Having a good score in CLAT 2026 is important, as every year around 60,000 candidates appear for the Common Law Admission Test but just over 4000 seats are available. CLAT 2026 will be conducted on December 7, 2025. The CLAT 2026 results will be out one week after the exam and students must be aware about what is a good score is in CLAT. With a success rate of around 5%, the consensus is that CLAT is tough. An awareness of what a good score in CLAT can help candidates estimate their chances of NLU admission into various universities. Analysis of last year's exam suggests that a good score in CLAT 2026 is expected to be 100+ marks for the general category in the top two NLUs. Last year's CLAT 2025 topper, Sakhsam Gautam, has scored the highest marks of 103.5 in CLAT 2025. The exact data about what is a good score in CLAT 2026 can be known if one looks at the previous year's NLU cut-off data, past years' exam analysis, reservation, and seat matrix.
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A good score in CLAT 2026 is expected to be higher similar to last year, as easier exam results in higher CLAT cut-offs. Along with a good score, aspirants must also have an understanding of the CLAT marks vs rank dynamics to know what rank a particular CLAT score translates to. Scores obtained in CLAT 2026 will be accepted by National Law Universities (NLUs) participating in the exam and other affiliated colleges. Through the Common Law Admission Test, candidates will be admitted into the 5-year LLB programmes of participating NLUs.
The total number of questions in CLAT has dropped from 150 to 120. This change has significantly altered the estimates of what constitutes a good CLAT score. The revised CLAT pattern will have implications for overall CLAT cut-offs 2025 as well. Earlier, a score of 100+ marks (66%) out of 150 was considered enough to clear the CLAT cut-off for the general category. However, under the revised pattern, a good score in CLAT has increased to around 80-85% marks (100 marks out of 120). The good score in CLAT 2025 for other categories has also increased proportionately.
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A relatively easy paper indicates that a good score in CLAT will be 90+ marks to get into top 10 NLUs. Tier-2 and tier-3 NLUs have slightly lower cut-offs than the top ones. Still, the difference in cut-off marks among the top NLUs is not as wide as it appears when we look at the earlier cut-offs in terms of rank. This is due to the intense competition among applicants.
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The analysis of the category-wise data available for previous CLAT results indicates that the good score in CLAT has risen considerably across all categories. A good score for a general candidate is in the range of 90-100+ marks. A good CLAT score for an EWS candidate is in the range of 85-95+ marks. The CLAT cut-off marks further decrease for other categories. For candidates under state reservation category, a good score in CLAT 2025 will be considerably lower than the score required for all other categories that do not come under state reservation or domicile reservation. A good score in CLAT 2026 for an OBC candidate will be 80-90+ marks. On the other hand, SC and ST candidates can secure a seat in top NLUs with a CLAT 2026 score of 75-85 marks without domicile reservation.
| NLU Name | General | EWS | OBC | SC | ST | NRI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLAT score for NLSIU Bengaluru | 100+ | 95+ | 90+ | 83+ | 78+ | - |
| CLAT score for NALSAR Hyderabad | 100+ | 95+ | 90+ | 82+ | 78+ | - |
| CLAT score for WBNUJS Kolkata | 98+ | - | 56+* | 80+ | 74+ | 89+ |
| CLAT score for NLU Jodhpur | 95+ | - | 88+ | 79+ | 74+ | 88+ |
| CLAT score for GNLU Gandhinagar | 95+ | 90+ | 87+ | 77+ | 70+ | 84+ |
| CLAT score for MNLU Mumbai | 93+ | 81+ | 77+* | 71+* | 41+* | 43+ |
| CLAT score for RMLNLU Lucknow | 91+ | 85+ | 82+* | 53+* | 41+* | 72+ |
*state category reservation
| Category | NLSIU Bengaluru | NALSAR Hyderabad | WBNJUS Kolkata | NLU Jodhpur | GNLU Gandhinagar | MNLU Mumbai | RMNLU Lucknow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLAT general cut-off 2025 | 100 | 150 | 250 | 350 | 450 | 600 | 750 |
| CLAT EWS cut-off 2025 | 500 | 550 | - | - | 1200 | 3900* | 2300* |
| CLAT OBC cut-off 2025 | 950 | 1100 | 23000* | 1400 | 1850 | 6400* | 3600* |
| CLAT SC cut-off 2025 | 3000 | 3500 | 4500 | 5000 | 6000 | 10000* | 25000* |
| CLAT ST cut-off 2025 | 6000 | 6000 | 8000 | 8000 | 11000 | 34000* | 34000* |
| CLAT NRI Cut Off 2025 | - | - | 1250 | 1400 | 2800 | 33000 | 9500 |
*state category reservation
Candidates can also make use of the CLAT 2025 college predictor developed by Careers360 to know whether they have a good score in CLAT 2026 for admission into various NLUs. This free tool, provides the candidates with a list of NLUs in which they have a strong chance of admission by taking inputs such as the candidate's overall rank, state, seat type, and category. The direct link to the college predictor is given below.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Access Link | CLAT 2026 college predictor |
A good attempt in CLAT 2025 will be anywhere between 105-110 questions assuming there is not too much guesswork and loss of marks on account of negative marking. With an attempt of 105-110 questions and good accuracy, candidates can expect to score around 98-100 marks which is enough for admission in the top 3 NLUs.
