Entrance Exam · Law · 2027 cycle

CLAT UG — eligibility, paper format, NLU reservation & fees

Conducted by Consortium of National Law Universities ·Official sources only ·Last checked 14 Oct 2026

The Common Law Admission Test for the five-year integrated LL.B. programmes at the National Law Universities. CLAT 2027 is on Sunday, 6 December 2026, and fills seats for the academic year 2027-28.

Conducted by
Consortium of National Law Universities [1]
Exam date
Sun 6 Dec 2026 · 2:00–4:00 PM [2]
UG paper
120 MCQs · 120 marks · 2 hours [5]
Marking
+1 correct · −0.25 wrong [5]
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Integrated Law (BA LLB)CLAT / AILET / university test

Andhra Pradesh3
Assam6
Bihar4
Chandigarh2
Chhattisgarh7
Delhi NCR16
Gujarat13
Haryana15
Jammu & Kashmir3
Jharkhand7
Karnataka14
Kerala5
Madhya Pradesh15
Maharashtra19
Meghalaya2
Odisha5
Punjab8
Rajasthan11
Tamil Nadu10
Telangana7
Uttar Pradesh11
Uttarakhand7
West Bengal12
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Bihar2
Chandigarh2
Chhattisgarh3
Delhi NCR14
Gujarat2
Haryana2
Jammu & Kashmir1
Jharkhand3
Karnataka2
Kerala1
Madhya Pradesh6
Maharashtra8
Punjab1
Rajasthan3
Tamil Nadu2
Telangana2
Uttar Pradesh8
Uttarakhand1
West Bengal1
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01 Overview & governing authority

Who runs CLAT, and what it decides

CLAT is conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities, set up on 19 August 2017 to raise standards of legal education. Twenty-six National Law Universities are members; the serving President is the Vice-Chancellor of MNLU Mumbai. [1]

CLAT 2027 covers admission to the five-year integrated LL.B. (UG) and LL.M. (PG) programmes at participating NLUs that start in the academic year 2027-28. This page covers the UG test only. [6]

CLAT 2027 calendar [2]

CLAT 2027 calendar
EventDate
Applications open3 Aug 2026
Last date to apply and pay31 Oct 2026
CLAT 2027 examSun 6 Dec 2026, 2:00–4:00 PM

Counselling for admissions is expected in December 2026 / January 2027. [6]

Hall tickets are downloaded from your CLAT login; the release date is announced on the website. [4]

02 Academic eligibility

Class 12 with 45% — or 40% for SC, ST and PwD

  • You must have passed 10+2 or an equivalent examination with at least 45% marks (or the equivalent grade).
  • Candidates from the SC, ST and PwD categories need at least 40%.
  • Students appearing for Class 12 in March/April 2027 can apply, but must show proof of passing at the time of admission, or lose the right to be considered.
  • There is no upper age limit for the UG programme. [3]
  • Indian nationals, NRIs, PIO card holders and OCI card holders can sit CLAT 2027.
  • Foreign nationals are not eligible for CLAT; they apply to the NLUs directly. NRI / NRI-sponsored seats are also filled by each NLU, not by the Consortium. [4]
03 Exam scheme & marking matrix

One 2-hour offline paper of 120 one-mark questions

CLAT 2027 UG question paper format [5]

CLAT 2027 UG question paper format
ItemRule
Maximum marks120
Duration2 hours
Questions120 multiple-choice questions, one mark each
Negative marking0.25 mark for each wrong answer

Subject weightage (approximate number of questions) [5]

Subject weightage (approximate number of questions)
SectionQuestionsShare of paper
English Language22–26about 20%
Current Affairs, including General Knowledge28–32about 25%
Legal Reasoning28–32about 25%
Logical Reasoning22–26about 20%
Quantitative Techniques10–14about 10%
  • CLAT 2027 is held in offline mode; only the application is online.
  • Eligible PwD candidates write from 2:00 PM to 4:40 PM.
  • Tie-break: higher marks in Legal Aptitude, then the older candidate, then a computerised draw of lots. [4]
04 Reservation & domicile quotas

Every NLU applies its own seat matrix

CLAT has no single national quota. Each NLU's intake, reservation policy and fee are set by that university and listed in its brochure on the Consortium website. To claim a reserved seat you must produce the certificate prescribed by the Government of India or the State Government at admission. [4]

  • NLSIU Bengaluru — 310 BA LLB seats (AY 2027-28). Vertical: SC 15% (45), ST 7.5% (22), OBC-NCL 27% (81), EWS 10% (30), General 122. Horizontal: women 30% (90), PwD 5% (15), Karnataka Students 25% (75, compartmentalised), plus 10 extra Karnataka Students seats on merit.
  • Karnataka Students means at least 7 years of study in a recognised Karnataka institution, with set exceptions for children of defence, state-government, AIS (Karnataka cadre) and CAPF employees posted outside the state. [8]
  • NALSAR Hyderabad — 132 BA LLB seats. 99 seats (75%) for all-India candidates and 33 (25%) for Resident Students of Telangana.
  • Category totals: Unreserved 66, SC 19, ST 8, OBC/BC (non-creamy layer) 26, EWS 13.
  • Horizontal: 30% for women (39 seats) and 5% for persons with benchmark disabilities (6 seats). [9]
  • GNLU Gandhinagar — 176 all-India UG seats across BA, BBA, B.Com, B.Sc and BSW LL.B. (Hons.).
  • Vertical: General 50.5% (81), SC 15% (24), ST 7.5% (12), OBC-NCL 27% (43), EWS 10% (16).
  • Horizontal: women 30% (48), PwD 5% (8), and Gujarat domicile 25% (40) cutting across all categories except EWS. [10]

