CLAT Exam 2027: Full Form, Eligibility, Syllabus, Exam Date, Registration, Fees & Preparation

CLAT stands for Common Law Admission Test, a national-level entrance exam conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) for admission to UG and PG law programmes at 26 NLUs across India. CLAT 2027 will be held on December 6, 2026, with registrations open from August 3 to October 31, 2026. 

If you're planning a career in law, CLAT is usually the first major milestone. This guide covers everything you need for CLAT 2027 like full form, eligibility, exam dates, registration steps, fees, syllabus, exam pattern, preparation strategy, and the list of NLUs that accept your CLAT score. 

What is CLAT? 

CLAT full form is the Common Law Admission Test. It is a national-level entrance examination conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) for admission to undergraduate Law programme (UG) and postgraduate programme (PG) law programmes at 26 participating NLUs across India.

Unlike exams that test prior knowledge of law, CLAT evaluates reading comprehension, reasoning ability, and applied legal aptitude through passage-based questions. A single CLAT attempt gives you a shot at admission across the entire NLU network. You don't need to sit for separate entrance tests at each university. The only NLU that doesn't accept CLAT scores is National Law University, Delhi, which conducts its own exam, AILET.

Besides the 26 NLUs, hundreds of private law schools and universities across India also accept CLAT scores for admission to their integrated law programs.

CLAT 2027 Exam Highlights 

CLAT Exam Eligibility Criteria

CLAT eligibility differs for the undergraduate (5-year integrated law programmes) and postgraduate (LLM) exams. There is no upper age limit for either.

Eligibility for CLAT UG

• Candidates must have passed 10+2 (or an equivalent examination) from a recognised board.
• Minimum marks required: 45% for General/OBC candidates and 40% for SC/ST/PwD candidates.
• Candidates appearing for their Class 12 exams in March/April 2027 can also apply, provided they submit proof of having passed at the time of admission.
• CLAT UG is stream-neutral. Students from Science, Commerce, and Arts backgrounds are all eligible.
• There is no upper age limit, so candidates of any age who meet the academic criteria can apply.

Eligibility for CLAT PG (LLM)

• Candidates must hold a 3-year or 5-year LLB degree from an institution recognised by the Bar Council of India.
• Minimum marks required: 50% aggregate for General/OBC/PwD/NRI/PIO/OCI candidates and 45% for SC/ST candidates.
• Candidates in their final year of LLB, appearing for exams in April/May 2027, are also eligible to apply, subject to submitting their qualifying certificate at the time of admission.
• There is no upper age limit for CLAT PG either.

CLAT Registration Process

CLAT 2027 registration opened on August 3, 2026, and closed on October 31, 2026. The application must be submitted online through the official Consortium website.

Step 1: Register on the official CLAT portal using a mobile number and email ID.

Step 2: Verify your details through OTP verification and log in.

Step 3: Fill in personal and academic details like name, date of birth, contact information, and qualifying exam details.

Step 4: Select your program and category (UG or PG, along with your applicable reservation category).

Step 5: Choose your preferred exam centres. Candidates can select up to three preferences.

Step 6: Upload documents such as photograph, signature, and category/PwD/BPL certificates, if applicable.

Step 7: Pay the application fee online and confirm the payment status.

Step 8: Review and submit the form, then download the confirmation page and fee receipt for your records.

Documents Required for CLAT Registration

• Recent passport-size photograph
• Scanned signature
• Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC), if applicable
• PwD certificate, if applicable
• BPL certificate, if applicable
• Class 10 marksheet (for date of birth proof)
• Class 12 marksheet (for UG applicants) or LLB marksheet/degree certificate (for PG applicants)

CLAT Exam Fee (Category-Wise) 

The application fee is non-refundable and non-adjustable. Any applicable bank transaction charges are payable separately. 

CLAT Exam Syllabus 2027

The Consortium has confirmed there will be no changes to the CLAT syllabus or pattern for 2027. The UG paper has 120 MCQs across five sections, mostly presented as passage-based questions.

English Language

Tests reading comprehension through passages (roughly 450 words each) drawn from contemporary and historically significant fiction and non-fiction. Grammar and vocabulary are assessed indirectly, through the passages rather than standalone exercises. Carries 22–26 questions.

Current Affairs & General Knowledge

The highest-weightage section, with 28–32 questions. Passages are based on news reports and journalistic sources covering national and international events, government schemes, awards, the environment, and socio-economic developments.

