The application process for CLAT 2024 has begun. Without much delay, you should apply for the exam. Once you have applied, begin your preparations for CLAT 2024. Before starting the preparation, you should know the CLAT exam pattern. Here is an article to help you get acquainted with the CLAT exam pattern.
CLAT Exam Pattern: Update
The last update the CLAT exam witnessed was a shift in the exam dates. Usually, the exam is held in May each year but due to various reasons, CLAT 2022 onwards, the exam has been scheduled for December. This year another modification in the CLAT exam could be witnessed. This time the CLAT exam pattern for the UG exam has been changed.
- Earlier the CLAT UG exam had 150 questions, which were to be attempted within 120 minutes. CLAT 2024 onwards, the CLAT UG exam will have only 120 questions. The question count has been reduced by 30 questions. Now, the CLAT UG and CLAT PG exams have the same question count.
- The CLAT exam pattern for PG courses has not witnessed any change.
CLAT Exam Pattern: Undergraduate Courses
CLAT exam pattern discusses various essential components of the exam. The details include:
- The CLAT UG exam will be administered in the offline mode through pen-paper-based tests.
- The exam will be 120 minutes (2 hours) long.
- The question will be multiple choice based. The candidates will have to choose the most appropriate response from the 4 options provided.
- Candidates will be provided with 120 questions across 5 sections for the CLAT UG exam.
- The sections are English Language, Quantitative Technique, Logical Reasoning, Legal Reasoning, and Current Affairs including General Knowledge.
- There will be a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong response. 1 mark is awarded for the correct response. Considering the negative and positive scores, the final CLAT score will be calculated.
- No sectional time limit will be applicable.
CLAT Exam Pattern UG: Marks Distribution (Section-Wise)
| S. No. | Subject Area | Weightage in Percentage |
| 1. | English Language | 20% |
| 2. | Current Affairs, including General Knowledge | 25% |
| 3. | Legal Reasoning | 25% |
| 4. | Logical Reasoning | 20% |
| 5. | Quantitative Techniques | 10% |
| Total Questions | 120 Questions |
CLAT Exam Pattern: Postgraduate Courses
- THE CLAT PG exam will be organized by the Consortium of NLUs.
- The CLAT PG exam will be administered in the offline mode through pen-paper-based tests.
- The exam will be 120 minutes long.
- The exam will include 2 sections. The first one will focus on constitutional law and the second section will include questions from other domains of legal studies like criminal law, administrative law, torts, property law etc.
- The maximum mark to be obtained in the exam is 120.
- The question will be multiple choice based. The candidates will have to choose the most appropriate response from the 4 options provided.
- There will be a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong response. 1 mark is awarded for the correct response. Considering the negative and positive scores, the final CLAT 2024 score will be calculated.
- No sectional time limit will be applicable.
CLAT Exam Pattern PG: Marks Distribution & Question Count (Section-Wise)
| S.No. | Subjects | Questions
(approx.) |
CLAT total marks | Weightage |
|
|
Constitutional Law | 60 | 60 | 50% |
|
|
Other Laws such as Jurisprudence, Torts, Family Law, Criminal Law, Administrative Law, Law of Contract, Company Law, Tax Law, Property Law, Environmental Law, Public International Law and Labour & Industrial Law | 60 | 60 | 50% |
| TOTAL | 120 Questions | 120 Marks | 100% |
Note: For further details on the CLAT exam pattern, you may refer to the official notification released by the Consortium.
Benefits of Knowing the CLAT Exam Pattern:
CLAT Exam Pattern is one of the most essential details about the exam. Knowing the CLAT exam pattern can help CLAT aspirants in several ways, including:
- Planning their studies: By knowing the exam pattern, CLAT aspirants can plan their studies more effectively. They can identify the areas that they need to focus on and they can create a study schedule that will help them to cover all of the material in time for the exam.
- Preparing for the exam: Knowing the exam pattern can help CLAT aspirants to prepare for the exam in a more targeted way. They can practice answering questions that are similar to the ones that will be on the actual exam, and they can learn how to manage their time effectively during the exam.
- Understanding the marking scheme: Knowing the marking scheme can help CLAT aspirants to focus on the questions that are worth the most marks. This can help them to maximize their score on the exam.
- Assessing their progress: By knowing the exam pattern, CLAT aspirants can assess their progress more effectively. They can take practice tests and compare their scores to the expected scores for different percentiles. This can help them to identify areas where they need to improve.
Overall, knowing the CLAT exam pattern can be a valuable asset for CLAT 2024 aspirants. It can help them to plan their studies, prepare for the exam, and assess their progress.