials will be sent to the registered Email and Mobile No after the completion of registration.)
Step 2: Upload Photo & Signature
Candidates need to log in with the temporary ID and Password (provided during registration), and upload the documents as instructed. Photo and Signature Size Format is given below:
Photograph 20 kb – 50 kb in JPEG only
Signature 10 kb – 20 kb in JPEG only
Step 3: Fill the Application Form
Candidates are further required to fill in the details in the application form. It includes information such as:
- Personal Details like name, DOB, Gender, mobile number, category, Parent’s name, Residential Address etc.
- Qualification Details such as graduating year, name of the Board, marks scored etc.
- Preference for NLU as per your choice.
Step 4: Pay the Application Fee
- The final step requires the candidates to pay the application fee.
- It can be paid through both online (Debit/Credit and Net Banking) and/or offline (Bank Challan) modes of payment.
Application fee for each category is tabulated below.
General/OBC/PWD/NRI |
4000 |
SC/ST/BPL |
3500 |
CLAT 2021 Admit Card
The CLAT Exam 2021 admit card will be released on the official website of NLU’s Consortium https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in/. BA LLB entrance exam will be conducted online, center–based mode. The CLAT entrance exam will be conducted as per the new COVID 19 guidelines.
Candidates must enter their registered mobile number and password in the CLAT Exam 2021 login to download the BA LLB entrance exams admit card 2021. In the CLAT entrance exam 2021 admit card, name and roll number of the candidate, date and time of CLAT Exam 2021 as well as CLAT entrance exam centre details are the information mentioned. In the CLAT Exam 2021 admit card, there will be a special bar code given for the purpose that it will be scanned at the exam centre.
How to Download the CLAT 2021 Admit Card?
The following are steps to be followed to download CLAT 2021 entrance exams admit card:
- Click on the CLAT admit card download link given https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in/
- Click on the CLAT Login and enter mobile number and password
- The CLAT Exam 2021admit card will be available.
- Click Download and save the copy.
- Take a printout of the admit card and publish it on the day of the exam.
Details stated in the CLAT 2021 Admit Card
Once the candidates download the CLAT 2021 entrance exams admit card, they must ensure the following details.
- Candidate’s name
- Date of birth.
- CLAT 2021 Roll number
- Father’s name
- Date and time of the exam
- CLAT 2021 test centre
- Examination reporting time
- CLAT Application number
- Category applied
- Course applied
- Photograph and signature
CLAT Exam Pattern 2021 (Updated)
The CLAT 2021 entrance exams is a test of one's aptitude and reasoning abilities. It comprises five sections namely: Verbal Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, General Knowledge, and Legal Aptitude.
As per the new exam pattern of BA LLB entrance exam, the test will be conducted in online mode, new test centres will be issued to the candidates. The candidates need to be aware that for the CLAT exam 2021 preparation, they need to have a knowledge of the pattern of the CLAT entrance exams:
It will comprise MCQ's, from comprehension-based passages. The changes in the pattern of CLAT Exam includes deducting the number of questions to 150 from 200. The questions will be asked from Quantitative Techniques, English, Current Affairs, Deductive Reasoning and Logical Reasoning sections.
Each question carries 1 mark and for every incorrect attempt, 0.25 marks will be deducted.
Find below the weightage of different sections which comprise of CLAT Syllabus. Being familiar with the weightage assigned to different sections will give you a clear idea to formulate a preparation plan.
Subject/Section Weightage in Percentage
English Language: 28-32 (20% of the paper)
Quantitative Aptitude: 13-17 (10% of the paper)
Logical Reasoning: 28-32 (20% of the paper)
General Awareness: 35-39 (25% of the paper)
Legal Aptitude: 35-39 (25% of the paper)
Total Marks: 150
Total Time (min): 120 Minutes
Negative Marking: 0.25 marks for each wrong answer
CLAT 2021 Syllabus (UnderGraduate)
The aspirants should be aware of the syllabus before they start any preparation for the CLAT entrance exam 2021. The CLAT exam 2021 syllabus has been released in the official website of NLU’s Consortium https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in/
The aspirants start the BA LLB entrance exam covering the topics like GK & current affairs, English, legal aptitude and logical reasoning. Candidates must note that the following topics will be covered in the CLAT exam 2021 for the five-year integrated law admission test.
