How Many Counselling Rounds Will CLAT 2026 Have?

How Many Counselling Rounds Will CLAT 2026 Have?

Isha GargUpdated on 30 Dec 2025, 02:23 PM IST

The Consortium of NLUs has established a five-round centralised counselling process for CLAT 2026. The registration window for the CLAT 2026 counselling process began on December 16, 2025. The fifth and final allotment list is scheduled for publication on May 15, 2026. The CLAT 2026 centralised counselling conducted by the Consortium concludes immediately after the fifth round. Once the centralised process is closed, individual NLUs are responsible for filling any remaining vacant seats according to their own local norms.

How Many Counselling Rounds Will CLAT 2026 Have?
How Many Counselling Rounds Will CLAT 2026 Have?

The registration deadline for CLAT 2026 counselling was December 27, 2025. Candidates who failed to register or submit their fees by this date are no longer eligible for the CLAT 2026 admission cycle. Law colleges are assigned based on a candidate's rank, their submitted NLU preference list, applicable reservation categories, and the available CLAT 2026 seat matrix at each university.

CLAT 2026 Counselling Schedule

Event

Date

Counselling registration window

December 16, 2025 - December 27, 2025

First allotment list released

January 07, 2026

Confirmation fee payment & admission (Round 1)

January 07, 2026 – January 15, 2026

Second allotment list released

January 22, 2026

Confirmation fee payment & admission (Round 2)

January 22, 2026 – January 29, 2026

Third allotment list released

February 05, 2026

Confirmation fee payment & admission (Round 3)

February 05, 2026 – February 12, 2026

Last date to pay university fee (Rounds 1–3 freeze candidates)

April 24, 2026

Fourth allotment list released

May 02, 2026

Confirmation fee payment & admission (Round 4)

May 02, 2026 – May 08, 2026

Fifth and final allotment list released

May 15, 2026

Confirmation fee payment & admission (Final round)

May 15, 2026 – May 20, 2026

Last date to pay university fee (Rounds 4 & 5 freeze candidates)

May 30, 2026

CLAT 2026 Counselling Fees

Fee type

Category

Amount (INR)

Registration fee

General

Rs 30,000

Registration fee

SC / ST / OBC / EWS / PwD

Rs 20,000

Confirmation fee

All Candidates (for freeze/float)

Rs 20,000

Step-by-Step Counselling Process: Freeze, Float, and Exit

After each allotment list is released, candidates must choose one of three options on the portal: freeze, float, or exit. Failure to act within the counselling round window results in being marked as “Not Interested”.

  1. First allotment: Once a seat is offered, the candidate must select one of the following:

    • Freeze: Use this if candidates are fully satisfied with the allotted NLU. Candidates accept the seat permanently, pay the confirmation fee, and exit further rounds.

    • Float: Use this if candidates accept the current seat but wish to be considered for a higher-preference NLU in the next rounds. They must pay the confirmation fee to "hold" their current seat.

    • Exit: Use this to withdraw completely from the CLAT 2026 admission cycle. Any allotted seat is forfeited immediately.

  2. Document verification: After choosing Freeze or Float, candidates must upload required documents (e.g., 10th/12th marksheets, caste certificates) for digital verification by the allotted NLU.

  3. Confirmation fee payment: A non-refundable fee of Rs 20,000 is required to secure the seat during any round.

  4. Final university fee: Candidates who have secured a seat must pay the balance of the university fee by the deadlines in April or May 2026 to finalise their admission.

Jindal Global Law School Admissions 2026

Ranked #1 Law School in India & South Asia by QS- World University Rankings | Merit cum means scholarships | Early Admissions (Pahse 2) Deadline: 28th Feb’26

Amity University-Noida Law Admissions 2026

Among top 100 Universities Globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026

CLAT 2026 Spot Counselling

After the conclusion of the fifth and final round of the CLAT centralised counselling process on May 15, 2026, the Consortium of NLUs officially closes its centralised admission portal. At this stage, any vacant seats are handed over to the respective NLUs to be managed independently through spot counselling. Spot Counselling allows each university to fill its remaining seats according to its own local norms and internal regulations.

In spot counselling, interested candidates are required to apply directly to the university of their choice by submitting university-specific forms. These application forms are provided through the institution's official website. Admissions are still strictly merit-based and are determined by the candidate’s performance and position on the original CLAT 2026 merit list.

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Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

Start preparing for CLAT by first understanding the exam pattern and syllabus, which includes English, Current Affairs, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques. Make a simple daily routine and begin with basics read newspapers regularly for current affairs, practice comprehension passages for English and legal sections, and solve basic

Hello

With an AIR of 9076 and EWS rank of 846 in CLAT 2026, getting a top NLUs is unlikely, which is why you didn’t get a seat in the first round. However, you still have some chances in lower-tier NLUs like NLU Odisha, NLU Assam, NLU Tripura, NLU Meghalaya,

Hello

With a CLAT 2026 score of 60.75, AIR 17,715, and OBC-NCL rank 3,347 as an out-of-Delhi candidate, getting a seat in the Faculty of Law, Delhi University is very unlikely. DU’s cut-offs for OBC candidates are usually much higher, even in later rounds. You should keep backup options like

Hello,

With AIR 10542 and OBC rank 1843, getting top NLUs is unlikely. However, you still have chances in newer or lower ranked NLUs like NLU Assam, NUSRL Ranchi, MNLU Nagpur/Mumbai, especially in later or vacancy rounds. Also consider good private law colleges as backup options.

Since you scored 8000 AIR in CLAT, getting into top NLUs may not be possible, so it is a good idea to look for affordable and good law colleges.


State government law colleges are usually low in fees, and have decent reputation. Some options include Government Law College, Mumbai, Faculty