The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle! This saying perfectly sums up the importance of practising with the real exam papers before stepping into the actual CLAT 2026 exam hall. If you’re serious about cracking the Common Law Admission Test and securing a seat at a top National Law University, solving previous year question papers is not negotiable. These papers not only help you understand the exam pattern and CLAT Exam pattern but also boost your confidence and improve your time management skills
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In this article, you can easily download CLAT Previous Year Question Papers in PDF Format along with detailed answer keys and sample papers. Get ready to strengthen your preparation strategy and take one big step closer to your dream law school!
Year | Free PDF |
CLAT 2020 Question Paper and Answer Key | |
CLAT 2019 Question Paper and Answer Key | |
CLAT 2018 Question Paper and Answer Key | |
CLAT 2016 Question Paper and Answer Key |
The CLAT previous year question paper with answer PDF download can be completed by following the steps below:
Click on the CLAT previous year paper link that you want to download.
Students will be redirected to the eBook store of Careers360.
If you are a registered user, log in with your credentials on the login panel that will appear on the screen.
New users will be required to complete their registration by entering basic details like name, mobile number, email etc.
Upon completing the registration, candidates will be directed to the CLAT question paper PDF download.
Next, click on the “Download” button.
The CLAT previous year question paper PDF will be sent to the candidate's registered email address.
Here are some of the advantages of solving CLAT PYQ papers:
Solving previous year CLAT exam papers will boost candidates' confidence in their preparations. The more CLAT previous year papers applicants solve, the more assured they will feel about their preparations.
The CLAT question papers from past years will provide applicants with a comprehensive overview of the CLAT 2026 syllabus. Students will also become acquainted with the CLAT 2026 exam pattern.
Candidates can test their knowledge and preparations through these CLAT PYQ papers. Students are advised to carefully analyse their performance after solving these papers.
Students can identify their weak areas after completing the previous year question papers of CLAT. Candidates need to identify the areas and topics from the incorrectly answered questions.
A good way to develop time management skills and accuracy is by practising the CLAT previous year papers PDF. Students will get an idea of the time they take to finish the question papers.
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Along with the question papers of previous sessions, candidates can also take the help of the CLAT sample papers for previous years to prepare for the exam. The Consortium of NLUs releases a set of sample papers of CLAT to help candidates in their preparation. The download links of CLAT sample papers have been given below:
Download link | |
CLAT 2025 Sample Paper | |
CLAT 2017 Sample Paper | |
CLAT 2015 Sample Paper | |
CLAT 2014 Sample Paper | |
CLAT 2013 Sample Paper | |
CLAT 2012 Sample Paper | |
CLAT 2011 Sample Paper | |
CLAT 2010 Sample Paper | |
CLAT 2009 Sample Paper |
The aspirants preparing for the CLAT UG 2026 exam should be well aware of the types of questions asked in the CLAT UG 2025 exam. Below are the sample questions on the CLAT UG 2025 exam.
Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there, undigested, all your life. We must have life-building, man-making, character-making assimilation of ideas…. If education were identical with information, the libraries are the sages in the world and encyclopaedias are the rishis. Getting by heart the thoughts of others in a foreign language and stuffing your brain with them and taking some University degree, you consider yourself educated. Is this education? What is the goal of your education? Open your eyes and see what a piteous cry for food is rising in the land of Bharata, proverbial for its food. Will your education fulfill this want?
We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded and by which one can stand on one’s own feet. What we need to study independent of foreign control, different branches of the knowledge that is our own, and with it the English language and Western science; we need technical education and all else that will develop industries so that men instead of seeking for service may earn enough to provide for themselves and save against a rainy day. The end of all education, all training, should be man-making. The end and aim of all training are to make the man grow. The training by which the current expression of will are brought under control and become fruitful, is called education. What our country now wants are muscles of iron and nerves of steel, gigantic wills, which nothing can resist, which can penetrate into the mysteries and secrets of the universe and will accomplish their purpose in any fashion, even if it meant going down to the bottom of the ocean, meeting death face to face.
There is only one method of attaining knowledge. It is by concentration. The very essence of education is concentration of mind. From the lowest to the highest man, all have to use the same method to attain knowledge. The chemist who works in the laboratory concentrates on elements to analyze them. Knowledge is acquired by concentration.
[Extracted with edits from “Education” by Swami Vivekananda]
1) Education, as described by the author means:
(A) Information
(B) Library
(C) Degrees
(D) None of the above
Correct answer: None of the above
Explanation: The author in the first paragraph states that education is not just information, nor can it be equated with libraries and degrees. Hence the answer is none of the above
2) As per the author, the aim of education should be:
(A) to help a person build his/her character
(B) to help a person earn his/her livelihood
(C) to help a person develop his/her intellect
(D) All of the above
Correct answer: All of the above
Explanation: The author says “We want that education by which
character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded and by
which one can stand on one's own feet”. Therefore the answer should be all of the
above as all of the options are referenced here.
