All Major Law Entrance Exams in India 2027: Dates, Patterns & Prep Guide

Planning to join a 5-year integrated law programme (BA LLB, BBA LLB or BCom LLB) right after Class 12? Your journey starts with the right entrance exams, and betting everything on one test is risky. Seats at top law schools are limited and competition rises every year.

At CLATutor, we advise every aspirant to apply for more than one law entrance exam. Most of these tests reward the same core skills: reading comprehension, reasoning and current affairs. That means one smart preparation plan can open doors to the National Law Universities (NLUs) as well as top private and state law colleges.

Below is a fully updated breakdown of every major law entrance exam for the 2027 admission cycle, with confirmed dates, the latest exam patterns, and a plan to prepare for all of them together.

What's Changed This Year: Quick Updates

If you've read older guides, note these important changes:

• SLAT has moved to December. It is no longer a May exam. SLAT 2027 will be held on 19 and 26 December 2026.
• MH CET Law (5-year) now has 120 questions, down from 150. The CET Cell reduced the paper size from 2025 onwards.
• LSAT India has been discontinued. Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) now admits students only through the LNAT-UK test.
• CUET no longer has a Legal Studies paper. BA LLB admissions through CUET now use the Language test and the General Aptitude Test.
• SLAT's Writing Ability Test (WAT) has been removed. Selection is now based on the SLAT score plus a Personal Interaction (PI).

Quick Comparison: Law Entrance Exams for 2027 Admissions

Note: CLAT, AILET, SLAT and JGLS dates are confirmed from official announcements. MH CET Law and CUET UG 2027 dates are expected based on last year's schedule. Always verify on the official websites before applying.

1. Common Law Admission Test (CLAT)

CLAT is India's most prestigious law entrance exam and the gateway to 24+ National Law Universities, including NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad and WBNUJS Kolkata.

• CLAT 2027 date: Sunday, 6 December 2026, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Registration closed on 31 October 2026.
• Exam pattern: Offline (pen-and-paper), 120 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours. Each correct answer earns 1 mark and each wrong answer costs 0.25.
• Sections: English Language, Current Affairs & GK, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques.
• What makes it unique: CLAT is comprehension-based. Almost every question is tied to a passage of around 450 words, so it tests reading speed and critical thinking rather than rote memorisation. The Consortium has confirmed no changes to the syllabus or pattern for CLAT 2027.

Read more: CLAT overview · Paper pattern · Eligibility

2. All India Law Entrance Test (AILET)

AILET is conducted only by NLU Delhi and is the only route into this top-ranked institution. With limited seats, it is known for intense competition and a slightly trickier question style.

• AILET 2027 date: Sunday, 13 December 2026, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, exactly one week after CLAT.
• Exam pattern: Offline (pen-and-paper), 150 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours, with no sectional time limit. Each correct answer earns 1 mark and each wrong answer costs 0.25.
• Sections: English Language (50 questions), Current Affairs & GK (30 questions) and Logical Reasoning (70 questions).
• What makes it unique: There is no Quantitative Techniques section and no separate Legal Reasoning section. Legal propositions appear inside the Logical Reasoning section, which carries nearly half the paper.

3. Symbiosis Law Admission Test (SLAT)

SLAT is the entrance test for the four Symbiosis Law Schools in Pune, Noida, Hyderabad and Nagpur. SLS Pune is widely regarded as one of India's leading private law schools for placements and exposure.

• SLAT 2027 dates: Test 1 on 19 December 2026 and Test 2 on 26 December 2026. You can take both, and your higher score counts.
• Registration deadline: 4 December 2026. Results are expected on 12 January 2027.
• Exam pattern: Online (computer-based), 60 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, with no negative marking.
• Sections: Logical Reasoning, Legal Reasoning, Analytical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension and General Knowledge.
• Selection process: Shortlisted candidates attend a Personal Interaction (PI). Final merit is calculated as SLAT score (scaled to 70) plus PI (30). The Writing Ability Test has been discontinued.
• What makes it unique: Speed is everything. You get just one minute per question.

