CLAT began in 2008 when a PIL forced the NLUs to conduct a common admission test. It eased out the students from lots of hassles but at the same time it also made the admission process a bit complex.

I have prepared this with an intention to help CLAT 2016 takers by taking out expected cut offs (marks & rank) and detailed info and guidelines related to admission process.

This is an extremely difficult task. Every year I feel like giving up but when I see thousands of students requesting me then I get motivated to bring out the same.

Why do I do this every year?

I started almost 12 years ago but for CLAT it started in 2009. In 2008 after NLSIU had closed the admissions after a third list, but there were still many seats vacant.

Those were filled up later individually by various NLUs taking out their own lists or the way they wanted to. I remember the majority did not know about the same.

This gave an advantage to those informed or had proximity to an institution in several ways.

This is still continuing. This is not the only matter of concern, there are many other problems including marking the preference list wrongly. Sents pay the price for such mistakes.

I had two choices: either to start educating the masses or to keep this system on and extend the help only to the close ones.

But, I took the decision to keep educating CLAT takers and their parents. Today I am happy to see that CLAT has become the most transparent entrance test of India.

No other exam has such detailed listing coming out and everyone knows the details of each admission. Even while filling up for the vacant seats, respective NLUs are almost fully transparent.

I have been running CLAT/NLU/LAW online forums since 2007 ( https://www.facebook.com/RSCMforCLAT/ ) and I am in test prep guidance since 2000.

I always see that there is lots of anxiety among the exam takers after the exam gets over for getting assessed/estimated where they stand. And i am sure after knowing the cut off which has been done after a scientific research settles the mind correctly.

I am sure it also helps to take some decisions? I am assuming that the exam takers are of sound mind and they do not believe the expected cut off to be exactly correct.

Also my predicted marks cut off may fluctuate a little but rank cut off will be surely almost the same. After the rank list is out, CLAT takers can take this rank cut off list as a guiding note.

I also do this because it also helps me to get extremely well prepared and informed about all the complex data.

This helps me when I have to answer thousands of queries after the result is out.

How do I predict the cut-off?

For CLAT 2009 and 2010 my predictions were almost perfect. In 2013 it was exactly the same. It was a pleasant surprise for me. I never expected and will never expect that my expected cut off will be exactly the same.

It would be foolish. I am sure in 2013 it was coincidental. Yes, i am always 95% sure that my expected cut off (marks) will be correct within an error of 4 marks.

Yes, the rank cut off which I predict is not only of immense use but I am also 98% sure with little error. In 2014 I failed by a good margin (there were irregularities). In 2015 I did take out the only rank cut off as there were many errors.

Exit polls for elections these days are almost correct, but never exactly correct. One exception happened in the beginning itself.

Pranoy Roy prediction was exactly the same (the same number) for the number of seats of congress. This he too admitted was purely coincidental. Otherwise, it is done very scientifically and if the stratified sampling is not done properly can make the exit poll run the risk of being incorrect.

These help in doing the analysis and the predictions:

1. My experience helps (16 years in test prep with exposure to more than 50 different types of exams and the related students).
2. Database of past year results.
3. The trend
4. The variation of the density of the tied marks at different level.
5. Time constraint (this year there was hardly any)
6. Changes in difficulty level and number of seats
7. Number of easy questions and how fast the difficulty level has increased with the rest of the questions.
8. And not to forget my students from where I get the data and feelings. The feelings/expressions are the best resource. As I always say the students who are my teachers keep me under constant innovation and keep me motivated. Yes, they are my mentors.

What a CLAT 2016 taker should do now?

1. Do enjoy/relax for these few days. Your schedule after you enter the law school is all likely to be very hectic.
2. But, do collect all relevant information regarding admissions and one month after admission in the law school. Do not waste all your time.
3. Take these predictions as a helping tool keeping in mind that this is not the exact one.
4. The rank cut off will be very helpful especially after the results.
5. Do keep your self well informed about the admission process. Do not hesitate to call the NLUs if required.
6. You can post your queries here. I will answer.

How CLAT 2016 admission process is expected to go?

1. Final result with ranks is expected to come out on 23^rd May. Likely to come a little earlier.
2. Then the first list of all 17 NLUs will be out on 1^st June. This will be prepared according to the pref list and your rank. (Do not panic if last NLU cut off is 130 and your marks are 1120. You will definitely get a seat). It keeps falling till the 4^th list and even after the centralized counselling is over many seats gets vacated after 6^th July. Most of the seats of bottom 3 NLUs are filled after 6^th july, when centralised process is over and NLUs take care for the admissions themselves. Surprisingly. HNLU had 12 and NUJS had 11 seats vacant in 2012. So, keep a close eye at the NLU websites. This happens because many leave for joining some other course or for other reasons before the semester starts in first week/2^nd week of July.
3. If you are listed in the first list then you will be asked to deposit (50k) the amount to confirm the booking of the seat.
4. Approximately 300 people are expected not to deposit the amount.
5. Now next 300 will get a chance in the 2^nd list. There will be up gradations too (from a lower preferred ranked college to higher preferred college) according to the rank and pref list.
6. Similarly 3^rd list will come.
7. You will be instructed to take admission at the allotted NLUs between 23^rd to 25^th June. 60-120 seats are likely to get vacated. This will be taken care in the 4^th list. If required students will be transferred to the upgraded NLUs.
8. On 6^th July centralised admission process will close.

Admission in last phase after Centralised listing got over in 2015

1. NLSIU – No vacant seats
2. NALASR - Few but in reserved categories
3. NUJS – Few but in reserved categories
4. NLIU - Few but in reserved categories
5. NLU-J – 2 in general and few in reserved categories
6. GNLU - No official announcement of any such vacant seats/or in my knowledge
7. HNLU - Very transparent and structured way they carried this. Some vacant seats
8. NUALS - No official announcement of any such vacant seats/or in my knowledge
9. RML – No vacant seats in general category. Few but in reserved categories
10. RGNLU - Few but in reserved categories
11. CNLU – some
12. NLU-O - few
13. NUSRL – Many vacant seats
14. NLUJA - Many vacant seats
15. DSNLU – Most of the seats are reserved. After 6^th July most of the seats were vacant including reserved ones. All were converted to general and they were filled up by asking for separate applications by students.
16. TNNLS - half of the seats were vacant but decided not to fill up due to capacity problem.

The predicted topper

177 marks (predicted)

And, without further ado: general predicted category cut-offs

Rajneesh Singh Founder CLAT Essentials & clatgk.com (Complete GK solutions to CLAT) Mentor at “The Do-Zen” (Special batch of 12 selected students) Author CLAT Essentials (available at testprepshop.ccavenue.com)

Correction: An earlier version of this article had a typo in the Nalsar last list marks (154.5 instead of 153.5)