3) According to the author the country wants:
(A) Massive will power
(B) Spirit of philanthropy
(C) Iron and steel industries
(D) All of the above
Correct answer: Answer A
Explanation: The author says in the passage “What our country now wants are muscles
of iron and nerves of steel, gigantic wills”. Therefore the answer should be A. To be
noted that the author says muscles of iron and nerves of steel, which does not mean
Iron and Steel industries. Hence C cannot be right. The author also does not mention
the spirit of philanthropy anywhere in the passage.
4) According to the author, we need to study:
(A) English Language
(B) Technical Education
(C) Western Science
(D) All of the above
Correct answer: Answer D
Explanation: The author says “ What we need to study independent of foreign control,
different branches of the knowledge that is our own, and with it the English language
and Western science; we need technical education”. Clearly all of the options are
mentioned here by the author
5) According to the author, which among the following is key to attain knowledge?
(A) University Degrees
(B) Library
(C) Concentration of mind
(D) Hard work and sports training
Correct answer: Answer C
Explanation: The author says in the passage “There is only one method of attaining
knowledge. It is by concentration” making C the right option.
6) Which of the following words is related to the word “assimilation”?
(A) Integration
(B) Adjustment
(C) Acclimatisation
(D) All of the above
Correct answer: Answer D
Explanation: Assimilation refers to the process of taking in and processing something
new. Integration, adjustment and acclimatization all mean similar, hence the answer is D
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”]
7) George Orwell’s loneliness during childhood led to
(A) Estrangement with his father
(B) Unhappy days
(C) Making up stories
(D) Unpleasant incidents
Correct answer: Answer C
Explanation: The author says in the passage “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”. So the answer is C.
8) Why does Orwell give background information?
(A) He had the lonely child’s habits
(B) It is essential to know about motives of writers
(C) Because of his historic impulse
(D) Due to the aesthetic enthusiasm
Correct answer: Answer B
Explanation: The author says in the passage “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.” So the answer is B
9) 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
Correct answer: .Answer A
Explanation: The author says in the passage “if he escapes from his early influences altogether, he will have killed his impulse to write”. So the answer is clearly A
10) 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
Correct answer: Answer B
Explanation: The writer mentions aesthetic enthusiasm as a motive for writing which in turn creates a prose. Hence the answer should be B
11) 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
Correct answer: Answer C
Explanation: The author says “His subject-matter will be determined by the age he lives in”. This means that the writer needs to be contemporary in their work. The author states egoistic impression and political as motives for writing, but does not advocate writers against it.
12) Which of the following is a synonym for the word “tumultuous”?
(A) Chaotic
(B) Turbulent
(C) Disorderly
(D) All of the above
Correct answer: Answer D
Explanation: Tumultuous means disruptive. Chaotic, turbulent and disorderly are all synonyms and hence answer is all of the above
Here are some preparation tips to ace the CLAT exam:
Candidates should draft a clear preparation strategy before starting their preparations. Students must figure out what topics they want to attempt first or how are they going to approach each part of their CLAT preparation.
Students must give special attention to the revision of subjects and topics. It is important that students recollect whatever they have learned during the course of preparation. Students should start early so that they have ample time left for revision in the end.
Candidates are advised to create a study plan and strictly adhere to it. Having a study plan will give students a sense of discipline and consistency in preparation.
Students should practice as many sample papers as possible to get a real-like feel of the exam and understand the paper pattern.
It is important that students take proper breaks during their preparation. Candidates must indulge in their favourite hobbies to avoid any unwanted preparation stress.
Also, check Topics-wise question papers-
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Begin practicing CLAT previous year question papers around 2-3 months before the test. This will help you get acquainted with the pattern and enhance your time management abilities.
While CLAT previous year question papers are helpful in understanding the test format, they should be complemented with extensive study resources, current events, and practice from a variety of sources to guarantee full preparation.
Solving CLAT previous year question papers allows you to become acquainted with the test structure, identify key themes, and evaluate your strengths and shortcomings. It also improves your time management abilities and promotes your confidence in the actual test.
CLAT previous year papers typically include questions from the following sections: English Language, Current Affairs, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques. Each section tests specific skills relevant to legal studies.
Read the complete article to download the CLAT PYQ PDF, CLAT question paper 2025, CLAT question paper 2024, CLAT question paper 2023 and all other previous sessions’ papers.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
No, you are not elligible to appear for the CLAT exam while in Class 11, as the elligiblity criteria require you to be in or have completed Class 12 . However, you can start preparing for the exam now.
You can get the CLAT Exam practice tests by following this link:
Hello,
Yes, if a student is from Telangana, they can apply for a reserved seat in CLAT only if they belong to a reserved category such as SC, ST, OBC, EWS, or PwD, as per the rules of CLAT and the participating National Law Universities (NLUs).
However, please note:
CLAT does not have a separate “Telangana state quota.”
Reservation is given based on category , not on the state, except in some NLUs that offer domicile (state) reservation for their own state students.
So, if you are from Telangana, you can:
Apply under your category reservation (like SC/ST/OBC/EWS) .
And you may get Telangana domicile reservation only in those NLUs that are located in Telangana (for example, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad ).
Hope it helps !
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
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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!!
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