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.
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.
Year | Question paper PDF | CLAT UG solution PDF |
2025 | ||
2024 | ||
2023 |
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 |
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.
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 |
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.
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 |
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.
On Question asked by student community
With an AIR of 34724 and OBC category rank of 7153, chances of getting a seat in DSNLU Visakhapatnam are low in early rounds. However, since you are already invited for counselling, there may be some chance in later rounds depending on seat vacancy and cut-off movement. You should participate
With a CLAT LLM rank of 13656, getting a top NLU is difficult. You may have chances in lower-ranked NLUs or private law universities, depending on seat availability and category.
You can check CLAT LLM counselling details here:
https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-llm-cut-off
Hello there,
Having a 15000 general rank and 1740 as your SC category rank, your chances of securing a seat are very low. As per the previous trends, it is a direct no for you to get into the top-tier NLUs since the closing general rank is around 1500-3000. If
With a CLAT PG rank of 1257 in the SC category and being a woman candidate with Rajasthan domicile, you do have a realistic chance of securing admission to several National Law Universities, though the top NLUs may be difficult at this rank. Admission chances depend heavily on category-wise cut-offs,
With a CLAT PG rank of around 11,000, getting admission into the top National Law Universities (NLUs) is not likely, as their general category cut-offs usually close much earlier. However, you still have realistic chances in lower-ranked and newer NLUs, especially in the later rounds of CLAT counselling or through
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