CLAT vs. CAT: Exploring the Differences Between Law and Management Entrance Exams
Common Law Admission Test 2026 ( CLAT )
Counselling - 17 Dec '25 - 27 Dec '25
Confused between law and management as your career options? Before making a career choice between the two, learn about the CLAT and CAT, the major entrance exams in law and management streams, respectively, in this article. Also, learn about the difference between CLAT and CAT. Learning about the two exams will help you understand which stream is best for you between law and management.
CLAT Vs. CAT
Law and management are two promising career options in India. But making a career in one of the two streams requires a pathway, and CLAT and CAT are pathways to making a career in the law field and management field, respectively. This article will help you learn about the CLAT and CAT entrance exams. Consequently, you will be able to decide which field to choose between law and management to develop a career in. It prominently focuses on the difference between CAT and CLAT, based on which you can decide which field of law or management is for you.
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CLAT Exam is scheduled for December 7, 2025. Students appearing for the same can get more details in this article.CLAT Registration is ongoing. CAT exam is on November 30, 2025. Both exams application process is online.
Also Read:
- What is CLAT?
- What is CAT?
- CLAT Vs CAT
- CLAT Exam Pattern 2026
- CAT Exam Pattern 2025
- CLAT Application Process 2026
- CAT Application Process 2025
- CLAT Syllabus 2026
- CAT Syllabus 2025
- Colleges Accepting CLAT 2026
- Colleges Accepting CAT 2025
- Which exam should I take, CLAT or CAT?
- Job Opportunities after CLAT
- Job Opportunities after CAT
What is CLAT?
The Common Law Admission Test is an exam conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities for those looking forward to taking admission in NLUs. The score of this exam is also accepted in many private law colleges/universities across the country. This exam is important if you want to have a future in the legal stream. The exam includes five sections: English comprehension, legal reasoning, logical thinking, mathematics, and general awareness.
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What is CAT?
The Common Admission Test is for students who want to study management. If you crack this exam, you can get a place in one of the best business schools. The exam is conducted to check students' knowledge in areas like quantitative aptitude, verbal ability, data interpretation, and logical reasoning.
CLAT Vs CAT
Based on four parameters, including purpose and targeted audience, subject focus, educational pathways and institutional scope, the differences between CLAT and CAT have been mentioned below:
Purpose and Target Audience:
- CAT is an entrance exam conducted for admission to various prestigious management programs in India, primarily for postgraduate courses like MBA and PGDM.
- CLAT is designed for students interested in pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate law programs, serving as an entry point to esteemed National Law Universities (NLUs) and other law institutions.
Subject Focus:
- CAT test candidates in areas like quantitative aptitude, data interpretation, verbal ability, and logical reasoning, assessing their suitability for managerial roles and responsibilities.
- CLAT assesses candidates' proficiency in English comprehension, legal reasoning, logical thinking, mathematics, and general awareness, measuring their readiness for a legal education and career.
Educational Pathways:
- A graduate in CAT has many careers options such as business administration, consulting, marketing and more.
- CLAT opens the door to the legal professions, including roles as lawyers, judges, legal consultants, corporate counsel, and other positions within the legal field.
Institutional Scope:
- CAT exam is accepted by many business schools and management institutes across India. Institutes like IIM and other renowned institutions also give preference to the Common Admission Test.
- CLAT scores are accepted by National Law Universities (NLUs) and various other prestigious law colleges and universities offering law programs, shaping the future of aspirants in the legal domain.
CLAT Exam Pattern 2026
Check out the exam pattern for CLAT below:
| Exam Features |
Details |
|---|---|
| Exam mode |
Computer-based test mode / Online proctored (To be confirmed) |
| Exam level |
National level exam |
| Test duration |
60 minutes |
| Test medium |
English |
| Subjects |
|
| Type of questions |
Multiple choices questions |
| Total questions |
60 questions |
| Total marks |
60 marks |
CAT Exam Pattern 2025
Check out the exam pattern of CAT to know the difference between the exam patterns of CLAT and CAT:
| CAT Paper Pattern 2024 |
|
|---|---|
| Mode of CAT exam |
Computer Based Test |
| Duration of exam |
|
| CAT exam slots |
|
| Number of questions |
66 |
| CAT total marks |
198 |
| Language of question paper |
English |
| Number of answer choices |
4 |
| Question Type |
MCQ and non-MCQ |
CLAT Application Process 2026
Refer to the following steps to fill out CLAT application form:
- Go to the website of the Consortium of NLUs.
| Consortium of NLUs Website Link |
consortiumofnlus.ac.in |
- Register online for CLAT.
