
CLAT 2026 exam pattern - The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) published the CLAT Exam Pattern 2026 along with the CLAT Notification 2026. The Consortium had revised the CLAT exam pattern in 2024. Hence, the CLAT Exam pattern was not changed. The CLAT Question Paper will carry 120 questions in MCQ format. The questions will be asked from five subjects: English Language, Current Affairs including GK, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques.
Candidates are advised to go through the exam pattern of CLAT 2026 thoroughly before appearing for CLAT Exam 2026. It must be noted that CLAT has negative marking too. 0.25 marks will be deducted for every wrong attempt. Read below all about CLAT exam pattern 2026, including sectional weightage, exam structure, sectional time limit, marking scheme and sections.
Also Read: Best Books for CLAT 2026
- CLAT Exam Pattern 2026 - Key Features
- CLAT 2026 Exam Pattern: Highlights
- CLAT 2026 Sectional Weightage
- CLAT 2026 Exam Pattern: Marking Scheme
- CLAT Syllabus 2026
- CLAT Books 2026
CLAT Exam Pattern 2026 - Key Features
Candidates can check CLAT Exam Pattern 2026 below to start CLAT preparation:
- Except for the CLAT Quantitative Technique section 2026, the remainig four sections will include passage-based questions. The English, Current Affairs, and Logical Reasoning sections will include 450-word passages. The Logical Reasoning section will have short passages of about 350 words. A series of questions will follow each passage.
- The exam will carry 120 multiple-choice questions. It is conducted for 120 marks.
- There will be a negative marking of 0.25 marks for an incorrect answer. For each correct answer 1 mark will be awarded.
- The difficulty of the CLAT exam 2026 will be of Class 12. Questions asked in Quantitative Techniques are of Class 10 difficulty level.
Also Read: Mock Test for CLAT 2026, Sample Papers: Things to keep in mind
Commonly asked questions
According to the CLAT exam pattern, there will be no deduction of marks for unanswered questions. Such questions will not be taken into consideration while calculating the total marks of a candidate. Hence, if candidates are not sure about the answer of a question, it is better to leave it unattempted rather than doing a guess work, to avoid negative marking.
The CLAT exam for both the undergraduate and postgraduate courses will be conducted for 2-hour; i.e. 2 pm to 4 pm. Candidates must note that the exam will be conducted in offline mode. There will be 120 MCQs. Total number of sections in the question paper will be five.
CLAT 2026 Exam Pattern: Highlights
Check the CLAT Exam Pattern here
| Particulars | CLAT Exam Pattern Highlights |
|---|---|
| Exam mode |
Pen-and-paper exam |
| Exam duration |
Two hours |
| Test language |
English |
| Type of questions |
Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Exam subjects |
Five (English Language, Current Affairs including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques) |
| Total questions |
120 MCQs |
| Maximum marks |
120 marks |
| Marking scheme |
+1 for correct answer -0.25 for incorrect answer |
Latest: CLAT 2026 Courses: Check complete list, subject-wise eligibility criteria and other details
Commonly asked questions
There will be no sectional qualifying criterion for CLAT 2027. The overall marks will be considered while preparing the merit list for CLAT. But to ensure a good score, candidates must ensure a high number of attempts with full accuracy.
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 Sectional Weightage
Going by the CLAT 2026 sectional weightage, candidates can check the section-wise questions weightage for each section as under:
| Sections |
MCQs per section |
Maximum Marks |
Approximate Weightage (in %) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28-32 |
28-32 |
18.66 - 21.33 | |
| 35-39 |
35-39 |
23.33 - 26 | |
| 28-32 |
28-32 |
18.66 - 21.33 | |
| 35-39 |
35-39 |
23.33 - 26 | |
| Quantitative Techniques (Elementry Mathematics up to Class 10) |
13-17 |
13-17 |
8.66 - 11.33 |
| Total |
120 |
120 |
100% |
Also Read: CLAT GK Questions With Answers
Commonly asked questions
The mode of the CLAT exam is offline or paper-based mode. Candidates are handed over hardcopy of CLAT question paper and OMR sheets to answer the questions. Candidates will have to be careful while filling OMR sheet as any scratch or cuts in the OMR sheet will lead to disqualification.
Candidates can check the CLAT 2027 Marking Scheme below
| CLAT Marking Parameters | Marks Awarded |
|---|---|
| Correct answer | +1 marks |
| Incorrect answer | -0.25 marks |
| Un-attempted question | 0 marks |
CLAT 2026 Exam Pattern: Marking Scheme
The CLAT 2026 exam pattern remains unchanged. The consortium has released the marking scheme for CLAT 2026 Exam. Aspirants can refer to the marking scheme for UG courses below:
-
For every correct answer, candidates are awarded one mark
-
For every wrong attempt, 0.25 marks are deducted from their total score
-
No marks are awarded or deducted for questions not left un-attempted
| CLAT Marking Parameters | Marks Awarded |
|---|---|
| Correct answer | +1 marks |
| Incorrect answer | -0.25 marks |
| Un-attempted question | 0 marks |
Also Read: How To Score 100+ In CLAT 2026?
