Two different things get called "CLAT after graduation." If you want to become a lawyer and already hold a bachelor's degree, you take a three-year LLB — and that is not through CLAT UG, which is only for the five-year integrated course after Class 12. CLAT PG is something else entirely: a one-year LLM for people who already have a law degree. Graduates without a law degree take a three-year LLB through university-level entrances such as DU LLB or state law CETs.
This is the most commonly confused question in Indian law admissions, and the confusion costs people a year.
The three routes, separated #
| CLAT UG | 3-year LLB | CLAT PG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who is eligible | Class 12 passouts | Any graduate | Law graduates (LLB holders) |
| Degree awarded | BA/BBA LLB (5 years) | LLB (3 years) | LLM (1 year) |
| Taken through | CLAT | DU LLB, MH CET Law 3-yr, state CETs, university entrances | CLAT PG |
| Duration | 5 years | 3 years | 1 year |
| Leads to practice | Yes | Yes | Not by itself |
So: a graduate who wants to practise law does a three-year LLB. A law graduate who wants to specialise or teach does an LLM through CLAT PG.
"How many years after graduation?" #
- Three years for the LLB, the standard route for graduates. Same Bar Council recognition as the five-year course.
- One year for the LLM through CLAT PG, if you already hold an LLB.
- Five years only if you go back to the integrated course — which requires Class 12 eligibility and is not available to you as a graduate route.
- There is no upper age limit for law entrance exams following the position that age caps on these entrances do not stand, so career-switchers are eligible.
Where graduates actually apply #
The three-year LLB is admitted by individual universities, not by CLAT. The main routes are DU LLB (Delhi University's own entrance), MH CET Law three-year for Maharashtra, state LAWCETs in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, BHU, AMU and Panjab University entrances, and CUET PG for some central universities. Symbiosis, and a number of private universities, run their own tests.
Step 1: Decide which degree you actually need #
LLB to practise, LLM to specialise. An LLM without an LLB does not make you a lawyer.
Step 2: Pick entrances by target university #
There is no single national three-year LLB exam. Your shortlist of universities determines which exams you write.
Step 3: Prepare the common ground #
Legal aptitude, English, reasoning and current affairs appear across almost all of these entrances, so one preparation base serves several forms.
Step 4: Note the Bar exam at the end #
Whichever LLB route you take, practising requires enrolment with a state Bar Council and clearing the All India Bar Examination.
CLAT after graduation — frequently asked questions
Can I give CLAT after graduation?
CLAT after graduation is how many years?
Which exam should a graduate take to study law?
Is a 3-year LLB equal to a 5-year integrated law degree?
Is there an age limit for law entrance exams?
Institutes preparing candidates for CLAT, AILET and LLB entrances.
Disclaimer: Eligibility rules vary by university and change between cycles. Verify on the official notification before applying.