- Fill out the CLAT application form.
- Update your preference regarding NLUs.
- Pay CLAT application fee 2026.
CLAT Application Fee 2026
| Category |
CLAT Application Fee (in INR) |
Mode of Payment |
|---|---|---|
| General/OBC/PwD/NRI/PIO/OCI |
4,000 |
Online:
|
- Review the application form and then submit it.
Also Read:
All the Details about CLAT Pattern
CAT Application Process 2025
The steps to fill out the CAT application form 2025 are below:
- Visit the website of the CAT exam and register for CAT 2025.
- Fill out the CAT application form.
- Pay the CAT application fee 2025 online.
CAT Fee 2025
| Category |
CAT Exam Fee |
|---|---|
| General, EWS and NC-OBC |
INR 2,400 |
| SC, ST and PwD |
INR 1,200 |
- Review your CAT form and then save and submit it.
CLAT Syllabus 2026
The Consortium of NLUs has provided the syllabus for CLAT UG 2026 and CLAT PG 2026. Candidates who want to appear in CLAT (UG) and CLAT PG in 2026 can check the CLAT syllabus for their respective courses below:
CLAT Syllabus 2026 for English Language
CLAT UG syllabus for English Language has been mentioned below:
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of questions asked | 28-32 |
| Weightage | 18.66 - 21.33 % |
| Type of questions asked | Passage-based questions
|
| Skills tested |
|
| Question areas | May cover various topics, including technical and scientific matters. No prior knowledge is needed. |
| Difficulty level | 12th Standard |
Important topics
- Correcting Incorrect Grammar Sentences.
- Synonyms & Antonyms.
- Tenses.
- Fill in the Blanks.
- Spotting Grammatical Errors.
- Active & Passive Voice.
Also Read:
CLAT Syllabus 2026 for Current Affairs including General Knowledge
Check out the CLAT Syllabus for Current Affairs and General Knowledge below:
| Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of questions asked | 35-39 |
| Weightage | 23.33 - 26 % |
| Type of questions asked | Passage-based questions
|
| Skills tested | Awareness of various aspects of current affairs and GK, including
|
| Question areas | - News, journalistic sources, and other non-fiction writing - Intended to test your depth of understanding of issues and events of significance, rather than mere fact or trivia-based knowledge of such issues and events. Questions may ask you to:
While the focus will be on recent and current events, some questions with historical significance may also be asked. These questions will gauge your understanding of the causes of such events. |
CLAT 2026 Syllabus for Quantitative Techniques
The details about the syllabus of Quantitative Techniques for CLAT 2026 has been provided below:
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of questions asked | 13 - 17 |
| Weightage | 8.66 - 11.33% |
| Type of questions asked | The section will include:
These items will be followed by a series of questions |
| Skills tested | The section will test the candidate's ability to:
|
| Question areas | Number theory and basic arithmetic Averages and Percentages Ratio and Proportion Mixtures and alligations Time and work Time, distance, and speed Fractions and equations Monetary evaluations Probability Permutation and combinations |
| Difficulty level | 10th standard |
CLAT 2026 Syllabus for Legal Reasoning
Refer to the following syllabus to prepared for the Legal Reasoning section of CLAT:
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of questions asked | 35-39 |
| Weightage | 23.33 - 26 % |
| Type of questions asked | Passage-based questions
|
| Skills tested |
|
| Question areas | Questions will be based on: - News articles and books associated with topics of law - Certain passages will be created specifically for the exam - the candidate has to find the facts and applicable rules. Until 2019, the proposition and factual context were clearly presented. - The purpose is not to test the knowledge of law but the application of rules to a factual context based on the constraints presented to you. |
| Difficulty level | 12th Standard |
CLAT Legal Reasoning Important topics
- Legal Maxims
- Important Supreme Court Judgments
- Legal GK
- Indian Constitution
- Important Acts and Amendments of the Legislature
- Current Affairs
CLAT Syllabus 2026 for Logical Reasoning
The syllabus for the Logical Reasoning section of the CLAT exam has been provided below:
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of questions asked | 28-32 |
| Weightage | 18.66 - 21.33 % |
| Type of questions asked | Passage-based questions.
