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PathwayLast checked 29 October 202614 official sources
Law after Class 12
I want to study law after Class 12. Which entrance tests lead to a five-year law degree, what marks do they ask for, and what comes after the degree?
Quick answer
A law degree after Class 12 is a five-year integrated LL.B. (ten semesters). The national law universities admit through CLAT, which for 2027 asks for 45% in Class 12 (40% for SC, ST and PwD), names no stream and sets no upper age limit. NLU Delhi runs its own test, AILET, with a 45% rule (42% OBC, 40% SC, ST and PwD). Some other universities also admit on CLAT scores, such as the University of Delhi for 2026-27. If you take a different degree first, a three-year LL.B. stays open after graduation. To practise, you sit the Bar Council of India's All India Bar Examination.
CurrentApplies to 2027-28Last checked 29 October 2026
This page may be out of date. It was due for a re-check on 31 December 2026. Confirm every rule with the official source before acting on it.
CLAT 2027 and AILET 2027 are the current cycles (tests on 6 and 13 December 2026). The University of Delhi facts are from its 2026-27 bulletin; check its 2027-28 bulletin when it appears.
In India a law degree comes in two lengths. The integrated LL.B. you start after Class 12 runs for five years, or ten semesters. The LL.B. you take after another degree runs for three years, or six semesters.
Either one leads to the Bar Council of India's All India Bar Examination, provided the college or university is recognised or approved by the BCI.[10]
Who it suits, and who struggles
It tends to suit you if
You read fast and enjoy arguing a point from a passage. Most of CLAT is reading: English, current affairs, legal reasoning and logical reasoning. Quantitative techniques make up about a tenth.
You want a professional degree without picking a Class 12 stream for it.
You are fine with five years of study before you can practise.
You may struggle if
Long reading under time pressure tires you. CLAT 2027 has 120 questions in two hours, and each wrong answer costs 0.25.
You want to start work the day the degree ends. Practising needs the bar exam as a separate step after it.
This is a guide to the work the route asks of you, not a test of ability.[3]
The road
1
Class 12 in any streamStage
CLAT and AILET set a marks rule for Class 12, not a stream.
The Consortium of National Law Universities runs CLAT for 26 NLUs. CLAT 2027 is a pen-and-paper test of 120 one-mark questions in two hours, with 0.25 off for each wrong answer. Legal Reasoning makes up 28 to 32 of them.
What it requires: 45% in Class 12 (40% for SC, ST and PwD). Students sitting Class 12 in March or April 2027 can apply, but must show they passed at admission.
NLU Delhi admits to its five-year B.A.LL.B. (Hons.) through its own test. AILET 2027 has 150 questions in 120 minutes: English 50, Current Affairs and General Knowledge 30, and Logical Reasoning 70. Each wrong answer costs 0.25. The reasoning questions may use legal principles, but NLU Delhi says the test needs no legal knowledge.
What it requires: 45% in Class 12 (42% for OBC, 40% for SC, ST and PwD). Students still waiting for results can apply; a compartment in the admission year makes you ineligible.
Some universities outside the Consortium admit on CLAT scores through their own portals. For 2026-27 the University of Delhi filled its B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) and B.B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) seats this way. Sitting CLAT was not enough on its own: students also had to apply on DU's portal.
What it requires: For DU 2026-27: Class 12 from a single recognised board with 45% (40% for SC, ST and PwBD), and CLAT 2026. A compartment in 2026 meant no admission that year.
If you take a BA, B.Com, B.Sc or any other degree first, a three-year LL.B. (six semesters) is open after graduation. Universities run their own entrance tests for it.
What it requires: A bachelor's degree in any discipline. Each university sets its own marks rule.
₹3,000 (₹1,000 for SC, ST and PwD; SC, ST and women candidates below the poverty line pay nothing)[4]
Fees: Course fees vary by university. Read the official fee notice of each university on your list before you apply.
Growth
To practise, a law graduate also sits the Bar Council of India's All India Bar Examination, and those who pass get a certificate of practice. The BCI says the exam is meant for people entering the profession, so you need it only if you plan to practise.
Other roads after the LL.B. include an LL.M. and government recruitment exams. Our sister site CorrectForm covers the application forms for those exams.[11]
If this door closes: Plan B
If you miss the cut-off this year
CLAT sets no upper age limit and AILET no age limit at all, so you can sit either again next year.[1]
NLU Delhi runs AILET for admission to its own programmes, so an AILET score leads only there. CLAT covers the Consortium's universities and the others that use its scores. The two tests have separate forms, fees and deadlines; the dates are in the quick facts above.[7]
Check the college before you join
The Bar Council of India publishes a list of approved law colleges and universities. Its bar exam notice says that a student or graduate of a college or university it has not recognised or approved cannot sit the All India Bar Examination, and that checking this is the candidate's job. Look the college up on the BCI list before you pay a fee.[10]
After the LL.B.
NLU Delhi also admits to a one-year LL.M. through AILET. For 2027 it asks for an LL.B. with 50% marks (45% for SC, ST and PwD), and final-year LL.B. students can apply.[4]
For parents
Your child can apply to AILET while still waiting for Class 12 results, but a compartment in the admission year makes them ineligible. The University of Delhi had the same rule for its 2026-27 law admissions. CLAT also asks for proof of passing at admission.[5]
Learn for free first
Try the subject before you commit to it. These are free platforms run by government education bodies.
NCERT textbooksFree PDFs of the Class 11 and 12 books. Political Science (Indian Constitution at Work) is a good start for the Constitution, and the English books help with reading speed.Link checked 6 October 2026
SWAYAMThe Government of India's online course portal. Search for an introductory law or constitution course to see whether the subject holds your interest.Link checked 6 October 2026
DIKSHADigital textbooks and courses for school students, useful for revising Class 11 and 12 subjects.Link checked 6 October 2026
Questions people ask
Can I study law after Class 12 Science or Commerce?
Yes. CLAT 2027 asks for Class 12 with 45% marks (40% for SC, ST and PwD) and does not name a stream.[1]
Is there an age limit for AILET?
No. NLU Delhi says there is no minimum or maximum age for AILET 2027, for any programme.[7]
Does an AILET score count for the other national law universities?
No. NLU Delhi runs AILET for admission to its own programmes. The other national law universities admit through CLAT.[7]
Can I sit the bar exam before I finish the LL.B.?
From AIBE-XX, final-semester students of a three-year or five-year LL.B. with no backlogs can register, if their college or university is recognised or approved by the Bar Council of India.[10]
Is the AILET paper online?
No. AILET 2027 is a pen-and-paper test on an OMR sheet. It lasts two hours.[7]
AILET 2027 Admission Announcement 2027-28, National Law University Delhi. Notice dated 7 August 2026 (B.A.LL.B. eligibility and seats, LL.M. eligibility, application fee); AILET date also in the notification of 23 July 2026. Accessed 6 October 2026.
Admissions to LL.B. Course, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi. Eligibility: Three Year Law Degree Course (undated note; only the 'graduated in any discipline' rule is used here). Accessed 6 October 2026.