Commonly asked questions
While it is not impossible, it is a really challenging task. To score well, you must start preparing for CLAT at least six months before. It is very important to score well if you are looking forward to getting into good NLU. For top 10 NLU, you at least need to score between 100 to 105 as per past trends.
The CLAT Syllabus is published by the Consortium. The syllabus has been announced. Candidates who are preparing for the exam must note that there are no changes made in the syllabus so far. Candidates can check the syllabus by visiting the official website. You can only download the PDF from website.
CLAT Syllabus 2026
The details of CLAT syllabus for each section are:
| CLAT Sections | Important Topics |
|---|---|
| English Language |
|
| Current Affairs including General Knowledge |
|
| Logical Reasoning |
|
| Legal Reasoning |
|
| Quantitative Techniques |
|
Also Read: Important topics to study from CLAT 2026 syllabus
Commonly asked questions
Yes, candidates who have regsitered for the CLAT exam can access the sample papers through their login credentials. They can practice the questions for all the sections. This exercise will help to evaluate the areas that are strong and weak and needs more attention.
The practice the sample papers of CLAT 2027 released by the consortium follow these steps
- Go to consortiumofnlus.ac.in
- Login and click on attempt sample paper
- You will now see instructions on your screen
- Read the instructions and click on Start Mock Test
- Attempt the question paper
CLAT Books 2026
Check few important section-wise CLAT books that candidates can refer to prepare for the exam:
| CLAT Sections | Important CLAT Books |
|---|---|
| English Language |
|
| Current Affairs including General Knowledge |
|
| Logical Reasoning |
|
| Legal Reasoning |
|
| Quantitative Techniques |
|
Also Read: CLAT Sample Papers 2026 PDF - Previous Years' Sample Paper Download Link
Commonly asked questions
To prepare for this section which cover 10 percent marks of the total CLAT paper it is important to have a right approach. Candidates must note that you can score really well if you study the Class 19 level mathematics properly. Be regular and plan strategically rather than trying to learn advance maths,
CLAT Exam
Student Forum
Answered 3 days ago
The 'exit' from CLAT counselling means leave the counselling process; and the student will not be considered for further rounds. This option allows candidates to withdraw from the admission process entirely at any time after registration. If a seat was previously allocated and accepted (via Freeze/F
P
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 3 days ago
Freeze option in CLAT Counselling means accept the NLU seat, lock it, and opt-out of the upgrade process. In this case, the fee becomes non-refundable and has to be paid before the last date. The candidate is removed from the counseling process for future rounds.
P
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 3 days ago
Yes, the CLAT counselling fee is refundable if no seat is allotted or if a student withdraws before the final date. A penalty of INR 5,000 may be applied if a seat is frozen and later withdrawn after May 30th.
P
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 3 days ago
There will be a total of 5 rounds for CLAT 2026. Students who make it to the merit list and who receive an invitation via email/SMS can register and pay the counselling fee. Students have to pay a fee of INR 30,000 for General and INR 20,000 for ST/SC/OBC/BC/EWS/PwD, for CLAT examination.
P
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 5 days ago
The GNLU Silvassa CLAT Cutoff 2026 was released for round 2 for B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) and Master of Law (LL.M.) programme. The cutoff was released for various categories under both the All India and Home State quotas.
The NLU Silvassa CLAT Cutoff 2026 for round 2 was 1264 for BA LLB (Hons) course and 1
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
The NLU Sonipat CLAT Cutoff 2026 is out for round 2 for various categories under both the All India and Home State quota candidates. The cutoff was released for admission to the B.A. LL.B and Master of Legislative Laws (LL.M.) courses.
For the LLM course, the General AI category cutoff was 2349 in r
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
The NLU Shimla CLAT Cutoff 2026 has been released for round 2 for multiple categories under both the All India and Home State quota. The cutoff was out in the form of opening and closing ranks.
For the General HS category, the cutoff was 11211 for the B.A LL.B (Hons.) course, and 16167 for B.B.A.LL.
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
The NLU Jabalpur CLAT Cutoff 2026 was released for round 2 for admission to BA LLB (Hons) and LLM courses. The cutoff was released for all categories under the All India and Home State quota.
For the General AI category, the round 2 cutoff for BA LLB (Hons) course was 1789. For LLM courses, it was
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
The NLU Assam CLAT Cutoff 2026 has been released for admission to the LL.M. LL.B. (Hons.) and LLM courses for round 2. The cutoff was released for various categories under both the All India and Home State quotas.
For the OBC AI category, the cutoff ranged from 2430 to 3669, wherein the LLM course a
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
NLU Assam CLAT Cutoff 2026 has been released till round 2 for admission to BA LLB (Hons) and LLM courses for various categories under both the All India and Home State quota.
For the SC AI category, the round closing ranks ranged between 4884 and 11777, for the LLM and BA LLB (Hons) courses, respect
N
Contributor-Level 10
175 Institutes accepting CLAT
SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur
Kattankulathur, Chennai • Private
- CLAT, SRMJEEL
- ₹ 12.50 Lakh
- 5 years
- |
- Full Time
National Law School of India University, Bangalore
Vijayanagar, Bangalore • Public
NLU Kolkata (NUJS) - The West Bengal National Univer...
Salt Lake City, Kolkata • Public
Counselling - 5 Feb '26
How can you take exit from CLAT counselling process?