Overview
CLAT PG is the postgraduate stream of the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), a centralised national-level entrance examination conducted for admission to Master of Laws (LL.M) programmes offered by participating National Law Universities (NLUs) in India. CLAT was first introduced in 2008 as a centralised entrance examination for admission to the National Law Schools/Universities in India, and is taken at the postgraduate level after completion of an undergraduate law programme.
Key details
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Examination | Common Law Admission Test (Postgraduate) |
| Introduced | 2008 (CLAT) |
| Level | Postgraduate (after an undergraduate law degree) |
| Programme | Master of Laws (LL.M) |
| Participating NLUs | 26 of 27 National Law Universities (excluding NLU Delhi) |
| Separate exam | NLU Delhi conducts the All India Law Entrance Test (AILET) |
| Other users | Several private and self-financed law schools; public sector undertakings; Indian Army (Judge Advocate General recruitment) |
| Reported acceptance rate (CLAT) | As low as 3 percent |
Role in admissions
CLAT PG scores are used by 26 of the 27 National Law Universities for admission to their LL.M programmes. NLU Delhi administers its own entrance examination, the All India Law Entrance Test (AILET), which is anticipated to be merged into CLAT in the coming years. As of January 2026, NLU Meghalaya has started using CLAT scores for admissions in its programmes.
Beyond the NLU system, many private and self-financed law schools in India also use CLAT scores for law admissions. CLAT PG scores are additionally used by several public sector undertakings in India, including the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Coal India, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), the Steel Authority of India and Oil India, for recruitment to legal positions. The Indian Army uses CLAT PG scores for the recruitment of officers to the Judge Advocate General (JAG) branch.
Background
CLAT was instituted in 2008 as a centralised entrance examination to streamline admissions across the National Law Schools and Universities in India. The undergraduate stream is taken after the Higher Secondary Examination or the 12th grade for admission to integrated undergraduate degrees in law such as BA LLB, BBA LLB, B.Com LLB, B.Sc LLB and BSW LLB, while the postgraduate stream (CLAT PG) is taken after graduation in an undergraduate law programme for admission to LL.M courses. CLAT is considered one of the toughest entrance examinations in India, with the acceptance rate reported to be as low as 3 percent.
References
- "Common Law Admission Test", Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Law_Admission_Test
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