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CLAT Exam Pattern 2026 - Paper Format, Weightage, Marks Distribution, Section-wise Marks
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CLAT 2026 Exam Pattern: The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLU) prescribed the CLAT 2026 exam pattern for UG and PG programmes on its official website - consortiumofnlus.ac.in. Candidates must be thoroughly aware of the CLAT paper pattern 2026. The CLAT exam pattern 2026 provides important details about the exam, such as the type of questions, total number of questions, CLAT exam marks distribution, mode of exam, duration, etc. In the CLAT paper pattern 2026, the CLAT total marks are calculated based on 120 multiple-choice questions. The CLAT subjects weightage will not be spread uniformly across the five sections. The CLAT PG exam comprises 120 objective-type questions. Until the authority announces any changes in the CLAT 2026 pattern, it will remain consistent with the previous year's CLAT format.
This Story also Contains
- CLAT 2026 Exam Pattern - Highlights
- CLAT Exam Pattern 2026 - Overview
- CLAT Exam Pattern 2026 - Section-wise Marks
- CLAT Marking Scheme 2026
- CLAT UG Syllabus 2026
- CLAT UG Exam Pattern: Subject Wise Details
The Common Law Admission Test is conducted for admissions at 26 participating NLUs and 60+ affiliated law schools into the 5-year LLB programme. CLAT 2026 will be conducted on December 7, 2025 in offline mode, pen and paper-based mode. Read the complete article to get complete details of the exam pattern of CLAT 2026, CLAT section-wise marks, CLAT exam format, and other important details.
CLAT 2026 Exam Pattern - Highlights
Here are some important points related to the CLAT paper pattern:
- The CLAT 2026 exam will evaluate the comprehension and reading skills of the candidates.
- The exam is designed not to check a candidate’s prior knowledge of law; instead, it is a test of aptitude and skills that are required for legal education.
- There are a total of five subjects in CLAT 2026 - English Language, General Knowledge & Current Affairs, including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques.
- The duration of the CLAT 2026 exam will be two hours.
- The exam will comprise passage-based questions.
CLAT Exam Pattern 2026 - Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
Time duration | 2 hours |
Mode | Offline mode (pen and paper-based mode) |
Conducting Body | Consortium of National Law Universities (CNLU) |
Type of questions | Objective-type questions |
Number of questions | CLAT UG - 120 questions CLAT PG - 120 questions |
Total marks in CLAT | 120 marks (Both CLAT UG and CLAT PG) |
CLAT UG marking scheme | Correct answer - 1 mark Incorrect answer - 0.25 marks deduction Unattempted questions - No negative marking |
Language | English |
You may also check -
CLAT 2026 College Predictor
Know your admission chances in National Law Universities based on your home state & exam result for All India Category & State Category seats.
Try NowCLAT Exam Pattern 2026 - Section-wise Marks
The CLAT section-wise marks will vary as per the weightage of subjects in the exam. The current affairs and legal reasoning section carries the maximum weight in the CLAT paper pattern. Candidates are given two hours to complete the CLAT 2026 exam. As per the CLAT 2026 pattern, all the questions in the entrance exam will be objective-type questions. The section-wise CLAT weightage is given below.
CLAT Subjects Weightage 2026
Section | Number of Questions | CLAT Section-wise Marks | Weightage |
|---|---|---|---|
English Language | 22-26 | 22-26 | 20% |
Current Affairs including General Knowledge | 28-32 | 28-32 | 25% |
28-32 | 28-32 | 25% | |
22-26 | 22-26 | 20% | |
Quantitative Techniques | 10-14 | 10-14 | 10% |
Total | 120 | 120 | 100% |
Check topic-wise CLAT Syllabus:
CLAT Marking Scheme 2026
As per the CLAT marks distribution, each question in CLAT 2026 will carry one mark. There is also a provision of negative marking of 0.25 marks for each incorrect response. The maximum mark in CLAT 2026 is 120. No marks will be deducted for unanswered questions.