English
- Read and comprehend the passage, set aside any arguments and viewpoints discussed in the passage;
- Draw conclusions based on the passage;
- Summarize the passage in simpler words;
- Compare and contrast the different arguments or viewpoints set out in the passage; and
- Comprehend the meaning of various words and phrases used in the passage.
Quantitative Techniques
- Derive numerical information set out in the passages, graphs, or other representations;
- Make use of the basic 10th standard mathematical operations on the given information, including from areas such as ratios and proportions, basic algebra, mensuration and statistical estimation.
General Knowledge & Current Affairs
- Contemporary events of significance from India and the world
- Arts and culture
- International affairs; and
- Historical events of ongoing significance.
Logical Reasoning
- Identify an argument, its principles and conclusions
- Read and identify the opinions set out in the passage
- Critically analyze patterns of reasoning, and evaluate how conclusions depend on evidence you find.
- Assume what follows from the passage and apply these implications to new situations
- Draw relationships and analogies, identify conflicts and similarity, and assess the value of arguments.
Legal Reasoning
- Identify and gather the rules and principles set out in the passage;
- Apply those rules and principles to various fact situations; and
- Comprehend how changes to the rules or principles may vary their application to various fact situations.
Best tips for CLAT exam preparation
Here are some tips to be followed by the candidates to help them for the preparation of CLAT entrance exam 2021 to crack it:
- Prepare a study chart.
Plan the daily study routine. Study for about 7 hours on a daily basis before the examination.
- Understand the question pattern
Know the CLAT question paper pattern and plan the study accordingly.
- Cover the whole syllabus
Make sure to study the entire syllabus. Do not skip any section of the syllabus. Each section has its own significance.
- Practice as much as you can
The aspirant who is doing the CLAT exam 2021 preparation should make sure to practice ample of CLAT previous year question papers. Do a mock test of the CLAT previous year question papers so that it is easy to understand where the candidates lack.
- Attend all the sections
Never focus on just one or two sections. It is equally important to pay attention to all the sections of the exam if you need to crack it.
- Be sure to prepare notes
Always make sure to make notes while you study. Highlight the important points so that during the exams, it will be easy to go through them.
- Group discussion
Be sure to have a discussion over the syllabus with your friends and teachers. Share the notes and this way you won’t miss out on any topics.
- Stay updated
Read the newspaper regularly. Update the news on a daily basis. Have a knowledge of the current affairs.
- Focus on vocabulary and grammar
Learn new words and their meaning. Increase your vocabulary with extensive reading. Practice grammar on free time, to make sure the sentence formation and the structure of the sentences are correct.
- Have a clear mind
For an aspirant the best CLAT preparation is to stay focused and think positively.
Subject wise Tips for CLAT exam preparation
The aspirants must keep note of the following tips while doing the preparation for CLAT entrance exam 2021. This helps the student to crack the exam in one go. Following are the best CLAT preparation tips as per the subject covered in the exams:
English Language Preparation Tips
- Read the passage thoroughly and try to comprehend the meaning.
- Take a glance of the questions asked while you read.
- Make a note of the answers of the questions as you glance at the paragraph.
- Interpret the data given in the paragraph.
- Make a summary of the passage.
- Keep track of the various words and their meaning.
- Check the vocabulary as well as the grammar.
- Conclude the passage by answering the questions up to the point.
Quantitative Aptitude Preparation Tips
- Be thorough with basics.
- Practice as much as you can.
- Solve sample question papers.
- Keep the working notes neat as they may come handy for any questions throughout the examinations.
Reasoning Preparation Tips
- Three sections of the examinations are almost the same. They are English Language, Logical Reasoning and Legal Aptitude.
- The preparation for these three are similar.
- Comprehend the passage conclusions as well as you can.
- It is important to contrast the supportive and contradictory arguments from the passage and set them aside.
- Some questions will require you to assume a certain question as false even though it may be true, but here it is obligatory to follow the instructions as per the question.
