CLAT Eligibility 2025 – Age Limit, Educational Qualification & Marks
Law school applicants seeking admission to NLUs are only eligible to take CLAT 2025. CLAT Eligibility 2025 criteria must be fulfilled by candidates seeking to appear in the law entrance examination. If a candidate does not meet the eligibility requirements for CLAT 2025, their admission to NLU will not be considered even if they pass the entrance examination. Nonetheless, the CLAT eligibility criteria are based on three factors: age, nationality, and educational qualifications.
CLAT is a centralized national-level government entrance examination for admission to 22 national law universities in India. The admissions criteria for many self-financed and private law schools in India use these scores as well. The consortium of NLUs has decided to conduct CLAT 2024-25 on 3rd December 2024. Meanwhile, it has also released a notification regarding the registration for the exam.
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CLAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit
The CLAT age limit for 2025 is the first criterion for applying for the Common Law Admission Test. CLAT Entrance Exam 2024 does not have an upper age limit, as announced by the consortium. Meanwhile, the CLAT PG exam also has no upper age limit. Therefore, anyone can apply for LLM courses regardless of their age. The minimum age for applying for the exam is 20 years old. In light of this, it is worth noting that CLAT eligibility age is also important for postgraduate law programs.
Eligibility criteria for CLAT Exam 2025
Eligibility criteria for undergraduate programs
The candidate should have passed 10+2 or any equivalent exam with the following percentage:
- 45% marks for the candidates belonging to the General/OBC/ Specially-able persons (SAP) category.
- 40% marks for candidates belonging to the SC/ST category.
- This exam can also be taken by candidates appearing in the qualifying exam, i.e. 10+2. During admission, they should show sufficient evidence that they have passed HSC.
- The candidate should submit the results of the qualifying exam at the time of admission. However, If you fail to do so, you shall be ineligible for admission to the course.
CLAT Eligibility 2025 – General Criteria
- Students preparing for the HSC exam in March/April 2025 can fill out the CLAT Registration form if they meet the CLAT UG eligibility requirements.
- Candidates should also submit their HSC results at the time of admission.
- If the candidate fails to submit the result during the time of admission, they will lose their chance of admission to the desired law school.
CLAT Eligibility 2025 – Tie-breaking
The exam-conducting body uses the following tie-breaking procedure when there are equal marks:
- The aspirant with higher marks in the legal aptitude section will be preferred
- If the tie still exists, the aspirant of higher age will be preferred
To break a tie in CLAT UG 2025, the following procedures and order will be used:
- Higher scores in legal aptitude subject
- Old age candidate
- Computerized lotteries
Tie-breaker round for PG score
- Older age candidate
- Computerized lotteries
CLAT 2024-25 Eligibility Criteria for PG programs
Below is a list of CLAT PG 2025 eligibility criteria that aspirants need to meet, along with a table illustrating the prerequisites specific to each course.
| Mode | Offline |
| Age Limit | No upper age limit |
| Nationality | Indian Nationals/NRIs/PIO/OCI seeking admission in either of the PG programs should appear in CLAT PG 2025 |
| Minimum Aggregate Marks | 50%- General/OBC/PWD/NRI/PIO/OCI categories 45%- SC/ST categories |
CLAT Eligibility Criteria for NRI Students
NRI aspirants seeking admission under the NRI quota must meet the CLAT test eligibility criteria and complete the admission requirements.
- Aspirants in the NRI/NRI sponsored category are admitted based on their merit scores, with CLAT seats being allocated based on NRI quotas.
- For admission formalities, minimum CLAT eligibility, and documents required for NRI admission, contact the relevant university directly.
- If there are no foreign national seats available, the seats will be converted into NRI/NRI sponsored seats.
- Candidate eligibility for CLAT admission under this category will be determined by the CLAT office.
Documents required for NRI students for CLAT Admission
If you belong to the NRI category, submit the following documents at admission:
- Copy of the valid Indian passport of the candidate
- Visa acquired in the last 12 months.
- Certificate from the local embassy stating the person has an NRI/OCI or PIO card.
Documents needed for NRI-sponsored candidates for CLAT exam admission 2024
- Sponsor’s copy of valid Indian passport.
- Visa obtained by the sponsor in the last 12 months.
- Certificate from the local embassy stating the sponsor is an NRI/OCI or PIO card.
- Sponsor’s affidavit indicating willingness to fund student education over five years and interest in educational affairs.