CLAT 2026 Marking Scheme
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
Correct response | 1 mark |
Incorrect response | -0.25 mark |
Unanswered question | 0 mark |
You may also check -
CLAT UG Syllabus 2026
Along with the exam pattern, candidates must be well-versed in the syllabus of CLAT UG 2026. The syllabus of CLAT will comprise important topics and subjects that will be covered in the exam. The detailed CLAT 2026 syllabus is mentioned in the table below:
CLAT UG syllabus 2026
| Subjects | Topics |
|---|---|
English Language | Grammatical errors and sentence correction, Synonyms & Antonyms, Tenses, Fill in the Blanks, Active & Passive Voice |
Current Affairs, including General Knowledge | National & international events, Govt. schemes, Science & Technology, Sports, Awards & Honors, Arts & Culture, Historical events of current relevant |
Legal Reasoning | Indian Constitution - Fundamental Rights, Duties, Judiciary, Parliament, Directive Principles of State Policy, Local governments, Significant amendments and provisions, Landmark judgments, Current legal affairs, Law of Torts, Laws of Contract, IPR Law, Family Laws |
Logical Reasoning | Analogies, Series, logical sequences and matching, Seating arrangement, Syllogisms, Blood relations |
Quantitative Techniques | Ratios and proportions, Basic algebra, Mensuration, Statistical estimation, Algebra |
You may also read:
CLAT UG Exam Pattern: Subject Wise Details
Candidates can check the CLAT paper pattern for each section below:
CLAT English Language: This English section of CLAT 2026 comprises 22 to 26 questions, and it is given a weight of 20% in the exam. The CLAT English Language section will comprise passages of around 450 words derived from historically significant non-fiction and fiction writing. The difficulty level of this section is as per class 12. According to students who appeared for the previous sessions of the exam, this section of CLAT is usually easy but tricky.
CLAT Current Affairs including General Knowledge: The GK and current affairs section of the exam contains a total of 28 to 32 questions, and it is given 25% weightage in the entrance test. The CLAT Current Affairs, including the General Knowledge section also comprises passage-based questions on current affairs. The questions are asked about topics like static general knowledge, national and international news, and other related topics. According to past year candidates, this section is the easiest section of the CLAT exam.
CLAT Quantitative Techniques: The maths section carries the minimum weight in the CLAT exam. There are a total of 10-14 questions in the CLAT Quantitative Techniques section of CLAT. The questions in this section are based on elementary mathematics from topics like ratio and proportions, basic algebra, mensuration, and statistical estimation.
CLAT Legal Reasoning: The CLAT Legal Reasoning section of CLAT 2026 will consist of 28 to 32 questions. The questions will comprise 450-word passages on topics such as public policy-making, legal matters, or moral philosophical inquiries. As per the previous year's analysis, this section was easy, and the passages were short.
CLAT Logical Reasoning: This section has a total of 22 to 26 questions and carries 20% weightage in the exam. The CLAT Logical Reasoning section will also comprise 450-word passages followed by multiple-choice questions based on the passage. Questions in this section are of an easy to moderate difficulty level.
CLAT 2026 Preparation Tips
Here are some preparation tips to ace the CLAT exam:
- Finish your syllabus in time: Students must plan their preparations in such a manner that the syllabus is completed well within time. Candidates must ensure that they have ample time left for revision.
- Refer to recommended books for preparation: Candidates must only refer to the recommended books for their CLAT preparation. The list of best books for CLAT 2026 is given below in this article.
- Solve sample papers and mock tests: Practising previous year's question papers and mock tests is a really good way to understand the paper pattern and difficulty level. Also, candidates will get a good test of their preparations through these mock tests and sample papers.
- Revise regularly: Revision is the key when it comes to acing any exam. During their CLAT preparation, candidates must make sure they frequently revisit the topics that they have learnt during the course of preparation.
- Take frequent breaks and avoid unwanted stress: Candidate must make sure their mind is rejuvenated and they are away from any kind of unwanted stress. Candidate must indulge in hobbies, take proper breaks and make sure their mind is fresh.
CLAT 2026 Books
Aspirants must consider various factors such as the experience and credentials of the author, the reputation of the publication, price, syllabus, and the inclusion of enough practice questions and sample papers. Given below are books for each section of the CLAT 2026 exam pattern. The list is not exhaustive, and candidates can research for the CLAT books based on the parameters listed above.
List of Books and Resources for CLAT 2026
Subject | Author |
|---|---|
General Awareness, Current affairs |
|
Logical Reasoning |
|
| Legal Reasoning | Legal Aptitude for CLAT and other Law Exams: Workbook by A. P Bhardwaj. Legal news websites such as Live Law and Bar & Bench |
English |
|
| Quantitative Techniques | Class 10 NCERT textbook Quantitative Aptitude by RS Aggarwal |
Previous Year Papers | Previous Year Papers by A.P. Bhardwaj |
Additional Resources | Newspaper - The Hindu or The Indian Express, legal journals, articles, editorials, explanations |
You may also check:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: How many questions are asked in the CLAT UG exam?
