CLAT 2026 Exam Date, Notification, Registration, Eligibility, Exam Pattern, PYQs & More

Reader's Digest:  The journey to CLAT 2026 is about to begin! The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) will kick off the CLAT 2026 application process in July 2025. While the official exam date is yet to be confirmed, aspiring law students should mark their calendars. CLAT 2026 is tentatively scheduled for December 7, 2025.

To apply, candidates must visit the official website, consortiumofnlus.ac.in, and complete the registration process once applications open. Stay tuned for further updates on the exam schedule, syllabus, and other key details to ensure you're fully prepared for one of India's most competitive law entrance exams!

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What is CLAT Exam 2026?

The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a centralised national-level entrance test for admissions to 25 National Law Universities (NLUs) in India. Some private universities and self-financed law schools in India also use these scores for admissions. The CLAT 2026 exam is conducted for undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) degree programs in law.

The undergraduate program assesses you on subjects like English, General Knowledge and Current Affairs, Quantitative Techniques, Legal Reasoning, and Logical Reasoning. The aim is to evaluate the aptitude and suitability of the candidates for legal education.

For the postgraduate program, the test evaluates candidates on various law subjects, such as Constitutional Law and jurisprudence, and other law subjects, such as Contract, Torts, Criminal Law, International Law, IPR, and Environmental Law.

CLAT 2026 Exam Date & Schedule [Official]

Check out the table below for the critical CLAT 2026 exam dates and latest updates:

CLAT 2026 Important Events	CLAT 2026 Events Date
Starting Date to Apply	TBA
Last Date to Apply	TBA
Last Date for Online Fee Payment	TBA
Admit Card Release Date	TBA
Admit Card Last Date to Download	TBA
CLAT 2026 Exam Date	TBA
Release Date of Provisional Answer Key	TBA
Final Answer Key Release Date	TBA
Result Date 2026	TBA
Registration for Counselling 2026 Starts	TBA
Registration for Counselling 2026 Ends	TBA

CLAT 2026: Frequently Asked Questions

• Who can apply for the CLAT 2026? Students applying for UG courses must have cleared their class XII or appeared for their class 12 exams this year. The criteria also entail that in 10+2 qualifying examinations, you must secure 45% or its equivalent grade if you are from General / OBC / PWD / NRI / PIO / OCI categories and 40% in case you belong to SC/ST categories.
• What does the exam consist of? It is divided into five sections: English Language, Current Affairs, General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques. 
• I will be in my Class 12 from April 2025, effective April. Am I eligible for CLAT 2026? Yes, you are! Anyone taking their class 12 exams in April/May 2026 can apply for this exam. 
• I come from a Science background. Can I apply for CLAT? Yes, this exam is open to all streams. It also gives science students opportunities to explore careers beyond engineering and medicine. 

Are you a PG aspirant? Check more updates on the CLAT PG Exam here.

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CLAT 2026 Examination: Overview

Look at the table below to get an overview of the CLAT 2026 Notification:

CLAT Full Form	Common Law Admission Test
Conducting Body	Consortium of NLUs
Exam Frequency	Once a year
Exam Level	National Level
Mode of Application	Online
Application Fee (General)	4000 Rs [Online]
Exam Mode	Offline
Participating Colleges	25
Exam Duration	2 Hours
Number of Seats	3700+ Seats (as of 2025)
CLAT Official Website	https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in/

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CLAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria [UG & PG]

The Consortium has set mandatory criteria for applying for either course's CLAT 2026 entrance exam. We have enlisted them for both UG and PG below:

CLAT 2026 Eligibility for UG Program

You must satisfy the following CLAT eligibility criteria to apply for the law undergraduate courses:

• There is no upper age limit for UG. 
• Following the official notification, you must have completed your 10+2 or equivalent examination with at least 45% marks if you belong to the General / OBC / PWD / NRI / PIO / OCI categories.
• If you belong to the SC/ST category, you must have scored at least 40% marks.
• Students appearing for the 10+2 examination in the academic year (March/April 2026) are also eligible to apply.

CLAT  2026 Eligibility for PG Program

The CLAT 2026 PG exam is conducted for those aspiring to secure admission for post-graduation courses, i.e., Master of Law in top Law Universities. 