- Do practice the previous year question papers.
GK Preparation Tips
- Read the newspaper regularly.
- Watch the news.
- Inculcate reading habits.
- Read as many books, journals and periodicals as possible.
- Make proper use of the internet facility available.
- Stay updated on the current affairs and know the root cause of it.
- Discuss the topics with the peer groups as it helps to gain information from your friends on any missed topics.
Legal Aptitude Preparation Tips
- The format of the question paper changes yearly. Have a basic knowledge of the questions provided in the previous year.
- It is necessary to solve the previous year question paper.
- Comprehend the questions before attending them.
- Keep track of the changes in the previous year question papers.
- Give importance to the sample question papers available in The Consortium before moving to the sample papers.
CLAT Books for CLAT preparation
CLAT Books for exam preparation
CLAT BOOK NAME |
AUTHOR |
The Complete Success Package - CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) 2020 |
Arihant Experts |
Legal Awareness and Legal Reasoning For the CLAT and LL.B. Entrance Examinations
A. P. Bhardwaj
The Pearson Guide to the CLAT
Harsh Gagrani
CLAT Solved & Previous Year Paper
A. P. Bhardwaj
CLAT 2021 Results/ Scorecard
Candidates are required to visit the CLAT Official Website to check the results, carrying the qualifying status of candidates in CLAT entrance exams. You are required to enter the registered Email ID and Password to access CLAT Results. The CLAT exam 2021 result will be released in the form of scorecard which includes –
CLAT Scores
All India Rank (AIR)
Category Rank in CLAT
How to check CLAT exam 2021 Results
Go to the official CLAT website
Click on the ‘Result’ tab.
Enter your Registration No./ Roll No., DOB (dd/mm/yyyy) and security code.
Click on the ‘Login’ tab.
View your results.
CLAT 2021 Expected Cut Off
Tabularized below is the expected cut off of CLAT 2021 by the professionals. The cut off has been forecasted considering that the level of the CLAT exam paper will be easy.
NLUNN |
Expected Cut Off |
NLSIU, Bengaluru |
119.5 - 120.5 |
NALSAR, Hyderabad |
114 - 115 |
NLIU, Bhopal |
107 - 108 |
NUJS, Kolkata |
112 - 113 |
NLU, Jodhpur |
109 - 111 |
HNLU, Raipur |
103 - 104 |
GNLU, Gandhinagar |
106 - 107 |
RAMNLU, Lucknow |
100 - 102 |
RGNUL, Punjab |
99 - 100 |
CNLU, Patna |
95 - 96 |
NUALS, Kochi |
99 - 100 |
NLUO, Cuttack |
97 - 98 |
NUSRL, Ranchi |
94 - 95 |
NLUJA, Guwahati |
93 - 94 |
DSNLU, Vizag |
92 - 93 |
TNNLS, Tiruchirapalli |
92 - 93 |
MNLU, Mumbai |
105 - 106 |
MNLU, Nagpur |
91 - 92 |
MNLU, Aurangabad |
91 - 92 |
MPDNLU, Jabalpur |
90 - 91 |
HPNLU, Shimla |
89 - 90 |
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar NLU |
87 - 88 |
Sectional Cut Off for CLAT 2021
Below given a tentative CLAT entrance exam sectional cut off list for the exam that will help all CLAT aspirants to make their way into the selection list. Tabularized below is the expected cut off for each section.
Section |
Expected Cut off |
Total Marks |
English including Comprehension |
30 |
40 |
General Knowledge and Current Affairs |
30-35 |
50 |
Elementary Mathematics (Numerical Ability) |
10-15 |
20 |
Legal Aptitude |
35-40 |
50 |
Logical Reasoning |
30-32 |
40 |
Aspects on which CLAT cutoff depends:
- The number of candidates appearing for in CLAT BA LLB entrance exam
- Difficulty level of the CLAT exam question paper
- Approved seats for the course in the college applied for admission
- Category of the candidate appearing for the CLAT entrance exams
- Total number of applicants
Institute wise CLAT cutoff
Applicants who are appearing in the CLAT exam in the new session can check the CLAT BA LLB entrance exam cutoff for previous years to get an insight of what marks they need to score to get an admission in the college.
