Download CLAT 2026 Question Paper PDF (OUT) with Solutions

CLAT 2026 Official Question Paper with Answer Key - Free PDF

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• CLAT 2026 SET A Official Question Paper

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CLAT Exam Analysis 2026 - Overall Review

The overall analysis of the CLAT 2026 exam is provided below to help students prepare for the test:

Section-wise CLAT 2026 Exam Analysis

To learn more about the exam's general difficulty level, the topics included in the CLAT 2026 exam, and more, students are advised to go through the table below.

Additional Observations

• High Scoring Sections: Legal Reasoning, English Comprehension, GK (especially India-centric).

• Moderate Scoring Sections: Logical Reasoning (multi-step problems), Quantitative Techniques (data interpretation heavy).

• Time Management: Allocate more time to Legal Reasoning and LR; solve QT efficiently using stepwise calculations.

• Overall Trend: CLAT 2026 emphasized accuracy, logical reasoning, and current awareness over rote memorisation.

CLAT 2026 Section-wise Questions with Detailed Solutions

Here are some questions from the CLAT 2026 question paper along with their answers. Each section of the CLAT 2026 question paper is represented by the questions.

SECTION I: Logical Reasoning

In a language laboratory, students were given an interesting puzzle involving the word ＂ELECTROCARDIOGRAPH．＂The teacher explained that such exercises not only test logical skills but also sharpen attention to detail. According to the challenge, the word had to undergo a series of transformations. First, the class was asked to take the first half of the letters， reverse their order and make the arrangement of letters look quite different from the original. Next, the students were told to identify the last but one letter of the original word and place it at the very beginning, a step that changed the opening appearance of the sequence completely. Finally, as a finishing touch, they had to add the letter ‘S’ at the end. Following these steps carefully would lead them to the correct transformed word, and only those who adhered to each condition in the exact order could solve the puzzle successfully. （ 150 words）

1. Which letter will be exactly in the middle？

（A L

（B R

（C D

（D E

Correct Answer: (B) R

• Total letters = 18 → middle letters are the 9th and 10th (since even number)

• Word = E L E C T R O C A R D I O G R A P H

• 9th letter = A, 10th letter = R

2. How many vowels will be to the left of the middle letter？

（A 2

（B 1

（C 4

（D 3

Correct Answer: (C) 4

Left of the 10th letter (R) = E L E C T R O C A
Vowels there = E, E, O, A → 4 vowels.

3. Which of the two vowels will be adjoining each other？

（A IE

（B IO

（C AE

（D AO

Correct Answer: (B) IO

Scan adjacent letters for vowel–vowel pairs in ELECTROCARDIOGRAPH — the pair I O (positions 12–13) is the only adjoining vowel pair.

4. Which vowel will have a consonant to the left but a vowel to the right of it?

(A) I

(B) O

(C) A

(D) E

Correct Answer: (A) I

Vowel I has left = D (consonant) and right = O (vowel), so it has a consonant on the left and a vowel on the right.

5. Name the letter sandwiched between two vowels?

(A) R and T

(B) C and L

(C) R and L

(D) D and R

Correct Answer: (B) C and L

Letters sandwiched between two vowels: L (E L E) and C (O C A) → the pair C and L.

SECTION II: Quantitative Aptitude

6. The overall renewable share (as % of annual generation) is closest to:

(A) 42.5 %

(B) 43.8 %

(C) 44.3 %

(D) 45.0 %

Answer - C

Total annual renewable generation is calculated by adding Hydro, Solar, and Wind.

Hydro: 900 + 1,000 + 800 + 1,100 = 3,800 GWh
Solar: 700 + 800 + 1,000 + 900 = 3,400 GWh
Wind: 400 + 600 + 700 + 850 = 2,550 GWh

Total renewables = 3,800 + 3,400 + 2,550 = 9,750 GWh
Total annual generation = 22,000 GWh

Renewable percentage = (9,750 ÷ 22,000) × 100 ≈ 44.3%

Hence, the correct answer is option (C).

7. The quarter with the highest renewable percentage share is:

(A) Q1

(B) Q2

(C) Q3

(D) Q4

Answer - D

Renewables in each quarter:

Q1: renewable = 2,000 out of 5,000 → 40.00%
Q2: renewable = 2,400 out of 5,500 → 43.64%
Q3: renewable = 2,500 out of 5,500 → 45.45%
Q4: renewable = 2,850 out of 6,000 → 47.50%

Highest share is in Q4.