CLAT Eligibility 2025: Educational Qualification
Educational qualification plays a vital role in CLAT entrance exam eligibility. Let’s take a look at the criteria set by the consortium and determine who is eligible to take the CLAT exam based on their educational background.
- Applicants must have completed their 10+2 or equivalent examination from a recognized board or university to qualify for CLAT 2024. Additionally, they must meet the eligibility requirements for the CLAT exam.
- If you belong to the General/OBC/PWD/ NR/PIO/OCI categories, then you must secure at least 45% marks in senior secondary school.
- Those belonging to SC/ST categories should achieve a score of 40% or an equivalent percentage of marks in the HSC examination.
- It is also possible for candidates appearing in the qualifying exam (Class 12 in April/May 2025) to appear in CLAT 2025. Besides, the certificate of the qualifying examination must be presented at the time of admission, otherwise, admission will be canceled.
CLAT Eligibility for CLAT PG 2025
- CLAT PG 2025 is also open to candidates who are in the final year of their qualifying examination. At the time of admission, you will be required to submit your final year mark sheet.
- To be eligible for CLAT PG 2025, you must have a minimum percentage of 50% in LLB or an equivalent degree from a recognized university.
- 45% is the minimum percentage required for SC’ST candidates. Meanwhile, an age relaxation of 5% is given.
Minimum marks required for UG-CLAT 2025
Below are the minimum marks required for UG-CLAT 2025:
1. Applicants should have earned at least 45% aggregate marks in their qualifying examinations for Class 12th.
2. The minimum grade requirement for SC and ST candidates is 40%.
Minimum marks required for CLAT LLM 2025
Below are the minimum marks required for CLAT LLM 2025:
1. The candidates must secure at least 50% marks of their equivalent grade in LLB graduation
2. At least 45% of the marks in the qualifying examination are required only for SC and ST candidates.
CLAT Eligibility 2025- Nationality
- According to the CLAT UG eligibility criteria, Indian nationals and non-resident Indians are eligible to apply. The persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) are eligible to apply for the CLAT Exam 2025, provided they meet the eligibility requirements for CLAT UG.
- The foreign nationals are also eligible to apply for CLAT 2025 but should have a valid passport.
FAQs for CLAT Exam Eligibility 2025
1. What is the maximum number of times I may appear for CLAT?
The CLAT exam is open to all candidates. However, you must meet the eligibility requirements set by the exam conducting body to take the CLAT.
2. Is CLAT only for law students?
Law school applicants seeking admission to NLUs are only eligible to take CLAT 2025.
3. Who is eligible for CLAT entrance?
CLAT UG is open to all law aspirants who have completed their Class 12th with at least 45% marks. The graduate candidates, however, are eligible for the CLAT LLM program.
4. How do international students qualify for the CLAT exam?
The CLAT exam eligibility has been revised to indicate that NRI candidates are eligible to apply. Moreover, the following points will assist in understanding the special eligibility criteria for international students.
1. NRI candidates must take CLAT 2025 only if they wish to enroll in an NLU that requires this entrance exam.
2. Shortlisting of candidates will be done by the CLAT authority as part of the official CLAT eligibility updates.
5. How many times one can appear for CLAT?
Candidates may appear for CLAT as many times as they wish. However, there are currently no restrictions on the number of candidates who can take the exam. Besides, the candidates must meet the minimum eligibility requirements.
6. Can I get admission to NLU’s integrated law programs without taking the CLAT?
CLAT is a pre-requisite for admission to any of NLU’s law programs. Thus, law aspirants should take CLAT to be eligible to apply to any law program.
7. How many marks do I need to qualify for CLAT 2025?
Students should consider both the difficulty level of the paper and the university where they wish to study law.
8. Is CLAT PG mandatory to pursue LLM in NLUs?
The CLAT PG is compulsory for pursuing LLM from NLUs, forming a part of the consortium of NLUs. Moreover, to pursue an LLM from any other college, the aspirant should apply for a separate exam from the targeted college.
9. Can I take the CLAT exam after Class 12th?
Yes, you are eligible to take the CLAT exam after class 12th. However, to be eligible for the exam, one must meet certain criteria.
10. Which stream is best for CLAT?
You should choose the Commerce stream if you intend to take the CLAT to pursue a legal career, followed by the B.Com and LLB streams. Besides, you can also apply directly for CLAT after completing your 12th grade. In addition, some topics in business may not be relevant to law.