Legal Reasoning

Also carries 28–32 questions. Passages present fact situations, legal scenarios, public policy questions, or moral and philosophical enquiries. No prior knowledge of law is needed — all necessary legal principles are given within the passage itself.

Logical Reasoning

22–26 questions that test your ability to identify an argument, its premises, and its conclusion, along with related reasoning skills. Puzzle- or arrangement-style questions can occasionally appear within these passage-based sets.

Quantitative Techniques

The smallest section, with 10–14 questions, based on short sets of facts, figures, or data representations. Core topics include Percentages, Ratios, Profit & Loss, Averages, Data Interpretation, Time & Work, and Mensuration.

How to Prepare for the CLAT Exam? (Preparation Tips) 

• Know the syllabus and pattern inside out. Understanding the section-wise weightage helps you allocate preparation time realistically.
• Build a daily reading habit. Reading newspapers, editorials, and quality non-fiction improves speed, comprehension, and vocabulary. These can feed directly into the English and Current Affairs sections.
• Stay consistent with current affairs. Don't leave GK for the last few weeks; follow national and international events throughout the year and revise regularly.
• Practise section-wise before attempting full papers. Strengthen each section individually, then move to full-length mocks.
• Solve previous years' papers and take regular mocks. This is the best way to get used to the actual question style and time pressure.
• Review every mock test properly. Don't just check your score.Identify which questions cost you time or accuracy, and revise those areas specifically.

Best Books for CLAT Preparation

• Legal Awareness and Legal Reasoning – A.P. Bhardwaj
• Universal's CLAT Guide – Universal Law Publishing
• Word Power Made Easy – Norman Lewis (for vocabulary building)
• Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations – R.S. Aggarwal (for the Quantitative Techniques section)
• Manorama Yearbook or a similarly comprehensive current affairs annual
• A reliable daily newspaper (The Hindu or Indian Express) for ongoing current affairs and editorial reading practice

CLAT Mock Test & Previous Year Papers

Solving previous years' CLAT papers is one of the most reliable ways to understand the actual difficulty level and question style, since the syllabus and pattern have stayed consistent over recent years. Once you're comfortable with individual sections, shift to full-length mock tests under exam-like time conditions (2 hours, 120 questions) to build stamina and improve your speed-accuracy balance. Several CLAT coaching platforms and the Consortium itself release free and paid mock series closer to the exam.

List of NLUs Accepting CLAT Score

CLAT scores are accepted by 26 National Law Universities across India (all except NLU Delhi, which conducts AILET separately) for admission to their integrated 5-year UG law programmes and LLM courses. 

This includes established names such as NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, NLU Jodhpur, WBNUJS Kolkata, GNLU Gandhinagar, RGNUL Patiala, NLU Lucknow, NLU Odisha, NLU Guwahati, NLIU Bhopal, CNLU Patna, NUALS Kochi, NUSRL Ranchi, DSNLU Visakhapatnam, TNNLU Tiruchirappalli, MNLU Mumbai, MNLU Nagpur, MNLU Aurangabad, HNLU Raipur, and several others, alongside hundreds of private law colleges and universities that use CLAT scores for their own admissions.

Beyond the NLU route: Reputed private institutions such as Symbiosis Law School, Christ University, and O.P. Jindal Global University also run well-regarded integrated law programmes, either through CLAT or their own entrance processes. If you'd rather not build your entire law career around a single CLAT rank, AAFT University's BBA LLB programme is worth considering. It's a UGC- and Bar Council of India-approved 5-year integrated degree that combines core law subjects with management coursework (Finance, Marketing, Business Communication, and even Data Science & AI), plus moot court practice, legal writing, and internships built into the curriculum. 

Admission is through the AAFT Global Entrance Exam rather than CLAT, which gives students a parallel pathway into a structured law degree. 

CLAT Result, Merit List & Counselling Process

The Consortium releases the CLAT result in PDF format shortly after the final answer key is published, typically in the third week of December. The scorecard shows your total marks, overall All India Rank, and category-wise rank, based on which you're invited to participate in counselling.

Counselling follows these broad steps:

1. Register for counselling and pay the counselling fee.
2. Enter and confirm your preferred NLUs and programmes.
3. Check the merit list and your provisional seat allotment.
4. Accept the allotted seat or opt for an available upgrade.
5. Complete fee payment and document verification within the given deadline.
6. Finish admission formalities at the allotted NLU.

