CLAT Eligibility Criteria 2026: Age Limit, Qualification for UG & PG

CLAT Eligibility Criteria 2026: Age Limit, Qualification for UG & PG

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CLAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 31 Oct' 25

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Sukriti SahooUpdated on 01 Aug 2025, 05:25 PM IST
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The Consortium of NLUs has prescribed the CLAT 2026 eligibility criteria for UG and PG programs on the CLAT 2026 official website. The CLAT eligibility criteria 2026 include requirements about the educational qualification, minimum passing marks, and age limit. As per the eligibility criteria of CLAT 2026, candidates who have completed class 12th or are appearing for the class 12 exams in March/April 2026 are also eligible to apply for CLAT UG 2026. Candidates who have completed their law graduation or will appear in their qualifying exam in March/April 2026 will be eligible to apply for CLAT PG. The Consortium will conduct the CLAT 2026 on December 7, 2025 in offline mode.

This Story also Contains

  1. CLAT UG 2026 Exam Eligibility Criteria
  2. CLAT Exam Eligibility Criteria for PG 2026
  3. CLAT UG Eligibility Criteria in Detail
  4. CLAT PG Eligibility Criteria 2026 in Detail
  5. CLAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 for NRI Students
CLAT Eligibility Criteria 2026: Age Limit, Qualification for UG & PG
CLAT Eligibility Criteria

The Common Law Admission Test is held for admission to 26 participating National Law Universities and other colleges that accept CLAT scores for admissions into their UG and PG programmes.

CLAT UG 2026 Exam Eligibility Criteria

As per the CLAT exam eligibility, candidates must have completed class 12 from any recognised board with a minimum of 45% marks and for the SC/ST category, candidates must have 40% marks. The details are given in the table below.

CLAT UG 2026 Eligibility Criteria

CriteriaEligibility

Educational Qualifications

  • Candidates must have completed their class 12 from a recognised board.
  • Candidates currently in their class 12 and are due to pass out in 2026 are also eligible to apply.

Minimum marks required in qualifying exam

  • General/OBC/PWD/NRI/PIO/OCI candidates need to score a minimum of 45%.
  • SC/ST category candidates need to score a minimum of 40% aggregate marks in their class 12

CLAT exam Age Limit

  • There is no age limit for appearing in the CLAT 2026 exam.

Also check - CLAT Exam Date

CLAT Exam Eligibility Criteria for PG 2026

To appear for CLAT PG 2026, candidates must have obtained a minimum of 50% marks in Class 12 exams from a recognised board. Students who belong to the SC/ST category should have 45% marks to be eligible to appear in the exam.

CLAT PG 2026 Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Eligibility

Educational Qualifications

  • Candidates must have completed their 5-year LLB or 3-year LLB graduation from any law school recognised by the Bar Council of India.
  • Candidates who are appearing for their final year LLB exams are also eligible to apply.

Minimum marks in the qualifying exam

  • General/OBC/PWD/NRI/PIO/OCI candidates need to score a minimum of 50% in their LLB undergraduate degree.
  • SC/SC category candidates need to score a minimum of 45% aggregate marks in their LLB

Age Limit

  • There is no age limit for appearing in the CLAT PG 2026 exam

CLAT UG Eligibility Criteria in Detail

The Consortium of NLUs releases detailed information regarding CLAT UG 2026 eligibility criteria through its official website. Before applying for the entrance exam, candidates must carefully check the specified eligibility for CLAT UG in detail. If candidates are found to be ineligible for CLAT 2026 at any stage of the admission process, they will be disqualified from the process. The detailed CLAT UG eligibility conditions have been given below:

CLAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Educational Qualification and Qualifying Marks

  • Students seeking UG admissions through CLAT 2026 must have passed their class 12 from a recognised board. Furthermore, General/OBC/PWD/NRI/PIO/OCI category candidates will be required to score a minimum of 45% aggregate marks.
  • SC/ST category candidates are given a relaxation of 5% marks and they need to score a minimum of 40% aggregate marks in their class 12.
  • Candidates who are in class 12 and will appear for exams in April/May 2026 are also eligible to apply for CLAT 2026. Such candidates will be required to submit their qualifying certificates at the time of admission.

CLAT Eligibility - Age Limit

The Consortium of NLUs does not specify CLAT eligibility age. Candidates of all age groups can apply and appear for the CLAT 2026.

CLAT PG Eligibility Criteria 2026 in Detail

The Consortium of NLUs prescribes the CLAT PG eligibility separately on its website. Candidates who are planning to appear for CLAT PG must carefully go through the CLAT LLM eligibility criteria 2026. The detailed eligibility criteria of CLAT LLM 2026 have been given below:

CLAT LLM Eligibility 2026 - Educational Qualification and Minimum Marks

  • Students seeking admission in LLM programmes of participating NLUs must have completed their 5-year LLB or 3-year LLB degree from an institute recognised by the Bar Council of India.
  • General/OBC/PWD/NRI/PIO/OCI category candidates will be required to score a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in their LLB degree. Candidates from the SC/ST category have been given a relaxation of 5% marks and they need to score a minimum of 45% aggregate marks in their 5-year LLB or 3-year LLB.
  • Candidates who are in the final year of their LLB and are due to appear for exams in April/May 2026 are also eligible to appear for the CLAT PG 2026 examination. Such candidates must submit their qualifying certificates at the time of admission.
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CLAT Cut-offs

Understand previous year cut-off trends as well as expected cut-offs for current year. Get the Ebook

Also check - CLAT Previous Year Question Papers

CLAT PG Eligibility 2026 - Age Limit

The Consortium of NLUs has not specified any upper age limit for appearing in the CLAT 2026 exam. Candidates of all age groups can appear for the CLAT PG exam 2026.