Year |
Rank |
Participating NLUs |
2019 |
1447 |
21 |
2018 |
1588 |
19 |
2017 |
1180 |
18 |
2016 |
1160 |
17 |
2015 |
7758 |
16 |
Institute-wise CLAT Cutoff 2019
Institute |
General |
|
SC |
|
ST |
|
|
Opening Rank |
Closing Rank |
Opening Rank |
Closing Rank |
Opening Rank |
Closing Rank |
NLSIU Bangalore |
1 |
58 |
363 |
2018 |
69 |
2575 |
NALSAR Hyderabad |
50 |
129 |
144 |
3564 |
1777 |
4533 |
NLIU Bhopal |
148 |
376 |
3097 |
4940 |
5840 |
8374 |
WBNUJS Kolkata |
82 |
227 |
1862 |
4891 |
2853 |
6849 |
NLU Jodhpur |
76 |
354 |
2268 |
5350 |
4533 |
8468 |
HNLU Raipur |
329 |
638 |
4940 |
8070 |
7712 |
11822 |
GNLU Gandhinagar |
124 |
468 |
4984 |
7305 |
5569 |
8001 |
RMLNLU Lucknow |
342 |
694 |
4259 |
11916 |
12311 |
29911 |
RGNLU Patiala |
442 |
926 |
5207 |
10339 |
10435 |
16406 |
CNLU Patna |
623 |
1091 |
7313 |
18898 |
20349 |
25719 |
NUALS Kochi |
474 |
983 |
4891 |
15715 |
19528 |
19528 |
NLU Odisha Cuttack |
465 |
953 |
6276 |
10310 |
9832 |
21681 |
NUSRL Ranchi |
688 |
1091 |
7707 |
11546 |
7207 |
18557 |
TNNLS Tiruchirappalli |
436 |
1412 |
5681 |
12051 |
13383 |
19587 |
DSNLU Visakhapatnam |
830 |
1292 |
20733 |
25136 |
20413 |
44885 |
MNLU Mumbai |
383 |
512 |
5734 |
18833 |
18152 |
35981 |
MNLU Nagpur |
589 |
1190 |
11256 |
25363 |
33321 |
55856 |
MNLU Aurangabad |
710 |
1344 |
14219 |
26653 |
41201 |
53549 |
NLUJAA Guwahati |
968 |
1296 |
12648 |
31022 |
21542 |
42768 |
HPNLU Shimla |
622 |
1471 |
6896 |
12042 |
13464 |
21253 |
DNLU Jabalpur |
991 |
1447 |
8550 |
11827 |
11121 |
20359 |
CLAT 2021 Expected Cut-off
As per the experts, mentioned below are the expected ranks and scores of CLAT entrance exam 2021.
College Name |
Score |
Rank |
Score |
Rank |
128.25 |
130 |
128 |
135 |
|
120 |
355 |
118.75 |
395 |
|
The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata |
122.5 |
215 |
122 |
240 |
120 |
350 |
118.75 |
400 |
|
116.5 |
555 |
112 |
850 |
|
118 |
450 |
117.25 |
510 |
|
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University (RMNLU), Lucknow |
115.25 |
620 |
112.5 |
800 |
113 |
780 |
110 |
1050 |
|
National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS), Kochi |
111 |
900 |
108 |
1200 |
111 |
900 |
104.5 |
1600 |
|
Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU), Visakhapatnam |
108 |
1200 |
92 |
2500 |
110.5 |
1050 |
104.5 |
1600 |
|
National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi |
110.5 |
1050 |
97 |
2600 |
National Law School and Judicial Academy, Assam (NLUJAA), Guwahati |
110.5 |
1060 |
92 |
3500 |
110.5 |
1160 |
92 |
3500 |
|
116.25 |
575 |
110.5 |
1050 |
|
108 |
1200 |
90 |
4000 |
|
107.75 |
1250 |
90 |
4000 |
Key Points to Remember about CLAT Participating Colleges
Some of the important points that candidates must know with context to participating colleges of CLAT entrance exam are mentioned below:
- It is very crucial for a candidate to know everything about CLAT participating colleges/institutes.
