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CLAT 2026 Counselling: Freeze vs Float – What Works Best?
The Consortium of National Law Universities closed the CLAT 2026 counselling registration window on December 27, 2025. Now, the first round of CLAT 2026 seat allotment will be published on January 7, 2026 on the official website. Candidates who are allotted seats will have three options, i.e., Float, Freeze, and Exit. Any candidate who does not wish to participate in the CLAT counselling can select the ‘Exit’ option and leave the admission process. There will be a total of five rounds of CLAT counselling 2026. On the other hand, any candidate who is satisfied with their seat allotment or has got the seat in their preferred NLU can select the ‘Freeze’ option to confirm their seat in the respective NLU. Any candidate who selects the freeze option in the first, or second, third, or fourth round will not be considered for further rounds of counselling.
Those unsatisfied with their allotted seat and want to be considered for CLAT 2026 NLU with better preference, can choose the ‘Float’ option. It is really important to note that the float option is available only till the fourth round of counselling. Candidates must pay the non-refundable CLAT 2026 confirmation fee regardless of whether they choose Freeze or Float. The confirmation fee of Rs. 20,000 has to be paid only once, even if you float and freeze later.
CLAT 2026 Counselling Schedule
Event | Date |
Counselling registration window | December 16, 2025 - December 27, 2025 |
January 07, 2026 | |
Confirmation fee payment & admission (Round 1) | January 07, 2026 – January 15, 2026 |
January 22, 2026 | |
Confirmation fee payment & admission (Round 2) | January 22, 2026 – January 29, 2026 |
CLAT 2026 third merit list | February 05, 2026 |
Confirmation fee payment & admission (Round 3) | February 05, 2026 – February 12, 2026 |
Last date to pay university fee (Rounds 1–3 freeze candidates) | April 24, 2026 |
May 02, 2026 | |
Confirmation fee payment & admission (Round 4) | May 02, 2026 – May 08, 2026 |
May 15, 2026 | |
Confirmation fee payment & admission (Final round) | May 15, 2026 – May 20, 2026 |
Last date to pay university fee (Rounds 4 & 5 freeze candidates) | May 30, 2026 |
CLAT 2026 Freeze vs FLoat: Which One To Choose
The Consortium of NLUs will publish the first CLAT 2026 seat allotment on January 7, 2026. Satisfied candidates can immediately apply for the Freeze option. On the other hand, any other candidate who has been allotted an NLU which they are not satisfied with can select the Float option. One selecting the Float option must remember that the seat allotment is based on their CLAT score and the NLU preference selected by them. If any candidate has been allotted an NLU which was in their top five preference during counselling registration, then it is highly recommended to freeze it later.
CLAT 2026 Refund Policy
Scenario | Refund Outcome |
Not allotted seat after all rounds | Full refund |
Exits before 1:00 PM on May 8, 2026 | Full refund |
Exits after 1:00 PM on May 8, 2026 | Rs. 5,000 deducted |
Found ineligible by NLU | Rs. 5,000 deducted |
Forfeiting the seat after accepting | Confirmation fee not refunded |
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Questions related to CLAT
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Have a question related to CLAT ?
Hello Dear Student,
Yes, an OBC candidate scoring around 60 marks can get admission into specific National Law Universities (NLUs) like MNLU Aurangabad and MNLU Nagpur, as general closing trends place a score of 60 roughly around a rank of 14,000 to 18,000.
You can find, check and get more
Hello Student,
Law is excellent career choice with diverse opportunities. if your son is interested in judicial career, he should first pursue either the 5-year Integrated LLB courses after class 12 or the 3-year LLB courses after graduation, after completing the law degree and meeting the eligibility criteria, he can
Hello Student,
Based on the information you have shared, you are eligible to appear for the CLAT exam if you have met the minimum percentage requirement prescribed by the Consortium of NLUs. However, for admission, you must have passed Class 12 without any pending compartment/RT (result to be declared or
Hello Dear Student,
You can get directly find, check, get more information here:
- https://law.careers360.com/download/ebooks/clat-current-affairs-july-month-2026
- https://law.careers360.com/articles/monthly-current-affairs-for-clat
Hope it helps!
Hello Dear Student,
With a CLAT AIR of 19,688 as an OBC candidate, your chances of securing a seat in regular counselling rounds are extremely low. Your best prospects lie in participating in the vacant seats/spot rounds of universities that feature regional or state quotas, specifically the Tamil Nadu National
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