CLAT, Common Law Admission Test, is an all India entrance examination conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) for providing admission to various law programs at 22 NLUs. 

CLAT UG and CLAT PG are the two entrance exams for LAW programs. CLAT UG allows you to apply for undergraduate law programs such as LLB, BALLb, and even BBA LLB. With CLAT PG, you can enroll in a postgraduate legal program, such as an LLM. In this article, we’ll discuss major differences between VLAT UG AND CLAT PG. 

What is CLAT UG?

The CLAT is a national-level law entrance test administered by the Consortium of NLUs for admission to 22 National Law Universities. Candidates who clear the examination will be eligible for admission to 5-year integrated LLB programs, including BA LLB, BBA LLB, BCom LLB, and BSc LLB offered by NLUs

The CLAT UG exam is conducted in the pen-and-paper format, with multiple-choice questions, and the duration of the exam is 2 hours. The exam comprises five sections, namely, English Section, Current Affairs, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques. To apply for the CLAT UG exam, the candidates should have passed class 10+2 with a minimum of 45% as a General Category; reserved category candidates receive a waiver in qualifying marks. Candidates preparing for the test should study the subject-specific curriculum to achieve a good score. 

Also read: How to prepare for CLAT 2022: Syllabus, Books, Tips

What is CLAT PG?

CLAT PG is a national-level admission test for postgraduate students. The CLAT PG score is accepted in various private and government law universities to offer admissions to applicants in postgraduate legal programs. 

The CLAT PG exam is conducted in offline mode. It consists of comprehension-based questions from various legal subjects of graduation level. Each question carries one mark, and every incorrect answer will lead to a penalty of -0.25 marks. Candidates should check the CLAT eligibility criteria and other information on the official website before applying. 

CLAT UG Vs CLAT PG

You can find the differences in academic qualification, minimum qualifying marks, and age limit of the CLAT UG and CLAT PG below:

FeaturesCLAT UGCLAT PG
Conducting BodyThe Consortium of National Law UniversitiesThe Consortium of National Law Universities
Exam LevelNational LevelNational Level
Number of Participating Institutes22 NLUs + Private colleges 20 NLUs + Private colleges 
Number of Seats Offered1308852
Educational QualificationClass 12 or equivalent examBachelor’s degree in law (LLB)
Minimum Qualifying MarksGeneral – 45%
SC/ST – 40%
General – 50% SC/ST – 45%
Age limitThere is no upper age limit for UG programs.No upper age limit has been prescribed for admission to PG programs.

Exam Pattern for CLAT UG and PG 2022 

You can look for differences in mode of the exam, marking scheme, subjects, number of questions, of CLAT UG and CLAT PG below:

CategoryCLAT UGCLAT PG
Duration2 Hours2 Hours
ModeOffline-ModeOffline-Mode
Application FeeRs. 4000/- Rs. 4000/- 
Type of QuestionsObjective-type, comprehension-based questionsObjective-type, comprehension-based questions
Number of Questions150120
Total Marks150 marks120 marks
SubjectsEnglish Language
Current Affairs, including GK
Legal Reasoning
Logical Reasoning
Quantitative Techniques
Constitutional Law
Other Law Subjects, including Contract, Criminal Law, Torts, IPR, International Law, and Jurisprudence.
Marking schemeOne mark will be granted for every correct answer.0.25 marks will be deducted for an incorrect answer.One mark will be granted for every correct answer.0.25 marks will be deducted for an incorrect answer.
Difficulty LevelModerateModerate-Difficult

Also read: Tips on How to Prepare for CLAT in Class 12th

Top Private Law Colleges Accepting CLAT UG and CLAT PG Scores

Apart from NLU’s, there are many private colleges that accept CLAT scores for providing admissions to undergraduate and postgraduate programs. The list of the top law colleges is given below:

  • Alliance School of Law, Bangalore
  • Amity University. Noida
  • Asian Law College, Noida
  • Delhi Institute of Rural Development (D.I.R.D.), Holambi, Delhi
  • Azim Premji University, Bengaluru
  • Geeta Institute of Law, Panipat
  • Disha Law College, Raipur
  • Galgotias University, Greater Noida
  • IFIM Law College, Bengaluru
  • Institute of Law, Nirma University, Ahmedabad
  • Harlal Law of School, Greater Noida
  • Indore Institute of Law, Indore
  • JECRC University, Jaipur
  • Jagannath University, Jaipur
  • JIMS Engineering Management Technical Campus of Law, Greater Noida
  • Maharaja Surajmal Brij University, Bharatpur
  • Manipal University, Jaipur
  • Lloyd Law College, Greater Noida
  • JECRC University, Jaipur
  • Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad
  • Mewar University, Chittorgarh
  • NIMT Institute of Method and Law (NIMT Vidhi Evam Kanun Sansthan, Delhi NCR)

The Last Word

CLAT UG and CLAT PG entirely serve different purposes, one is taken to qualify for the Undergraduate program, whilst the other examination is written to pursue the Postgraduate programs. Stay tuned for more such articles or other law related information.