Have a look at the detailed CLAT PG Eligibility Criteria for exact requirements:

• There is no upper age limit for the PG Program.
• Those belonging to the General/OBC/PWD/NRI/PIO/OCI categories must have a minimum of 50% of marks in the LLB degree or its equivalent grade.
• According to the official notification, those belonging to SC/ST categories must have secured 45% marks in an LLB degree or equivalent grade.
• You must have cleared your final semester or final year of the qualifying paper on the admission date.
• To be eligible for the exam, you must be an Indian citizen, and NRIs and foreign nationals may also be eligible to apply for the exam. Still, you should check the eligibility criteria for each participating college separately, as it may vary from one college to another.

CLAT 2026 Exam Pattern 

The CLAT 2026 notification regarding the exam pattern is yet to be released! So, here is the CLAT exam pattern based on last year's notification. 

CLAT UG Exam Pattern 2026

The following table shows the question paper pattern for the undergraduate courses:

Attribute	Details
Exam Mode	Offline
Exam Centers	Designated national exam centres
Exam Duration	2 hours
Question Type	Multiple-choice questions (comprehension-based)
Total Questions	120
Sections	5 sections
1. English Language	28-32 questions (comprehension passages, grammar, vocabulary)
2. General Knowledge & Current Affairs	35-39 questions (current events, general knowledge)
3. Quantitative Techniques	13-17 questions (basic mathematical skills)
4. Legal Aptitude	35-39 questions (legal propositions, law-related facts)
5. Logical Reasoning	28-32 questions (analyzing and solving problems logically)

CLAT PG Exam Pattern 2026

Check out the table below for the detailed Exam Pattern of CLAT PG Exam :

Mode of Exam	Offline
Medium of Question Paper	English (only)
Type of Exam	Objective
Duration	2 hours
Type of Questions	Objective Type
Number of Multiple Choice Questions	120
Marks Obtained for Correct Answer	+1
Marks Deducted for Incorrect Answer	-0.25
Topics Asked in MCQ	Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Criminal Law, Family Law, Property Law, Company Law, Labour Law, Environmental Law, etc.

CLAT 2026 Syllabus [UG & PG]

The CLAT Syllabus lists the critical topics from the exam point of view. The previous year's notification shows that the UG and PG programs' syllabi differ.

CLAT 2026 Syllabus For UG

Check out the table below to learn the detailed syllabus of CLAT UG:

Subjects	Syllabus
English Language	450 words passage based on contemporary or historically significant fiction and non-fiction writing
	5-6 questions testing comprehension and language skills
	Read and comprehend the main points, arguments, and viewpoints in the passage
	Draw inferences and conclusions, summarize, compare and contrast arguments or viewpoints
	Understand the meaning of words and phrases used in the passage
Current Affairs & GK	450 words passage based on news, journalistic sources, current affairs, and general knowledge, covering:
	Contemporary events of significance from India and the world
	Arts and Culture
	International affairs
	Historical events of continuing significance
Legal Reasoning	450 words passage involving legal matters, public policy questions, or moral philosophical enquiry
	Identify and infer rules and principles in the passage
	Apply rules and principles to various fact situations
	Understand how changes to laws or principles may alter their application to different fact situations
Logical Reasoning	Series of short passages (about 300 words each)
	Recognize arguments, premises, and conclusions
	Read and identify arguments in the passage
	Critically analyze patterns of reasoning and assess the effectiveness of arguments
	Infer from the passage, apply inferences to new situations, draw relationships, and identify contradictions or equivalences.
Quantitative Techniques	Short sets of facts or propositions, graphs, or other textual, pictorial, or diagrammatic representations
	Derive, infer, and manipulate numerical information from passages, graphs, or other representations.
	Apply 10th-standard mathematical operations, such as ratios and proportions, introductory algebra, measurement, and statistical estimation.

CLAT 2026 Syllabus For PG

The PG syllabus is also based on comprehension-based questions. The descriptive section was removed from the syllabus as per last year's notification. 

Have a look at the table below to learn the most important topics from CLAT PG Syllabus:

Constitutional Law	Jurisprudence
Torts	Family Law
Company Law	Public International Law
Labour Law	Industrial Law

How To Apply For CLAT 2026?

The CLAT Registration Form can only be filled out online. There are four stages to the application process: online registration, filling out the form, uploading documents, and paying the application fee.

