The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) syllabus is crafted to evaluate candidates’ comprehension, analytical reasoning, and foundational legal awareness rather than rote memorization. In accordance with the revised structure by the Consortium of NLUs, both the UG and PG examinations feature passage-based multiple choice questions.

1. CLAT UG Detailed Subject Syllabus

A. English Language (~22–26 Questions • ~20% Weightage)

Candidates are provided passages of about 450 words each derived from contemporary fiction and non-fiction, socio-legal essays, and philosophical writings. Candidates must demonstrate:

• Central Theme & Argument: Identifying the author's primary thesis, perspective, and core arguments.
• Inferences & Conclusions: Drawing reasoned deductions from facts and hypotheses stated in the passage.
• Summarization: Comprehending passages swiftly and summarizing essential points.
• Contextual Vocabulary: Understanding word meanings, nuances, and phrase idioms used in context.

B. Current Affairs & General Knowledge (~28–32 Questions • ~25% Weightage)

Passages of up to 450 words derived from news articles, journalistic reports, and historical records covering:

• Contemporary National & International Affairs: Major treaties, diplomatic summits, geopolitical events, and policy developments.
• Historical Events of Continuing Significance: Constitutional evolution, post-independence history, and landmark milestones.
• Arts, Culture & Literature: National honors, literary prizes, cultural movements, and UNESCO heritage developments.
• Legal Developments & Public Policy: Recent legislative enactments, judicial pronouncements, constitutional amendments, and international law conventions.

C. Legal Reasoning (~28–32 Questions • ~25% Weightage)

Candidates read 450-word passages concerning legal propositions, public controversies, or moral dilemmas. No prior formal legal knowledge is required; candidates must apply the legal rules provided in the passage to the factual scenarios:

• Constitutional Law: Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles, Preamble, separation of powers, and judicial review principles.
• Law of Torts: Negligence, strict and absolute liability, nuisance, defamation, vicarious liability, and trespass.
• Law of Contracts: Offer and acceptance, consideration, breach of contract, promissory estoppel, and validity conditions.
• Criminal Law: General exceptions, criminal conspiracy, offenses against human body and property under updated statutory codes.
• Public International Law & Environmental Jurisprudence: Sustainable development, polluter pays principle, and humanitarian guidelines.

D. Logical Reasoning (~22–26 Questions • ~20% Weightage)

Passages of roughly 300 to 450 words testing critical reasoning skills:

• Recognizing Arguments: Premise-conclusion identification and reasoning structures.
• Critical Evaluation: Assessing argument validity, identifying underlying assumptions, and detecting logical fallacies.
• Strengthening & Weakening: Choosing evidence that bolsters or refutes a given hypothesis.
• Analogies & Relationships: Drawing parallel reasoning paradigms and structural comparisons across contexts.

E. Quantitative Techniques (~10–14 Questions • ~10% Weightage)

Candidates review short sets of facts, textual descriptions, graphical representations, or tabular data and extract mathematical conclusions using Class 10 mathematics:

• Data Interpretation (DI): Caselet-based data sets, bar charts, pie charts, and data tables.
• Commercial Mathematics: Ratios & proportions, percentages, profit & loss, and simple & compound interest.
• Averages, Rates & Work: Time & work, speed, distance & time, mixtures, and alligations.
• Elementary Mensuration: Basic 2D perimeter, area, and standard geometric approximations.

2. CLAT PG (LL.M.) Syllabus

The CLAT PG test paper is based on the mandatory subjects taught during undergraduate law programmes (LL.B.):

• Constitutional Law: Primary focal point accounting for ~30–40% of questions, including landmark Supreme Court judgments, constitutional doctrines, fundamental rights, and federalism.
• Jurisprudence: Analytical, sociological, natural, historical, and realist schools of law, concepts of rights, duties, possession, ownership, and personality.
• Other Mandatory Law Subjects: Law of Contracts, Law of Torts, Criminal Law & Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Administrative Law, Family Law, Public International Law, Property Law, Company Law, and Environmental Law.