Complete guide to CLAT 2026 — eligibility, exam pattern, NLU list, cutoffs, and winning strategies for aspiring lawyers.
India's national law entrance test for admission to NLUs
UG & PG law courses — duration and approximate fee structure
| Course | Full Name | Duration | Govt NLU Fee (Approx.) | Private Law College Fee (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA LLB (Hons.) | Bachelor of Arts & Bachelor of Legislative Law (Integrated) | 5 yrs | ₹1 L – ₹3 L / year | ₹2 L – ₹6 L / year |
| B.Sc LLB (Hons.) | Bachelor of Science & Bachelor of Legislative Law (Integrated) | 5 yrs | ₹1 L – ₹3 L / year | ₹2 L – ₹6 L / year |
| B.Com LLB (Hons.) | Bachelor of Commerce & Bachelor of Legislative Law (Integrated) | 5 yrs | ₹1 L – ₹3 L / year | ₹2 L – ₹5 L / year |
| BBA LLB (Hons.) | Bachelor of Business Administration & Bachelor of Legislative Law | 5 yrs | ₹1 L – ₹3 L / year | ₹2 L – ₹6 L / year |
| B.Tech LLB | Bachelor of Technology & Bachelor of Legislative Law (select NLUs) | 5 yrs | ₹1.5 L – ₹3 L / year | ₹3 L – ₹7 L / year |
| Course | Full Name / Specialisation | Duration | Govt NLU Fee (Approx.) | Private Law College Fee (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LLM — Constitutional Law | Master of Laws — Constitutional & Administrative Law | 1–2 yrs | ₹50,000 – ₹1.5 L / year | ₹1 L – ₹4 L / year |
| LLM — International Law | Master of Laws — International & Comparative Law | 1–2 yrs | ₹50,000 – ₹1.5 L / year | ₹1 L – ₹4 L / year |
| LLM — Business Law | Master of Laws — Corporate, Commercial & Business Law | 1–2 yrs | ₹50,000 – ₹1.5 L / year | ₹1.5 L – ₹5 L / year |
| LLM — Criminal Law | Master of Laws — Criminal Law & Criminal Justice | 1–2 yrs | ₹50,000 – ₹1.5 L / year | ₹1 L – ₹3 L / year |
| LLM — Environmental Law | Master of Laws — Environmental & Natural Resources Law | 1–2 yrs | ₹50,000 – ₹1.5 L / year | ₹1 L – ₹3 L / year |
| LLM — IPR / Cyber Law | Master of Laws — Intellectual Property Rights & Technology Law | 1–2 yrs | ₹50,000 – ₹1.5 L / year | ₹1.5 L – ₹5 L / year |
| LLM — Human Rights Law | Master of Laws — Human Rights & Humanitarian Law | 1–2 yrs | ₹50,000 – ₹1.5 L / year | ₹1 L – ₹3 L / year |
Tentative key dates for CLAT 2026
| Category | Application Fee |
|---|---|
| General / OBC / EWS | ₹4,000 |
| SC / ST / PwD / BPL | ₹3,500 |
Quick Exam Facts:
| Particular | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam Timing | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM IST |
| Test Centres | 130+ cities across India |
| Mode | Offline (Pen & Paper) |
| Question Type | MCQs based on comprehension passages |
| Frequency | Once a year (December) |
| Medium | English only |
| PwD Duration | 40 minutes extra |
Who can appear for CLAT UG and CLAT PG 2026
Section-wise question count and comprehension-based structure
| Section | Questions | Marks | Based On |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 28–32 | 28–32 | Reading comprehension passages |
| Current Affairs & GK | 35–39 | 35–39 | News-based passages (last 1 year) |
| Legal Reasoning | 35–39 | 35–39 | Legal principles in passages |
| Logical Reasoning | 28–32 | 28–32 | Argument & inference passages |
| Quantitative Techniques | 13–17 | 13–17 | Data interpretation passages |
| Total | ~120 | 120 | All comprehension-based |
| Topics Covered | Details |
|---|---|
| Constitutional Law | Fundamental Rights, DPSP, Constitutional Amendments, Landmark Cases |
| Jurisprudence | Schools of Jurisprudence, Legal Theory, Rights & Duties |
| Administrative Law | Delegated Legislation, Judicial Review, Natural Justice |
| International Law | Treaties, UN, Sources of International Law |
| Contract Law | Essentials, Breach, Remedies |
| Other Subjects | Law of Torts, Family Law, Criminal Law (IPC/BNSS) |
How marks are awarded and deducted in CLAT 2026
| Situation | Marks | Strategy Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Correct answer selected | +1 | Always attempt questions you are sure about |
| Wrong answer selected | –0.25 | Skip if less than 80% confident — negative marking hurts rank |
| Question not attempted | 0 | Leave doubtful comprehension questions unattempted |
| More than one option marked | –0.25 | Treated as wrong answer — mark only one option carefully |
All 24 NLUs participating in CLAT 2026 counselling (in approximate NIRF ranking order)
| # | University | Location | Established | UG Seats (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NLSIU Bangalore — National Law School of India University | Bengaluru, Karnataka | 1987 | ~80 |
| 2 | NALSAR — NALSAR University of Law | Hyderabad, Telangana | 1998 | ~120 |