Follow the steps below to complete the process smoothly:

• Step 1: Visit the official website, i.e., https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in/
• Step 2: On the Home page, click the link "REGISTER" to complete the registration process by entering your name and mobile number and setting a password.
• Step 3: Enter the OTP received on the registered mobile number. This completes the registration process. 
• Step 4: Log in to the portal using the registered mobile number and password. 
• Step 5: Complete the application form by entering all the correct details.
• Step 6: Upload necessary scanned images, documents, and signatures in the specified format.
• Step 7: Pay the fee through the different online payment modes to complete the application process. 

Photo & Signature Dimensions for CLAT 2026 Registration

Refer to the dimensions and format below to complete the registration form for the Common Law Admission Test:

Dimensions	Image Size (Maximum)	Format
Photograph	500 KB	.jpg/.jpeg
Signature	100 KB	.jpg/.jpeg

CLAT 2026 Registration Fees

The application fees vary for each category. Check out the table below for the registration fees per your category:

Category	CLAT Exam Fees
General / OBC / PWD/	Rs. 4000
NRI / PIO / OCI candidates	Rs. 4000
SC / ST / BPL candidates	Rs. 3500

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You can download the CLAT Admit Card only from the official website. You must follow the steps below to download the admit card:

• Visit the official website.
• On the homepage, click on the link "Download Common Law Admission Test Admit Card 2026."
• Enter your login credentials and click on the submit button.
• The admit card will be displayed on the screen. 
• Download and take a printout of the admit card for future reference.

CLAT 2026 Exam Centers List [State-Wise]

The previous year, the Exam was conducted at 139 test centres in 25 states and four union territories across India. The table below shows the state-wise list of CLAT 2026 Exam Centers. 

The CLAT 2026 exam centres list PDF will be available on the official Consortium website. 

Exam Centre States	Exam Centre Cities
Andhra Pradesh	Anantapur, Chirala, Eluru, Guntur, Kadapa, Kakinada, Kurnool, Nellore, Ongole, Rajahmundary, Srikakulam, Tekkali, Tirupathi, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram
Arunachal Pradesh	Itanagar / Naharlagun
Assam	Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur
Bihar	Muzaffarpur, Patna, Arrah, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Purnea
Chhattisgarh	Bilaspur, Raipur, Chandigarh, Bhilai Nagar, Durg
Delhi	New Delhi
Goa	Panaji / Madgoan
Gujrat	Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Anand, Bhavnagar, Himatnagar, Jamnagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara
Haryana	Faridabad, Gurugram, Ambala, Hisar, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Rohtak, Sonipat, Yamuna Nagar
Himachal Pradesh	Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Una
J&K	Jammu, Srinagar, Samba
Jharkhand	Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Bokaro Steel City, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh,
Karnataka	Ballari(Bellary), Belagavi(Belgaum), Bengaluru, Bidar, Davanagere, Dharwad / Hubli, Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), Hassan, Mangaluru(Mangalore), Mysuru(Mysore), Shivamogga(Shimoga), Tumakuru(Tumkur), Udupi, Vijayapura(Bijapur)
Kerala	Alapuzzha, ErnakulamIdukki, Kannur, Kasaragod, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur
Madhya Pradesh	Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Sagar, Satna, Ujjain
Maharashtra	Akola, Amravati, Aurangabad (Maharashtra), Chandrapur, Dhule, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Latur, Mumbai/Navi Mumbai, Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Pune, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Thane, Wardha
Manipur	Imphal
Meghalaya	Shillong
Mizoram	Aizwal
Nagaland	Kohima
Odisha	Balasore, Berhampur-ganjam, Bhubaneswar,  Cuttack , Dhenkanal , Rourkela , Sambalpur
Punjab	Amritsar, Bhatinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Patiala, Sangrur
Rajasthan	Alwar, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Sikar, Sriganganagar, Udaipur
Sikkim	Gangtok
Tamil Nadu	Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Erode, Thanjavur, Nagercoil, Tirunelveli, Tiruchirappalli, Vellore, Namakkal
Telangana	Khammam, Karimnagar, Warangal, Nizamabad, Mahabubnagar
Tripura	Agartala
Uttar Pradesh	Greater Noida, Meerut, Noida, Agra, Aligarh, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mathura, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Allahabad, Ghaziabad
Uttarakhand	Dehradun, Haldwani, Haridwar, Roorkee
West Bengal	Asansol, Burdwan(Bardhaman), Siliguri, Hooghly, Barasat, Howrah, Barrackpore, Kalyani, Kolkata

CLAT 2026 Preparation Books 

Choosing suitable study materials can significantly boost your preparation for the CLAT 2026 exam. These recommended books from expert authors cover the syllabus comprehensively, helping you understand and master the concepts better.

