How to Prepare for CLAT 2026: Best Books, Preparation Tips, Strategy & Revised Syllabus

Common Law Admission Test 2026 ( CLAT )

DeskCalelnderRegistration - 1 Aug '25 - 31 Oct '25

Anupama
Anupama Mehra
Assistant Manager – Content
Updated on Aug 8, 2025 07:49 IST

Find out how you should strategise CLAT 2026 preparation, exam pattern and syllabus to score well in the paper. 

The Consortium of NLUs will conduct the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) on December 7, 2025. The CLAT Exam 2026 will be conducted in pen-and-paper mode. Candidates need to have specific strategies to gear up their preparation for CLAT Exam. The CLAT Question Paper will be based on five subjects namely, English Language, Current Affairs and General Knowledge, Logical Reasoning, Legal Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques. The weightage for all these subjects in CLAT question paper 2026 will be different but they carry equal importance. Therefore, candidates are required to prepare for five subjects equally for CLAT Exam 2026.

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Only a strategic preparation for CLAT 2026 will help candidates secure more than cutoff marks. In this article, we have shared some tips for CLAT preparation that candidates can incorporate into their exam preparation plan. Based on performance in the CLAT exam, candidates can secure admission to NLUs and top law schools in India. Therefore, candidates appearing for the national-level law entrance exam should know how to prepare for CLAT 2026 to score well and crack CLAT Exam in first attempt.

Table of content
  • CLAT Preparation 2026: Know the exam pattern
  • CLAT Preparation 2026: Understand the CLAT syllabus
  • CLAT 2026 Preparation Strategy by Experts

CLAT Preparation 2026: Know the exam pattern

The new exam pattern for CLAT 2026 as shared CLAT Consortium along with key features is as under: 

Exam mode - Pen-paper based test mode

Exam duration - 120 minutes

Test timings - 2 pm to 4 pm

Total questions - 120 questions

Total marks - 120 marks 

Marking Scheme - For every correct answer, 1 mark will be awarded. For a wrong answer, 0.25 marks will be deducted.

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Besides, the section-wise marks and questions allotment has been changed too and it will be as under:

Subject

Questions

Marks

Weightage

English Language

28 - 32 questions

28 - 32 marks

20% 

Current Affairs including General Knowledge

35 - 39 questions 

35 - 39 marks

25%

Quantitative Techniques (Elementary Mathematics)

13 - 17 questions 

13 - 17 marks

10%

Logical Reasoning

28 - 32 questions

28 - 32 marks

20%

Legal Reasoning 

35 - 39 questions

35 - 39 marks

25%

Total Marks

120 questions

120 marks

100%

The preparation strategy of CLAT is what we recommend for candidates undergoing full-time preparation that can bring about a remarkable improvement in scores and performance in CLAT exams! Candidates must check the CLAT Exam Pattern and syllabus properly before beginning their preparation.

CLAT Preparation 2026: Understand the CLAT syllabus 

This is the single most important tip and the most common mistake we see students making. Time and again, we have seen students spending disproportionate amounts of time on Mathematics and Logical Reasoning, solving tougher and tougher problems from a wide range of topics. 

CLAT 2026 Preparation Strategy by Experts

GK/Current Affairs Syllabus – Right away I would like to say that there is no defined CLAT syllabus for GK and Current Affairs. There is no source from which you can study that will help you prepare for 100 per cent of the questions asked in the GK and Current Affairs section. Even the best-prepared student would be confident of only 80-85% of the GK questions asked in the CLAT exam. You should be covering the important awards each year – sports, science, literature, and arts. You should know the major UN bodies, their functions and their locations. You should have a good overview of Indian geography and history. And you should also be aware of any important happenings in the area of the Indian Constitution or Justice system. Other than this, you should aim to read as widely as possible – many times, you may not directly know the answer to a question, but maybe able to imply it based on some other facts that you can recall.

For Current Affairs, pick one or two reliable sources and religiously follow them, rather than reading randomly from a bunch of different sources. That will make your preparation more systematic. And again, remember that in CLAT the depth of knowledge tested is not the same as that of the UPSC exam, so be sensitive to over-preparing.

