CLAT 2027 eligibility: UG and PG criteria, age, foreign-candidate rules

UG-CLAT 2027 needs a 10+2 pass with 45% aggregate (40% for SC/ST/PwD); PG-CLAT 2027 needs an LLB (3-year) or 5-year integrated law degree with 50% (45% reserved). There is no upper age limit after the 2017 Supreme Court ruling, no attempt cap, and any 10+2 stream qualifies for UG.

Who is eligible for UG-CLAT 2027?

• Academic: Pass 10+2 (or equivalent) from a recognised board. Class 12 appearing candidates can apply provisionally - final eligibility is verified at admission.
• Minimum marks: 45% aggregate (General / OBC / EWS); 40% aggregate (SC / ST / PwD).
• Age limit: No upper age limit. The Consortium removed the 20-year UG cap after the 2017 Supreme Court ruling.
• Stream: Any 10+2 stream (Science / Commerce / Arts). Law admission is stream-neutral.

Ready to test where you stand? Take a free CLAT mock and see your indicative NLU rank in 2 hours.

Who is eligible for PG-CLAT 2027?

• Academic: LLB (3-year) or 5-year integrated LLB degree from a Bar Council of India-recognised institution. Final-year candidates can apply provisionally.
• Minimum marks: 50% aggregate (General / OBC / EWS); 45% aggregate (SC / ST / PwD).
• Age limit: None.

Eligibility settles the question of whether you can sit. Take a free CLAT mock and the more useful question - how you would actually score - gets answered.

How does the reservation policy work?

NLUs follow central government reservation norms with state-domicile quotas at state-funded NLUs:

NRI / foreign-candidate seats

Several NLUs (NALSAR, NLSIU, GNLU, NLIU, etc.) reserve 15-20% of seats for NRI / NRI Sponsored / Foreign National candidates. The CLAT score is still required, but the academic cutoff is typically more relaxed. Foreign candidates apply through the same Consortium portal with a separate fee structure.

Common eligibility mistakes

• Calculating aggregate wrong: CLAT aggregate is the "Best of N" per the candidate's board rule, not a literal sum. CBSE: best of 5; ISC: aggregate of compulsory subjects + best electives.
• Submitting old Class 12 result: If you completed 10+2 in 2020-2024 and dropped, you can still apply. No pass-year restriction for UG-CLAT.
• Missing the LLB result for PG: Final-year LLB candidates can apply provisionally but must submit results before the first counselling round.

If you cleared eligibility, the next data point is your indicative score on a full-length paper. Take a free CLAT mock and the score-to-NLU mapping becomes tangible.

What is the full reservation matrix for NLU seats?

NLU seat reservation follows central government norms, layered with state-domicile quotas at state-funded NLUs. The headline numbers, valid for CLAT 2027 admissions:

Two practical points often missed by first-time CLAT candidates. First, the OBC-NCL and EWS income ceiling is checked against the calendar year preceding admission, not the year of registration, so a freshly issued certificate matters more than an older one. Second, central-list OBC and state-list OBC are not interchangeable; CLAT seats are reserved against the central list, so a state OBC certificate that does not appear on the central NCBC list will not unlock the 27% quota.

How do foreign-national and NRI seats work?

Several NLUs - NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, GNLU Gandhinagar, NLIU Bhopal, NUSRL Ranchi and RGNUL Patiala among others - run supernumerary seats for Foreign National (FN), NRI and NRI-Sponsored (NRI-S) candidates. The mechanics:

• FN seats: Open to non-Indian passport holders. Some NLUs admit FN candidates without a CLAT score; others require CLAT or an equivalent admission test. The academic cutoff is typically lighter than the general track.
• NRI seats: Open to Indian passport holders who are non-resident for tax purposes (or whose immediate family is). A CLAT score is required and the closing rank tends to sit higher than the general All-India closing rank by 50 - 200 places at top NLUs.
• NRI-Sponsored seats: An Indian-resident candidate whose tuition is sponsored by an NRI relative (first-degree, with an affidavit). CLAT score required, fees substantially higher (Rs 6 - 10 lakh / year at top NLUs versus Rs 2.5 - 3.5 lakh on the general track).

Why do CLAT applications get rejected?

The Consortium does reject a non-trivial number of applications every cycle for procedural rather than academic reasons. The recurring causes:

• Name mismatch: The name on the CLAT form does not match the Class 12 marksheet (extra spaces, initials expanded or contracted, surname order flipped). This is the single most common disqualifier at the verification stage.
• Category certificate expired: OBC-NCL and EWS certificates are valid for one financial year. A certificate issued in March 2025 will not be accepted for CLAT 2027 verification in January 2027.
• Photo / signature outside spec: Blurred photos, coloured backgrounds, photos older than six months, scanned signatures done in pencil. The portal does flag obvious mismatches but borderline uploads slip through and create problems at admission.
• Provisional 10+2 result not cleared: Class 12 appearing candidates can sit CLAT, but the result must be declared and uploaded before counselling closes. Compartment / supplementary results that arrive late are the second-largest cause of seat forfeiture.
• Aggregate percentage misread: CBSE candidates regularly report "best of five" when CLAT asks for aggregate including the optional sixth subject; ISC candidates miscount the compulsory English requirement. Compute the aggregate per your board's rule, not from the marksheet header.

What documents do you need ready before applying?

A clean application takes 30 minutes if every document is on hand. The checklist for the 2027 cycle:

• Identity: Aadhaar, PAN, or passport - any one is acceptable as the primary photo ID.
• Academic: Class 10 certificate (mandatory for UG), Class 12 marksheet (or hall ticket if appearing), LLB marksheet / transcript for PG candidates. Scans must be legible and under 1 MB.
• Photograph: Recent passport photo, white background, light formal clothing, JPG / JPEG, 100 - 200 KB. Should not be more than six months old.
• Signature: Signed in black ink on white paper, scanned to JPG, 30 - 100 KB. The signature on the form must match the one you produce at the exam centre.
• Category certificate: SC / ST / OBC-NCL / EWS / PwD certificate from the competent authority, issued in the current or previous financial year. Format must match the prescribed central template.
• Domicile certificate: Required only at the time of NLU counselling, not at CLAT application. Apply at the local tehsil / SDM office a few months in advance because processing can take 4 - 8 weeks.
• Income / asset certificate: For EWS candidates, on the prescribed central format. Self-affidavits and employer letters are not accepted in place of the official certificate.

Can you sit CLAT multiple times?

Yes. CLAT has no attempt cap and no age limit for either UG or PG. Drop-year candidates and current LLB students who improve their CLAT-PG score are both common at the top NLUs. Three caveats worth knowing:

• Repeat applications need a fresh fee: Each CLAT cycle is a separate registration. The Consortium does not carry forward fees from previous attempts.
• No automatic NLU re-admission: A candidate who joined an NLU on a previous CLAT rank but withdrew is treated as a fresh applicant in the next cycle, with no priority claim.
• No CLAT score validity carry-over: A CLAT score is only valid for the immediately following admission cycle. You cannot use a 2026 rank to seek admission in 2027.