CLAT Eligibility Criteria 2027: Marks, Age Limit & Who Can Apply (UG and PG)

CLAT Eligibility Criteria 2027: To be eligible for CLAT UG 2027, you must have passed Class 12 or an equivalent exam with at least 45% marks, or 40% if you are SC, ST or PwD. There is no upper age limit. Students taking their Class 12 boards in March/April 2027 can also apply, as long as they show proof of passing at the time of admission. For CLAT PG 2027 (LLM), you need an LLB with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD).

Only Indian nationals and NRIs can sit the exam. Foreign nationals can’t appear for CLAT and must apply to individual NLUs directly.

CLAT 2027 is on Sunday, 6 December 2026, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, and registration closes on 31 October 2026. Below you’ll find the UG and PG rules side by side, NRI admission documents, who is not eligible, and how many attempts you can take.

For any doubts about your eligibility, refer to the official CLAT 2027 UG eligibility criteria on the Consortium of NLUs website. The Consortium’s decision on eligibility is final.

Download FREE Study Material for CLAT By LegalEdge

CLAT Eligibility Criteria 2027 Overview

You can check the overview of CLAT eligibility criteria 2027 in the table below.

Eligibility Factor	CLAT UG 2027 (5-Year LLB)	CLAT PG 2027 (LLM)
Qualifying Exam	Class 12 (10+2) or equivalent, any stream	LLB (3-year or 5-year) or equivalent
Minimum Marks: General / OBC / NRI	45%	50%
Minimum Marks: SC / ST / PwD	40%	45%
Appearing Candidates	Eligible if appearing in March/April 2027; proof of passing needed at admission	Final-year LLB students eligible; proof of passing needed at admission
Age Limit	No upper age limit	No upper age limit
Who Can Appear	Indian nationals and NRIs	Indian nationals and NRIs
Foreign Nationals	Not eligible for CLAT; apply to NLUs directly	Not eligible for CLAT; apply to NLUs directly
Number of Attempts	No limit	No limit
Application Fee	₹4,000 (₹3,500 for SC/ST/BPL)	₹4,000 (₹3,500 for SC/ST/BPL)
Registration Window	3 August – 31 October 2026	3 August – 31 October 2026
Exam Date and Time	Sunday, 6 December 2026, 2:00–4:00 PM (to 4:40 PM for PwD)	Sunday, 6 December 2026, 2:00–4:00 PM (to 4:40 PM for PwD)

CLAT UG 2027 Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the CLAT UG 2027 exam, you must meet the eligibility criteria below.

CLAT UG Educational Qualification 

There are significant academic requirements for the CLAT entrance exam. You must fulfil those criteria before applying for the exam.

• You must have passed Class 12 or an equivalent exam.
• The minimum marks required in Class 12 are 45% for General/OBC/NRI/PIO/OCI and 40% for SC/ST/PwD.
• If you are a Class 12^th appearing candidate in 2027, then you are also eligible. However, you must submit your 12th-standard result at the time of admission.

CLAT UG Age Limit

As per the Consortium of NLUs, there is no upper age limit to appear for the CLAT UG exam. 

CLAT UG Nationality Requirement

You must meet the specific nationality conditions to appear in CLAT 2027. All Indian Nationals can appear for the CLAT exam. Other participants also include:

• Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)
• Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs)
• Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs)
• Foreign Nationals (must hold a valid passport)

CLAT Eligibility Criteria 2027: Marks in Grades or CGPA

Some boards award grades or CGPA instead of percentages. The CLAT eligibility criteria 2027 accept 45% marks "or its equivalent in grade" (40% for SC/ST/PwD). If your board gives grades, use the conversion method your board officially prescribes to work out your percentage. Keep the board's conversion document ready, because the NLU may ask for it during admission.

CLAT Eligibility Criteria 2027 for NRI and Foreign National Candidates

The CLAT 2027 eligibility rules treat NRIs and foreign nationals differently.

Candidate Type	Can Appear for CLAT 2027?	Admission Route
NRI	Yes	Through CLAT; NRI or NRI-sponsored seats as per each NLU's policy
Foreign National	No	Apply directly to the respective NLU under its foreign national seat rules

NRI seat rules, fees and documents vary across NLUs, so check your target NLU's admission notice along with the CLAT eligibility criteria.