|
| Skills tested |
|
| Question areas | Sources include opinion and editorial pieces from newspapers and magazines, and essays on moral philosophy available online and in various books. Some passages will be created specifically for the exam. Examples of source material include:
|
CLAT Logical Reasoning Important topics
- Analogies
- Relationships
- Syllogism
- Cause & Effect
- Premises & Conclusion
- Inferences
CAT Syllabus 2025
CAT syllabus includes Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude. Check out the CAT syllabus mentioned below to more about this entrance exam:
CAT VARC Syllabus 2024
VARC section is the first section of the CAT question paper and is to be solved within 40 minutes. The section is divided into two sub-parts, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension. the section is dominated by RC questions. Take a look at important VARC topics for CAT exam syllabus.
| CAT VARC Syllabus |
||
|---|---|---|
| Fill in the blanks |
Para completion and inference |
Verbal logic |
| Verbal reasoning |
||
| Sentence completion |
Foreign language words used in English |
Different usage of same word |
| Grammar |
Reading comprehension |
Idioms |
| Syllogisms |
Analogies |
Antonyms |
| Jumbled paragraphs |
Sentence correction |
One word substitution |
Important Topics & Weightage for CAT VARC
In CAT syllabus, the VARC section as mentioned earlier, includes four major sub-topics– RC, Parajumbles, Verbal Ability and Sentences. Composition of the VARC section is usually the same.
| VARC Topics for CAT |
No. of Questions in CAT Exam |
Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension |
16 |
Moderate to Difficult |
| VA-Parajumbles |
3 |
Moderate to Difficult |
| VA-Odd Sentence |
2 |
Easy to Moderate |
| VA-Summary |
3 |
Easy to Moderate |
| Overall |
24 |
Moderate to Difficult |
CAT Reading Comprehension Passages of Previous Years
The Reading Comprehension section of VARC forms the two-third part of the first section of CAT question paper. There are about four to five RC passages with 18-24 questions. Check below, the Reading Comprehension topics of CAT 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018:
| CAT RC Passages |
Slot 1 |
Slot 2 |
Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAT 2022 |
|
|
|
| CAT 2021 |
|
|
|
| CAT 2020 |
|
|
|
| CAT 2019 |
|
|
No exam |
| CAT 2018 |
|
|
No exam |
CAT DILR Syllabus 2025
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning is the second section of the CAT question paper and is to be solved after the VARC section. This section has two sub-sections - Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. Take a look at important topics and some important logical reasoning and data interpretation topics included in CAT syllabus.
| CAT DILR syllabus |
||
|---|---|---|
| Blood Relations |
Clocks and Calendars |
Syllogism |
| Series |
Statements |
|
| Proposition |
Data Arrangement |
Data Structures |
| Direction Sense |
Family Tree |
Tables |
| Coding-Decoding |
Binary Logic |
Pie Charts |
| Assumptions |
Seating Arrangement |
Data Sufficiency |
| Puzzles |
Sets & Caselets |
Bars & Line Graphs |
Important Topics & Weightage for CAT DILR
The DILR section as mentioned earlier, includes question of two types – Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. Given below is the basic structure of the DILR section of CAT.