Important Points on NLUs Admission Criteria 2026

Candidates should fulfil the following NLU admission criteria to be considered for admission:

  • Candidates must have appeared in the CLAT 2026 entrance examination and obtained a valid score to be eligible for admission.

  • Each NLU has a different policy for CLAT 2026 reservation criteria. Candidates seeking admission under the domicile category must ensure they fulfill the eligibility under CLAT reservation for that particular NLU.

  • The allotment list is provisional, and candidates must get their documents verified and complete the prescribed fee payment to be eligible for admission.

CLAT Sample Paper 2026 with Answer Key- Careers360
Download the CLAT Sample Paper 2026 PDF featuring the latest exam pattern with descriptive-type questions for effective preparation.
Download EBook

You may also check -

VGU, Jaipur | Law Admissions 2026

NAAC A+ Grade | Admissions open for 5 year Integrated LLB & LLB programs | Approved by Bar Council of India

All about LSAT India

Complete information around exam dates, application process, participating institutes, etc. Get the Ebook

CLAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 for NRI Students

The CLAT 2026 eligibility criteria for NRI students require aspiring NRI/NRI-sponsored candidates to appear for the CLAT exam and obtain a valid score. Such candidates must then apply separately to the NLU where they wish to seek admission. The candidates must ensure they fulfill the NRI/NRI sponsored status laid down in the CLAT 2026 reservation criteria before applying.

Documents Required for CLAT NRI 2026 Admission

NRI candidates must submit the following documents when applying to the desired NLU.

  • Certificate showing the NRI status of the candidate (Annexure-I) or the NRI status of the person sponsoring the study, in case of NRI Sponsored category (Annexure-II)
  • Class 10/Secondary school mark sheet and certificate
  • Class 12/Intermediate marksheet and certificate
  • Mark Sheet of final year 5-year LLB/3-year LLB from a recognised University (for LLM candidates)
  • Character Certificate from the Institution/University last attended
  • Transfer certificate/Migration Certificate from the Institution/University last attended
  • Recent colour photograph of the candidate
  • CLAT2026 Admit Card
  • CLAT 2026 scorecard
  • Affidavit for the year gap, if any
  • Application fee as prescribed by the university, which will be adjusted against the balance university fee

CLAT Application Form 2026

The Consortium of NLUs released the CLAT 2026 application form on August 1, 2025. Interested candidates can fill out the application form for CLAT 2026 from the official website of the exam - consortiumofnlus.ac.in. Only those candidates who fill out their CLAT 2026 application form before October 31, 2025 will be allowed to appear for the exam.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the CLAT age limit?
A:

There is no age limit to appear in the CLAT 2026 entrance examination. 

Q: What is the qualification for CLAT exam 2026?
A:

CLAT UG aspirants must have completed their class 12, whereas CLAT PG aspirants must have completed their 5-year LLB or 3-year LLB degree.

Q: Can 12th students apply for CLAT 2026 exam?
A:

Yes, candidates in their class 12 are also eligible to appear for CLAT 2026.

Q: How many attempts are there in CLAT?
A:

There is no limit to the number of attempts in CLAT examination.

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Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

Hello,

While NLUs are costly, you can still pursue government-funded law education through state-funded universities and their affiliated colleges that accept CLAT scores, such as institutes like Banaras Hindu University and Aligarh Muslim University.

I hope it will clear your query!!

It is always better to take the CLAT exam right after Class 12 if your goal is to build a career in law, because CLAT UG is specifically designed for admission into integrated five-year law programs like BA LLB, BCom LLB, or BBA LLB. Appearing after Class 12 saves you time, as you complete both graduation and law together in a single course. On the other hand, if you first complete graduation and then plan for law, you will not be eligible for CLAT UG but instead for CLAT PG, which is meant for admission into LLM programs. This path takes longer, because you first spend three or four years on graduation and then add another three years in an LLB program if you choose not to go for an integrated course. So, if you are already sure about pursuing law as your career, writing CLAT right after Class 12 is the smarter and time-saving option, while writing it after graduation makes sense only if you are considering higher studies in law or a shift in career later.

For CLAT, the most important topics are from  Legal Reasoning, Current Affairs & GK, the Indian Constitution, English Language, Quantitative Techniques and Logical Reasoning. For a brief detail you can go through the following link: https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-important-topics

Thank You.

Hi dear candidate,

Both the colleges Maharaja Agrasen (MAIMS) or Gitarattan (GIBS) are affiliated to IP University and allows admission either by CLAT or IPU CET Law. Without either of these exams, your admission is NOT accepted there. You can try looking for management quota seats in these colleges if you have got good marks in 12th class.

BEST REGARDS

Hi dear candidate,

You can easily register yourself for CLAT exam by visiting the Consortium of NLUs official website and follow these steps:

  • Register yourself with your EMail ID, phone number and password.
  • Log in using OTP
  • Complete application form by entering details, selecting program (UG/PG) and uploading required documents mentioned there.
  • Then at last, review the application and pay the registration fees.
  • Download your confirmation slip.

Know the complete process at:

CLAT Registration 2026 (Started): Documents Required, Application Fee, Link, Steps to Apply

BEST REGARDS