CLAT 2026: The Executive Committee and the Governing Body of the Consortium of National Law Universities (the “Consortium”) at their Meetings held on July 20th, 2025 decided that the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2026 shall be conducted on Sunday, Dec 7th 2025, from 2 PM-4 PM. 
The portal for applying for the CLAT 2026 starts from the 1st of August 2025 and the last date to apply is 31st October 2025
CLAT 2026: It is a national-level entrance examination conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities for admissions to undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) law programs offered by 24 National Law Universities (NLUs) across India.
CLAT Important Dates
- CLAT 2026 Notification Release: July 20, 2025
- Online Application Process Start: August 1, 2025
- Last Date to Submit Application: October 31, 2025 (11:59 P.M.)
- CLAT 2026 Exam Date: December 7, 2025 (Sunday), from 2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. (PwD candidates may have extended time)
- Release of Admit Card: Mid-November 2025 (Tentative)
- Release of Provisional Answer Key: December 8-9, 2025 (Tentative)
- Declaration of Results: Second week of December 2025 (Tentative)
- Commencement of Counseling: December 15, 2025 (Tentative)
CLAT Registration Deadline Extended
Eligibility Criteria:
- For UG (5-year integrated LLB):
Educational Qualification: Candidates must have passed Class 12 (10+2) or an equivalent examination from a recognized board. Candidates appearing for their Class 12 exams in March/April 2026 are also eligible, but must provide proof of passing at the time of admission.
CLAT 2025 Admit Card Download Now
Minimum Marks:
- General/OBC/PWD/NRI/PIO/OCI categories: Minimum of 45% aggregate marks.
- SC/ST categories: Minimum of 40% aggregate marks.
Age Limit: There is no upper age limit for CLAT UG.
- For PG (LL.M.):
Educational Qualification: Candidates must have completed a Bachelor’s degree in Law (LL.B. or equivalent) from a recognized university. Those appearing for their final year LL.B. exams in April/May 2026 are also eligible.
Minimum Marks:
- General/OBC/PWD/NRI/PIO/OCI categories: Minimum of 50% aggregate marks.
- SC/ST categories: Minimum of 45% aggregate marks.
Age Limit: There is no upper age limit for CLAT PG.
CLAT Application Process:
- The application process is entirely online and is done through the official website: consortiumofnlus.ac.in.
- Candidates need to register, fill out the application form with personal and academic details, choose up to three test center preferences, and upload scanned copies of required documents (photograph, signature, category certificates if applicable, mark sheets, etc.).
CLAT Application Fee:
- General/OBC/PwD/NRI/PIO/OCI candidates: Rs. 4,000/-
- SC/ST/BPL candidates: Rs. 3,500/-
- An additional Rs. 500/- is charged for previous years’ question papers (optional).
- The fee is non-refundable.
CLAT UG Exam Pattern:
- Mode: Offline (Pen-and-Paper based)
- Duration: 2 hours (120 minutes)
- Total Questions: 120 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
- Total Marks: 120 marks
- Marking Scheme: 1 mark for each correct answer; 0.25 marks deducted for each incorrect answer.
- Sections:
- English Language: 22-26 questions (20% weightage) – Focus on reading comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary. Passages around 450 words.
- Current Affairs, including General Knowledge: 28-32 questions (25% weightage) – Covers contemporary events, arts and culture, international affairs, historical events of significance. Passages up to 450 words.
- Legal Reasoning: 28-32 questions (25% weightage) – Passages of around 450 words related to legal matters, public policy, or moral philosophical inquiries. No prior legal knowledge required; focuses on identifying and applying rules/principles from the passage.
- Logical Reasoning: 22-26 questions (20% weightage) – Passages of around 300 words. Tests critical reasoning skills, including inferences, arguments, and logical relationships.
- Quantitative Techniques: 10-14 questions (10% weightage) – Based on short sets of facts/numerical information. Requires applying 10th standard mathematical operations (ratios, proportions, basic algebra, mensuration, statistical estimation).
Participating NLUs: CLAT 2026 scores are accepted by 24 National Law Universities for their UG and PG programs. NLU Delhi and NLU Meghalaya conduct their own entrance exams.