| CAT DILR Syllabus |
No. of Questions |
Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Data Interpretation |
4 |
Easy |
| Data Interpretation |
4 |
Moderate |
| Logical Reasoning |
6 |
Moderate to difficult |
| Logical Reasoning |
6 |
Easy to Moderate |
| Overall |
20 |
Moderate to difficult |
CAT Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus 2024
Quantitative Aptitude is the last section of CAT question paper and is to be solved in the last 40 minutes of the exam. Take a look at important topics and some key points of CAT Quantitative Aptitude syllabus:
| CAT Quantitative Aptitude syllabus |
||
|---|---|---|
| Ratios and Proportion |
Inequalities |
|
| In-equations Quadratic and linear equations |
Work and Time |
|
| Surds and Indices |
||
| Time-Speed-Distance |
Logarithms |
|
| Partnership (Accounts) |
||
| Profit & Loss |
Geometric Progression |
|
Also Read:
Colleges Accepting CLAT 2026
Admission to different courses at NLUs are offered through CLAT UG and PG. The top colleges that accept the CLAT Score are given below.
Admission to UG Courses through CLAT 2026
| UG Courses |
NLUs offering UG course |
|---|---|
| NLU Delhi, NLSIU Bangalore, NLU Hyderabad, NUJS West Bengal, HNLU Raipur, GNLU Gandhinagar, RMNLU Lucknow, RGNUL Panjab, CNLU Patna, NUALS Kochi, NLU Odisha, NUSRL Ranchi, NLUJAA Assam, DSNLU Visakhapatnam, TNNLU Tiruchirapalli, MNLU Mumbai, MNLU Nagpur, MNLU Aurangabad, HPNLU Shimla, DNLU Jabalpur, Dr B R Ambedkar NLU Sonepat, NLIU Bhopal, NLU Tripura, NLU Jodhpur, GNLU Silvassa, NUALS Kochi |
|
| NLU Jodhpur, GNLU Gandhinagar, CNLU Patna, NLU Odisha, HPNLU Shimla, NLU Aurangabad, NLU Nagpur, |
|
| NUJS West Bengal, GNLU Gandhinagar, NLU Bhopal |
|
| GNLU Gandhinagar, TNNLU Tiruchirapalli |
|
| Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) LLB |
GNLU Gandhinagar |
Admission to PG Courses through CLAT 2026
| PG courses |
NLUs offering PG courses |
|---|---|
| Three-year LLB course |
NLSIU Bangalore (Introduced in 2022), National Law University Odisha (Introducing in 2023) |
| RMNLU Lucknow, GNLU Gandhinagar, HNLU Raipur, NLU Jodhpur, NUJS West Bengal, NLIU Bhopal, NLSIU Bangalore, RGNUL Panjab, CNLU Patna, NUALS Kochi, NLU Odisha, NUSRL Ranchi, NLUJA Assam, DSNLU Visakhapatnam, TNNLU Tiruchirapalli, MNLU Mumbai, MNLU Nagpur, MNLU Aurangabad, HPNLU Shimla, DBRANLU, Sonepat |
|
| Doctor of Law/ PhD in Law |
HNLU Raipur, NLIU Bhopal, NLSIU Bangalore, GNLU Gandhinagar, RGNUL Panjab, CNLU Patna, NLUJA Assam, TNNLU Tiruchirapalli, HPNLU Shimla, NUALS Kochi, MNLU Mumbai |
| NLSIU Bangalore, NLU Odisha |
Colleges Accepting CAT 2025
The top colleges that accept CAT 2025 scores are mentioned below:
- IIM Ahmedabad - Indian Institute of Management
- IIM Bangalore - Indian Institute of Management
- IIM Kozhikode - Indian Institute of Management
- IIM Calcutta - Indian Institute of Management
- IIM Lucknow - Indian Institute of Management
- IIM Indore - Indian Institute of Management
- IIM Raipur - Indian Institute of Management
- IIM Rohtak - Indian Institute of Management
- Management Development Institute
- IIT Kharagpur - Indian Institute of Technology
Also Read:
Top 30 MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score (non-IIMs)
Which exam should I take, CLAT or CAT?
The answer to this question totally depends on what interests you the most and where you see yourself in next few years. If you want to work for corporate organisations and are interested in management, then you need to take CAT. However, if you like to study and practise law, then you need to take CLAT.
