CLAT 2026 Counselling Mistakes That Can Cost You a NLU Seat

CLAT 2026 Counselling Mistakes That Can Cost You a NLU Seat

Sansar Singh ChhikaraUpdated on 26 Dec 2025, 05:17 PM IST

The CLAT 2026 counselling process is currently underway. The Consortium of NLUs opened the CLAT 2026 counselling window on December 16, 2025, and candidates invited for counselling can complete their counselling registration online till December 27, 2025. The CLAT 2026 counselling is a very critical part of candidates’ way to any NLU. Candidates will be allotted seats to different NLUs through the CLAT 2026 counselling. Given the importance of the counselling process, candidates must make sure they avoid any unwanted mistakes that can cost them an NLU seat. In this article, we will discuss the common mistakes in CLAT 2026 counselling and how to avoid them.

CLAT 2026 Counselling Mistakes That Can Cost You a NLU Seat
CLAT 2026 Counselling Mistakes That Can Cost You a NLU Seat

CLAT 2026 Counselling Schedule

Event

Date

Counselling registration begins

December 16, 2025

Last date for CLAT counselling registration & fee payment

December 27, 2025

First allotment list released

January 07, 2026

Confirmation fee payment & admission (Round 1)

January 07, 2026 – January 15, 2026

Second allotment list released

January 22, 2026

Confirmation fee payment & admission (Round 2)

January 22, 2026 – January 29, 2026

Third allotment list released

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

Fourth allotment list released

May 02, 2026

Confirmation fee payment & admission (Round 4)

May 02, 2026 – May 08, 2026

Fifth and final allotment list released

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

Mistakes to Avoid in CLAT 2026 Counselling

Here are some basic tips to avoid common mistakes in the CLAT 2026 counselling:

Do not miss the CLAT 2026 counselling registration deadline

The very first step to participate in the CLAT 2026 admission process is registering for the counselling process. The CLAT 2026 counselling registration opened on December 16, and candidates can register for the same until December 27. 2026. Candidates will not be allowed to register for the CLAT 2026 counselling after 6 pm on December 27, 2026.

Pay the CLAT 2026 counselling fee on time

The CLAT counselling registration 2026 will only be completed after the payment of the counselling fee. Candidates are required to pay a fee of Rs 30,000 as a counselling fee at the time of counselling registration. The CLAT 2026 counselling fee can only be paid through online mode of payment.

Entering the Wrong Preference of NLUs

While completing the counselling registration process, candidates will also be required to add their NLU choices in order of preference. Candidates must make sure that they enter their NLU preferences in the correct order. A rank-wise NLU preference order for CLAT 2026 has been given below:

CLAT 2026 NLU Preference List

  1. NLSIU Bengaluru

  2. NALSAR Hyderabad

  3. WBNUJS Kolkata( BA LLB)

  4. NLU Jodhpur

  5. GNLU Gandhinagar

  6. NLIU Bhopal (BA LLB)

  7. MNLU Mumbai

  8. WBNUJS Kolkata (BSc.LLB Hons)

  9. RMLNLU Lucknow

  10. HNLU Raipur

  11. NLIU Bhopal (BSc LLB)

  12. NLU Odisha BA LLB

  13. NLU Odisha BBA LLB

  14. RGNUL Patiala

  15. NUALS Kochi

  16. CNLU Patna (BA LLB)

  17. GNLU Silvassa Campus

  18. MNLU Nagpur - BA LLB

  19. CNLU Patna (BBA LLB)

  20. MNLU Nagpur - BBA LLB

  21. NUSRL Ranchi BA LLB

  22. DSNLU Visakhapatnam

  23. NUSRL Ranchi BBA LLB

  24. TNNLU Tiruchirappalli BA LLB

  25. DBRANLU Sonepat

  26. TNNLU Tiruchirappalli BCom LLB

  27. MNLU Aurangabad- BA LLB

  28. NLUJA Assam

  29. MPDNLU Jabalpur

  30. MNLU Aurangabad - BBA LLB

  31. RPNLU Prayagraj

  32. HPNLU Shimla - BA LLB

  33. HPNLU Shimla - BBA LLB

  34. IIULER Goa BA LLB

  35. IIULER Goa BBA LLB

  36. NLUT Agartala

Misunderstanding Freeze, Float and Exit Options

During the CLAT 2026 seat allotment rounds, candidates will be given three options to choose from - Freeze, Float and Exit. Before the seat allotment rounds, candidates must get a good knowledge of these three options and their uses. To make things clear for candidates, the Freeze option will be used in case candidates are satisfied with the seat allotted and do not wish to participate in further counselling rounds. In case candidates want to accept the seat allotted to them, but want better seats, they can choose the Float option. If candidates are not satisfied with the seat and wish not to participate in the further admission process, they can choose the Exit option.

Failing to Upload Correct Documents for Verification

Candidates allotted seats in the CLAT 2026 seat allotment rounds are required to upload some documents for verification and seat confirmation. Candidates must make sure that they upload these documents in the specified format. No document copy should be blurred or incorrect.

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Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

Most law colleges require entrance exams like CLAT or state-level law entrance tests. Some private universities may offer direct admission. Visit the official website of the college, fill out the application form, upload required documents, pay the fee, and complete counselling if required.

With a CLAT score of 71.35, you can apply for admission to NLU for mid-to-lower-tier NLU courses, with a state rank of 69.

# NLU Admissions 2026

With a CLAT 2026 rank of 33,825, it's difficult to get a seat at GNLU Silvassa in the initial stages.

You should focus on private institutions, where a CLAT 2026 rank of 33,825 has a higher chance of admission.

For information on domicile quota seats, see this - CLAT Domicile

You can check the admission chances of your daughter at specific law colleges by using the link provided below by entering the required information.

CLAT College Predictor

With a CLAT rank of 5600, it is challenging for an outside-Delhi candidate to secure a seat at VIPS (Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies) , especially in the General category, since cutoffs for candidates from outside Delhi are generally higher for top law programmes.