Here is a list of recommended books by various authors for CLAT 2026:

Author	CLAT 2026 Books Names
A. P. Bhardwaj	"Study Package for CLAT"
Arihant Experts	"Self-Study Guide CLAT"
Universal’s	"Guide to CLAT & LLB"
Singh, R. K. and Singh, S.	"CLAT/ AILET 2026 (Guide)"
R.S. Aggarwal	"A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning"
Abhinav Misra	"Word Power Made Easy – The Complete Handbook for Building a Superior Vocabulary"
M Laxmikanth	"Indian Polity"
Manorama Year Book	"Manorama Yearbook 2025"
Pearson Education	"Legal Awareness and Legal Reasoning for CLAT and LL.B. Entrance Examinations"

Before purchasing, ensure that the edition is the most recent, as the pattern and syllabus of the exam may change over time. Also, it is beneficial to supplement these books with online resources and CLAT 2026 mock tests for a well-rounded preparation.

CLAT Previous Year Exam Analysis 

The Common Law Admission Test is conducted annually to offer admission to UG and PG programs. The analysis can help you know the exam's difficulty level, the number of reasonable attempts, and more.

Here is the brief previous year's Exam Analysis for the UG Exam 2025:

• Overall Paper Overview:
  • Super easy paper, very similar to CLAT 2024.
  • A higher cutoff is expected due to the ease of the paper.
  • Small passages with contextual questions.
  • The questions were to the point and straightforward.
  • Good Attempts 105+.

Download FREE Question Papers PDF of CLAT Exam

CLAT 2026 Answer Key

After the exam, the Consortium releases the provisional answer key. If you have any objections, you can send them via the official website. The final answer key for CLAT 2026 will be released based on the objections received.

Here are the steps that can be followed to download the CLAT 2026 Answer Key for both UG and PG programs:

• Visit the official website.
• On the homepage, click the "Common Law Admission Test Answer Key" link available in the Notification section of the website.
• Please enter your login credentials and submit them.
• Now, you can view the answer key for your respective course and set.
• Verify the answers; if there is any error, objections must be raised within the stipulated time.
• Download and print out the answer key PDF for future reference.

CLAT 2026 Results

The CLAT Result is prepared based on the final answer key. The result is released as a merit list of shortlisted aspirants through the Law Entrance Test score for the counselling procedure.

Results can be viewed only on the official website. The exam scorecard will be released before the merit list.

Here are the steps you need to follow while checking the results of the CLAT Paper:

• Visit the official website
• Click on the link "Common Law Admission Test Result."
• Enter the Registration Number & Password and click on submit
• Click on the scorecard tab after logging in
• A new page will open, showing the results of the scorecard
• Save and download the scorecard PDF for future reference

CLAT 2026 Cut-Off Marks [Category-wise]

The Consortium decides the CLAT cutoff based on various factors like the difficulty level of the exam, the number of seats, and the number of students appearing for the exam.

Here is essential information based on the CLAT 2025 first allotment list:

1] Category-Wise Opening and Closing Ranks:

• General: The range varies significantly, with top NLUs like NLU Bangalore having an opening rank of 1 and a closing rank of 84.
• OBC: The opening and closing ranks are more comprehensive. For instance, NALSAR Hyderabad starts at 189 and goes up to 1076.

2] Admission Cutoffs for Top 3 NLUs:

• NLU Bangalore: For the general category, the cutoff range is 1-84.
• NALSAR Hyderabad: The range for the general category is 6-158.
• NLU Kolkata: The cutoff for the general category falls between 140 and 262.

CLAT 2026 Merit List

The merit list is generally released after the results by the Consortium of NLU. 

The CLAT Merit List will be released separately on the official website for UG and PG. 

• The merit list will be released separately for all counselling rounds.
• The Merit List includes the category-wise merit rank of the applicant who has qualified in the exam.
• It is prepared by using the scores of all aspirants, with the highest scores at the top and followed by the lowest scores.
• The details on the merit list include your admit card number, All India Rank, and Total marks obtained in the entrance exam.

