What is CLAT Full Form? Eligibility Criteria, Syllabus, Top NLUs & Other Details
Common Law Admission Test 2027 ( CLAT )
CLAT 2027 online registrations
3 Aug '26 - 31 Oct '26
CLAT Full Form is Common Law Admission Test. CLAT UG is conducted for admission to 24 NLUs, while CLAT PG is conducted for 21 NLUs along with 61 other private affiliated colleges. Check CLAT 2027 eligibility criteria, syllabus, exam pattern, top NLUs in India, application process, seat intake, counselling, and preparation tips for law aspirants.
What is CLAT Full Form? Eligibility Criteria, Syllabus, Participating Universities, other details
The CLAT Full Form is Common Law Admission Test. It is a national-level law entrance examination conducted for admission to undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) law programmes. Every year, thousands of law students appear for CLAT exam to secure admission to top law colleges in India, including NLUs. The exam is conducted for admission to 24 NLUs for UG courses and 21 NLUs for PG courses. Apart from the NLUs in India, 61 other private affiliated colleges consider CLAT scores, and several PSUs accept it for recruitment.
The CLAT exam pattern 2027 will contain questions from English Language, Current Affairs & General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative abilities. Understanding CLAT eligibility criteria, syllabus, exam pattern, is important for candidates preparing for the examination. Apart from admissions, CLAT results are also accepted by several private universities and public sector organisations for recruitment and higher studies.
The CLAT Exam Date 2027 would tentatively be December 6, 2026. Students who are appearing for the exam can check important dates, exam highlights and syllabus details here.
- CLAT Important Dates 2027
- CLAT Participating Universities
- CLAT Exam 2027 Highlights
- CLAT Exam Full: Syllabus
- CLAT Exam Pattern 2027
CLAT Important Dates 2027
Check the CLAT exam dates below:
| Event |
Tentative Dates |
|---|---|
| CLAT 2027 exam day |
06-Dec-2026 (expected) |
| CLAT 2027 Admit Card |
TBN |
| CLAT 2027 Application Date |
TBN |
| CLAT 2027 Answer Key |
TBN |
| Official CLAT Final Answer Key 2027 |
TBN |
| Declaration of CLAT 2027 results |
TBN |
Also Read:
Commonly asked questions
Yes, with a CLAT Rank of 1500, you have a very good chance of getting into several good NLUs. Some fo the NLU where your chances are high are NLIU Bhopal or NLU Jodhpur.
The Consortium will release atleast five merit list to complete the admission process through CLAT Score. However, the number of merit list might change in case of some discrepancy in answer key or result.
No you can not get admission to 26 participating NLUs without clearing CLAT Exam. For admission to NLU Delhi, you need to clear AILET Exam.
The CLAT cutoff means the minimum rank or score required to get admission into a National Law University (NLU). Candidates must get the cutoff to participate in the counselling process.
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CLAT Participating Universities
Every year, 24 NLUs participate in the counselling and seat allotment process of the CLAT exam for UG and PG course admission. Here's the list of NLUs for CLAT exam:
| CLAT participating National Law Universities (NLUs) |
|
|---|---|
| National Academy of Legal Study & Research (NALSAR) University of Law, Hyderabad |
|
| The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata |
National Law Institute University, Bhopal |
| Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur |
|
| Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow |
|
| Chanakya National Law University Patna |
|
| National Law University Odisha, Cuttack |
|
| National Law University & Judicial Academy, Assam |
|
| Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU) Visakhapatnam |
The Tamil Nadu National Law School, Tiruchirapalli |
| Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur |
|
| Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla |
|
| Dr B R Ambedkar National Law University Sonipat, Haryana |
|
| NLU Tripura |
|
CLAT Exam 2027 Highlights
CLAT exam is conducted in pen and paper based mode for 2 hours duration. Students can check important details including exam mode, pattern, syllabus, marking scheme, etc here:
| Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Name of the exam | Common Law Admission Test |
| Popularly known as | CLAT |
| Conducting body | The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) |
| Exam Level | National-level exam |
| Exam Purpose | CLAT is conducted for:
|
| Application Fee | INR 4,000 for General/ OBC category, INR 3500 for all other reserved categories |
| Question Paper Language | English |
| Exam mode | Pen-and-paper exam |
| Exam duration | Two hours |
| Number of seats | For UG courses - 3, 213 and for PG courses - 1,217 (Not including sponsored, supernumerary, NRI, and extra seats.) |
| Accepting colleges |
24 participating NLUs, and 61 private law colleges
|
| Top-ranked participating NLU |
Here are top-ranking participating NLUs as per NIRF Ranking 2022
|
| Exam helpdesk number | 08047162020 |
| Official website | clatconsortiumofnlu.ac.in |
CLAT Exam Full: Syllabus
Before starting your preparation, the first thing you should do is go through the CLAT syllabus carefully.
