What is CLAT Full Form? Eligibility Criteria, Syllabus, TOP NLUs, Other details
Common Law Admission Test 2026 ( CLAT )
The CLAT exam is conducted for admission to 24 NLUs for UG courses and 21 NLUs for PG courses. Apart from the NLUs in India, there are 61 other private affiliated colleges that considers CLAT Scores and several PSUs that accept it for recruitment. Read further to know the CLAT exam date, application process, and other important details.
What is CLAT Full Form? Eligibility Criteria, Syllabus, Participating Universities, other details
CLAT Full Form: The Consortium of Law Universities (NLUs) conducts a national-level law entrance exam called CLAT. The full form of CLAT is the Common Law Admission Test. CLAT is conducted for admission to 5-year integrated LLB (UG) and one-year LLM (PG) courses. 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.
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CLAT Exam Date 2026 was December 7, 2025. The Consortium released the CLAT Answer Key 2026 PDF on December 10, 2025. Read further to know more about CLAT in depth.
If the candidates is not satisfied with the CLAT seat allotment result, they can either accept or opt for upgradingt the college alloted. The Freeze option is used by candidates to confirm their choice of NLU. Apply for upgrade option is used when candidates want to change the allotted institute to his or her higher choice (upward shifting).
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.
- CLAT Important Dates 2026
- CLAT Participating Universities
- CLAT Highlights
- CLAT Exam Full: Syllabus
- CLAT Exam Pattern
CLAT Important Dates 2026
Check the CLAT exam dates below
| Event |
Dates |
|---|---|
| CLAT 2026 exam day |
07-Dec-2025 |
| CLAT 2026 Admit Card |
22-Nov-2025 |
| CLAT 2026 Application Date |
01-Aug-2025 to 31-Oct-2025 |
| CLAT 2026 Answer Key |
10-Dec-2025 |
| Declaration of CLAT 2026 results |
One week after exam |
Also Read:
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 Highlights
Every year, some of the key details of the CLAT exam remain the same, including exam mode, pattern, syllabus, marking scheme, etc. CLAT 2026 can be understood from the table given below, which also carries details of CLAT important dates 2026
| 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.) To read more about CLAT score accepting institutes - Click Here |
| 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 | https://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
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 2026 must be in preparation mode. They must have a strategy for effective preparation and best results. Those who are still wondering how to prepare for CLAT 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 2026/ CLAT sample papers 2026 to improve test-taking skills and performance
The effective strategy for CLAT 2026 will help ensure result-oriented performance, which is to score above cutoff marks.
Also Read:
With a year of experience writing in the education sector, Swayam writes content for the law domain to provide useful information and help learners with the right information. Beyond writing, he enjoys playing chess
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 12 hours ago
The CLAT Sample Papers will be released on consortiumofnlus.ac.in. Candidates who have paid for the sample papers will be able to download and solve the same.
M
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 12 hours ago
Solving Sample papers will help candidates to understand the overall exam and the expected difficulty level. Hence, candidates must solve as many sample paper as possible.
M
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 days ago
The CLAT Provisional Answer Key PDF was released on December 10, 2025 at 5 pm. CLAT Answer Key 2026 PDF will be released in two phases. First CLAT Provisional Answer Key and then the Final Answer Key. The CLAT 2026 Answer Key will be released on consortiumofnlus.ac.in.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 days ago
Absolutely! A low CLAT 2026 score does not affect your chances of getting admission to BA LLB or
BCom LLB programs at Chandigarh University. The university follows its own entrance process called
CUCET, which is mandatory for all applicants. Your admission is based on your CUCET performance
and 10+2 ma
V
Beginner-Level 4
Answered 4 days ago
You do not need CLAT 2026 marks to get admission at Chandigarh University, and direct admission is
not offered for law programs. The university clearly requires all law applicants to appear for CUCET,
which is the only valid pathway for admission. Even if you haven't taken CLAT or don't want to appear
I
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 4 days ago
No, you do not need a CLAT 2026 rank to get a law seat at Chandigarh University. The university does
not make CLAT compulsory for admission into any of its law programs. Instead, the main requirement is
to appear for CUCET, which is the university's own entrance test. You only need 30 out of 100 marks
I
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 4 days ago
The law department at Chandigarh University is known for keeping many links with the legal world. The department follows Bar Council of India (BCI) rules and also uses the Choice Based Credit System to give more practical work. The university has tie-ups and collaborations with J Sagar Associates, A
Guide-Level 13
Answered 4 days ago
Even after clearing CLAT 2026, choosing Chandigarh University for law studies has several advantages. The university offers a structured curriculum through its University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS), combining strong academic learning with practical exposure. Students get opportunities for moo
H
Beginner-Level 3
Answered 4 days ago
No, appearing for CLAT 2026 is not required for admission to BA LLB or BCom LLB programs at Chandigarh University. The university has its own entrance process, called CUCET, which every applicant must take. Your eligibility is based on 10+2 marks (minimum 55–60% depending on the program) and your pe
s
Beginner-Level 4
Answered 4 days ago
While Chandigarh University does not directly consider CLAT 2026 scores for BA LLB admissions, a good CLAT score can still be helpful indirectly. Preparing for CLAT improves your skills in legal aptitude, reasoning, comprehension, and current affairs, which are also tested in the university's entran
s
Beginner-Level 4
CLAT Notifications
In order to know if you are eligible or not check the official notification and the eligibility criteria. There is no other way to check the the eligibility criteria. Do not fill the form without checking the eligibility criteria.