CLAT 2026 Marks vs Rank: Key Differences, Merit List Deciding Factors
Common Law Admission Test 2027 ( CLAT )
CLAT 2026 Counselling is currently underway. The CLAT 2026 Exam was conducted on December 7, 2025. In this article, candidates can understand key differences between CLAT ranks and marks, and what is more important to get a seat at NLUs in India. Both CLAT rank and marks are the deciding factors for the merit list.
Difference between CLAT Marks and Ranks
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is conducted for admissions offered at the National Law Universities in India. The CLAT Counselling 2026 is currently underway. The CLAT Third Allotment List will be published on February 5, 2026. Candidates must note that the CLAT Counselling is completely online. The Consortium announced the marks as well as ranks along with the CLAT results.
While CLAT ranks and marks are both helpful in preparing the merit list of an NLU, often candidates ask what exactly is the deciding factor in the final admission/ selection process. In this article, candidates can understand the key differences between CLAT rank and marks, and their role in the preparation of a CLAT merit list 2026.
- What is CLAT Cut-Off?
- CLAT 2026 Marks
- CLAT Rank Predictor 2026
- CLAT 2026 Reservation Categories
- Difference between CLAT 2026 Rank and Marks
- CLAT 2026 Marks vs Ranks - Deciding factor for Merit List
- CLAT 2026 Second Merit List for UG Courses
What is CLAT Cut-Off?
The CLAT cut-offs are the last rank that is needed for admission to the NLUs. As per the NIRF ranking, the top five NLUs are NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, NUJS Kolkata and NLU Jodhpur. Candidates look forward to taking admission to these NLUs. CLAT Cutoff is always higher for these NLUs as compared to others.
Commonly asked questions
It totally depends on you that when you should start preparing for CLAT. If you want really good marks in board exams, focus on that at first and then prepare for CLAT. If you can manage boards and CLAT preparation side by side then go for it, but do not affect your board scores.
CLAT 2026 Marks
The Consortium of NLUs awards marks to a candidate based on their performance in all five sections of CLAT question paper as under
| CLAT Sections |
CLAT total questions per section |
CLAT total marks per section |
CLAT Marking Scheme |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28-32 questions |
28-32 marks |
1 mark awarded for each correct answer 0.25 marks deducted for each incorrect answer 0 marks awarded or deducted for no attempts |
|
| 35-39 questions |
35-39 marks |
||
| 28-32 questions |
28-32 marks |
||
| 35-39 questions |
35-39 marks |
||
| 13-17 questions |
13-17 marks |
||
| Total |
120 questions |
120 marks |
Sum of all questions attempted minus incorrect attempts |
For postgraduate courses as under
| CLAT LLM Sections |
Total MCQs |
Total Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Sec A – Constitutional Law |
120 questions |
120 marks |
| Sec B - Contract, Torts, Criminal Law, International Law, IPR and Jurisprudence. |
||
| Sec C – Law topics and Contemporary issues |
Therefore, the scorecard of the CLAT exam includes scores obtained by candidates in each section, as well as overall scores obtained in the exam.
CLAT Rank Predictor 2026
To shortlist candidates for the final seat allotment process, the exam authority arranges their names in order of merit. The merit ranks of candidates qualifying CLAT 2026 exam are based on the following factors
- Section-wise marks in CLAT
- Overall scores obtained in CLAT
- Age of the candidate
In case there are ties in marks of two or more candidates, then the merit rank will be determined as under:
For undergraduate courses -
- Candidates securing higher marks in the legal aptitude section of CLAT UG question paper will be ranked higher
- In case of further tie, candidates older in age will be ranked higher
- Finally, if the tie still exists, then a computerised draw of lots.
