How to clear CLAT 2026 in first attempt?

The CLAT 2026 exam date is likely to be December 14, 2025. As candidates must prepare for CLAT 2026 alongside their board exams, they require effective preparation strategies. This article provides comprehensive strategies to help candidates crack the CLAT exam on their first attempt. Future aspirants can also use these strategies for a successful preparation journey.

Every year the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) conducts the national-level law entrance exam; i.e. CLAT. The CLAT full form is the Common Law Admission Test. Candidates need to use effective preparation tips to crack CLAT in the first attempt. In this article, we aim to provide you with the best tricks and tips to crack CLAT. While it is important to score high in CLAT Exam, it is also crucial to understand how to achieve that goal.

CLAT 2026: When is the exam?

The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) will conduct the CLAT UG exam in pen-and-paper mode, for admission to various allotted National Law Universities in the country. The CLAT 2026 will be conducted for admission to 26 NLUs for UG courses and 21 NLUs for PG courses. CLAT Exam 2026 Date is likely to be December 14, 2025. 

Also Read: Idioms and Proverbs for CLAT 2026 With Meaning

Based on CLAT scores, admissions are offered by National Law Universities (NLUs). Additionally, 61 private affiliate colleges in India accept CLAT exam scores. Furthermore, some PSUs, including ONGC and BHEL, use CLAT PG scores for recruitment purposes. Check the complete list of affiliated colleges and details on how these organizations utilize CLAT scores for their recruitment processes.

Also Read: What is a good score in CLAT 2026? How to get a high rank?

CLAT 2026: Timetable to crack CLAT 2026 in the first attempt?

To crack the CLAT entrance exam it is important to have a proper study plan. You should follow the timetable to score better in the CLAT Exam 2026. You must try to include topics from all CLAT subjects as per the CLAT syllabus 2026. By doing so, you will be reading various topics without being bored. As per the experts, you should follow the timetable given below:

Topic	Preferred Time Allotment
Reading Newspaper	1.5 hours
Topics from Error Log	1 hour
Vocabulary (High-frequency words, Regular Newspaper reading)	45 mins
Current Legal Knowledge	45 mins
Mathematics	1.5 hours
GMAT Official Guide	1.5 hour
Revising today's topics and preparing for tomorrow's topics	2 hours
Puzzles/Analytical Reasoning	30 mins
Passages & Grammar	1.5 hours
Revision for the day and planning for the next day	1.5 hours
Practice Mock Tests	Twice a Week
CLAT Mock Tests	Once in a week

If you wish to score more than 25 marks in the English section, follow the guidelines given below while preparing for CLAT: 

• Focus on enhancing your grammar and vocabulary
• Try not to study all topics in one go. Rather, study 2-3 topics a day and revise them daily
• Reading newspapers daily, preferably the Hindu, is a must
• In the grammar section, you must correct the given sentences' errors
• Work on grasping ability as it has to be high. This will improve only with daily practice
• Try and form different types of sentences from the new words you learned in a day
• Get familiar with sentence formation and word usage
• Learn at least 10-12 new antonyms and synonyms a day.
• Start practicing with small passages followed by lengthy ones

Also Read: CLAT English Preparation Tips 2026

CLAT Preparation 2026 for Legal Reasoning: Syllabus Highlights

Check out some of the major highlights for CLAT syllabus for Legal Reasoning section 2026 below:

• Passages in the section will be of about 450 words each
• There will be around eight passages in the Legal Reasoning section
• The passages may relate to fact situations or scenarios involving legal matters, public policy questions or moral philosophical enquiries, however, you would not require any prior knowledge of law to answer the questions but only general awareness of contemporary legal and moral issues
• The questions in the section will be majorly based on material drawn from news articles and books associated with topics of law
• Certain passages will also be created specifically for the CLAT exam

The types of questions that will be asked in the section will require candidates to:

• Identify the principle(s) from the passage and apply it (or them) to the facts presented
• Understand the impact of a change to the principle or the facts on how the altered principle may apply to such altered facts
• Identify potential outcomes of the principle on various fact situations that may or may not be covered in the passage, with or without alterations to the principle  

CLAT 2025: How to score 30+ marks in legal reasoning to crack CLAT 2026 in the first attempt?

Candidates need to score more than 30 in this section to crack CLAT 2026 in the first attempt. Here bring you the plan to crack the exam as per the experts:

• Try to learn and understand the legal principles and jargon in a quick way
• Understand how to apply the facts in the situations and arguments
• Try to practice short-cut techniques
• Try and understand the concepts. Do not go cramming
• Work on your reading speed. Having a good reading speed is very important to crack this section
• Practice previous years' CLAT question papers
• Read law magazine to get more legal perspective on issues

Read About: CLAT Legal Aptitude Preparation Tips

CLAT 2026: How to Score 30+ Marks in General Knowledge to crack CLAT 2026 in the first attempt?

