Do you wish to make a career in the field of legal studies but are not sure how to do it? This article will help you get acquainted with the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), the common exam for admissions to National Law Universities and other private institutions. More than seventy-seven thousand candidates each year sit for the CLAT exam to study law. This article will look at the important details about CLAT, such as the CLAT Syllabus, CLAT exam pattern, CLAT eligibility etc.
CLAT Important details
It is the first time that the CLAT exam will be held twice a year. CLAT 2022 is to be conducted on 19 June 2022, and CLAT 2023 will take place on 18 December 2022. The Consortium of NLUs conducts the exam. The exam duration is 120 minutes. Other than National Law University-Delhi and many private law schools, 22 NLUs will participate in the CLAT exam.
The CLAT exam is conducted for Undergraduate courses and Postgraduate courses separately. The eligibility criteria for CLAT-UG and CLAT-PG are given below:
CLAT-UG: Eligibility Criteria
- The General/OBC/Specially-Abled Person (SAP/DAP/PwD) candidates must have passed 10+2 or any other equivalent exam with a minimum percentage of 45% or an equivalent aggregate.
- The candidates in the SC/ST category must get a minimum of 40% marks in the qualifying exam.
- Those currently pursuing their 10+2 are also eligible to sit for the exam. However, the candidates are expected to provide proof that they have passed the qualifying exam with the minimum marks required per their categories.
CLAT-PG: Eligibility Criteria
- The General/OBC/Specially-Abled Person (SAP/DAP/PwD) category candidates are to pass L.L.B. or any equivalent degree in law examination with a minimum of 55% of the marks.
- The SC/ST candidates must score 50% in the qualifying examination.
- The candidates in their final year of an undergraduate degree, who will be giving their exam in April/May 2022, can also sit for the exam. However, they are expected to provide proof that they have passed the qualifying exam with the minimum marks required per their categories.
Once the candidates have fulfilled the eligibility criteria, they can fill out the application form. Once the candidate has filled out the application form, they can begin with the preparations. The first step to preparing for an exam is to look at its syllabus and understand the exam pattern. It helps make effective study plans. So, we will now look at the CLAT exam patterns and syllabus in detail.
CLAT Exam Pattern
The CLAT exam is 120 minutes long, featuring five sections. The questions in each section are set to check the candidate’s aptitude for legal studies. It helps to judge whether the candidate will be fit to pursue legal studies or not. The sections included are: English Language, General Knowledge, Logical Reasoning, Legal Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude. There is no sectional time limit in the exam.
The exam has a total of 150 questions, and for each correct response, the candidate will be awarded 1 mark, and for every incorrect response, 0.25 marks are deducted. Other important details about the CLAT Exam Pattern are mentioned below:
| Exam Duration | Two Hours |
| Number & Name of Sections | Five Sections (Verbal Ability, General Knowledge, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, Legal Reasoning) |
| No. of Questions | 150 Questions |
| Marking Scheme | +1 Mark (correct answer) & -0.25 Mark (incorrect answer) |
| Exam Mode | Pen and Paper Mode |
| Conducting Body | Consortium of NLUs |
| Total number of participating institutes | 22 NLUs except National Law University, Delhi. |
CLAT Syllabus
The UG-CLAT 2023 will emphasise on how effectively candidates grasp and apply their reasoning abilities. Overall, it is a test of the skills and talents required for a legal education rather than what you already know, however you may need to know certain topics to answer questions in the Current Affairs part. There is no prescribed syllabus for the CLAT exam. However, with the analysis of previous year’s papers, the experts have laid out a detailed syllabus for CLAT. We will discuss the syllabus section-wise.
In 2023, the UG-CLAT will be a two-hour test with 150 multiple-choice questions that are each worth 1 mark. There will be a deduction of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer. These questions would be broken up into 5 sections as mentioned below:
Section I – English:
The questions in this section aim to test the candidate’s comprehension skills through passages of 450 words each. The passages will be about some historical and recent events. The passages can be fictional as well as non-fictional.
Section II – Current Affairs:
This section includes questions from Static GK, politics, Sports, famous personalities, prizes and awards, world affairs etc.
Section III- Legal reasoning:
Through the questions of this section, the candidates’ aptitude for legal studies will be checked. Passages will state current or static news that is law related. Study of law, Legal GK, current affairs, International treaties, Court Decisions/Judgements etc., are some of the important topics of this section.
Section IV- Logical Reasoning:
This section assesses the Verbal reasoning skills of the candidates. Topics like syllogism, directions, puzzles, cause & effect, clocks & calendars, logical sequencing etc., will be included.
Section V- Quantitative Techniques:
This section intends to assess the quantitative aptitude of the candidates. The section includes topics from elementary mathematics. Most questions are related to bar graphs, charts and other graphical representations. Apart from this, algebra, profit loss, measurement, speed & distance, work & time, and other elementary mathematics topics are important.
The detailed syllabus will help the candidate prepare well for the exam. To attempt a section effectively, students will be well aware of the topics.
CLAT Section-wise Distribution and Weightage
Looking at each section’s question distribution and weightage will help candidates maximize their scope by making effective strategies.
The following table includes the section-wise question distribution and marks weightage of the CLAT 2023 exam:
| Subjects | Questions (approx.) | CLAT Total Marks | Weightage |
| English including Comprehension | 28-32 | 28-32 | 20% |
| General Knowledge and Current Affairs | 35-39 | 35-39 | 25% |
| Legal Reasoning | 35-39 | 35-39 | 25% |
| Logical Reasoning | 28-32 | 28-32 | 20% |
| Quantitative Techniques | 13-17 | 13-17 | 10% |
| Total | 150 | 150 | 100% |
The exam is not difficult to crack if the candidate prepares strategically for the paper. The candidate must work on enhancing their legal aptitude rather than cramping factual knowledge. Regular revisions and mock tests as many as possible will help the candidate feel more confident in their preparation, thereby acing the exam. With sheer determination, your dream of getting into a top law school can become a reality.
