CLAT English Language 2026 - Topics, Books, Question Paper, Syllabus

CLAT English Language 2026 - Topics, Books, Question Paper, Syllabus

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CLAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 31 Oct' 25

Sukriti SahooUpdated on 19 Jul 2025, 05:56 PM IST

The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is one of the lengthiest law entrance exams and is a test of one's language and reading skills. Therefore, preparing for CLAT English is prominent in any aspiring candidate's exam preparation regime. The English language section of CLAT 2026 focuses on evaluating the candidate’s reading and comprehension ability and forming critical insights about a given passage. The questions in the CLAT English section are from a 12th-standard level.

CLAT English Language 2026 - Topics, Books, Question Paper, Syllabus
CLAT English Language (Image by Wayhomestudio on Freepik)

The candidates should have a clear idea about the CLAT exam pattern, and should refer to best CLAT English books. Read the full article for relevant details about the CLAT 2026 English section that will help any candidate perform well in the exam.

What is the English Language for CLAT?

The CLAT 2026 English language syllabus seeks to test the reading and comprehension ability of the candidate and form insights about the passages. The reading and comprehension preparation for the English section will also help the candidates in other sections of the exam, as the Common Law Admission Test is a very reading-intensive paper.

Also, check CLAT English Language Practice Questions & MCQ

English Syllabus for CLAT - Overview

Preparation for any exam should start with understanding what the exam constitutes. The CLAT 2026 is no different. As per the revised syllabus of CLAT issued by the consortium from 2024 onwards, the CLAT 2026 English questions number between 22-26 in a paper that consists of 120 questions. One can notice that the English for CLAT forms roughly 20% of the overall CLAT syllabus.

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Table Showing the CLAT 2026 English Question Paper Pattern

ParticularsDetails
Passages4-6
Number of Questions22-26 MCQs
Marks22-26
Negative Marks0.25 for every wrong answer
CLAT Sample Paper 2026 with Answer Key- Careers360
Download the CLAT Sample Paper 2026 PDF featuring the latest exam pattern with descriptive-type questions for effective preparation.
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Infographics - CLAT 2026 English Question Paper Pattern

CLAT 2026 English Question Paper Pattern

In the CLAT exam English syllabus, the candidate will come across several sets of passages consisting of around 450 words. The reading difficulty of these passages is of 12th grade level, equivalent to the minimum qualification prescribed for candidates in the CLAT eligibility criteria. The passages center around recent or historically important fiction and nonfiction pieces of literature. The candidate is expected to take no more than 5-7 minutes to read each passage. Based on the passage, the candidate has to answer follow-up CLAT English questions that test their comprehension and linguistic ability.

Important Skills Tested by CLAT 2026 English

  • Reading and understanding the passage's primary idea as well as any arguments and points of view presented therein

  • Making deductions and conclusions from the passage

  • Summarising the text in the passage

  • Comparing and contrasting opinions expressed in the passage

  • Recognising the meaning of the different terms and expressions used in the passage.

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CLAT English Important Topics

Here are some important topics from CLAT English section

  • Grammar
  • Sentence Structure
  • Syntax and errors
  • Vocabulary
  • Answering direct questions based on the passage

Also Read: CLAT English Preparation Tips

CLAT English Question Paper

Once the syllabus is properly studied, the next step in CLAT exam preparation is to familiarise oneself with the type of questions one would come across in the English language for CLAT 2026. Going through the CLAT sample papers is an important part of the preparation. Practising with the mock tests can also improve one’s performance in the actual test.

The Consortium of National Law Universities (CNLU), which is the body responsible for conducting the exam, will release CLAT 2026 sample papers in the run-up to the CLAT 2026 exam, to be held tentatively in December 2025. The papers can be downloaded from the official website of the CNLU - consortiumofnlus.ac.in

Besides solving the sample papers, candidates must also go through the previous year’s CLAT Question Papers to be exam-ready. It will help in understanding what to expect during the exam. Narrowing down the ambit will enhance focus during one’s preparation.

Candidates can focus specifically on the CLAT English section by solving CLAT English sample papers, which will improve their chances of success in this section.

You may also check

CLAT English Sample Passage the Official CLAT 2025 Question Paper

From a very early age, I knew that when I grew up, I should be a writer. I had the lonely child’s habit of making up stories and holding conversations with imaginary persons, and I think from the very start my literary ambitions were mixed up with the feeling of being isolated and undervalued. I knew that I had a facility with words and a power of facing unpleasant facts, and I felt that this created a sort of private world in which I could get my own back for my failure in everyday life. I wanted to write enormous naturalistic novels with unhappy endings, full of detailed descriptions and arresting similes, and also full of purple passages in which words were used partly for the sake of their sound. I give all this background information because I do not think one can assess a writer’s motives without knowing something of his early development.