Hence, the correct answer is option (D).

8. A carbon policy reduces Q4 Coal by 10% and shifts the entire reduction equally to Solar and Wind. The new Q4 Solar (GWh) is:

(A) 975

(B) 1,000

(C) 1,015

(D) 1,030

Answer - C

New Q4 Solar after policy change

Q4 coal reduction = 10% of 2,300 = 230 GWh

This amount is split equally between Solar and Wind → 115 GWh each

Original Q4 Solar = 900 GWh

New Q4 Solar = 900 + 115 = 1,015 GWh

Hence, the correct answer is option (C).

9. The annual Gas: Hydro generation ratio is:

(A) 13: 15

(B) 65: 76

(C) 5: 6

(D) 26: 31

Answer - B

Annual Gas: Hydro ratio

Total gas generation = 800 + 700 + 900 + 850 = 3,250 GWh

Total hydro generation = 900 + 1,000 + 800 + 1,100 = 3,800 GWh

Ratio = 3,250: 3,800

Simplified = 65: 76

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

10. The quarter with the lowest renewable percentage share is:

(A) Q1

(B) Q 2

(C) Q3

(D) Q4

Answer - A

From previous values:

Q1 → 40.00%

Q2 → 43.64%

Q3 → 45.45%

Q4 → 47.50%

The lowest share is in Q1.

Hence, the correct answer is option (A).

SECTION III: GK including Current Affairs

U.S. President Donald Trump has landed a triple whammy on India by torpedoing the H-1B visa programme, days after revoking sanctions waiver on Chabahar port in Iran and weeks after imposing a 50 \% tariff on Indian exports to the US. The White House also maintained a conspicuous silence on the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia mutual defence treaty amid reports that neither country informed Washington of the pact, suggesting a growing US indifference to India's concerns. The triple blow has shaken US-India ties to the foundation, mystifying experts who expected a reset after an exchange of friendly messages between Modi and Trump. While some observers see in the crackdown on H-1B a pressure tactic to make India bend on the trade deal, sources familiar with the dynamics of the current White House say the two issues are unrelated and Trump was convinced of the need to "reform" the guest worker visa programme ever since MAGA hardliners persuaded him that American workers were being gamed out of jobs by foreign companies and US big tech acting in tandem. (174 words)

11. What percentage tariff did President Trump initially impose on Indian imports in 2025?

(A)15 %

(B) 25 %

(C) 40 %

(D) 50 %

Correct Option: (D) 50%
Explanation: The passage explicitly states that the U.S. imposed a 50% tariff on Indian exports. This figure appears directly in the text without inference. Hence, option (D) is the only correct choice.

12. What strategic reason did Donald Trump cite for penalising India with additional tariffs apart from trade imbalances?

(A) India's IT service exports

(B) Indian Banknote Demonetization

(C) India's immigration policies

(D) India's defence and energy ties with Russia

Correct Option: (A) India’s IT service exports
Explanation: The passage mentions MAGA supporters believed American jobs were affected by foreign hiring. This concern linked India’s IT service exports to job losses.
Thus, option (A) best reflects the passage’s reasoning.

13. What is the strategic significance of Chabahar Port for India?

(A) Provides trade access to China through Pakistan

(B) Acts as a counterbalance to China's presence in nearby Gwadar Port, Pakistan

(C) Serves as the primary naval base for India

(D) Connects India directly to the Mediterranean Sea

Correct Option: (B) Acts as a counterbalance to China’s presence in nearby Gwadar Port, Pakistan
Explanation: Chabahar enhances India’s strategic position against China’s growing influence in Gwadar. It strengthens India’s access to regional trade routes. Therefore, option (B) matches the established geopolitical context.

14. What is the primary purpose of the H-1B Visa?

(A) Exchange Visitor Visa

(B) Employment Visa

(C) Immigrant visa for permanent residence in the U.S.

(D) Non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to hire foreign professionals in a specialised field

Correct Option: (D) A non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to hire foreign professionals in specialised fields
Explanation: The H-1B is designed for skilled foreign professionals to work in the U.S. It is a non-immigrant visa tied to specialised employment. Thus, option (D) accurately states its purpose.

