On May 26, the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT 2019) was held at forty centres across India. The conduct of the exam, which was offline this year, received largely favourable feedback across the board.

Even as CLAT 2019 takers eagerly await the results of the exam, CLAT Mentor Rajneesh Singh has come out with his yearly cut off predictions.

This year’s exam has been very well conducted by the CLAT permanent body so far. The CLAT 2019 paper was a good one. It has been able to bring out the most intelligent as well as the most hard working candidates at every level. 

In case you have done well in at least one of the important law entrance exams, then it is very good. But if you have not done well in any of them, do not look back. This is just one small step towards a sea of opportunity waiting for you in the long run. If you are sad, then it is a good sign. It means you have the deep desire to excel. Trust me, your future is very bright. After all, how many times will luck not favour you?

If someone says that it doesn’t matter what law school you study in, that person is trying to wrongly console you (although with good intentions). Ranking does matter and a better law school always helps you for all jobs and opportunities. So, do feel extremely sad for your failures. Then only you will bounce back again. This is not the end.

Often, what you are being tested on is unfortunately not suitable for you in comparison to others. But everyone is very special and every one gets opportunities. Be positive. There will be a way. You need to dig out the best possible law school for you. 

Here is some useful information:

1. After BA.LL.B. one has an option to go for LL.M. from a top law school (globally). After that, it does not matter from where you completed BA.LLB.
2. The results of other exams like LSAT India are still pending.
3. The cut-off for Jindal Global Law School is likely to be in the 65 to 70 percentile this year. Among others this is very good option. 
4. Among other private law schools, ILNU, SLS Pune, and SLS Noida are good options.
5. Bottom 8 NLUs will take admission till 3000 to 6000 CLAT rank after July 4.
6. The top 15-18 law schools in India are also good now. The others are also most likely to be good by the time you pass out in 5 years.
7. Some top educational brands have started new law schools. It will be easy to get those this year, and these may turn out to be good law schools in future.

In 2005, I used to hear from many that if you do not get NLSIU, you should not take up law as a career. But those who knew the correct status of NALSAR, NLIU Bhopal, NUJS and NLU-J suggested not to leave these colleges.

Around 2010, many made the same mistake of leaving RMLNLU, HNLU, GNLU etc. In 2017, I saw many calling NLU-O as a bad college. They must be repenting now. They also said that ILNU Nirma University and SLS Noida are not worth joining and that RGNUL Patiala is going great. Soon, the cut off of RGNUL will touch 600 AIR in the coming years. 

Today, you must not make the same mistake. (I will be posting about at least top 20 colleges very soon).

What should a CLAT 2019 taker should do now?

Do enjoy/relax for these few days. Your schedule after you enter law school is likely to be very hectic. But do collect all relevant information regarding admissions even one month after admission in the law school. Do not waste all your time.

Take these predictions as a helping tool, keeping in mind that this is not an exact one. The rank cut off will be very helpful especially after the results. Do keep yourself well informed about the admission process. Do not hesitate to call the NLUs if required. You can post your queries on Facebook, I will answer them.

How is the CLAT 2019 admission process expected to go? The final result with ranks is expected to come out in 3 to 5 days, maybe earlier. Then the first list of all 21 NLUs will be out on June 12-13. This will be prepared according to the preference list and your rank. Do not panic if the last NLU cut off is higher than expectation. You may get a seat. It keeps falling till the 4th list. Even after the centralized counselling is over, many seats gets vacated after July 4.

Surprisingly, HNLU had 12 and NUJS had 11 seats vacant in 2012.

Last year, HNLU closed at 1300 rank in the vacant seats. So, keep a close eye on the NLU websites. This happens because many leave for joining some other course or for other reasons before the semester starts in first/second week of July.

If you are listed in the first list ,then you will be asked to deposit Rs. 50,000 to confirm the booking of the seat. Approximately 250 to 350 people are expected not to deposit the amount. Then, the next 250 to 350 will get a chance in the 2nd list. There will be upgrades too (from a lower preferred ranked college to higher preferred college) according to the rank and preference list.

Similarly, the 3rd list will be published. You will be instructed to take admission at the allotted NLUs between June 28-30. 60-120 seats are likely to get vacated then. Some NLUs will have their own dates of admission. Be in touch with the allotted NLUs to get the admission details. 

There will be a deadline to request for a refund of Rs. 50,000 booking amount. Keep a watch on that.

My predicted CLAT cut off and admission related guidance is given below.

In few days, you might find that you get a better rank than expected (I go a little wrong with my predictions) and I will help you in choosing a good college for you. Love you all for the trust you have in me. You all are my best mentors.

Note – This is just a prediction and not the real cut off. I strongly believe that my cut off will not deviate more than 3 to 4 marks (99 percent sure). Therefore, check the range in which your rank can fluctuate. The rank cut off is going to be even more accurate. Once you know your rank then look at the chart below. It will help to know the range in which you will be able to qualify to these colleges.

Below is the cut off list for 22 National Law Universities and a few private colleges using CLAT 2019 scores:

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