CLAT 2026 Counselling

The counselling begins after the release of the merit list. The CLAT counselling is conducted online.

To register for the counselling process, you must pay Rs. 30000/—for the General Category and Rs. 20000/—for ST/SC/OBC/BC/ EWS/ PWD and other reserved categories online. 

Once the first provisional list is released, you must choose any of the three options:

1. Accept the allotted seat (Freeze Option)
2. Apply for an Upgrade (Float Option)
3. Exit from the admission process (Exit Option)

• If the first option is chosen, you must upload all the required documents and pay the requisite fee to the allotted NLU.
• Choose the second option, i.e., accept and upgrade. You must pay the specific fees (as mentioned in the CLAT 2026 Notification) to the allotted University and upload documents as per the schedule. 
• If the last option is chosen, the allotted seat will be lost, and you will not be considered for further allotment. You can still opt for this option if you have not been allotted a seat.

Documents Required in CLAT 2026

You must carry the following documents at the time of counselling:

• Application Form
• Scorecard
• 10th & 12th Marksheets
• Admit Card
• Specially-abled Certificate (if applicable)
• Domicile Certificate (if applicable)
• Caste Certificate (if applicable)
• NRI Certificate (if applicable)
• Sponsored NRI Certificate (if applicable)

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The NLU begins the CLAT Seat Allotment according to the merit-cum-preference. 

Refer to the table below for the college-wise seat distribution for both LLB and LLM courses:

Name of the CLAT Participating Colleges (2024)	UG Seat Intake	PG Seat Intake
National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru	300	120
National Academy of Legal Study & Research (NALSAR), Hyderabad	132	66
National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal	BA LLB 134 BSc LLB 68	60
The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata	BA LLB 108 BSc LLB 50	100
National Law University (NLUJ), Jodhpur	120	50
Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur	170	90
Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), Gandhinagar	172	57
Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU), Lucknow	169	48
Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Patiala	180	60
National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS), Kochi	60	60
National Law University Odisha (NLUO), Cuttack	BA LLB 120 BBA LLB 60	44
National University of Study & Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi	134	60
National Law University & Judicial Academy (NLUJA), Assam	60	60
Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU), Visakhapatnam	120	60
The Tamil Nadu National Law University (TNNLU), Tiruchirapalli	BA LLB 60 BCom LLB 60	60
Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Mumbai	100	50
Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Nagpur	BA LLB 120 BBA LLB 60	60
Maharashtra National Law University, (MNLU)  Aurangabad	BA LLB 60 BBA LLB 60	60
Himachal Pradesh National Law University, (HPNLU), Shimla	BA LLB 60 BBA LLB 60	80
Dharmashastra National Law University (DNLU), Jabalpur	120	50
Dr B R Ambedkar National Law University (DBRANLU), Sonipat, Haryana	120	-
National Law University Tripura (NLUT), Agartala	60	50
Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), Silvasa	66	33
Total (not including supernumerary, NRI, extra, and FN seats)	3163	1378

Note - The table only includes the seats for UG and PG programs and does not account for supernumerary, NRI, extra, and FN seats.

CLAT UG Placement Statistics (5-year Program) 

Check out the table below to learn about the CLAT PG Placements for the year 2022:

Name of NLU	No. of students graduating	No. of students placed	Median Placement Package(Rs.)
National Law School of India University (NLSIU ), Bangalore	76	65	16,00,000 (Sixteen Lakh Only)
National Law University (NLU), Delhi	85	59	19,00,000 (Nineteen Lakhs Only)
NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad	118	96	16,00,000 (Sixteen Lakh Only)
West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata	127	80	16,00,000 (Sixteen Lakh Only)

"Consistency is the key to my success!" - Divas Upadhyay (CLAT 2024 AIR 6)

Did you know? CLAT 2024 topper Divas Upadhyay, with an AIR of 6, says consistency is the key to success. Discover his success strategies for acing the exam, from consistent study and quality material to efficient time management!

Conclusion

In this captivating blog, we took you on a thrilling journey, exploring the ins and outs of the CLAT 2026 - a vital gateway to your dream law school. As we navigated this legal labyrinth, we uncovered essential insights just for you:

• CLAT 2026 significance in securing admission to premier law schools.
• A comprehensive breakdown of the exam pattern and syllabus.
• Techniques to conquer the exam with confidence and finesse.
• The critical role of diligent preparation and smart strategies.