Combined Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2008 is going to be entirely objective.

The exam is going to be held on a much larger scale and it is not possible by the organisers to evaluate subjective-type questions, especially when the competition level is going to be rather stiff. When the cut-off is going to vary by half or three-quarters of a mark, it is not fair to have subjective questions. CAT, CET… every test is objective. This does not mean that there will be dilution of standards

Some prestigious law colleges in the country will conduct the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) on May 11. With this, for the first time in the country, admission to seven national Law Schools will be through a Common Entrance Examination. These institutions are located in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkota, Bhopal, Jodhpur, Raipur and Gandhinagar. Apart from them, the law colleges in Patna, Lucknow and Patiala will use the CLAT score for admission.

Each of the seven Law Schools will get a chance to conduct the annual examination by rotation. This year, it is the turn of the National Law School of India, University, Bangalore.

With CLAT, the standard of students seeking legal education will definitely improve. This will bring in a better quality of legal education and thus streamlining the law education in the country. It is expected that all the leading law schools in the country will join this stream. It is not just colleges in the government sector, but also prestigious and quality institutions such as ILF-Pune. For instance, in the U.S., they have LSAT. If there is an integrated law entrance procedure, naturally the students will compete and get better. And as for the NLS, obviously the quality of students will be better if the “catchment area” becomes the entire country.

Until last year, students had to sit for separate entrance tests and also had to pay Rs. 1,000 for each exam. Application forms are now available for Rs. 2,000, which will considerably reduce the financial burden on students. Previously students had to write several exams and travel to different centres.

Most of these National Law Schools have applicants from all over the country.

It is expected that this common test will make it much less troublesome for the studentsThe pattern of CLAT will broadly correspond to the NLSIU Entrance test pattern in previous years.

The CLAT will entirely be an objective test.

No Negative Marking

Following is the break up of marks:

1. English - 40 marks

2. General Knowledge - 50 marks

3. Mathematics - 20 marks

4. Legal Aptitude - 40 marks