What is the CLAT Exam?
CLAT is a national-level entrance exam, and it stands for Common
Law Entrance Test. Many top law universities in India consider the
CLAT exam scores for admission in their undergraduate and graduate
programs. Twenty-four National Law Universities (NLUs) consider
the CLAT score for law students. Along with these twenty-four
NLUs, the CLAT score is also considered by the other top sixty
colleges in India. The test is mainly conducted for admission in
the five-year undergraduate
LLB and one-year postgraduate
LLM programmes.
Importance of the CLAT Exam
Every law aspirant dreams of studying in a top law college. So,
taking the CLAT exam opens this opportunity for law students. This
exam is important as it not only allows students to be eligible
for admission to top NLUs but also many Public Sector Undertakings
(PSUs) consider the CLAT LLM score for recruiting candidates.
Also, the private colleges considering CLAT scores for admission
offer various scholarships to rank holders. All these benefits
signify the importance of this exam very well. However, the exam
is highly competitive, and students must score good marks and a
higher rank to get admitted to the most notable law schools in
India.
Eligibility Criteria for the CLAT Exam
The CLAT eligibility criteria for the undergraduate
law course
require that the candidates must have passed the 10+2 or any other
equivalent examination. The candidate must have a minimum score of
45%. For the SC/ST categories, the minimum valid score is 40%.
Candidates who are appearing for the qualification exam in the
same year as the CLAT exam are also eligible. However, such
candidates need to provide a passing certificate during the
admission process. There is no upper age limit to appear in the
CLAT exam. Also, the candidates appearing for the exam must be
Indian or NRIs.
For the postgraduate programme, candidates having their 3-year or
5-year LLB courses completed are eligible. Even candidates
appearing for their qualifying examinations are also eligible to
apply for the CLAT exam. Minimum passing marks for postgraduate
students is 50% for General/OBC/PWD/NRI categories, and 45% for
the SC/ST categories. Similar to the undergraduate programme,
there is no upper age limit to appear for the exam, and the
student must be Indian or NRI by nationality.
Additionally, one must consider the other eligibility criteria
applied by the participating law colleges. This can be done by
visiting the law college’s websites that you are interested in. It
will help you to stay prepared during the admission process, and
eventually help you to get admission to the top NLUs or other
best private universities.
Syllabus for the CLAT Exam
The syllabus for the CLAT exam is vast as it prepares you to study
a good law course later. The CLAT syllabus for the undergraduate
students consists of five sections. This includes the English
Language, Current Affairs, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative
Techniques, and Legal Reasoning. The English Language section
contains questions regarding Grammar, Vocabulary and
comprehension. The Current Affairs section has questions based on
international and national events. The Logical Reasoning section
has questions based on analytical thinking, and Quantitative
Techniques include numerical ability and mathematics questions.
And, the Legal Reasoning section includes questions based on legal
principles. The exam duration is two hours, and there are 120
total questions in the CLAT UG exam, each question having one
mark. For each incorrect answer, there is a negative marking of
0.25 marks.
For the postgraduate CLAT examination, the syllabus consists of
subjects focusing on the expertise of the students. This includes
subjects that can test the student’s proficiency in different
types of law. So, it contains questions based on Criminal law,
Property Law, Tax Law, Environmental Law, Constitutional law,
Company law, Administrative law, Family law, Jurisprudence, and
Law of contract. The marking scheme for the CLAT PG examination is
similar to the CLAT UG examination. The exam duration is 2 hours,
there are a total of 120 questions having one mark each and 0.25
marks are deducted for each wrong answer.
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How to Prepare for the CLAT Exam?
While preparing for the CLAT exam, the first step is to understand
the syllabus properly. It will help you to start your preparation
in a structured manner. You must prepare a study plan and follow
it daily in a disciplined manner, providing sufficient time for
each subject. Also, it is important to give mock tests and solve
sample papers to assess your preparation and brush your weaker
subjects. Additionally, you must stay updated with the latest news
to score good marks in the current affairs section. Following all
these guidelines will help you get into the best law institute in
India.
Conclusion
So, that was all the information you needed about the CLAT
examination. It is a very competitive examination, and one must
prepare well to get into the best law institute in India. Your
selection chances can be increased if you follow all the
above-mentioned guidelines properly. If you are looking forward to
being admitted to law colleges in Chennai, then
Vinayaka Mission’s Law School (VMLS)
is considered one of the best law colleges in India.
VMLS considers your CLAT score
during the admission process and provides the best LLB courses. It
is one of the best
law colleges in Chennai with
highly qualified professors, amazing law courses, and a great
campus. So, visit the VMLS website for more information and join
the law college to pursue your career as a great lawyer or
barrister.