A good score in CLAT LLM 2026 is expected to be far less than what is required for CLAT UG. As per last year trends, a good score in CLAT PG 2026 is 71+ marks for admission into top NLUs. The CLAT PG vs rank analysis shows that with a score of 71+, a candidate can obtain a CLAT rank of 100 or higher. The CLAT LLM cut-off trends indicate that a rank of 100 in CLAT PG is good for admission into elite NLUs such as NLSIU Bengaluru and NALSAR Hyderabad.
Analysis of the CLAT 2025 question paper suggests that a good score in CLAT is around 100 marks for top NLUs such as NLSIU Bengaluru and NALSAR Hyderabad. The exam was easy as it was observed last year. The cut-off rank is not expected to change as the NLU preferences of candidates continue to be the same with NLSIU Bengaluru being the top choice.
| Section | Difficulty level |
|---|---|
English | Easy |
General knowledge | Easy |
Quantitative aptitude | Easy to moderate |
Legal reasoning | Easy |
Logical reasoning | Easy to moderate |
Overall | Easy-moderate |
The lower-ranked and new NLUs such as DBRANLU Sonipat have offered admission to students securing 46-48% marks in the past. However, due an easy paper in the revised pattern, a low score in CLAT, such as less than 50% may not be sufficient. For top NLUs, there has been a 15 percentage point increase in the expected good score which is now 90-100 marks. For lower-ranked NLUs, a score of 65-70% should be enough, i.e. a score of 75-80 marks. It is also a matter of the candidate's personal choice in whether to opt for admission to a lower-ranked NLU or look elsewhere.
If candidates have a low score in CLAT 2026, they can check the list of colleges for admission with low CLAT scores. Such candidates can also appear for other law entrance exams, where one can get admission into top-ranked law schools like NLU Delhi through AILET, or ILS Pune and GLC Mumbai through MH CET Law. There are many colleges other than NLUs that have better placement records, alumni base, infrastructure, etc. So, there is no dearth of options for candidates who do not have a good score in CLAT. The table below provides last year’s general category cut-offs for top-ranked NLUs in India.
| Name of Law School | Cut off for General Category (After three counselling rounds) | |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Rank | Closing Rank | |
| 1 | 112 | |
| 17 | 159 | |
The West Bengal National University of Juridicial Sciences, Kolkata (BA LLB Hons.) | 57 | 327 |
| 159 | 367 | |
| 257 | 480 | |
| 236 | 444 | |
| 443 | 1473 | |
| 461 | 780 | |
| 480 | 807 | |
National Law University, Odisha (BA LLB) | 469 | 1013 |
| Name of law school | Cut off for General Category (Round 1) | |
|---|---|---|
| Opening rank | Closing rank | |
| 1 | 97 | |
| 6 | 158 | |
The West Bengal National University of Juridicial Sciences, Kolkata (BA LLB Hons.) | 140 | 262 |
| 170 | 341 | |
| 311 | 404 | |
| 210 | 429 | |
| 99 | 547 | |
| 410 | 694 | |
| 434 | 707 | |
| 591 | 1080 | |
Let's look at some key insights and takeaways obtained by analysing CLAT 2025 scores for the top four NLUs.