CLAT Eligibility Criteria 2027 for Class 12 Appearing Students

As per the CLAT eligibility criteria 2027, you don't need to wait for your Class 12 result to apply. If you are appearing for your Class 12 board exams in March/April 2027, you can register for CLAT 2027 now and take the exam on 6 December 2026.

Criteria	Details
Who Can Apply	Students appearing for Class 12 board exams in March/April 2027
Status at Application	Provisionally eligible
Condition	Must produce proof of passing Class 12 with the required minimum marks at the time of admission
If Proof Is Not Produced	You lose your right to be considered for admission, even with a high CLAT score

So even if you are still in Class 12, plan to score at least 45% in your boards (40% for SC/ST/PwD). A good CLAT rank alone will not secure your NLU seat.

CLAT 2027 Eligibility for Graduates and Working Professionals

Since there is no upper age limit in the CLAT eligibility criteria 2027, graduates, postgraduates and working professionals can also take CLAT UG for the 5-year integrated law programme. Your eligibility is judged only on your Class 12 marks, not on your graduation marks or work experience.

Candidate Type	Eligible for CLAT UG 2027?	Marks Considered
Class 12 Passed Students	Yes	Class 12
Graduates (BA, BCom, BSc, BTech, etc.)	Yes	Class 12
Working Professionals	Yes	Class 12
LLB Graduates	Yes for UG; can also apply for CLAT PG	Class 12 for UG, LLB for PG

CLAT Eligibility Criteria for PwD Candidates

PwD candidates get relaxed marks and extra exam time in CLAT 2027.

Criteria	Details
Minimum Marks in Class 12 (UG)	40%
Extra Exam Time	40 minutes (exam ends at 4:40 PM)
Certificate Required	Valid PwD certificate, as prescribed by the Government and the respective NLU, at the time of admission

CLAT PG 2027 Eligibility Criteria

To appear for the CLAT PG exam, you must score at least 50% in the LLB graduation exam. You can check the detailed CLAT PG eligibility criteria below. 

Eligibility Factor	Criteria
Required Qualification	5-year or 3-year LLB from a Bar Council of India-recognised university
Final-Year Students	Students appearing in the final-year LLB exam are also eligible
Minimum Marks (General/OBC/NRI/PIO/OCI)	50% in LLB
Minimum Marks (SC/ST/PwD)	45% in LLB
Age Limit	No age limit for the CLAT PG 2027 exam

Take FREE Demo Class for CLAT 2027 Prep

CLAT Eligibility Criteria 2027 for NRI Students

If you are an NRI/NRI-sponsored student, you must meet the CLAT eligibility criteria for NRI students to appear for the exam. After qualifying for the exam, you can seek admission to separate NLUs. You can check the required NRI/NRI-sponsored status to be eligible for the CLAT exam.

What Documents Are Required for CLAT NRI Admission 2027? 

You must submit the following documents when applying for admission to NLUs. 

• NRI Status certificate (Annexure-I) or the NRI status of the person sponsoring the study, in case of the NRI Sponsored category (Annexure-II).
• Class 10/secondary mark sheet and the certificate. 
• Class 12/intermediate marksheet and certificate.
• Character certificate, transfer certificate/migration certificate from the last institution you attended.
• Recent colour photographs. 
• CLAT 2027 scorecard. 
• CLAT 2027 admit card. 
• Affidavit of the year gap (if any). 
• Prescribed application fee of the university, which will be adjusted later with the university fee.

How to Check Your CLAT 2027 Eligibility Before Applying

Before you fill in the CLAT 2027 application form, run through this eligibility checklist:

Step	Check	Requirement
1	Qualification	Passed Class 12 (or equivalent), or appearing in March/April 2027
2	Minimum Marks	45% (General/OBC/NRI); 40% (SC/ST/PwD)
3	Age	No check needed; there's no upper age limit
4	Nationality	Indian national or NRI
5	Category Certificate	Valid SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwD certificate ready, if claiming reservation
6	Registration Deadline	Apply by 31 October 2026 at consortiumofnlus.ac.in

If you tick every row, you meet the CLAT eligibility criteria 2027 and can apply.

Who is Not Eligible for CLAT?

