CLAT Exam Pattern 2026 - Paper Format, Weightage, Marks Distribution, Section-wise Marks
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CLAT Exam Pattern 2026 - Paper Format, Weightage, Marks Distribution, Section-wise Marks

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

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Sukriti SahooUpdated on 01 Aug 2025, 05:11 PM IST
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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 will provide 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, there will be a total of 120 multiple-choice questions spread over five sections. The CLAT subjects weightage will not 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

  1. CLAT 2026 Exam Pattern - Highlights
  2. CLAT Exam Pattern 2026 - Overview
  3. CLAT Exam Pattern 2026 - Section-wise Marks
  4. CLAT Marking Scheme 2026
  5. CLAT UG Syllabus 2026
  6. CLAT UG Exam Pattern: Subject Wise Details
CLAT Exam Pattern 2026 - Paper Format, Weightage, Marks Distribution, Section-wise Marks
CLAT exam pattern 2026 (Image by Azerbaijan_stockers on freepik)

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.

ICFAI-LAW School BA-LLB / BBA-LLB Admissions 2025

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CLAT Cut-offs

Understand previous year cut-off trends as well as expected cut-offs for current year. Get the Ebook

CLAT Exam Pattern 2026 - Overview

CategoryDetails

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 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.
Download EBook

CLAT 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 QuestionsCLAT Section-wise MarksWeightage

English Language

22-26

22-26

20%

Current Affairs including General Knowledge

28-32

28-32

25%

Legal Reasoning

28-32

28-32

25%

Logical Reasoning

22-26

22-26

20%

Quantitative Techniques

10-14

10-14

10%

Total

120

120

100%

Check topic-wise CLAT Syllabus:

VGU, Jaipur | Law Admissions 2026

NAAC A+ Grade | Admissions open for 5 year Integrated LLB & LLB programs | Approved by Bar Council of India

All about LSAT India

Complete information around exam dates, application process, participating institutes, etc. Get the Ebook

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

ParticularsDetails

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 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 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 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

  • Legal General Knowledge by R.K. Gupta

  • Pearson General Knowledge Manual

  • Pratiyogita Darpan

  • Monthly current affairs magazine

Logical Reasoning

  • Logical Reasoning by Jain Prateek

  • Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by RS Aggarwal

  • Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey

Legal ReasoningLegal Aptitude for CLAT and other Law Exams: Workbook by A. P Bhardwaj.
Legal news websites such as Live Law and Bar & Bench

English

  • Objective General English by N. Khurmi and George

  • English is Easy by Chetananand Singh

  • High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren & Martin

Quantitative TechniquesClass 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: 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: Which is the most difficult section of the CLAT 2025?
A:

The most difficult section of CLAT 2025 is considered to be the "Legal Reasoning" 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: 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: Does CLAT exam have negative marking?
A:

Yes, CLAT exam has negative marking of 0.25 mark for every wrong answer.

Q: What is the maximum marks of CLAT exam?
A:

Candidates can obtain maximum 120 marks in the CLAT exam.

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Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

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.

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