Due to COVID-19 Outbreak, CLAT 2020 was conducted on 28 September 2020. For CLAT 2021 , it is expected that the exam will be held in the second week of May 2021. Applications for CLAT 2021 are most likely to be released in the first week of January 2021.

A lot of changes have been made with respect to CLAT this time. The exam is being conducted offline this time, which means that the students will be marking their answers on an OMR sheet. Furthermore, a rise in the difficulty level of the exam is anticipated this time. With the coming in of a permanent website of CLAT, it is expected that the CLAT exam will be much more organized and well-conducted from this year onwards. Also, this time, Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur (MPDNLU) and Himachal Pradesh National Law University (HPNLU) have also joined the CLAT Consortium. NLU, Delhi will be conducting its own exam, AILET.

The following NLUs will be participating in CLAT 2021:

• National Law School of India University, Bangalore (NLSIU)
• National Academy of Legal Study & Research University of Law, Hyderabad (NALSAR)
• National Law Institute University, Bhopal (NLIU)
• The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata (WBNUJS)
• National Law University, Jodhpur (NLUJ)
• Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur (HNLU)
• Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar (GNLU)
• Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow (RMLNLU)
• Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala (RGNUL)
• Chanakya National Law University, Patna (CNLU)
• National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi (NUALS)
• National Law University, Cuttack, Odisha (NLUO)
• National University of Study & Research in Law, Ranchi (NUSRL)
• National Law University & Judicial Academy, Guwahati, Assam (NLUJAA)
• Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Visakhapatnam (DSNLU)
• Tamil Nadu National Law School, Tiruchirappalli (TNNLS)
• Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai (MNLU)
• Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur (MNLU)
• Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad (MNLU)
• Himachal Pradesh National Law University (HPNLU)
• Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur (MPDNLU)