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How Many Counselling Rounds Will CLAT 2026 Have?
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.
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 |
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”.
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.
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.
Confirmation fee payment: A non-refundable fee of Rs 20,000 is required to secure the seat during any round.
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.
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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Here are the Careers360 CLAT 2027 Mock Test Resources for your exam preparation.
1. Online CLAT Mock Test
2. CLAT Mock Tests and Solutions
Hello student,
CLAT 2027 aspirants can access these monthly current affairs compilations for regular revision. Use these resources to stay updated with important events and topics for CLAT 2027.
CLAT 2027 Current Affairs - Monthly Compilations
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Particular |
Download PDF |
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CLAT Current Affairs- August Month (2026) |
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CLAT Current Affairs- |
If you have only two months, use a highly structured plan: daily current affairs, English reading, legal reasoning practice, logical reasoning sets, basic quantitative practice and regular full-length mocks. Spend as much time analysing incorrect questions as taking the mock itself. Consistency during these two months can make a substantial
You can download the CLAT previous years' question papers from here:
https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-previous-year-question-papers
https://law.careers360.com/download/clat-sample-papers-previous-years
For CLAT 2027 UG, candidates need to have passed Class 12/equivalent with at least 45% marks, or 40% for SC/ST/PwD candidates.
In your situation, having an RT in an additional subject but subsequently passing the required qualification through an improvement examination does not automatically make you ineligible. However, the important
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