The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2015 comes wrapped in a new package with convenor RMLNLU Lucknow striving to make the exam “problem free, controversy free, litigation free”, in the words of RMLNLU vice chancellor Gurdip Singh.

Singh told Legally India that the CLAT core committee on Saturday inaugurated a “fully equipped CLAT secretariat with one separate strong room well equipped with technology”. He said that the strong room will store all of the CLAT 2015’s “confidential records”.

“You’ll be amazed when you see how we’re going to modernise everything to ensure that CLAT 2015 is problem free, controversy free, litigation free and with no paperwork and as simple as possible. It will be eco-friendly, it will be student-friendly and with more centres.”

Singh, as convenor of CLAT 2015, has led the transition of the exam from offline to online mode with the CLAT slated to be conducted online for the first time next year.

Legally India asked Singh some of the most important questions we had on the new and improved CLAT.

Here’s what we learned.

Q. So CLAT 2015 has “gone online”. Does this mean I get to take the test from anywhere in the world on the internet?

No. It means that you get to download and fill in the application form online, and submit it with the entrance fee online. You will also write the exam online.

Q. Does this mean that no one will be watching when I ask my elder brother in NLS to write the exam for me?

No, it doesn’t mean that. You will be attempting the exam, at your nearest test centre, in the presence of invigilators, in an examination room, just like last year.

Q. How is that “going online” then?

You will be answering the CLAT not on OMR sheets but on computer screens, which will be provided to you at the test centres.

Q. Computer screens? Whoa! What astronomical form submission fee is the CLAT committee charging me this time?

Just the same as last year.

Q. So if I live in, say, Talchar, I still might have to buy train tickets in time in order to attempt CLAT 2015?

Possibly. But CLAT 2015 convenor RMLNLU Lucknow has increased the total number of test cities from 20 last year to 28 this year, and within each city it plans to finalise on several test centres, “in the remotest of places” in the words of Prof Singh.

Singh also said that the convenor has the option to even increase the number of cities still.

So there is a good chance you may not have to travel too far.

Q. OMR sheets have been replaced with computer screens. Does the objective-type question format still exist, or has that been changed too?

The CLAT question paper remains an objective-type paper. An examinee, for both LLB and LLM seats, will have a choice between pressing 5 different buttons on the given computer screens to answer any question.

Q. Objective paper stays! Cool. It makes things easier at the centre a la help thy neighbour!

Well, if the 5 sets of question paper earlier weren’t a problem for you, the dozens more might be.

Singh plans to have so many question paper sets that there’s almost one question paper per candidate in a room.

Q. Any age relaxations I can benefit from in CLAT 2015?

If you are a Person with Disability (PwD candidate) CLAT has something for you! You can now attempt the CLAT up to 22 years of age, unlike the previous age limit of 20.

If you have any other CLAT questions, please post them in the comments below and we’ll ask the convenors.

Photo by Michael Surran