Download CURRENT AFFAIRS 2026 Guide - Click Here

Writing Mock Tests – You should plan to write a few mock tests. However, aim to finish at least 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the syllabus before starting the mocks. That’s the only way that you will receive any benefit from writing the test. Look for a good mock test series, and aim to write at least 6-8 CLAT previous years papers before the actual exam. Reproduce the exam conditions as much as possible – including the time limit and turning your phone off to avoid distractions!

Question Selection – It is essential to remember that all questions carry equal marks and there are no sectional cutoffs in CLAT! So feel free to start from any section you are comfortable with, and if a question is taking too much time skip it without prejudice.

Negative Marking – CLAT has 1/ -0.25 negative marking. So you get 1 marks for every correct answer and -0.25 marks for every wrong answer. You get 0 marks for any unattempted questions. This means there is a penalty for uneducated guessing. My advice to you – guess, but carefully. It makes sense to guess only if you can eliminate at least 2 of the choices in the question. So keep that in mind while taking a guess.

English – Being strong in Reading Comprehension and basic grammar will take you a long way in the English section. Remember to also practice Para jumbles, CLAT has traditionally favoured them.

Also Read: Best Books for CLAT Preparation: English, GK, LA, LR, Mathematics

These strategies are meant to be a guide to assist you in your preparation for CLAT. If you can incorporate all of these into your preparation, I am confident you will see a definite boost in your scores. All the best!

 About the Author:

Vivek Subramanian

Vivek Subramanian has a BTech from IIT Bombay and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. He has worked internationally in New York and Hong Kong in investment banking and management consulting, before deciding to return to India to pursue his love for teaching. He is the co-founder and Chief Instructor at ExamVictor.

 

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Answered a week ago

To know if you are eligible for CLAT Exam or not you can visit the official website and check the notification. The notification which was earlier released by the consortium carries all important details like elgibility criteria, fees, exam dates etc. Once you have checked if you are eligible to app

...Read more

78548010
Anupama Mehra

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

You don't have to worry. In case you have forgotten your ID and password, which is pretty much normal. You can go and click on the forgot password tab in the registration window. You will receive the mail and then you have to reset your password. Once day you will be able to login. 

M

Mohit Dhawan

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a week ago

See, it doesn't matter that you fill the form through laptop or phone. What matters is you fill the form. Yes, you should have good network connection and internet speed. It should not happen that you have filled the form and when you reach the last step you loose the connection. So what is importan

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A

Akanksha

Contributor-Level 7

Answered a week ago

Yes, the application form for CLAT was released long back in August. Those who have not filled the form yet must understand that there is no right day to fill the form. You should fill is as soon as possible. Because if you miss it you have to wait one more year unnecessarily to appear in the exam.

M

Manisha Gard

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a week ago

This is so sad. But unfortunately, even with all the right documents, if you have not paid the application fee, your application form will be rejected. Since the application process is currently underwa, y you can still go and submit the fees. Once the window will close you won't be able to pay the

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A

Akanksha Kumari

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a week ago

The last date to submit the application form is October 31, 2025. It must be noted that the consortium will open the application correction window after that. Sometimes the consortium do extend the last date for registration but it is better to fill the form way before and why to wait. 

M

Mukul Singh

Contributor-Level 7

Answered a week ago

Students can fill the application form by visiting the official website. You should know that there is no other way to fill the registration form. The application form is not released offline neither you can download the form and send it to the consortium. You should fill the form by October 31, 20

...Read more

B

Bhumika Aggarwal

Contributor-Level 7

Answered a week ago

You can fill out CLAT form by following the simple steps given below:

  • Go to the official website
  • Click on the apply online link. 
  • Click on the login box.
  • Go to the application form tab at the top.
  • Enter your personal, qualification and preferences for NLU.
  • Upload all your documents Pay the fees

N

Nitesh Srivastava

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a week ago

Yes, you can fill out the CLAT Application Form in phases. There is an option to save in every step. However, it will be better if you fill the form in one go. For this, you should keep all the documents ready in hand. See if you fill the form in one go you don't have to worry about it. 

C

Chanchal Patra

Contributor-Level 7

Answered a week ago

Candidates can check the list of documents required to fill the registration form for CLAT below:

  • Passport-Size Photograph 
  • Scanned Signature 
  • Class 10 Marksheet/Certificate 
  • Class 12 Marksheet
  • Category Certificate
  • PwD Certificate
  • Domicile Certificate
  • Valid Photo ID Proof
  • Email ID and Mobile Number

P

Priya Peter

Contributor-Level 6