| 3 | WBNUJS — West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences | Kolkata, West Bengal | 1999 | ~120 |
| 4 | NLU Jodhpur — National Law University, Jodhpur | Jodhpur, Rajasthan | 1999 | ~180 |
| 5 | GNLU — Gujarat National Law University | Gandhinagar, Gujarat | 2003 | ~240 |
| 6 | RMLNLU — Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh | 2006 | ~240 |
| 7 | HNLU — Hidayatullah National Law University | Raipur, Chhattisgarh | 2003 | ~180 |
| 8 | RGNUL — Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law | Patiala, Punjab | 2006 | ~240 |
| 9 | CNLU — Chanakya National Law University | Patna, Bihar | 2006 | ~240 |
| 10 | NLU Odisha — National Law University Odisha | Cuttack, Odisha | 2008 | ~120 |
| 11 | NUSRL — National University of Study & Research in Law | Ranchi, Jharkhand | 2010 | ~120 |
| 12 | NLUA — National Law University & Judicial Academy | Guwahati, Assam | 2009 | ~120 |
| 13 | DSNLU — Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University | Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh | 2008 | ~180 |
| 14 | TNNLS — Tamil Nadu National Law School | Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu | 2012 | ~180 |
| 15 | MNLU Mumbai — Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai | Mumbai, Maharashtra | 2014 | ~120 |
| 16 | MNLU Nagpur — Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur | Nagpur, Maharashtra | 2016 | ~120 |
| 17 | MNLU Aurangabad — Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad | Aurangabad, Maharashtra | 2017 | ~120 |
| 18 | HPNLU — Himachal Pradesh National Law University | Shimla, Himachal Pradesh | 2016 | ~120 |
| 19 | DNLU — Dharmashastra National Law University | Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh | 2018 | ~120 |
| 20 | NLUJAA — National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam | Guwahati, Assam | 2009 | ~60 |
| 21 | NALU — National Law University, Andhra Pradesh | Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh | 2022 | ~60 |
| 22 | NLU Tripura — National Law University, Tripura | Agartala, Tripura | 2013 | ~60 |
| 23 | NLUO — National Law University, Odisha | Cuttack, Odisha | 2008 | ~120 |
| 24 | NUSRL — National University of Study & Research in Law | Ranchi, Jharkhand | 2010 | ~60 |
CLAT is conducted exclusively in English
What the CLAT scorecard contains and how NLU seat allotment works
| Activity | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Provisional Answer Key | December 2026 |
| Objection Filing Window | 2–3 days after key |
| Final Answer Key & Result | January 2027 |
| Rank List Published | January 2027 |
| Counselling Round 1 | January 2027 |
| Counselling Round 2 | February 2027 |
Scorecard Contains:
Approximate scores required for top NLU admission (General Category, out of 120)
| NLU | Expected Score | Expected AIR | Difficulty to Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| NLSIU Bangalore | 92 – 120 | Top 80 | Extremely High |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 85 – 95 | Top 250 | Very High |
| WBNUJS Kolkata | 82 – 92 | Top 400 | Very High |
| NLU Jodhpur | 78 – 88 | Top 700 | High |
| GNLU Gandhinagar | 75 – 85 | Top 1,200 | High |
| RMLNLU Lucknow | 72 – 82 | Top 2,000 | Moderate-High |
| HNLU Raipur | 68 – 78 | Top 3,000 | Moderate |
| Other NLUs (8–24) | 50 – 70 | Top 10,000+ | Accessible |
Keep these ready for application and on exam day
Proven tips to crack CLAT 2026 with a top AIR
CLAT's Current Affairs section (35–39 Qs) is the highest-scoring section. Read The Hindu or Indian Express daily for at least 1 hour. Focus on legal news, judgments, government schemes, international events, and constitutional developments. Note key facts weekly.
Legal Reasoning (35–39 Qs) doesn't require knowing law — it tests your ability to apply legal principles given in the passage. Practice principle-fact-conclusion questions daily. Read Bare Acts (IPC, Constitution, Contract Act) to build familiarity with legal language.
All CLAT sections are passage-based. Never assume information beyond what the passage states — especially in Logical and Legal Reasoning. Practice reading dense text quickly: legal articles, judgments, news editorials. Speed-reading with accuracy is the key skill for CLAT.
With 120 questions in 120 minutes (1 min/question), time is tight. Sequence: start with English, skip to your strongest section, end with Quantitative Techniques (smallest). With –0.25 negative marking, never guess blindly — leave the question if less than 80% confident.
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