Since reservation policies (SC, ST, OBC, EWS, PwD, and domicile quotas) vary slightly by NLU, it's worth checking the specific reservation matrix of your preferred universities before finalising your preference order.

Career Scope After CLAT (Salary & Opportunities)

A CLAT-cleared law degree opens up a genuinely wide range of career paths, not just courtroom litigation:

• Corporate law firms: Roles at firms like AZB & Partners, Khaitan & Co, and Trilegal, handling contracts, M&A, and compliance. Fresh graduates from top NLUs often start in the ₹10–20 LPA range at leading firms.
• Litigation: Practising in civil, criminal, or commercial courts, usually starting under a senior advocate before building an independent practice. Early income is modest, but well-established litigators can earn upward of ₹16–50 LPA.
• In-house corporate counsel: Legal departments at MNCs and large Indian companies, offering more structured hours and steady pay.
• Judiciary: After some practice experience, law graduates can appear for State Judicial Services Examinations to become a Civil Judge or Judicial Magistrate, with salaries following government pay scales.
• PSUs and public-sector banks: Organisations like ONGC, BHEL, NTPC, and GAIL recruit legal officers, often through CLAT PG scores; banks hire via IBPS Specialist Officer exams.
• Regulatory and policy roles: Bodies like SEBI, RBI, and the Competition Commission of India hire law officers for advisory and regulatory work.
• Legal journalism, academia, compliance, and legal-tech: Increasingly popular non-traditional paths for law graduates who want to combine law with writing, teaching, or technology.

Importantly, an NLU degree isn't the only route to a strong legal career. Internships, drafting skills, and courtroom experience matter just as much as the university name on your degree.

CLAT 2027 is your gateway to some of India's best law schools, but preparation only pays off if you understand the exam clearly. Start early, stay consistent with reading and current affairs, and treat every mock test as a diagnostic rather than just a score.

And if you're exploring integrated law degrees beyond the CLAT-NLU circuit, AAFT University's BBA LLB programme offers a structured, industry-linked alternative that blends business and legal education. You can check the detailed fee structure here and explore admissions through the AAFT Global Entrance Exam.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the full form of the CLAT exam?
 CLAT stands for Common Law Admission Test, a national-level entrance exam conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities for admission to UG and PG law programmes.

2. What is the CLAT exam for?
 CLAT is used for admission to 5-year integrated undergraduate law programmes (like BA LLB and BBA LLB) and LLM postgraduate programmes at 26 National Law Universities across India, as well as at many private law colleges.

3. What is the eligibility criteria for the CLAT entrance exam?
 For CLAT UG, candidates need to have passed 10+2 with at least 45% marks (40% for SC/ST/PwD), with no upper age limit. For CLAT PG, candidates need an LLB degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST), also with no upper age limit.

4. What is the complete syllabus for the CLAT exam?
 The CLAT UG syllabus covers five sections: English Language, Current Affairs including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques, spread across 120 passage-based MCQs.

5. When is the CLAT exam date 2027?
 CLAT 2027 will be conducted on December 6, 2026 (Sunday), from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, in offline mode.

6. How much is the CLAT exam fee for different categories?
 The application fee is ₹4,000 for General/OBC candidates and ₹3,500 for SC/ST/BPL/PwD candidates. An additional ₹500 applies if you opt for previous years' question papers.

7. What is the CLAT exam registration process?
 Registration is entirely online through the official Consortium website. Candidates create an account, fill in personal and academic details, select their programme and exam centres, upload the required documents, pay the fee, and submit the form.

8. Is there negative marking in the CLAT exam?
 Yes. Each correct answer earns +1 mark, while each incorrect answer results in a deduction of 0.25 marks.

9. Which is a good CLAT mock test to practice for the exam?
 Solving previous years' official CLAT papers is the best starting point, since the format has stayed largely unchanged. Beyond that, several CLAT coaching platforms and the Consortium itself release full-length mock tests closer to the exam that simulate the actual 120-question, 2-hour format.

10. What is the CLAT exam preparation strategy for beginners?
 Start by understanding the syllabus and section weightage, then build a daily reading habit for comprehension and current affairs. Practise topic-wise before moving to full-length mock tests, and review every mock carefully to identify weak areas rather than just tracking your score.