CLAT PG Exam Guide (LLM Admission to NLUs)

What CLAT PG is (and how it differs from CLAT UG)

CLAT PG is the postgraduate version of the Common Law Admission Test — the national entrance used for admission to the one-year LLM (Master of Laws) programmes at the participating National Law Universities (NLUs). It is conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities. If you already have (or are completing) an LLB and want to pursue an LLM at an NLU, CLAT PG is the primary route.

This is a separate test from CLAT UG. CLAT UG is taken after Class 12 for the five-year integrated law degree; CLAT PG is taken after an LLB for a master's degree. The syllabus, question style and difficulty are pitched at law graduates, not school leavers, so preparation looks very different.

Most NLUs use CLAT PG for their LLM intake, but a few law schools run their own postgraduate entrance (for example, NLU Delhi conducts AILET, and some universities accept CUET PG for LLM). Always confirm which test a specific NLU or law school uses on that institution's official admissions page before you plan.

Eligibility to appear

The core eligibility is an LLB / equivalent law degree from a recognised university, with a minimum aggregate percentage set by the Consortium (a relaxed threshold typically applies to reserved categories). Candidates in the final year of their LLB are ordinarily allowed to appear, subject to completing the degree before admission.

The Consortium does not prescribe an upper age limit for CLAT PG. Exact minimum-percentage figures, category relaxations, and the treatment of final-year and equivalent-degree candidates are set fresh in each cycle's official notification.

• You generally need a completed or in-progress LLB / equivalent recognised law degree.
• A minimum aggregate percentage applies, with relaxation for reserved categories — verify the exact figures on the official Consortium website.
• There is no upper age limit prescribed by the Consortium.
• Individual NLUs may add their own admission or reservation conditions in their brochures.

Exam pattern and marking

CLAT PG is an offline, pen-and-paper objective test. Per the official Consortium format, the paper carries 120 multiple-choice questions of one mark each (120 marks total), to be attempted in a duration of 2 hours. There is a negative marking of 0.25 mark for each wrong answer.

Since the format was revised, the paper is comprehension-led: it presents passages drawn from primary legal materials such as court decisions and statutes, followed by questions that test your ability to read, understand and apply the law rather than recall it from memory. Building speed and accuracy on dense legal passages is therefore central to scoring well.

Exam-pattern details can be revised between cycles. Confirm the current number of questions, marks, duration and marking scheme on the official Consortium website before you sit the test.

• Mode: offline (pen-and-paper), objective MCQs.
• 120 questions, 1 mark each — 120 marks total (official Consortium format).
• Duration: 2 hours.
• Negative marking: 0.25 mark deducted per wrong answer.
• Comprehension-based passages from case law and statutes.

Syllabus and what to read

The CLAT PG syllabus is built around the mandatory subjects of the undergraduate law programme. The Consortium format highlights Constitutional Law and other core areas of law, including 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.

Because the questions are passage-based, the emphasis is on reading a legal extract closely and answering targeted questions on it. Strong candidates combine solid conceptual clarity across these subjects with the ability to interpret an unfamiliar judgment or statutory provision under time pressure.

Use the official CLAT PG syllabus page and any sample or past papers released by the Consortium as your primary reference for scope; treat everything else as secondary.

From score to seat: the admission process

After results, admission to LLM seats at the participating NLUs is made through a centralised, merit-cum-preference counselling process run via your CLAT account. You list your NLU preferences, and provisional allotment lists are released across multiple rounds; you accept, or wait for a better preference, according to the published counselling rules.

A counselling/registration fee applies, and seat allotment depends on your rank, category, filled preferences and seat availability at each NLU. NLU Delhi admits LLM candidates through its own process (AILET), so it is not part of CLAT counselling.

Seat matrices, reservation policies, counselling fees, the number of rounds and cut-offs vary by year and by university. Read the current CLAT counselling notification and each target NLU's information brochure on the official websites for the exact process.

How to prepare (evergreen approach)

Start by mapping the syllabus subjects and honestly rating your comfort in each. Rebuild conceptual clarity in the high-weight core areas — Constitutional Law and the other mandatory LLB subjects listed above — using standard academic material and bare Acts.

Because the paper is comprehension-led, practise reading judgments and statutory extracts and answering questions on them, timed. This trains the exact skill the test measures: extracting the ratio, the rule and the exception from a passage quickly and accurately. Full-length mock tests under real conditions help you calibrate speed and manage the 0.25 negative-marking penalty.

No guide, course or coaching can guarantee a rank or a seat — outcomes depend on your own performance and the year's competition. Focus on consistent, honest practice against the official pattern and syllabus.