CLAT Last 3 years Question Papers with New Pattern

CLAT Last 3 years Question Papers with New Pattern

Isha GargUpdated on 03 Dec 2025, 05:04 PM IST

CLAT has primarily become a comprehension-based, critical thinking exam since 2020. The total number of questions was reduced from 200 to 150 in 2020. The number of questions was further reduced to 120 in the CLAT 2024 exam to make it student-friendly and to ease exam stress. While the exam remains moderate to difficult, sections like English, legal reasoning, and logical reasoning mainly test inference and reasoning skills. Solving CLAT past year question (PYQ) papers is crucial for cracking the CLAT because it helps understand the comprehension-based format and improves speed and accuracy.

CLAT Last 3 years Question Papers with New Pattern
CLAT 2026 Last 3 years Question Papers with New Pattern

The English Language section of the CLAT exam evaluates reading comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary through passage-based questions. The general knowledge and current affairs still require prior knowledge of national and international events. Legal reasoning applies legal principles to factual situations, and logical reasoning is often the toughest, involving puzzles and patterns. Quantitative techniques cover basic arithmetic, percentages, ratios, and data interpretation. Even though the questions are fewer in number, but require accuracy and speed.

Comparison of Exam Patterns (2020 vs 2024-2026)

Exam period

Total questions

Sections

Duration

Marking scheme

Pre-2020

200

English, GK, Legal Aptitude, LR, QA

2 hours

+1 mark for correct answer and -0.25 for incorrect answer

2020-2023


150

English Language, Current Affairs (including General Knowledge), Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques

2 hours

+1 mark for correct answer and -0.25 for incorrect answer

2024 onwards


120

Same as 2020-2023 (passage-based format)

2 hours

+1 mark for correct answer and -0.25 for incorrect answer

CLAT UG Exam Section-wise Question Distribution (2024-2026)

The CLAT UG exam features 120 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 2 hours. Each correct answer awards 1 mark, with a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every incorrect response, and no penalty for unanswered questions. Questions are passage-based across five sections, testing comprehension, reasoning, and awareness skills at a 12th-grade level.

CLAT 2026 - Section-wise Distribution of Questions

Section

Number of questions

Weightage (%)

English Language

22-26

20

Current Affairs including GK

28-32

25

Legal Reasoning

28-32

25

Logical Reasoning

22-26

20

Quantitative Techniques

10-14

10

CLAT Exam Analysis - Last 3 Years (2023, 2024, 2025)

In 2023, the English section was easy, with 28-30 good attempts out of 30 questions. General knowledge was also easy to moderate with 30-35 good attempts, while quantitative aptitude was more challenging, with only 8-9 good attempts. Logical reasoning and legal reasoning were moderate to difficult, with good attempts ranging from 25-27 and 32-34, respectively. Overall, the exam was moderate to difficult.

In 2024, the CLAT exam pattern changed to 120 questions. English and general knowledge were easier, with good attempts above 20 and 25+, respectively. Quantitative aptitude and logical reasoning ranged between easy and moderate difficulty. Legal reasoning was easier compared to previous years. Overall, the exam was easy to moderate with about 105+ good attempts.

In 2025, English and general knowledge remained easy to moderate. Quantitative aptitude got relatively tougher, with good attempts rising to 24-25 from fewer questions. Legal reasoning stayed moderately difficult, while logical reasoning was considered easier compared to earlier. The total good attempts were about 90-95, indicating moderate difficulty overall.

Section-wise Difficulty and Attempts for 2023-2025

Year

Section

Good attempts

Difficulty level

Total questions

2023

English Language

28 - 30

Easy

30

General Knowledge

30 - 35

Easy to moderate

35

Quantitative Aptitude

8 - 9

Moderate to difficult

15

Logical Reasoning

25 - 27

Moderate to difficult

30

Legal Reasoning

32 - 34

Tough but easy

40

Overall

110+

Moderate to difficult

150

2024

English

20+

Easy

24

General Knowledge & Current Affairs

25+

Easy

28

Quantitative Aptitude

7+

Easy to moderate

12

Legal Reasoning

25+

Easy

32

Logical Reasoning

20+

Easy to moderate

24

Overall

105+

Easy to moderate

120

2025

English

18 - 19

Easy to moderate

22-26

General Knowledge

21 - 22

Easy to moderate

28-32

Quantitative Aptitude

24 - 25

Moderate

10-14

Legal Reasoning

17 - 18

Moderate

28-32

Logical Reasoning

8 - 9

Easy to moderate

22-26

Overall

90 - 95

Moderate

120

Category-wise Expected Good Score in CLAT 2026 in Top NLUs

NLU name

General

EWS

OBC

SC

ST

NLSIU Bengaluru

100+

95+

90+

83+

78+

NALSAR Hyderabad

100+

95+

90+

82+

78+

WBNUJS Kolkata

98+

-

56+*

80+

74+

NLU Jodhpur

95+

-

88+

79+

74+

GNLU Gandhinagar

95+

90+

87+

77+

70+

MNLU Mumbai

93+

81+

77+*

71+*

41+*

RMLNLU Lucknow

91+

85+

82+*

53+*

41+*

*state category reservation

Based on past year data and expected trends for CLAT 2026, for general category candidates, a score between 90 and 100+ marks out of 120 is considered competitive for top NLUs. EWS candidates should aim for 85-95+ marks to secure good chances. For OBC candidates, a score of around 80-90+ marks is advisable. SC and ST candidates can secure admissions with scores in the range of 75-85 marks. Generally, to rank among the top candidates, scoring above 90 marks is highly recommended. Reserve categories have slightly lower cut-offs, but high scores always increase the chances of securing the preferred NLU seat.

Articles
|
Upcoming Law Exams
Certifications By Top Providers
Study from Still Life
Via Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi
Political Ideologies
Via Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune
Introduction to History of Architecture in India
Via Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune
Introduction to Peace and Conflict Management BGP-001
Via Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi
Home Science-Extension and Communication Management Level-2
Via English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad
Education for Sustainable Development
Via Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Swayam
 162 courses
Edx
 129 courses
Futurelearn
 74 courses
NPTEL
 74 courses
Explore Top Universities Across Globe

Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

Start preparing for CLAT by first understanding the exam pattern and syllabus, which includes English, Current Affairs, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques. Make a simple daily routine and begin with basics read newspapers regularly for current affairs, practice comprehension passages for English and legal sections, and solve basic

Hello

With an AIR of 9076 and EWS rank of 846 in CLAT 2026, getting a top NLUs is unlikely, which is why you didn’t get a seat in the first round. However, you still have some chances in lower-tier NLUs like NLU Odisha, NLU Assam, NLU Tripura, NLU Meghalaya,

Hello

With a CLAT 2026 score of 60.75, AIR 17,715, and OBC-NCL rank 3,347 as an out-of-Delhi candidate, getting a seat in the Faculty of Law, Delhi University is very unlikely. DU’s cut-offs for OBC candidates are usually much higher, even in later rounds. You should keep backup options like

Hello,

With AIR 10542 and OBC rank 1843, getting top NLUs is unlikely. However, you still have chances in newer or lower ranked NLUs like NLU Assam, NUSRL Ranchi, MNLU Nagpur/Mumbai, especially in later or vacancy rounds. Also consider good private law colleges as backup options.

Since you scored 8000 AIR in CLAT, getting into top NLUs may not be possible, so it is a good idea to look for affordable and good law colleges.


State government law colleges are usually low in fees, and have decent reputation. Some options include Government Law College, Mumbai, Faculty