4. LNAT-UK for Jindal Global Law School (Replaces LSAT India)

LSAT India was discontinued from the 2025 admission cycle. Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) now admits its entire LLB intake through the LNAT-UK (National Admission Test for Law), a test owned by a consortium headquartered at the University of Oxford.

• Programmes: BA LLB (Hons.), BBA LLB (Hons.), BCom LLB (Hons.) and the 3-year LLB (Hons.). JGLS does not accept CLAT or AILET scores for these programmes.
• 2027 timeline: Testing began on 1 September 2026. The early admission deadline is 30 November 2026, and the final admission deadline is 28 February 2027.
• Exam pattern: Computer-based, 42 multiple-choice questions on 12 passages in 95 minutes, taken at test centres across India.
• What makes it unique: It is heavily passage-based and argument-focused, which makes it a natural fit for students already preparing for CLAT and AILET.

5. MH CET Law (5-Year LLB)

Conducted by the State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra, this exam opens the door to iconic institutions like Government Law College (GLC) Mumbai and ILS Law College Pune. Most seats are reserved for Maharashtra domicile candidates, while a share of seats is open to candidates from across India.

• 2027 timeline (expected): The notification is expected in late November 2026, registration in January 2027 and the exam in May 2027. The 2026 exam was held on 8 May 2026.
• Exam pattern: Online, 120 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours, with no negative marking. (The paper was reduced from 150 questions in 2025.)
• Sections: Legal Aptitude & Legal Reasoning (32), Logical & Analytical Reasoning (32), General Knowledge & Current Affairs (24), English (24) and Basic Mathematics (8).

6. CUET (UG) for Law

The Common University Entrance Test (CUET UG) is used by several central and state universities offering 5-year integrated law programmes, including Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and the University of Allahabad.

• 2027 timeline (expected): Registration usually opens in January and the exam is held in May. CUET UG 2026 was held from 11 to 31 May 2026.
• Exam pattern: Computer-based. Law aspirants take a Language test and the General Aptitude Test. The Legal Studies paper was removed from CUET in 2025.
• Tip: Check each university's required subject combination before you fill the CUET form. See also our CUET page.

Your Law Entrance Calendar: What's Left in the 2027 Cycle

How to Prepare for All Law Exams Without Burnout

Preparing for six different exams sounds overwhelming, but the core syllabus overlaps heavily. Instead of studying separately for each test, follow an integrated approach:

• Build a strong foundation first. Spend your first few months on reading comprehension, core legal principles and daily current affairs. This forms the backbone of CLAT, AILET, SLAT and LNAT together.
• Plan December as one connected sprint. CLAT, AILET and both SLAT tests now fall within three weeks. Practise passage-heavy mocks for CLAT and AILET, and add a few timed, one-minute-per-question SLAT mocks every week from November so the switch in pace doesn't catch you off guard.
• Use both SLAT attempts. Since your best score counts, treat Test 1 as a real attempt and Test 2 as a chance to improve.
• Shift to speed and maths after December. From January, focus on MH CET Law and CUET: short one-liner questions, no negative marking, and basic maths for MH CET.
• Balance boards and entrances. Plan your mock schedule around Class 12 board preparation, and use mentorship to keep both on track.

Ready to Start Your Law Journey with Confidence?

At CLATutor, our Comprehensive Full-Year Batch prepares you for CLAT, AILET, SLAT, MH CET Law and more under one roof, with live classes, 1-on-1 mentorship and exam-specific mock test series.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Disclaimer: Exam dates and patterns are based on official announcements available as of 14 November 2026. Dates marked “expected” are based on previous years. Always confirm details on the official exam portals: consortiumofnlus.ac.in (CLAT), nationallawuniversitydelhi.in (AILET), slat-test.org (SLAT), cetcell.mahacet.org (MH CET Law), exams.nta.ac.in/CUET-UG (CUET) and lawadmissions.jgu.edu.in (JGLS).