15. The acronym 'MAGA' mentioned in the above passage refers to:

(A) Multilateral Agencies Global Association

(B) Make America Great Again

(C) Mutual Agreements for Global Advantage

(D) Monetary Advantage For Great America

Correct Option: (B) Make America Great Again

Explanation:
MAGA is widely known as a political slogan associated with Donald Trump.
The passage uses it in a U.S. political context, confirming this meaning.
Thus, option (B) correctly expands the acronym.

SECTION IV: Legal Reasoning

One of the central motifs of the past decade of governance under Indian Prime Minister has been the embrace of policy measures that seek to apply uniform solutions to disparate policy dilemmas facing the country. These measures, often termed One Nation policies, are motivated by a desire to replace the existing patchwork of state-specific policies, regulations, and regimes with measures that are identical across the length and breadth of India.

There are numerous examples of such One Nation policies being propagated and, in several cases, implemented in the eleven years since this Government came to power. For instance, in 2016, Parliament passed a series of constitutional amendments to introduce a new Goods and Services Tax (GST), which introduced a unified value-added tax in place of state-specific levies. This reform, known informally as One Nation, One Tax, had been debated and discussed for nearly two decades and was widely touted as an important precursor to forging a common market across India's twenty-eight states.

In a similar vein, the government rolled out a new initiative to allow Indian citizens to take advantage of subsidized food rations irrespective of their state of residence. This scheme, commonly termed One Nation, One Ration Card, was intended to increase access to welfare benefits, especially for the millions of internal migrants in India without a fixed place of residence.

Earlier this year, the government announced the launch of a new online portal that will provide students, faculty, and researchers across the country's public higher education institutions with open access to international scholarly journals and articles under a scheme it has dubbed One Nation, One Subscription.

Most notably, the government recently signalled its intention to pursue a monumental One Nation policy that has been long discussed but only recently outlined in detail. This measure, known as One Nation, One Election, would do away with India's current system of staggered elections for state and national assemblies, replacing it with a framework of simultaneous elections. The proposal, which has featured in many of PM's speeches in the past, was advanced by a high-level committee (HLC) established by the government in 2023. (351 words)

16. What is the underlying idea behind the "One Nation" policies of the government?

(A) To strengthen federalism by empowering states with greater autonomy

(B) To apply uniform solutions across India, replacing state-specific variations

(C) To decentralize governance to local self-government institutions

(D) To promote diversity by encouraging state-specific policies

Answer: (B) To apply uniform solutions across India, replacing state-specific variations

Explanation: The passage repeatedly emphasises that "One Nation" policies aim to replace the existing patchwork of state-specific policies with measures that are uniform across the country.

17. Which of the following Constitution Amendment Bill deals with empowerment of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to implement simultaneous state and nationa] elections.

(A) One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment

(B) One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment

(C) One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh Amendment

(D) One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment

Answer: (C) One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh Amendment
Explanation: The 127th Amendment Bill was introduced to empower the Election Commission of India (ECI) to implement simultaneous elections (One Nation, One Election) for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.

18. Which committee or report has discussed the feasibility of simultaneous elections in India?

(A) Justice Verma Committee 2013

(B) Law Commission of India Report 2018

(C) Sarkaria Commission Report 1988

(D) Punchhi Commission Report 2010

Answer: (B) Law Commission of India Report 2018
Explanation: The Law Commission of India, in its 2018 report, analysed the feasibility and legal aspects of holding simultaneous elections in India.

19. A High-Level Committee was constituted by the government to examine the policy of One Nation One Election. The Committee was led by:

(A) Shri Ram Nath Kovind

(B) Shri Jagdip Dhankar

(C) Shri Pranab Mukherjee

(D) Smt. Draupadi Murmu

Answer: (A) Shri Ram Nath Kovind.
Explanation: The High-Level Committee on One Nation, One Election was set up to study the feasibility of holding simultaneous elections for Parliament and State Assemblies. It was led by Shri Ram Nath Kovind, the then President of India.

