CLAT 2026 — Law Entrance Exam: Common Law Admission Test — gateway to 22 National Law Universities including NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, and NLU Delhi.Exam: Dec 2026. NLU Seats: ~3,500. Applicants: 75,000+. Fee: ₹4,000.CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) is the national-level entrance exam for admission to 5-year integrated BA LLB and 1-year LLM programs at 22 National Law Universities (NLUs) across India. It's conducted by the Consortium of NLUs on a rotational basis. The exam tests: English Language, Current Affairs & General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques — all through passage-based MCQs.
Registration OpenUpdated: March 2026
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CLAT 2026 — Law Entrance Exam
Common Law Admission Test — gateway to 22 National Law Universities including NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, and NLU Delhi
Exam
Dec 2026
NLU Seats
~3,500
Applicants
75,000+
Fee
₹4,000
📋Key Details
Conducting BodyConsortium of National Law Universities
For UG (5-year BA LLB)12th pass or appearing with 45% aggregate (40% for SC/ST). No age limit.
For PG (1-year LLM)LLB/BA LLB degree with 50% (45% for SC/ST)
Exam ModeComputer Based Test (CBT) — online
Duration120 minutes — 150 questions
Marking+1 for correct, -0.25 for wrong
Participating NLUs22 NLUs including NLSIU, NALSAR, NUJS, NLU Delhi, NLU Jodhpur
📝CLAT UG Paper (120 minutes)
150 passage-based MCQs across 5 sections. All questions are comprehension-based — read a passage, answer questions.
English Language28 Qs · 28 marks
Current Affairs & General Knowledge35 Qs · 35 marks
Legal Reasoning35 Qs · 35 marks
Logical Reasoning28 Qs · 28 marks
Quantitative Techniques14 Qs · 14 marks
Total150 Qs · 150 marks · 120 minutes
⚠️ Negative marking: -0.25 for each wrong answer
💰Posts & Salary
NLU Graduate — Corporate Law(Tier 1 law firms, Big 4, MNCs)
₹1.2-2.5 lakh/monthNLU Graduate — Litigation(High Courts, Supreme Court chambers)
Varies widely📅Important Dates
ApplicationSeptember-October 2026 (expected)
Exam DateDecember 2026 (expected)
ResultsDecember 2026/January 2027
CounsellingJanuary-February 2027
📚Preparation Strategy
1.Read newspapers DAILY — The Hindu or Indian Express. Current Affairs is 23% of CLAT (35 questions). Make short notes of important events, Supreme Court judgments, new laws, and international developments. 6 months of consistent newspaper reading is non-negotiable.
2.Legal Reasoning doesn't require knowledge of law — it tests your ability to apply legal principles given in the passage. Practice reading legal passages and identifying: the rule, the facts, and how the rule applies to the facts. Think like a lawyer, not a law student.
3.Speed reading is critical — 150 questions in 120 minutes = 48 seconds per question. You need to read passages quickly and accurately. Practice reading 500-word passages and answering questions in under 4 minutes. Start slow, build speed over 3-4 months.
4.Mock tests from month 3 onwards — take 2-3 full-length mocks per week. Analyze every mock: which passage types took too long, where you made careless errors, which section needs more practice. Improvement comes from analysis, not just from taking more mocks.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
🔗Related Exams
CLAT Consortium
consortiumofnlus.ac.in