The GK section carries a total 25 per cent weightage in the CLAT exam. Read below the best practices to follow to score well in GK section:

• You must be aware of the Daily Current Affairs in the area of the Economy, the Indian Constitution, Awards, sports, etc
• Inculcate habit of reading the newspaper on a daily basis
• Static GK is also a part of the syllabus, but most of the questions are asked on the basis of the current affairs
• Try and read about various legal events and issues of the past 
• Prepare your own notes. This will help you during your revision time
• Do not cram events. Try and understand why something happened and idea behind it
• Refer to as many Magazines, Newspapers, E-Newspapers, Blogs, etc., possible to be more aware of all the happenings worldwide
• Must watch news channels for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour per day

Also Read: CLAT Current Affairs & GK Preparation Tips

CLAT Preparation 2026 for Logical Reasoning: Syllabus Highlights

The CLAT Logical Reasoning section 2026 holds 20 per cent weightage in the exam. Before talking about the techniques of attempting the questions, you must understand the major highlights of the Logical Reasoning syllabus for CLAT exam 2026:

• The section will include short passages of about 300 words each
• Questions will be based on material sourced from opinion and editorial sections of newspapers and magazines such as ‘The Reverse Gear’ in The Economist, ‘History of Health’ by The Telegraph and ‘Where I Am’ by The Indian Express
• Questions will also be based on material sourced from essays on moral philosophy available online and in different books. For instance, ‘Ethics in the Real World’ by Peter Singer
• Some passages will also be created specifically for the exam
• Some of the important topics from the older format from which the questions would still be based include Blood Relations, Family Trees, Number Series, Alphabet Series, Logic Games, Syllogisms, etc.

CLAT 2026: How to score 25+ marks in Logical Reasoning to crack CLAT 2026 in First Attempt?

As per the new CLAT exam pattern, there will be around 28-30 questions asked in the logical reasoning section:

• Your time to answer the logical reasoning question plays an important part to crack this section
• Topics like blood relations, directions, number series, deriving conclusions, etc are more important so play more attention
• Go through several statements, arguments, and solutions
• Solve CLAT Mock Tests as many as possible
• Do sit with a timer every time you solve a mock test and try to finish all the questions in the given time
• GMAT guides play the most valuable resource
• Try not to spend more than 25 minutes solving this section
• Try to spend your free time in solving puzzles and games that demand logic

Also Read: CLAT Logical Reasoning Preparation Tips

CLAT Preparation 2026 for Quantitative Techniques: Syllabus Highlights

The CLAT syllabus for Quantitative Techniques includes the following important highlights:

• The section includes 13-17 questions in the exam
• Unlike other sections, the Quantitative Techniques section includes short sets of facts, propositions, graphs or other textual, pictorial, diagrammatic representations of numerical information
• Majority of the questions in the section are created specifically for the exam, however, few graphs and histograms are also derived from public sources such as the official website of Reserve Bank of India
• The difficulty level of questions in the exam is of Class 10 level, however, the questions are more logic-based rather than formulae-based
• Important topics on which Maths questions are based in the exam include:

CLAT Syllabus for Quantitative Techniques
Number Theory & Basic Arithmetic	Averages & Percentages
Ratio & Proportion	Mixtures & Allegations
Time & Work	Time, Distance & Speed
Fractions & Equations	Monetary Evaluations
Probability	Permutations & Combinations
Data Interpretation to analyse Charts, Tables, Histograms & other Graphical Information

CLAT 2026: How to Score Good Marks in Maths to crack CLAT 2026 in first attempt?

The quantitative or maths sections hold a total weightage of 20 marks and generally, the questions asked are of an elementary standard. 

• Get your fundamentals clear
• Check all relevant topics and try and have a clear understanding of each concept
• Memorize tables up to 20 and squares up to 30 regularly
• Practice important formulas daily
• Try an attempt as many question from the CLAT previous year's papers to enhance your speed
• There is a time limit on the exam. Therefore, time management is of extreme importance

Also Read: CLAT Maths Preparation Tips 2026

Divide the syllabus of CLAT 2026

In the remaining time, candidates should prepare themselves with the topics they have some idea about. Now is the time to make these topics into the scoring strengths. Moreover, candidates can list down the topics that will help them score well with proper revision. The weightage of CLAT subjects is as under: 

Sections	MCQs per section	Marks per section
English Language	28 - 32	28 - 32
Current Affairs including General Knowledge	35 - 39	35 - 39
Logical Reasoning	28 - 32	28 - 32
Legal Reasoning	35 - 39	35 - 39
Quantitative Techniques	13 - 17	13 - 17
Total	120	120

Also Read: 

• Important topics for CLAT preparation 2025