Overview
CLAT UG is the undergraduate stream of the Common Law Admission Test, a centralised national-level entrance test conducted for admissions to integrated undergraduate law degrees offered by the National Law Universities (NLUs) in India. The examination was first introduced in 2008 as a centralised entrance examination for admission to the National Law Schools/Universities in India. It is taken after the Higher Secondary Examination or the 12th grade and is used for admission to integrated undergraduate degree programmes in law such as the BA LLB, BBA LLB, B.Com LLB, B.Sc LLB and BSW LLB.
CLAT UG scores are accepted by 26 of the 27 National Law Universities. NLU Delhi is the only NLU that does not participate in CLAT and instead administers its own entrance examination, the All India Law Entrance Test (AILET); AILET is anticipated to be merged into CLAT in the coming years. Several private and self-financed law schools in India also use CLAT scores for law admissions. As of January 2026, NLU Meghalaya has started using CLAT scores for admissions in its programmes. The examination is considered one of the toughest entrance examinations in India, with the acceptance rate being as low as three per cent.
Key details
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Examination | Common Law Admission Test (Undergraduate) |
| Type | Centralised national-level entrance test |
| First introduced | 2008 |
| Eligibility stage | After Higher Secondary Examination (12th grade) |
| Programmes | Integrated undergraduate law degrees (BA/BBA/B.Com/B.Sc/BSW LLB) |
| Participating NLUs | 26 of 27 National Law Universities (excluding NLU Delhi) |
| Acceptance rate | As low as 3 per cent |
Role in admissions
CLAT UG functions as the principal gateway to integrated undergraduate law education at the National Law Universities, with the exception of NLU Delhi, which conducts AILET. Beyond the NLUs, the test's reach extends to a number of private and self-financed law schools in India that use CLAT scores as part of their admissions process. NLU Meghalaya joined the list of institutions accepting CLAT scores from January 2026.
While CLAT UG is dedicated to undergraduate admissions, the broader CLAT examination also includes a postgraduate stream (CLAT PG) used for admission to Master of Laws (LL.M) programmes. CLAT PG scores are additionally used by several public sector undertakings in India, including ONGC, Coal India, BHEL, the Steel Authority of India and Oil India, as well as by the Indian Army for the recruitment of Judge Advocate General officers. The undergraduate test thus forms part of a wider examination framework that has become central to legal education and recruitment in India.
References
- "Common Law Admission Test", Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Law_Admission_Test
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