A:
A total of 120 questions will be asked in the CLAT UG exam.
Q: What is the duration of the CLAT 2026 exam?
A:
The duration of CLAT 2026 will be two hours.
Q: What is the paper pattern of CLAT 2026?
A:
According to the CLAT exam pattern 2026, the exam will be conducted offline through pen and paper based test mode. CLAT 2026 will have objective-type questions based on passages.
Q: What is the CLAT exam mode?
A:
CLAT will be conducted in offline mode.
Q: What is the maximum marks of CLAT exam?
A:
Candidates can obtain maximum 120 marks in the CLAT exam.
Q: How many levels are there in CLAT exam?
A:
CLAT 2026 will be conducted for UG and PG programmes. The CLAT UG exam will be conducted for admissions to five-year integrated law programmes at NLUs, while CLAT PG exam will be conducted for admission to LLM courses.
Q: Does CLAT exam have negative marking?
A:
Yes, CLAT exam has negative marking of 0.25 mark for every wrong answer.
Q: What type of questions are asked in each section of the CLAT exam?
A:
Multiple Choice based questions are asked in the CLAT exam in each section.
Q: I have not passed the CLAT exam. Can I appear for the exam again?
A:
Yes, candidates can attempt the CLAT exam again if have failed to do so in the previous attempt.
Q: Which is the most difficult section of the CLAT 2025?
A:
The most difficult section of CLAT 2025 was considered to be the "Legal Reasoning" section.
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Questions related to CLAT
On Question asked by student community
Have a question related to CLAT ?
Hello aspirant,
The Gujarat domicile rank is useful only for seats reserved under the domicile quota at GNLU Gandhinagar. However, even for domicile candidates, GNLU cutoffs usually close at much better All India Ranks. With an AIR of 19000, the chances are quite low, but since counselling invitation is received, it is still worth participating as some movement can happen in later rounds. Do not rely only on domicile rank final allotment depends on AIR, category and seat availability.
FOR REFERENCE : https://law.careers360.com/articles/gnlu-gandhinagar-admission
Hope the details will help you.
THANK YOU
Hello,
Based on previous year CLAT cutoff trends , your chances for NLSIU Bangalore are very low .
NLSIU Bangalore has the highest cutoff among all NLUs . In recent years, the final closing rank for General category has been around AIR 100–120 only.
You have:
-
General category AIR: 658
-
Women category rank: 313
-
No Karnataka domicile
Women reservation in NLUs is horizontal , not a separate quota. This means it does not add extra seats . It only helps when candidates are very close to the general cutoff. At a rank of 313 , the gap is too large.
Even in spot or final rounds, NLSIU does not go beyond ~120 rank for General category candidates without domicile.
However, with these ranks, you have good chances in other top NLUs like NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata, NLU Jodhpur, GNLU Gandhinagar, and NLIU Bhopal, depending on counselling rounds.
You can also use our CLAT College Predictor Tool to predict which colleges you can get based on your score and rank.
Hope it helps !
Good afternoon,
With 86.7 marks and 1906 rank in CLAT 2026, you have a chance to get admission in mid-tier and the newest NLUs. The list of probable NLUs where you can get admission is mentioned below.
1. RMLNLU Lucknow
2. MNLU Mumbai
3. DSNLU Visakhapatnam
4. NLU Odisha
5. CNLU Patna
Thank you.
Hello,
Yes, a student with CLAT 2026 rank around 12,000 can register for counselling.
However, chances of getting a seat in the top NLUs (like NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata, NLIU Bhopal) are very low, as their closing ranks are usually below 4,000 for the general category.
For mid-tier NLUs (like NLU Jodhpur, HNLU Raipur, GNLU Gandhinagar, RMLNLU Lucknow), closing ranks generally go up to 5,000–8,000, so it will still be difficult.
Lower-tier NLUs (like NLU Odisha, NUALS Kochi, NUSRL Ranchi, NLUJA Assam, DSNLU Vizag, TNNLU, HPNLU Shimla) sometimes admit candidates with ranks in the 10,000–30,000 range , especially in later counselling rounds or if there are vacancies. State quota reservations can also improve chances.
You can also use our CLAT College Predictor Tool to predict which colleges you can get based on your score and rank.
Hope it helps !
Hello,
A CLAT score of 81.25 places you in the moderate range, where admission to top NLUs becomes difficult, but opportunities may still remain in newer and mid-tier NLUs, depending on your category, seat movement, and round wise cutoffs.
https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-2026-college-predictor
Hope you understand.
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