Bangalore/Mumbai: A common entrance test (CET) for Law will be held from next year for admission into seven national law universities in the country. From 2008 onwards the admission in these universities will be centralized and law aspirants will have to sit for a common entrance test (CET). Nearly 20,000 applicants are expected to take the CET 2008.

"The decision for a common examination comes after a Supreme Court directive gave the ministry of human resources development the mandate to set up a centralised exam last year," said director of the Bhopal Law Institute National University (NLIU) Professor Balraj Chauhan.

The plan to have a common test was proposed in October 2006 and was to start this year itself. But due to delay in preparation of format for the test, the CET could not take place this year. However, it will be held in 2008 as all universities have agreed on paper.

It is to be noted that, till now students had to pays Rs.1000-1500 per application for a law school which would be a one-time payment from next year due to common entrance test. The CET is likely to streamline the admission process in all seven law universities.

The CET will be organized by the universities on the basis of seniority - for example Bangalore will be the first, followed by Hyderabad and so on. Half of the revenue generated by the CET will go to the law university that organizes the examination and the remaining will be shared equally among the others.