Also Read:
Job Opportunities after CLAT
If you CLAT and pass out from some good college you can get some good opportunities in the law stream that is:
Short Term Job Roles after CLAT
- Corporate Lawyer.
- Litigator.
- Legal Consultant.
- Legal Academia.
- Public Prosecutor.
- Criminologist.
Long Term Job Roles after CLAT
- Senior Advocate.
- Judge.
Job Opportunities after CAT
Passing the CAT and then earning a management degree can provide you with good career opportunities, both long-term and short-term. These career opportunities and job roles are:
Short Term Job Roles after CAT
- Finance Manager.
- Accounting Manager.
- Finance Analyst.
- Brand Manager.
- Market Research Analyst.
- Media Planner.
- Marketing Manager.
- Human Resource Executive.
- Human Resource Manager.
- Operations Manager.
- Supply Chain Manager.
- Inventory Manager.
- Risk Management Expert.
- Digital Marketing / Social Media Marketing Officer.
Long Term Job Roles after CAT
- Chief Executive Officer.
- Chief Finance Officer.
- Chief Marketing Officer.
- Chief Human Resource Officer.
- Chief Accounting Officer.
- Chief Product Manager.
Read More:
Learn about other top law entrance exams:
| MH CET LAW | AIBE |
| AP LAWCET | TS LAWCET |
She has over 10 years of experience in the education and publishing sectors. She specialises in exam coverage and content creation. At Shiksha, she writes, analyses, and presents information for students preparing f
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 3 days ago
No, you don't have to take the CLAT 2026 exam to get admission in Chandigarh University. Instead, you must take the university's own entrance examination, the CUCET (Chandigarh University Common Entrance Test), which is very simple to pass. The best thing is that if you score well in CUCET, you can
J
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 6 days ago
Hi.
Level: Comparable overall. NLET may be slightly more analytical/legal-reasoning oriented.
Preparation Overlap: Preparing for CLAT will largely cover NLET syllabus, but you may need extra practice on complex legal reasoning questions for NLET.
Difficulty: Both are competitive; CLAT is high due to la
h
Scholar-Level 18
Answered 6 days ago
Hi...
Colleges You Can Get With Your CLAT Rank (General Guide)
Since you didn’t mention your exact CLAT rank, here’s a helpful list of law colleges that accept CLAT scores, including National Law Universities (NLUs) and good non‑NLU options, including options for mid to higher ranks. All these accept
h
Scholar-Level 18
Answered a week ago
To raise grievances on the CLAT 2026 Result, log in to your account on the Consortium of NLUs website (consortiumofnlus.ac.in), find the 'Submit Grievance' button, detail your issue (score/rank discrepancy, conduct) with supporting proof within the specified time, and submit online; accepted grievan
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
Yes, you can. Candidates can raise their grievances by sending an email. Candidates can follow the steps given below
- Go to the consortiumofnlus.ac.in
- Login using your email
- Enter your password
- Click on the grievance option
- Submit
B
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
Yes, you can get admission based on CLAT Score. Apart from that you can also appear for ULSAT Exam conducted by the university.
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Yes, you can absolutely prepare for CLAT and UPES ULSAT together, as they share significant syllabus overlap (Legal/Logical Reasoning, GK, English, Quant), making integrated preparation efficient; focus on core areas for both but tailor extra practice for ULSAT's specific GK/current affairs and CLAT
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
You should understand that once you opt to get out of the counselling process you can not go back. You will get option to either freeze your seat or choose to let it go and participate in next round. You can anytime exit the whole process too.
M
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
There is no restriction as such for the CLAT exam. Thus, one can give CLAT any number of times they want to. Candidates should not feel bad if they are not able to clear the CLAT exam in first time.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
No you can not get admission to 24 participating NLUs without clearing CLAT Exam. For admission to NLU Delhi, you need to clear AILET Exam.
A
Contributor-Level 7
CLAT Notifications
It totally depends on you that when you should start preparing for CLAT. If you want really good marks in board exams, focus on that at first and then prepare for CLAT. If you can manage boards and CLAT preparation side by side then go for it, but do not affect your board scores.