NLSIU Bengaluru always remains the most preferred NLU among the students. Last year, the closing rank was 112 for general category after three rounds. The institute has increased seats in the last two years, so cut-offs have gone up accordingly.
The NLSIU Bengaluru cut-off mark which used to be around 68-70% (103-104 marks) earlier has increased marginally. Under the new pattern, students should still try to score around 80% (100+ marks) or above to secure admission to this university. In case of a reserved category, even 4000 will be a good rank to obtain admission because of lower CLAT cut off marks. The table below describes the cut off rank for each category.
Category | Cut off rank |
|---|---|
General | 112 |
EWS | 703 |
| OBC | 1541 |
SC | 3133 |
ST | 3396 |
Category | Cut off rank |
|---|---|
General | 102 |
EWS | 523 |
| OBC | 971 |
SC | 3007 |
ST | 7487 |
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The second most sought-after university among NLUs, the NALSAR Hyderabad BA LLB cut-off rank was 159 last year. The admission list shows that most of the top-ranked candidates who do not get NLSIU Bengaluru apply for NALSAR Hyderabad.
| Category | Closing rank |
|---|---|
General | 159 |
EWS | 546 |
OBC | 1219 |
SC | 3273 |
ST | 3621 |
| Category | Closing rank |
|---|---|
General | 167 |
EWS | 564 |
OBC | 1116 |
SC | 3574 |
ST | 6083 |
The third-best CLAT NLU, WBNUJS Kolkata is similar to NALSAR Hyderabad in terms of campus placement. Most students put WBNUJS in the third position while giving NLU preference. Last year, WBNUJS Kolkata's closing rank for the general category was 327
| Cateogory | Closing rank |
|---|---|
General | 327 |
EWS | - |
| OBC | 4168* (state reservation) |
SC | 4753 |
ST | 6343 |
| Cateogory | Closing rank |
|---|---|
General | 279 |
EWS | - |
| OBC | 23192 (state reservation) |
SC | 4503 |
ST | 8860 |
The general category CLAT cut-off rank for NLU Jodhpur was 367 last year. This means a good competitive pool of candidates went to NLU Jodhpur too.
| Category | Closing rank |
|---|---|
General | 367 |
| EWS | 986 |
| OBC | 1776 |
SC | 5445 |
ST | 5955 |
| Category | Closing rank |
|---|---|
General | 379 |
| EWS | - |
| OBC | 1424 |
SC | 5178 |
ST | 8960 |
The rank list for the top 4 NLUs suggests that students have preferred the NLUs in the following order - NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata and NLU Jodhpur.
Interestingly, MNLU Mumbai which is new (establishment year - 2014) compared to top-ranked NLUs is also among the student’s preferred list. The general category closing rank for MNLU Mumbai comes within the 600 rank. However, one should also notice that MNLU Mumbai has 63% of seats reserved for Maharashtra-domiciled candidates. This is also a reason why only a few candidates under the open category get admission to this university and thus cut-offs are so competitive.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Under the new pattern, candidates should try to score around 90+ marks to get admission to top NLUs.
No 33 marks may not be enough to secure NLU admission through CLAT.
70 is not a good score in CLAT 2025 for admission into top NLUs. The CLAT ST cut off for top NLUs is expected to be around 75+ marks.
CLAT cut-offs for NLSIU Bengaluru was 98 last year under the general category. So, getting admission with a CLAT rank 200 is difficult unless you have a domicile category reservation for the university.
57 may not be a good score for a general candidate. To get into one of the top NLUs, a candidate must score in the range of 90+ marks. However, with 57 marks, a candidate from a reserved category may be able to get admission.
Yes. A score of 105 will be enough to bag a seat in a top NLU such as NLSIU Bengaluru.
NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata and NLU Jodhpur are the top four NLUs participating in CLAT.
You can get NLU Odisha, RGNLU, NLU Trichy with general category CLAT rank 1000.
On Question asked by student community
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!!
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.
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