You must meet all the eligibility criteria mentioned above to be eligible for the CLAT 2027 exam. You are not eligible if you

• Fail to meet the minimum mark requirement; candidates from the general, OBC, PwD, NRI, PIO, and OCI categories must have at least 45% overall in their Class 12 examinations, while those from the SC and ST communities need a minimum of 40%.
• If you have not completed Class 12, you will not be taking the exam in 2027. The CLAT 2027 examination is open only to candidates who have passed Class 12 (or have an equivalent qualification) or who are currently in Class 12 with their results to be issued in 2027.
• If you do not submit your Class 12 results by the deadline for admission, all candidates will be given only provisional eligibility. You will lose your seat even if your CLAT score is high.
• If you provide documents that are wrong, incomplete, or invalid, then your application will be cancelled.
• You are not included in an eligible nationality category. The application is only open to Indian Nationals, NRIs, OCIs, PIOs, and Foreign Nationals with a valid passport.

Number of Attempts Allowed for CLAT 2027

There is no limit on the number of attempts for the CLAT exam. The Consortium of NLU allows students to appear for the CLAT exam as many times as they wish. If you meet the eligibility criteria, then you can apply for the exam. 

• You can appear for the CLAT 2027 exam even if you attended the CLAT 2026 exam.
• Since there is no upper age limit, you can attempt CLAT at any age.
• Each attempt of yours will be treated independently.

Attempt a FREE Mock Test for CLAT 2027

CLAT Eligibility Criteria Changes Over Time

CLAT exam went through some big changes in 2018, 2019, and 2020. You can check the changes below.

• The governing body was shifted from rotating NLU administration to the CLAT Consortium permanently.
• UG carried an upper-age cap (20/22 years) until CLAT 2018; PG appears to have been age-neutral from its introduction.
• The noticeable eligibility change is the drop in required LLB marks from 55% to 50% for the CLAT PG exam. 

Changes in CLAT UG Eligibility Criteria

You can check the changes in CLAT UG eligibility criteria over the years in the table below. 

Period	Educational Qualification	Marks Required	Age Limit
2008 (Inception)	Class 12 pass (any stream)	45% general; 40% SC/ST	Upper age cap: below 20 (General/OBC/NRI); below 22 (SC/ST/OBC/PwD), as on 1 July of the exam year
2009–2018	Class 12 pass (any stream)	Largely unchanged: 45%/40%	Same upper-age-cap structure continued (20/22 years)
2018	No change	No change	No change
2019 (CLAT 2019 cycle)	No change	No change	Upper age limit abolished
2019 notification, effective CLAT 2020	No change to marks/age	No change	No change
2020–present	Class 12 pass or appearing (any stream); appearing candidates provisionally eligible pending final marksheet	45% General/OBC/PwD/NRI/OCI/PIO; 40% SC/ST	No upper or lower age limit
CLAT 2027	Same as above	45% / 40% (unchanged)	No age limit

Changes in CLAT PG Eligibility Criteria

You can check the changes in CLAT PG eligibility criteria over the years in the table below.

Period	Educational Qualification	Marks Required
2008-2010	LL.B. (3-year or 5-year) or equivalent, completed or final-year appearing	55% General/OBC; 50% SC/ST
Through 2010	No changes	55% / 50% (widely reported as consistent through this period)
2020 pattern overhaul	Same qualification requirement	No major reported change in marks at this point
2022 onward	LL.B. completed or final-year appearing, from a BCI-recognised institution	Reduced to 50% General/OBC/NRI/OCI/PIO; 45% SC/ST/PwD
CLAT PG 2027	No changes	50% / 45%

CLAT Registration 2027 

The Consortium of NLUs released the CLAT 2027 application form on August 3, 2026. You can check your eligibility and fill out the application form on the official website at consortiumofnlus.ac.in. The last date to complete the CLAT Registration 2027 is October 31, 2026. 

Conclusion

• CLAT can be pursued after completing 12th or graduation. You can appear for CLAT UG after 12th and CLAT PG after LLB graduation.
• Foreign nationals can appear for CLAT but must have a valid passport.
• There is no minimum age requirement to apply for the exam.
• CLAT can be taken after completing B.Tech, but a minimum required mark is necessary.
• You can prepare for CLAT in Class 11, but you cannot take the exam.
• NRI candidates are eligible for CLAT 2027 but must follow the admission guidelines.
• CLAT eligibility is based on nationality, age limit, and educational qualification.
• Indian Nationals, NRIs, OCIs, and PIOs can apply for CLAT.
• Educational qualification requires completion of 10+2 or equivalent with minimum marks.
• NRI candidates must meet particular eligibility criteria and complete admission formalities.