His subject-matter will be determined by the age he lives in – at least this is true in tumultuous, revolutionary ages like our own – but before he ever begins to write he will have acquired an emotional attitude from which he will never completely escape. It is his job to discipline his temperament, but if he escapes from his early influences altogether, he will have killed his impulse to write. I think there are four great motives for writing, at any rate for writing prose. They are: (i) Sheer egoism: Desire to seem clever, to be talked about, to be remembered after death, to get your own back on grown-ups who snubbed you in childhood; (ii) Aesthetic enthusiasm: Desire to share an experience which one feels is valuable and ought not to be missed (iii) Historical impulse: Desire to see things as they are, to find out true facts and store them up for the use of posterity (iv) Political purpose: Desire to push the world in a certain direction, to alter other people’s idea of the kind of society that they should strive after. [Extracted with edits from George Orwell’s “Why I Write”]

1. For the author, aesthetic enthusiasm is an important motive for writing because it

(A) shapes the thoughts

(B) creates an artistic piece

(C) becomes invaluable

(D) non-utilitarian

2. The author strongly advocates the writers to:

(A) avoid any egoistic impression in their work

(B) be apolitical in their approach

(C) be contemporary in their treatment of their work

(D) None of the above

3. Which of the following is a synonym for the word “tumultuous”?

(A) Chaotic

(B) Turbulent

(C) Disorderly

(D) All of the above

4. George Orwell’s loneliness during childhood led to

(A) estrangement with his father

(B) unhappy days

(C) making up stories

(D) unpleasant incidents

5. Why does Orwell give background information?

(A) He had the lonely child’s habits

(B) It is essential to know about the motives of writers

(C) Because of his historic impulse

(D) Due to the aesthetic enthusiasm

6.If writer escapes from early impulses, he will

(A) lose his urge to write

(B) be unable to imagine creatively

(C) be able to converse with imaginary characters

(D) be able to influence others

You may also check the top career options after studying Law:

Quick Preparation Tips for CLAT 2026 English

  • Develop a reading habit by reading newspapers and magazines on a daily basis. This will improve reading speed and vocabulary and also keep one updates with the latest news.
  • Solve previous year question papers and sample papers of CLAT to build speed and comfort with the exam pattern.
  • Refer to good CLAT english books to improve grammar and word power.

CLAT English Books

One should refer to good books for CLAT preparation to ace the exams. The English section is no different. There are several good books for CLAT 2026 English section available in the market. Some of them are given in the table below

Objective General EnglishR.S Aggarwal
Word Power Made EasyNorman Lewis
Essential English for Competitive ExaminationsRashmi Singh
CLAT GuideTata McGraw Hill
The Pearons Guide to CLATPearson's

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the syllabus of English language in CLAT?
A:

The syllabus of English language includes grammar, sentence structure, syntax and errors, vocabulary and answering direct questions from the passage.

Q: What type of English comes in CLAT?
A:

The english in CLAT is of 12th standard.

Q: How many questions does the CLAT English section have?
A:

The English section of the CLAT has 22-26 questions.

Q: What topics are covered in the CLAT English section?
A:

This section requires the candidate to read and comprehend passages and then answer ensuing questions.

Q: Are there any sample papers available for CLAT English ?
A:

The Consortium of National Law Universities will release three CLAT sample papers before the actual exam that can be downloaded from their website.

Q: Are there any books for CLAT English
A:

Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis and Objective General English by RS Aggarwal are some of the best books for CLAT English.

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Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

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.

Hi dear candidate,

Both the colleges Maharaja Agrasen (MAIMS) or Gitarattan (GIBS) are affiliated to IP University and allows admission either by CLAT or IPU CET Law. Without either of these exams, your admission is NOT accepted there. You can try looking for management quota seats in these colleges if you have got good marks in 12th class.

BEST REGARDS

Hi dear candidate,

You can easily register yourself for CLAT exam by visiting the Consortium of NLUs official website and follow these steps:

  • Register yourself with your EMail ID, phone number and password.
  • Log in using OTP
  • Complete application form by entering details, selecting program (UG/PG) and uploading required documents mentioned there.
  • Then at last, review the application and pay the registration fees.
  • Download your confirmation slip.

Know the complete process at:

CLAT Registration 2026 (Started): Documents Required, Application Fee, Link, Steps to Apply

BEST REGARDS

Right now there is no official e-guide for CLAT 2026 released by the Consortium of NLUs. They usually provide sample questions and model papers closer to the exam, but not a complete guide at this stage.

You can still prepare using free study material available online. Many websites provide free downloadable PDFs, mock tests, and previous year papers that will help you understand the pattern and practice important topics.

If you want a structured book, there are two good options. The Oswaal CLAT & AILET guide has past year solved papers, topic-wise questions, and mock tests. The Arihant CLAT Conqueror book has more than 3000 practice questions with solutions. Both are helpful depending on whether you prefer solved papers or more practice questions.