CLAT Background
Unlike engineering or medical education, legal education did not have a common, centralized admission test for law schools in India until 2007. In the absence of such a common test, every law school/ university used to conduct its own test more or less. Consequently, several aspirants had to take as many as 15-20 tests to try their luck at different institutes, the only saving grace being the broad similarity of test contents.
Notably, the concept of a 5-year law degree is relatively new to India and NLSUI, Bangalore was the pioneer in this direction, which kick-started the first such programme in the late 1980s. Other similar law schools sprang up but each had its own admission test, leading to a lot of confusion among test-takers. But by 2008, judicial directions and a consensus amongst the law schools led to the creation of a Common Law Admission Test for the integrated 5-year graduate programmes (BA, LLB) of 7 national law universities.
In pursuance of this decision, May, 2008 saw the first ever CLAT taking place. The formalization of a common, standardized test for Ivy League law schools was a landmark as it saved the candidates unnecessary botheration apart from cutting down on expenditure and time invested in the admission process.
A major, significant change from other law tests was that CLAT was an entirely objective type test based on multiple-choice items. No descriptive-type test items are a part of CLAT as of now.
The CLAT Structure
The test is divided into five sections with different weights.
English (including Comprehension) | 40 Marks (40 qst x 1 mark each) |
General Knowledge / Current Affairs | 50 Marks (100 qst x .5 mark each) |
Elementary Mathematics | 10 Marks (10 qst x 1 mark each) |
Legal Aptitude and Reasoning | 45 Marks (45 qst x 1 mark each) |
Logical Reasoning | 45 Marks (45 qst x 1 mark each) |
List of CLAT Institutes
The CLAT scores would enable you to become eligible for admission to the graduate programmes of the following institutes/ universities.
* NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
* National Law Institute University, Bhopal.
* West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata.
* National Law University, Jodhpur.
* Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur.
* Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar.
* Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow.
* Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab
* Chanakya National Law University, Patna.
* National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi.
For this year’s CLAT, the organizing committee has announced the abolition of the Legal Reasoning part of the test. Whether the Legal Reasoning questions would be replaced by some other type is still not clear. Except this small uncertainty, we know for sure what’s going to be there in the test.
Important CLAT Test Info
Issue of applications forms from: 11th January, 2010 (Monday)
Last date for submission: 2nd April, 2010 (Friday)
Date of admission test for UG/PG: 9th May, 2010 (Sunday)
Time: 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon.
Publication of result: 29th May, 2010 (Saturday)
Last date of acceptance and confirmation of admission by depositing money in SBI specified branches (to be notified later): 15th June, 2010 (Tuesday)
Completion of admission process: 28th June, 2010 (Monday)
Commencement of classes: 1st July, 2010 (Thursday)
Source: CLAT Admission Notification PDF