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Difference Between CLAT and BLAT
Updated On : January 17, 2023
Law is one of the highly demanded career options among young students like you after completing class 12th beyond engineering and medicine.
Every year, lakhs of aspirants apply for various state-level or university-level examinations to get admission to law programs.
Considering the various entrance exams, the most popular exams in India are CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) and BLAT (Banaras Hindu University Law Admission Test).
Both these exams are conducted annually to provide admission to both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
CLAT is a national-level exam, whereas BLAT is a University level exam. Therefore, these exams differ in difficulty, competition level, the number of seats, eligibility criteria, etc.
You may have the option of taking both of these admission examinations, but make sure you understand the differences between CLAT and BLAT before proceeding.
Explore the detailed article to understand a comparative study of CLAT vs. BLAT exams.
CLAT vs. BLAT (Major Differences)
The CLAT Entrance Exam is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) to provide admission to 22 National Law Universities across India.
On the other hand, Banaras Hindu University Law Admission Test (BLAT), a university-level entrance exam is conducted by the Banaras Hindu University to select students for the LLB Hons and BA LLB Hons programs.
Check out the table below to understand the similarities and significant differences between CLAT and BLAT.
| Parameters/Basis | CLAT | BLAT |
| What is this exam? | Common-Law Admission Test is a law exam for admission to top NLUs and Law Schools across India | BLAT provides admission to the BA LLB program offered at Banaras Hindu University only. |
| Level of the exam | National-level exam | University-level exam. |
| Educational qualification required | 45% aggregate marks are required in class 12 for CLAT | An aggregate percentage of 50% is required in class 12 for BLAT. |
| Upper Age Limit | No upper age limit | 20 years |
| Mode of Exam | Online | Offline |
| Number of Questions | 150 | 150 |
| Type of Questions | Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Sections in the Exam | English Language, Legal Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, Mathematics, General Awareness, and Current Affairs | General Awareness and Current Affairs, Legal Aptitude, Mental Ability, English Comprehension |
| Marking Scheme | Correct Answer: +1 Mark; Wrong Answer: -0.25 Marks | Correct Answer: +3 Mark; Wrong Answer: -1 Marks |
| Scores Accepted By | All 22 NLUs, few Private Law Colleges | Only Banaras Hindu University |
| Courses Offered | Integrated LLB, LLM | LLB(Hon), BA LLB(Hon) |
| Number of Seats Offered | Around 2342 seats at NLUs across India | Around 90 |
| Location of Campuses | Check the complete list of CLAT Colleges | Varanasi |
| Is there any Cut Off | Yes. Only if you secure marks above the cut-off, you will be shortlisted for counselling | Yes, based on the entrance exam cut-off marks, you will get shortlisted for further stages. |
| Admission Procedure | CLAT Exam, Counselling, Seat Allotment, Admission | Entrance Exam, Counselling, Seat Allotment, and Admission |
| Do PSUs accept the scores? | Yes, check PSU Recruitment through CLAT | No |
| Highest Scores Accepted by Top Most Colleges | The cut-off varies for each NLU; however, 100-120 is a good score to get in the top NLUs | BLAT Score shall be accepted only by BHU |
Difference Between CLAT and BLAT Exam Pattern 2024
As per the previous year's trends, the CLAT exam is conducted online, and BLAT is conducted offline. The Common Law Admission Test is conducted for 150 marks, whereas BLAT is conducted for 450 marks.
The total time duration of both the exams is 120 minutes i.e, 2 hours. Go through the table below to understand the CLAT Exam Pattern and BLAT exam pattern in detail.
| Parameters | CLAT | BLAT |
| Duration | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Number of Questions | 150 | 150 |
| Sections | English, GK, Elementary Mathematics, Legal Aptitude, Logical Reasoning for LLB. Constitutional Law, Jurisprudence, other Law Subjects for LLM | Current Affairs/General Awareness, Legal Aptitude, Mental Ability, English Comprehension |
| Marking Scheme | -0.25 for every wrong answer and 1 mark allotted for every correct answer | 1 mark deducted for every wrong answer and 3 marks allotted for every correct answer |
| Difficulty Level | Moderate-Difficult | Moderate-Difficult |
CLAT vs. BLAT: Colleges and Admissions 2024
After clearing the BLAT entrance exam, you can get admission to the Banaras Hindu University in LLB Courses.
But after clearing the Common Law Admission Test, CLAT, there are a considerable number of colleges that you can enter into based on your CLAT Cut Off 2024.
List of colleges accepting CLAT scores:
- National Law School of India University (NLSIU) – Bangalore
- National Academy of Legal Study And Research (NALSAR) – Hyderabad
- National Law Institute University (NLIU) – Bhopal
- West Bengal National University of Judicial Sciences (WBNUJS) – Kolkata
- National Law University (NLU) – Jodhpur
- Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU) – Raipur
- Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) – Gandhinagar
- Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU) – Lucknow
- Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) – Patiala
- Chanakya National Law University (CNLU) – Patna
- National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) – Kochi
- National Law University Odisha (NLUO) – Cuttack
- National University of Study & Research in Law (NUSRL) – Ranchi
- National Law University & Judicial Academy (NLUJAA) - Assam
- Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU) – Vishakhapatnam
- The TamilNadu National Law School (TNNLS) – Tiruchirapalli
- Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU) – Mumbai
- Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU) – Nagpur
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BLAT better than CLAT?
Which courses are offered through BLAT exam?
Which university will consider BLAT score?
Are CLAT and BLAT considered national levels exams?
How is CLAT different from BLAT?
Which colleges accept CLAT scores?
