CLAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 31 Oct' 25
With less than three months to go until the upcoming CLAT 2026 exam, it is time for candidates to accelerate towards their eventual goal: acing the exam. When we talk of the CLAT 2026 syllabus, Legal Aptitude comes at the top in terms of weightage. The CLAT 2026 Legal Reasoning subject holds 25% weightage in the exam. A total of 28 to 32 questions will be asked from this subject in the CLAT 2026 exam. Over the years, several common topics have emerged from which questions have been asked in the CLAT Legal Reasoning section. In this article, we have analysed the last five years’ CLAT question papers and detailed out topics that have repeatedly been asked in the exam, low-priority topics and more.
In the last five years, the legal aptitude section has been an integral part of the CLAT 2026 syllabus. While the consortium states that prior knowledge of Law is required for CLAT, the legal aptitude section in the CLAT exam primarily contains questions and passages that require a basic understanding of law. Last year, the Delhi HC ordered the deletion of a question in the CLAT paper, citing that the question required knowledge of law. Later, the Supreme Court reversed this decision.
All things put aside, it is clear that candidates must have a basic understanding of law; however, the passages given in this section are self-contained, and candidates do not require extensive knowledge of law. The table shows the topics that have been covered in the last five years of the CLAT exam.
Ranked #18 amongst Institutions in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in India for Academic Reputation by QS Rankings | 16 LPA Highest CTC
Ranked 1 st among Top Law Schools of super Excellence in India - GHRDC | NAAC A+ Accredited | #36 by NIRF
Year | Topics |
2021 | Tort Law (Volenti non fit injuria); Contract Law (Misrepresentation and Fraud); Constitutional Law (Writ of Mandamus); Family Law (Bigamy and Special Marriage Act) |
2022 | Corporate Law (CSR); Environmental Law (Green Energy Corridor); Aviation Law (Drone Rules and Regulations); Maritime Law (Sagarmala, SAGAR, Deep Ocean Mission) |
2023 | Juvenile Justice; Environmental Law; Contract Law (Void and Voidable Agreements); Intellectual Property Law (Geographical Indications); Criminal Law (Public Examinations - Unfair Means); Data Protection Law |
2024 | Juvenile Justice; Tort Law (Online Defamation); Media Law (Press Registration); Data Protection Law; Family Law (Succession and Surrogacy); Criminal Law (Public Examinations - Unfair Means) |
2025 | Juvenile Justice; Environmental Law; Contract Law (Void and Voidable Agreements); Intellectual Property Law (Geographical Indications); Criminal Law (Public Examinations - Unfair Means); Data Protection Law |
In the last few years, there have been many topics that have been common. One thing candidates must understand is that the topics given below are only for reference, and the CLAT 2026 legal reasoning passages are self-contained. This means that the candidates will be given all context in the passage itself, and they will only be required to identify and infer the rules and principles set out in the passage. Also, they may be required to apply such rules and principles in various fact situations. Some of the most repeated topics in the CLAT Legal Aptitude section have been mentioned in the table below:
Topic | Years Repeated |
Juvenile Justice | 2023, 2024, 2025 |
Environmental Law | 2022, 2023, 2025 |
Contract Law | 2021, 2023, 2025 |
Intellectual Property Law (Geographical Indications) | 2023, 2025 |
Criminal Law (Public Examinations - Unfair Means) | 2023, 2024, 2025 |
Data Protection Law | 2023, 2024, 2025 |
Family Law | 2021, 2024 |
Tort Law | 2021, 2024 |
After analysing the CLAT question papers for the last five years, we have segregated topics based on their frequency in the exam. Based on the analysis, the CLAT Legal Aptitude topics have been divided into three categories - high, medium and low priority topics. The table given below has the list of CLAT Legal Aptitude important topics:
High Priority Topics | Medium Priority Topics | Low Priority Topics |
Constitutional Law | Data Protection/Privacy | Intellectual Property |
Family Law | Tort Law | Consumer Protection |
Contract Law | Criminal Law - Specific Offences | Legal Aid/Access to Justice |
Environmental Law | Media/IT/Freedom of Speech | Surrogacy Law |
Juvenile Justice/Child Protection | Aviation Law | |
Maritime Law | ||
Corporate Law |
In the CLAT 2025 exam, there were a total of six passages in the Legal Aptitude section. These six passages comprised a total of 28 questions. All the passages were drawn from popular dailies like The Economic Times, The Hindu, NCRB journals, CARNEGIE INDIA, legal books etc. The table given below shows a detailed a report
Extract from Passage | Likely Source | Context on Questions |
"Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, a child in conflict with law aged 16–18 may be tried as an adult for heinous offences, while those in need of care receive rehabilitation. Recent NCRB data highlights a rise in juvenile cases, raising concerns about privacy and systemic support." | Extracted, with edits and revisions from “Child Rights in the Criminal Justice System: Need for Law Reform” written by Dr. Asha Bajpai published in the Journal of the National Human Rights Commission, India | Moderate difficulty; focused on JJ Act provisions (e.g., child offender trials, privacy), with questions on remedies, board roles, and policy impacts. Ethical reasoning emphasized. |
"Article 48-A of the Constitution mandates the State to protect the environment, while Article 51-A(g) imposes a fundamental duty on citizens. The Paris Agreement commits India to reduce emissions, yet industrial pollution persists, prompting debates on the right against climate change." | Extracted, with edits and revision, from “Supreme Court of India bolts Right to Life with climate justice”, The Economic Times, 06-05-2024 | Easy; tested constitutional duties (Art. 48-A/51-A(g)), sustainable development, and climate rights, with questions on pollution scenarios and international obligations. |
"An agreement is void if made by a minor or for an illegal purpose, while it is voidable if induced by coercion or mistake. Consideration must be lawful, as seen in cases where consent was vitiated by misrepresentation." | Extracted with edits from A Comparative Study of Voidable Contracts and Void Agreements) | Easy-moderate; centered on void/voidable agreements, consideration, with questions on distinguishing types and applying to hypotheticals. |
"Geographical Indications under the GI Act, 1999, protect goods like Darjeeling tea, ensuring origin-based rights. Misuse, such as unauthorized labeling, violates TRIPS obligations, leading to penalties and trade disputes." | News feature on Geographical Indications under GI Act, 1999 (e.g., Economic Times, WIPO, 2024 GI tag cases) | Moderate; covered GI protection and misuse, with questions on validity, product scenarios, and TRIPS impacts. Required careful rule extraction. |
"The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, penalizes malpractices like paper leaks with imprisonment, holding service providers accountable. Recent incidents have prompted stricter enforcement by examination authorities." | Extracted, with edits and revisions from “Act that Punishes Organized Cheating in Government Exams Comes into Effect” published in The Hindu dated 22-06-2024 | Easy; focused on exam malpractice provisions, with questions on offences, scenarios (e.g., leaks), and authority roles. Current affairs-based. |
"The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, grants individuals rights to access and erase data, requiring consent for processing. Exemptions for government use raise concerns about privacy in digital transactions." | Excerpts from Anirudh Burman, “Understanding India’s New Data Protection Law”, CARNEGIE INDIA, October 03, 2023 | Moderate; emphasized data rights, consent, and exemptions, with questions on digital scenarios, purpose limitation, and policy changes. |
The CLAT Legal Aptitude section holds one-fourth weightage in the CLAT exam, and candidates must be well-prepared for this section. Candidates are advised to go through the past years' question papers and understand how the passages are framed and what kind of questions are asked from these passages. The CLAT exam in totality is more about understanding, inferring and applying. Also, going through popular dailies and reading recommended books can be very helpful for the Legal Reasoning Section.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
For CLAT PG 2026 application :
Photograph: JPEG/JPG, 200x230 pixels, 20–50 KB, white/light background, recent passport-size photo.
Signature: JPEG/JPG, 140x60 pixels, 10–20 KB, sign on white paper with black ink, must match exam documents.
Hope it helps !
Hi dear candidate,
On our official website, you can find various study material EBooks and Sample Papers that can help you prepare better that you can download for free.
Kindly refer to the link attached below:
CLAT E-books and Sample Papers
CLAT Study Material 2026 PDF - Books, Mock Test, Question Papers
BEST REGARDS
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.
Ranked #18 amongst Institutions in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in India for Academic Reputation by QS Rankings | 16 LPA Highest CTC
Grade 'A+' accredited by NAAC | Ranked 33rd by NIRF 2025
NAAC A+ Grade | Among top 100 universities of India (NIRF 2024) | 40 crore+ scholarships distributed
India's youngest NAAC A++ accredited University | NIRF rank band 151-200 | Approved by Bar Council of India
Ranked 1 st among Top Law Schools of super Excellence in India - GHRDC | NAAC A+ Accredited | #36 by NIRF
Understand previous year cut-off trends as well as expected cut-offs for current year. Get the Ebook
