What are the subjects covered in the CLAT exam syllabus?

The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is an entrance exam for admission to undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) law programs offered by national law universities (NLUs) across India. The syllabus for the CLAT exam varies for UG and PG candidates, so I will cover both.

CLAT UG Exam Syllabus (Undergraduate Programs)

The UG CLAT exam assesses a candidate’s general knowledge, reasoning skills, and aptitude for the study of law. The subjects covered in the CLAT UG syllabus include:

1. English Language

• Focus: Reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, sentence formation, and understanding meaning in context.
• Topics:
  • Passages (factual, literary, and narrative)
    • Antonyms & Synonyms
    • Idioms and Phrases
    • Sentence correction
    • Fill in the blanks
    • Reading comprehension

2. Current Affairs and General Knowledge

• Focus: Current events of national and international importance, static general knowledge, and issues related to the law, society, environment, and governance.
• Topics:
  • National and international news (politics, sports, entertainment, etc.)
    • Awards, honors, and important personalities
    • Economic issues
    • Environmental issues
    • Science and technology developments
    • Legal issues (if they are current and relevant)

3. Legal Reasoning

• Focus: Test a candidate’s ability to apply legal principles to solve problems. There are no specific legal knowledge requirements, but candidates must use reasoning to solve questions involving laws or legal principles.
• Topics:
  • Principles of law, ethics, and rules
    • Legal reasoning involving factual situations
    • Analogies based on principles and rules
    • Judgments based on reasoning in cases

4. Logical Reasoning

• Focus: Tests a candidate’s ability to recognize patterns, logical sequences, and understand arguments. It involves critical thinking and evaluating statements and arguments.
• Topics:
  • Syllogisms
    • Sequences and series
    • Analogies
    • Coding and decoding
    • Blood relations
    • Directions and arrangements
    • Logical puzzles

5. Quantitative Techniques

• Focus: Basic mathematics and data interpretation. This section assesses your ability to handle numbers and solve problems based on elementary math.
• Topics:
  • Arithmetic (percentage, profit-loss, simple and compound interest, ratio and proportion)
    • Data interpretation (charts, tables, graphs)
    • Speed, time, and distance
    • Mensuration (area, perimeter, volume)
    • Basic algebra
    • Simple equations

CLAT PG Exam Syllabus (Postgraduate Programs)

For the CLAT PG exam, the syllabus is primarily focused on the subjects related to law, covering various branches of law that one would encounter during an LLB program.

1. Constitutional Law

• Focus: The Constitution of India, its key provisions, principles, and interpretation.
• Topics:
  • Fundamental Rights
    • Directive Principles of State Policy
    • Separation of Powers
    • Amendments to the Constitution
    • Landmark Supreme Court judgments on Constitutional issues
    • Federalism, President’s Rule, and emergency provisions

2. Jurisprudence

• Focus: Legal theory and philosophy.
• Topics:
  • Concept of law (Austin, Hart, Kelsen)
    • Schools of jurisprudence (Natural law, Positive law, Realist jurisprudence, etc.)
    • Rights and duties in law
    • Justice, equality, and liberty
    • Legal positivism, Marxist theories, and Feminist jurisprudence

3. Contract Law

• Focus: Principles of contracts, including the formation and enforcement of agreements.
• Topics:
  • General principles of contract
    • Offer and acceptance
    • Consideration
    • Breach of contract
    • Remedies for breach
    • Specific relief and contracts for the sale of goods

4. Torts

• Focus: Civil wrongs and liabilities.
• Topics:
  • Negligence
    • Defamation
    • Nuisance
    • Strict liability
    • Vicarious liability
    • Consumer Protection laws

5. Criminal Law

• Focus: Penal laws and criminal justice system.
• Topics:
  • Indian Penal Code (IPC)
    • Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC)
    • Indian Evidence Act
    • Offenses and punishments
    • Theories of punishment
    • Criminal liability

6. International Law

• Focus: Legal norms governing relations between states and international organizations.
• Topics:
  • Sources of international law
    • International treaties and conventions
    • International organizations (UN, ICJ)
    • Human rights law
    • Laws of war, treaties, and international disputes

7. Family Law

• Focus: Laws governing familial relationships and the legal rights of family members.
• Topics:
  • Hindu Law (marriage, divorce, inheritance)
    • Muslim Law (marriage, inheritance)
    • Special Marriage Act
    • Adoption and Guardianship laws
    • Child rights

8. Environmental Law

• Focus: Legal principles related to environmental protection.
• Topics:
  • International environmental law
    • Environmental Protection Act
    • Conservation laws
    • Pollution control laws
    • Biodiversity and wildlife protection laws

9. Labor and Industrial Law

• Focus: Employment law and workplace regulations.
• Topics:
  • Industrial Disputes Act
    • Factory Act
    • Trade Union Law
    • Social Security Law
    • Employment and labor rights

10. Intellectual Property Law

• Focus: Legal protections for inventions, trademarks, copyrights, and patents.
• Topics:
  • Patents Act
    • Copyright Act
    • Trademarks Act
    • Designs Act
    • International treaties on intellectual property

Exam Pattern

• The UG exam consists of 150 questions that are divided into the sections mentioned above (English, General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques).
• The PG exam consists of 120 questions from the subjects listed (Constitutional Law, Jurisprudence, etc.).

Preparation Tips

• Regularly read newspapers for current affairs.
• Practice mock tests to get familiar with the exam format.
• Study standard textbooks on legal subjects for the PG exam.
• Focus on problem-solving for quantitative sections and reasoning questions.