- Candidates must be aware of the cut-off, eligibility criteria and selection process of that particular college/institute where they've opted for.
- The cut-off of CLAT exam of every participating institute differs from each other.
- Candidates must keep in mind that different NLUs will have their own selection process to enroll the applicants in the law degree programmes.
- Candidates who are unsuccessful to turn up for the final admission procedure will automatically lose their opportunity.
CLAT 2021 Participating Institutes
The table below mentions the list of participating National Law Universities (NLUs) that accept CLAT scores.
National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi |
West Bengal National University of Judicial Sciences, Kolkata |
National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi |
|
Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad |
Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur |
National Academy of Legal Studies and Research, Hyderabad |
|
Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur (MPDNLU) |
|
Private Law Colleges Accepting CLAT Score 2021
There are also some private colleges that offer admission to law candidates on the basis of their CLAT exam ranks. The table below mentions the list of those colleges which accept CLAT entrance exam scores.
CLAT Counselling 2021
The CLAT Office will conduct the centralized counselling.
Seats will be offered as per ‘merit-cum-preference’ basis.
Aspirants must specify the NLU they prefer to get enrolled.
To secure an allotted seat during counselling procedure, candidates should ensure a deposit of INR 50,000.
Steps to CLAT Counselling
Applicants can visit the official website of CLAT once the CLAT exam results are out.
Open the official website of CLAT and click on ‘CLAT Counselling 2021’
Provide login credentials i.e. User Id/ Registration Id and Password.
Then click on the ‘Counselling’ tab.
Go through the suggestive seat allotment list of NLUs.
Pay the requisite amount of CLAT 2021 counselling fee (applicable to only those candidates whose names are on the suggestive list for the first time).
Use the ‘Seat Lock’ option provided against the allotted NLU.
Save a copy of the NLU seat allotted list
Documents Required for Counselling
CLAT 2021 Application Form
CLAT 2021 Admit Card
CLAT 2021 Score Card
Class 10th Marks-sheet (Date of Birth proof)
Class 12th Marks-sheet (Academic Qualification/ Eligibility Criteria)
Caste Certificate (If applicable)
Specially-Abled Certificate (If applicable)
NRI Certificate (If applicable)
Sponsored NRI Certificate (If applicable)
Domicile Certificate (If applicable)
FAQs About CLAT Participating Colleges
A total number of 21 National Law Universities (NLUs) accept CLAT exam scores for enrolling the candidates. Not to mention, there are many private universities and colleges as well that consider CLAT entrance exam scores for law admissions. Some of the prevalent institutes include: Siddhartha Law College, Vijayawada Alliance University, Bangalore Institute of Law (Nimra University), Ahmedabad Uttaranchal University, Dehradun ICFAI Deemed University, Tripura Vivekananda Global Deemed University, Jaipur Geeta Institute of Law, Panipat Asian Law College, Noida.
The reservation rules of all NLUs accepting CLAT BA LLB entrance exam scores are almost the same. Nevertheless, a separate distinction list is released by NLUs after applying the rules for home state quota.
As per the CLAT exam pattern 2021, there will be a total of 150 questions in CLAT UG while 100 MCQs.
CLAT exam admit cards will be issued in the third week of April 2021. It can be downloaded by opening your login account using your CLAT user id and password. Candidates should keep in mind that no hard copy of admit cards will be sent to any of the candidates or not even through emails. Candidates must recheck and ensure that every information printed on the CLAT admit card is correct and in case of any error including spelling mistakes, they should immediately take it to the notice of CLAT authorities.
Each year, the set of questions in the CLAT question paper differs from the previous year. The pattern also changes from time to time. Working out the sample papers enables the candidate to have an idea of what questions to be expected.
There is no change to the CLAT UG test scheme, it will be a comprehension based test with 150 questions.
Following are the tips for the aspirants for CLAT exam preparation
- Make a study chart
- Organize as per exam pattern & syllabus.
- Practice mock tests to reduce the time of solving question papers.
- Keep doing the revisions regularly for good preparation.
- Stay positive and stay healthy.