CLAT 2027 FAQ: 33 most-asked questions (UG + PG)

120 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours, for both UG and PG. Every question is comprehension-based - you read a passage (~450 words) and answer 4-6 inference questions on it.

+1 mark for each correct answer; -0.25 mark for each wrong answer (25% negative marking). Unattempted questions score zero. Maximum possible score: 120.

CLAT is conducted as a pen-and-paper offline exam at designated NLU test centres. The Consortium has trialled CBT but has not adopted it as the default for 2027.

Five: English Language (~24 Qs), Current Affairs incl. GK (~30 Qs), Legal Reasoning (~30 Qs), Logical Reasoning (~24 Qs), Quantitative Techniques (~12 Qs).

120 comprehension-based MCQs across 12 law subjects - Constitutional, Jurisprudence, Administrative, Contract, Torts, Family, Criminal, Property, Company, Public International, Environmental, Tax, Labour, IPR. No descriptive subjective section any longer (since 2022).

You must pass 10+2 with at least 45% (40% SC/ST/PwD) from a recognised board. Any stream is accepted. No upper age limit since the 2017 Supreme Court ruling.

You need LLB or 5-year integrated LLB with 50% (45% reserved) from a Bar Council-recognised institution. Final-year candidates can apply provisionally.

Yes. You apply provisionally and submit your final 10+2 marksheet at NLU admission. If you fail to clear by counselling close, your seat is forfeited.

₹4,000 for General / OBC / EWS candidates; ₹3,500 for SC / ST / BPL / PwD. Past papers cost an additional ₹500. UG and PG attract separate fees if you apply for both.

The Consortium of NLUs typically opens applications on 1 July of the year preceding the exam. For CLAT 2027 (Dec 2026 exam), expect the window: 1 July 2026 - 31 October 2026.

NLU Delhi (NLUD) conducts its own exam called AILET. It is the only NLU outside the CLAT consortium. The remaining 22 NLUs accept CLAT.

AILET is shorter (90 minutes, 100 questions), only for NLU Delhi, has no negative marking, and is held earlier (typically late November). CLAT is longer (2 hours, 120 questions), covers 22 NLUs, and has -0.25 per wrong.

Most private law schools have their own entrance exams (SLAT for Symbiosis, LSAT-India, JU-LET for Jindal). They do not accept CLAT scores. Plan separately.

CUET-UG is a multi-domain test for central universities (DU, BHU, JMI). CLAT is law-specific and goes only to NLUs. The two paper styles and reading load are very different.

Provisional answer key drops within ~48 hours of the exam (~8 December 2026). Final result and merit list: mid-December 2026. NLU counselling rounds begin in January 2027.

The Consortium runs a centralised counselling portal. Candidates fill NLU preferences in order; seats are allotted by rank and category. There are typically 5+ rounds with upgrades; you can lock-in or wait for a better NLU.

Yes. The Consortium opens a 48-hour objection window after releasing the provisional answer key. You pay ₹500 per disputed question; the fee is refunded if your objection is accepted.

Typically AIR 1-115 (General All-India quota). Round 1 closes at ~AIR 65-80; later rounds drift to ~115 as candidates upgrade or withdraw.

22 NLUs participate in CLAT 2027 (the Consortium). NLU Delhi is the 23rd NLU but runs its own AILET exam.

NLSIU Bangalore consistently tops every law-school ranking (NIRF, India Today, The Week) since the 1990s. NALSAR Hyderabad and WBNUJS Kolkata round out the top three.

Annual tuition + hostel ranges ₹2.5-3.5 lakh at most NLUs. NLSIU is higher (~₹4 lakh). PG fees are typically lower. NRI / NRI-sponsored seats are substantially more expensive (~₹6-10 lakh).

Yes - 15% SC, 7.5% ST, 27% OBC-NCL, 10% EWS, 5% PwD (per central guidelines). State-funded NLUs additionally reserve 25-50% seats for state domicile candidates.

Primarily yes. CLAT is the gateway to the 22 NLUs in the Consortium. Several private and affiliate law colleges also accept CLAT scores at their discretion - Nirma University, Maharashtra National Law University (Aurangabad / Nagpur affiliate seats), some private universities running 5-year LLB programmes, and a handful of state-funded institutions. The headline use case is the NLU seat; private acceptance is a small bonus.

Yes. Class 12 appearing candidates are eligible and apply provisionally; the final 10+2 marksheet must be uploaded before the NLU counselling round closes. There is no rule that you must have completed Class 12 to sit the exam. Compartment / supplementary candidates can also apply provisionally provided the supplementary result is cleared before counselling.

CLAT is the Consortium of NLUs exam covering 22 NLUs (120 questions, 2 hours, +1 / -0.25). AILET is NLU Delhi's own exam covering only NLU Delhi (100 questions, 1 hour 30 minutes, +1 / -0.25). Different portals, different fees, different exam dates - AILET runs in late November, CLAT on the first Sunday of December. Most serious aspirants attempt both.

The Consortium runs a centralised counselling cycle. You rank all 22 NLUs at the time of application (preference order locked at submission). After the result, you pay a counselling fee to participate. Round 1 allots seats by AIR x preference; you can accept, freeze (no further upgrade) or float (accept current seat but stay in upgrade pool). Rounds 2 - 4 redistribute vacated seats. Spot allotment runs from May to July for residual seats.

Yes. CLAT has no attempt cap and no age limit. Drop-year candidates regularly improve their AIR significantly on a second or third attempt. Each attempt is a fresh application with a fresh fee; the Consortium does not carry forward registrations or scores across cycles.

Printed admit card, one original photo ID (Aadhaar / PAN / Passport / Driving License), two passport photographs matching the one on the form, a transparent water bottle and at least two blue / black ballpoint pens. Banned items: phones, smart watches, fitness bands, calculators, scientific instruments, study notes, electronic devices and metal jewellery. Reach the centre 60 - 90 minutes before reporting time.

No - the same CLAT exam covers both UG and PG admission, but they are two separate papers held in different sessions on the same day. PG-CLAT is 120 comprehension-based MCQs across 12 law subjects (Constitutional, Jurisprudence, Contract, Torts, Family, Criminal, Property, Company, Public International, Environmental, Tax / Labour / IPR rotating). Same 2-hour duration, same +1 / -0.25 marking. You apply for UG, PG, or both - separate fees per paper.

CLAT (120 questions, 2 hours, -0.25 per wrong) is the longest and most comprehension-heavy. AILET (100 questions, 90 minutes, -0.25 per wrong) is faster-paced with more weight on Legal and Logical Reasoning. SLAT (60 questions, 60 minutes, no negative marking) is the fastest and is purely for Symbiosis Law Schools. Direct mark-to-mark comparison is misleading; the better comparator is your AIR percentile within each exam's cohort.

Most NLSIU/NALSAR-bound candidates start in Class 11 (~18 months out). Class 12 starts give you ~9-12 months which is sufficient with consistent practice. Below 6 months is tight but doable.

Aim for 25-40 full-length CLAT mocks over your prep window. Analyse each one - the practice-to-analysis time ratio should be ~1:1. Skip-rate, accuracy-rate, and section-wise speed are the three metrics to track.

Paper-leak claims on social media are almost always fraud. Report any suspicious "leaked paper" offers to the Consortium at consortiumofnlus.ac.in. The Consortium has zero tolerance and will disqualify any candidate involved in unfair means.