CLAT 2027: The Complete Guide to Dates, Pattern & a Prep Plan That Actually Fits Your Timeline
Registration is open and the exam is on December 6, 2026 – which means most aspirants have well under 100 days left. Here’s exactly what’s changing, what isn’t, and how to use the time you have.
Quick Facts
On this page
1. What CLAT is, and who should take it
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is the single entrance exam that decides admission into the undergraduate law programmes (BA LLB and similar 5-year integrated courses) at India’s National Law Universities. A single CLAT score is accepted by 26 National Law Universities, plus the GNLU Silvassa campus and IIULER Goa, and is also used by 60+ affiliated private law colleges for their own admissions. Notable NLUs include NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, NLIU Bhopal, and MNLU Mumbai.
If your child is finishing Class 12 in 2027 and is even considering law – not just committed to it – CLAT is worth registering for. The scope of a good CLAT score (UG and PG combined, roughly 3,200+ UG and 1,300+ PG seats) means it opens doors even for students who are still weighing law against other options.
2. Key dates for 2027
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration opens | August 3, 2026 |
| Registration closes | October 31, 2026 |
| Exam date | December 6, 2026 (2:00 PM – 4:00 PM) |
3. Eligibility criteria
- Age limit: None. There is no upper age limit for the CLAT UG exam.
- Qualification: Must have completed Class 12 from a recognized board. Students currently in Class 12 and appearing for their qualifying examination in March/April 2027 can also apply, but must submit proof of passing at admission.
- Minimum marks: 45% aggregate in Class 12 for General/OBC/NRI/PIO/OCI candidates; 40% for SC/ST/PwD candidates.
- Domicile: Some NLUs reserve seats for home-state candidates – worth checking individual NLU admission rules once the CLAT result is out.
4. Exam pattern & syllabus weightage
120 multiple-choice questions, 2 hours, across five sections. Time pressure is the real challenge here – that works out to exactly one minute per question.
| Section | Questions | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| Current Affairs & General Knowledge | 28–32 | 25% |
| Legal Reasoning | 28–32 | 25% |
| English Language | 22–26 | 20% |
| Logical Reasoning | 22–26 | 20% |
| Quantitative Techniques | 10–14 | 10% |
Notice that Current Affairs and Legal Reasoning together make up half the paper. Students who treat CLAT as “just an English and reasoning test” and skip current affairs consistently underperform relative to their mock scores.
5. How to register, step by step
- Go to the official CLAT Consortium website and create an account with a valid email ID and phone number.
- Fill in personal, academic, and category details exactly as they appear on official documents.
- Upload scanned photograph and signature in the specified format and size.
- Select your NLU preferences and review them carefully before submitting the application.
- Pay the application fee online.
- Download and save the confirmation page – don’t rely on email confirmation alone.
6. A realistic prep timeline from today to Dec 6
Assuming a September start, here’s a sequence that respects board-exam workload rather than pretending CLAT is the only thing happening this term.
- September Finish one full read of the syllabus for each section. Start a daily current-affairs habit (15–20 minutes) – this compounds and cannot be crammed later.
- October Shift to section-wise practice sets. Time yourself per section, not just per full test. Complete registration by mid-October, not the last week.
- November Full-length mocks, twice a week minimum, under real exam timing. Review every wrong answer for the reasoning gap, not just the correct option.
- Last 10 days (Nov 26 – Dec 5) Taper mock volume. Revise current affairs notes, legal maxims, and formula sheets. Confirm admit card, exam city, and reporting time.
- December 6 Exam day. Reach the centre at least 60–90 minutes early.
7. Mistakes that cost students a good rank
- Ignoring current affairs until the last month. It’s 25% of the paper and the hardest section to cram.
- Practising sections in isolation forever. Full-length, timed mocks are what expose real pacing problems.
- Not reading NLU-specific rules. Reservation policies, domicile quotas, and counselling processes vary by university – these affect where a given score can actually get admission.
- Registering at the last minute. A missed deadline because of a payment failure or server load is entirely avoidable.
8. Frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in CLAT 2027?
The Consortium has not announced any pattern change for 2027, so students should prepare using the same marking scheme structure as recent years and confirm the final rule in the official information bulletin once released.
Can a Class 12 student who hasn’t received results yet apply?
Yes. Students appearing for their qualifying examination in March/April 2027 can register and take CLAT, but must submit proof of passing at the time of admission.
Does CLAT have an upper age limit?
No. There is no upper age limit for the CLAT UG exam.
How many NLUs accept the CLAT score?
26 National Law Universities, plus the GNLU Silvassa campus and IIULER Goa, along with 60+ affiliated law colleges.
What happens after the exam?
Once results are declared, admission proceeds through a centralised counselling process where candidates list NLU preferences in order of rank and category.
Not sure if law is the right direction – or just one option on the table?
Elysian’s counsellors help Class 11–12 students test their interest against real coursework and career outcomes before they commit months of prep to one path.
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