UG Syllabus CLAT
Take a look at the syllabus and weightage for CLAT UG as mentioned in the table below:
| Subjects | Topics | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Current Affairs, including GK |
|
35 - 39 marks |
| English |
|
28 - 32 marks |
| Logical Reasoning |
|
28 - 32 marks |
| Quantitative Techniques |
|
13 - 17 marks |
| Legal Reasoning |
|
35 - 39 marks |
CLAT LLM Syllabus - Section-Wise Weightage
Check the table below for more details on LLM syllabus for CLAT:
| CLAT LLM Sections | Main Topics | Marks Per Section |
|---|---|---|
| Sec A – Constitutional Law |
|
120 |
| Sec B - Contract, Torts, Criminal Law, International Law, IPR and Jurisprudence |
|
|
| Sec C – Law topics and Contemporary issues | Important constitutional and legislative provisions, recent judgments, historical case law and amendments, legal issues and facts. |
CLAT Exam Pattern 2027
CLAT exam is held in pen-and-paper mode at various exam centres in the country. Read key points related to the exam pattern below.
| CLAT Exam Pattern | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | 5-Year LLB | 3-Year LLB |
| Exam mode | Pen-and-paper mode | Pen-and-paper mode |
| Exam duration | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Type of questions | Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) | Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Total questions | 150 questions | 120 questions |
| Maximum marks | 150 marks | 120 marks |
| Marking scheme |
|
|
| Test language | English | English |
While the candidates who are aiming to crack CLAT 2027 must be in preparation mode. They must have a strategy for effective preparation and best results. Those who are still wondering what is correct way for CLAT exam preparation can plan it as under:
- Make an effective preparation plan
- Have a subject-wise approach
- Get all the prep material based on the exam pattern & syllabus of CLAT
- Cross-check and practise previous year papers for CLAT (past 3 years are relevant as per the new pattern)
- Take CLAT Mock Test 2027 to improve test-taking skills and performance
The effective strategy for CLAT 2027 will help ensure result-oriented performance, which is to score above cutoff marks.
Also Read:
News & Updates
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 18 hours ago
Neither online coaching nor classroom coaching is better than the other; in any case, it all depends on your discipline and timing. Online coaching will save you time from travelling through Lucknow, whereas classroom coaching gives you discipline and instant solutions to your doubts.
A
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 18 hours ago
There are several renowned CLAT coaching institutes in Lucknow which conduct weekend or flexible batches for school-going students. The top ones are Law Prep Tutorial, CLAT Possible, Career Launcher, Grace Elite Academy, and others.
A
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 18 hours ago
The best CLAT coaching centre in Lucknow is one that should be selected on the basis of experienced faculty, mock tests followed by thorough analysis, study materials and smaller batch sizes. The major coaching institutes in Lucknow are LegalEdge (Toprankers), LawPrep Tutorial and Career Launcher. A
A
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 18 hours ago
While there is no available audit and comparison of success rate made officially and released to the public, LegalEdge by Toprankers, LawPrep Tutorial, and CLAT Possible have been known to be among those with the best success rate for CLAT preparation in Lucknow.
A
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 18 hours ago
For professional students in Lucknow, top coaching institutes that provide the best guidance include LegalEdge from Toprankers (Hazratganj), Career Launcher (Hazratganj & Aliganj), and LawPrep Tutorial (Hazratganj). These coaching institutes provide a hybrid/online batch facility, a video backup fac
A
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 18 hours ago
The cost of CLAT preparation course in Lucknow comes in the range of INR 60,000-INR1,65,000, while the premium offline classes in Lucknow cost between INR1,00,000 to INR1,30,000 annually. There is variation in costs due to various factors, including the nature of the institute and the duration of co
A
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 19 hours ago
To improve CLAT Legal Reasoning preparation, candidates should stick to the facts and rules provided in the passage. Candidates should also practice reading comprehension and learn basic legal terms.
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 19 hours ago
To prepare for CLAT Legal Reasoning, candidates are suggested to refer to Legal Awareness and Legal Reasoning by A.P. Bhardwaj and Universal's Guide to CLAT & LL.B .
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 19 hours ago
Candidates should start the CLAT 2027 Legal Reasoning preparation as soon as they begin their preparation.
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 19 hours ago
No, Legal Reasoning is an integral part of the CLAT syllabus and must be prepared.
M
Contributor-Level 10
She has over 10 years of experience in the education and publishing sectors. She specialises in exam coverage and content creation. At Shiksha, she writes, analyses, and presents information for students preparing f
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