Changes notified on 5 September 2026: WBNUJS Kolkata dropped the OBC-A / OBC-B categories of West Bengal and added OBC of West Bengal (UG and PG). Applicants could update their category until 31 October 2026. [11]

NLU Meghalaya added Khasi & Jaintia, Garo, and Other Scheduled Castes / Scheduled Tribes of Meghalaya as domicile categories (UG and PG), also updatable until 31 October 2026. [12]

Candidates with a disability under Section 2(s) of the RPwD Act, 2016 can ask for reasonable accommodation — compensatory time, a scribe or reader, screen-reading software, easier access to the centre — by marking it in the form and uploading a UDID card or disability certificate. [13]

05 Registration steps & fees

Apply online by 31 October 2026 — ₹4,000 or ₹3,500

  • Step 1 — Register on the CLAT 2027 website with your own mobile number and e-mail ID; validate the mobile with the OTP and log in.
  • Step 2 — Fill the form with your name and parents' names exactly as on your certificates. Upload a passport-size photo, your signature, and SC / ST / OBC, PwD or BPL certificates if you claim them (PDF only).
  • Step 3 — Pay and submit by 31 October 2026, 11:59 PM. Incomplete forms are not considered.
  • Once submitted and paid, the programme, category and BPL fields cannot be changed. If you submit more than one form, only the last one counts and earlier fees are not refunded. [4]

CLAT 2027 application fee [4]

CLAT 2027 application fee
CategoryFee
General / OBC₹4,000
SC / ST / BPL / PwD₹3,500
Previous years' question papers (optional)₹500 extra

Fees are paid online only, are non-refundable and non-adjustable, and bank transaction charges are paid by the candidate. [4]

06 Career horizons & mapped institutions

Five-year law degrees at the National Law Universities

CLAT 2027 admits to the participating NLUs — 27 campuses on the Consortium's list, from NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata and NLU Jodhpur to the newer NLUs at Agartala, Prayagraj, Goa and Shillong, plus GNLU's Silvassa campus. [7]

  • NLSIU Bengaluru pioneered the five-year B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) in India — its first batch was admitted in 1988. Intake for AY 2026-27 is 310 seats.
  • NLSIU's BA LLB (Hons) fee for AY 2027-28 is ₹5,38,000 for General and ₹5,32,000 for SC/ST candidates, including refundable deposits (subject to revision). [8]

Some NLUs offer more than the BA LLB. GNLU Gandhinagar's 176 all-India UG seats are split B.A. LL.B. 80, B.B.A. LL.B. 30, B.Com LL.B. 20, B.Sc. LL.B. 23 and B.S.W. LL.B. 23. [10]

07 Official sources & verification

Where these facts come from

Every fact on this page is taken from the official files below, read on 14 October 2026. Exam bodies change rules, fees and dates every cycle — open the current bulletin before you apply.

  1. Consortium of National Law Universities — home page (opens in a new tab) Founding date, 26 member NLUs, office-bearers · Last checked 14 Oct 2026
  2. Consortium of NLUs — CLAT 2027 Press Release (22 Jul 2026) (opens in a new tab) Exam date and time, application window · Last checked 14 Oct 2026
  3. Consortium of NLUs — CLAT 2027 UG Eligibility (opens in a new tab) 45% / 40% Class 12 rule, appearing candidates, no age limit · Last checked 14 Oct 2026
  4. Consortium of NLUs — CLAT 2027 UG Instructions (opens in a new tab) Offline mode, PwD timing, who can appear, tie-break, application steps, documents, fees, hall ticket, reservation certificates · Last checked 14 Oct 2026
  5. Consortium of NLUs — CLAT 2027 UG Question Paper Format (opens in a new tab) Marks, duration, questions, negative marking, section weightage · Last checked 14 Oct 2026
  6. Consortium of NLUs — CLAT 2027 FAQs (opens in a new tab) Programmes and academic year covered, counselling timing · Last checked 14 Oct 2026
  7. Consortium of NLUs — CLAT 2027 Participating Universities (opens in a new tab) List of participating NLUs and their brochures · Last checked 14 Oct 2026
  8. NLSIU Bengaluru — CLAT 2027 brochure (opens in a new tab) Intake, reservation, Karnataka Students rule, BA LLB fee · Last checked 14 Oct 2026
  9. NALSAR Hyderabad — CLAT 2027 brochure (opens in a new tab) BA LLB seat matrix, Telangana resident quota, horizontal reservation · Last checked 14 Oct 2026
  10. GNLU Gandhinagar — CLAT 2027 brochure (opens in a new tab) UG programmes, seat matrix, Gujarat domicile quota · Last checked 14 Oct 2026
  11. Consortium of NLUs — Change in reservation category, WBNUJS (5 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab) West Bengal OBC category change · Last checked 14 Oct 2026
  12. Consortium of NLUs — Change in reservation category, NLU Meghalaya (5 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab) Meghalaya domicile categories added · Last checked 14 Oct 2026
  13. Consortium of NLUs — PwD policy for conduct of CLAT 2027 (7 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab) Reasonable accommodation and proof of disability · Last checked 14 Oct 2026

Spotted something out of date? Email margdarshan07support10@gmail.com with the official link and we will update it.

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