The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is an entrance exam conducted at the national level which helps aspirants take up admissions for their undergraduate or postgraduate law courses in the government institutions like the National Law University. Along with this, there are other colleges and universities which accept CLAT score as a criterion for admissions. 

The exam was conducted on a rotational basis until 2018. After 2019 though, a permanent body that is formed by the different universities conducts the exam. The name of the permanent body in The Consortium of National Law Universities. The headquarter of the consortium is the location at the NLSIU in Bangalore, and comprises of the following within its structure –

• Executive Committee – One in number
• The CLAT Convenor of the current year is NUSRL, Ranchi for CLAT 2020.
• The CLAT Convenor which would take up the exam for the following year
• Co-opted Vice-Chancellors of National Law University – Two in number.

Also Read: CMAT

CLAT Eligibility Criteria 2020

Candidates need to fulfill the eligibility criteria to appear for the CLAT exam. The eligibility criteria are listed down below –

CLAT 2020 Eligibility Criteria for Undergraduate Law/Five-year Integrated Courses

Educational Qualification

• Applicants need to have a minimum of 45% marks who belong to the General/Other Backward Class/Differently-Abled/Non-Resident India/Overseas Citizen of India/Person of Indian Origin Category. 
• Students belonging to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe need to have a minimum aggregate of 40% marks
• Students who are appearing for their Class 12th Board exams can also apply for CLAT 2020.
• But such candidates need to produce proof that they will have a passing certificate while joining the institution through the CLAT score. 

CLAT age limit

• CLAT 2020 exam has no upper age limit to apply.
• However, age will play an important role in case there is a tie in marks between two candidates.

Also Read: CS Executive Syllabus

CLAT Eligibility for Postgraduate Law/LLM Courses:

Education Qualification

• To take up the LLM Course, candidates need to have completed their graduation with a minimum of 55% marks if they belong to the General or Other Backward Class Quota. Similarly, the students belonging to the Differently Abled, Scheduled Class, and Scheduled Tribe category need to have at least 50% marks.
• Students can also apply for the CLAT exam 2020 in the final year of their graduation. But they need to be able to submit the proof that they are in the final year of their graduation, and that they can produce a passing certificate at the time of admission into the new university/college.

CLAT Age limit

• CLAT 2020 exam has no upper age limit to apply.

Also Read: NCTE

CLAT 2020 Highlights

Name of the exam	Common-Law Admission Test
How many times is CLAT conducted?	It is conducted once in a year
Exam mode – Online or Offline?	Offline
What is the duration of the exam?	2 hours
How many test-takers each year?	Approx. 60,000 applicants each year
Total colleges and universities accepting CLAT as criteria for admissions	114 colleges
Official Website	https://clatconsortiumofnlu.ac.in/

CLAT Process 

Candidates who seek admissions to Law Schools or National Law Universities have to have a CLAT score. The whole process is as under –

CLAT 2020 – Courses offered

National Law Universities and other state government or private affiliated universities accept CLAT scores to offer the five-year integrated graduate courses like LLB, or post-graduate courses like LLM.

Some of the courses offered are as follows –

• BA LLB (Bachelor of Arts LLB)
• BSc LLB (Bachelor of Science LLB)
• BCom LLB (Bachelor of Commerce LLB)
• BBA LLB (Bachelor of Business Administration LLB)
• BSW LLB (Bachelor of Social Work LLB)
• LLM (Master of Laws)

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Universities/Colleges accepting CLAT scores

The Common Law Entrance Test is conducted in order to conduct admissions in 22 National Law Universities, as well as over 50 private law universities and colleges, relying on CLAT scores to give admissions to the applicants.

Some of the participating colleges are as follows –

1. National Law School of India University, Bangalore
2. National Academy of Legal Study & Research (NALSAR) University of Law, Hyderabad
3. The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata
4. National Law Institute University, Bhopal
5. National Law University, Jodhpur
6. Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur
7. Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar
8. Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow
9. Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala
10. Chanakya National Law University Patna
11. National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi
12. National Law University Odisha, Cuttack
13. National University of Study & Research in Law, Ranchi
14. National Law University & Judicial Academy, Assam
15. Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU) Visakhapatnam
16. The Tamil Nadu National Law School, Tiruchirapalli
17. Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai
18. Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur
19. Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad
20. Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla
21. Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur
22. Dr. B R Ambedkar National Law University Sonipat, Haryana

Also Read: AIBE

Exam Day Guidelines for CLAT Exam

Candidates who are going to appear for the exam need to carefully take care of the instructions mentioned below on the day of the exam –

• Report to the allotted test centers at least one hour before the exam timings.
• Must carry items – Admit card, Photo ID proof, Passport Sized Photograph, one HB Pencil, Two pens – both ballpoint in black/blue colored ink.
• Must NOT carry – Any study material, electronic device, mobile phones, smartwatch, calculator, or tablets.