For postgraduate courses -
- Candidate older in age is ranked higher
- In case of further ties, a computerized draw of lots will determine the ranks of candidates
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CLAT 2026 Reservation Categories
CLAT ranks are arranged for each category as under
- General
- Scheduled Caste
- Scheduled Tribes
- Kashmiri Migrants
- Other Backward Classes
- Persons with Disabilities/ Specially Abled Persons
- J&K candidates
- Economically Weaker Section
Difference between CLAT 2026 Rank and Marks
The major difference between CLAT 2026 ranks and marks is
- Marks are consolidated scores obtained in the CLAT exam
- Ranks are positioned in each category on the basis of marks and tie-breaking criteria
Therefore, it becomes essential for a candidate to score well in CLAT exam, in order to get a higher rank in the merit list.
CLAT 2026 Marks vs Ranks - Deciding factor for Merit List
Both CLAT rank and marks are the deciding factors for the merit list, as the exam authority allots ranks on the basis of marks obtained by candidates. Further, the qualified candidates are segregated on the basis of category (including horizontal reservations) for all NLUs.
CLAT Cutoff Marks vs Ranks
The cutoff marks for CLAT 2026 means the minimum marks a candidate needs to secure in all the sections as well as the overall question paper. Whereas, CLAT cutoff rank 2026 indicates category-wise rank (last) eligible to get admission in a particular NLU.
CLAT 2026 Marks
Here are the cutoff marks for the CLAT exam
| CLAT Sections |
Difficulty Level |
Expected cut off |
|---|---|---|
| English Language |
Easy |
20+ |
| Current Affairs including GK |
Moderate |
30+ |
| Logical Reasoning |
Moderate |
15+ |
| Legal Reasoning |
Easy to Moderate |
20+ |
| Quantitative Techniques |
Moderate |
10+ |
| Total |
Moderate |
95-115 |
CLAT Cutoff Ranks 2026
The merit list is published for all participating NLUs, and category-wise ranks by the consortium. Candidates can check the same below
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Candidates can download seat allotment for CLAT undergraduate course from the table below once released.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 5 days ago
Candidates can download the CLAT PYQs by visiting https://www.shiksha.com/law/clat-exam-question-papers. Candidates must solve CLAT PYQS to score well in the exam.
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Based on recent CLAT analyses, the English Language and General Knowledge & Current Affairs sections were rated as the easiest. English is more about reading comprehension with direct questions. GK is highly scoring for those with consistent, up-to-date daily news preparation.
M
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 5 days ago
The CLAT exam for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses will be held for 2 hours. There will be 120 MCQs. The total number of sections in the question paper will be five.
D
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a week ago
Whether SLS Pune is better than an NLU really depends on what you want. SLS Pune gives a strong private college aura, with a good campus, nice location, and a good brand name. Many people think it's ahead of some low-tier NLUs (Tier 2 or Tier 3). But the top NLUs like NLSIU Bengaluru or NLU Delhi st
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
Yes, you can join quite a few law colleges in Kolkata without sitting for CLAT.
Note: All info. is from official sources and can change.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
The difficulty level of the SLAT and CLAT exams varies depending on various factors such as exam pattern, exam difficulty level, and the number of candidates who appear for the exam. The following observations have been noted:
- The English section of CLAT is more difficult.
- The GK section of SLAT is ea
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
Yes, you can join a few law colleges in Patna without CLAT.
- CUSB BA LLB requires CUET
- Bihar Institute of Law's BA LLB course does not require any entrance.
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Many students feel the AILET exam is a bit tougher than CLAT because it has fewer seats and high competition. The AILET syllabus focuses more on reasoning and legal aptitude. Both tests need good preparation, but AILET 2027 usually has a higher cutoff for AILET colleges under NLU Delhi.
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
No, the CLAT Admit Card 2027 is not out yet. The admit card will likely be released on November 15, 2026. The official schedule has not been announced yet.
M
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes you can apply for LLM at without competitive exams score as you may appear toh IILM's entrance test or interview based on competitive exam merit. The benefit of these include that you may avail to scholarships and get wavier on tuition fees according to laws of IILM's University. You can check f
R
Beginner-Level 4
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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