20. As per the new GST reforms introduced in September 2025, the structure of the new GST rates is as follows

(A) 5 %, 12 %,18 % and 28 %

(B) 5 %, 12 % and 18 %

(C) 5 %, 12 % and 40 %

(D) 5 %, 18 % and 40 %

Answer: (D) 5 % and 18 %, with a new 40 %
Explanation: According to the latest GST Council decision in September 2025, the rate structure was rationalised to primarily 5 % and 18 %, with a new 40 % slab for sin/luxury goods (like tobacco, paan-masala, high-end cars, etc.).

SECTION V: English Language

The adoption of the Non-Cooperation Movement by the Congress gave it a new energy and from January 1921 it began to register considerable success all over the country. Gandhiji undertook a nation-wide tour during which he addressed hundreds of meetings and met a large number of political workers. In the first month, thousands of students left their educational institutions and joined more than 800 national schools and colleges that had sprung up all over the country. Gandhiji had promised Swaraj within a year, if his programme was adopted.

The Non-Cooperation Movement demonstrated that it commanded the support and sympathy of vast sections of the Indian people. Its reach among many sections of Indian peasants, workers, artisans etc, had been demonstrated. The spatial spread of the movement was also nation-wide. Some areas were more active than others, but there were few that showed no signs of activity at all.

The capacity of the 'poor dumb millions' of India to take part in modern nationalist politics was also demonstrated. This was the first time that nationalists from the towns, students from schools and colleges or even the educated and politically aware in the villages had made a serious attempt to bring the ideology and the movement into their midst.

The tremendous participation of different communities in the movement, and the maintenance of communal unity, despite the Malabar developments, was in itself no mean achievement. There is hardly any doubt that it was minority participation that gave the movement its truly mass character in many areas. And it was, indeed, unfortunate that this most positive feature of the movement was not to be repeated in later years once communalism began to take its toll. [324 words]

21. From the passage, it is evident that:

(A) The idea of Swaraj seemed futile

(B) The non-cooperation movement was a complete success

(C) The non-cooperation movement gained the sympathy of the majority of the Indians

(D) The Indian National Congress represented a microscopic minority

Correct answer: (C) The non-cooperation movement gained the sympathy of majority of the Indians
The passage clearly states that the Non-Cooperation Movement “commanded the support and sympathy of vast sections of the Indian people” and had participation from various communities, peasants, workers, artisans, students, and minorities. Hence, option (C) is the correct inference.

22. The term "poor dumb millions" refers to-

(A) The vast number of common people who are impoverished

(B) A Large number of common people who are hearing impaired

(C) A Large number of people who are vulnerable

(D) The vast number of people who are impoverished and uneducated

Correct answer: (D) The vast number of people who are impoverished and uneducated
In the passage, the phrase “poor dumb millions” refers to ordinary Indians who were poor and had little or no access to education, and who were previously not involved in modern nationalist politics.

23. Which of the statements is true?

(A) The Swaraj movement happened before the non co-operation movement

(B) The non co-operation movement failed due to sudden withdrawal

(C) There was a fine show of communal unity in the movement

(D) The rich and the educated kept themselves away from the non co-operation movement

Correct answer: (C) There was a fine show of communal unity in the movement

The passage clearly states that “The tremendous participation of different communities in the movement, and the maintenance of communal unity… was in itself no mean achievement.”

24. The main idea of the passage is-

(A) The Non co-operation movement did not give impetus to the future movements

(B) The movement made the Indians realize their potential to fight against the mighty British

(C) The British became fearful and worried of Gandhiji's leadership and co-operation of Indians

(D) That the most positive feature of the movement was that it was repeated in later years

Correct answer: (B) The movement made the Indians realise their potential to fight against the mighty British

Explanation:
The passage highlights how the Non-Cooperation Movement:

• Mobilised vast sections of Indians

• Drew participation from peasants, workers, students, and minorities

• Demonstrated the capacity of ordinary Indians to engage in nationalist politics

• Gave new energy and confidence to the freedom struggle

25. The word "Communalism" in the above passage refers to-

(A) Religious identity

(B) Caste identity

(C) Regional identity

(D) Secularism

Correct answer (A)

Explanation:

In the passage, communalism is mentioned in the context of participation in the Non-Cooperation Movement: “it was unfortunate that this most positive feature of the movement was not to be repeated in later years once communalism began to take its toll.” In Indian historical and political context, communalism refers to conflicts or divisions based on religion, which affected the unity of the movement.