CLAT 2027: Exam Date, Syllabus, Pattern, Cutoffs & Preparation Strategy
The definitive, free guide for Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2027 aspirants. Whether you are aiming for a 5-year integrated law degree after Class 12 or an LL.M & PSU recruitment after law school, track your syllabus, explore 24 NLU cutoffs, and master your 12-month study roadmap.
CLAT 2027 Key Highlights (Official Fast Facts)
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2027 is a national-level offline entrance examination conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities for admissions to undergraduate (UG) 5-year integrated law and postgraduate (PG) one-year LL.M programs across 24 National Law Universities in India.
CLAT UG 2027 Countdown
2 hours. 120 questions. 24 National Law Universities. Every day of consistent prep moves you closer to an All India Rank.
Official Standard Mock Exam & Scorecard Engine
Experience the real CLAT testing environment. Attempt authentic passage-based questions, race against a 15-minute countdown clock, navigate the question palette, and receive instant explanations with All India Rank estimations upon submission.
CLAT UG 2027 Official Standard Diagnostic Test
Authentic 120-pattern simulation featuring real passage-based Legal Reasoning and Critical Reasoning problems with -0.25 negative marking.
Official Examination Instructions
- Each question carries 1.0 mark. Selecting the correct response adds 1.0 mark.
- An incorrect answer attracts a negative penalty of -0.25 marks.
- Unattempted questions carry 0.0 marks with no penalty.
- Questions are grouped under verbatim passages (~450 words) replicating official CLAT examination standards.
- You can navigate back and forth, change responses, or mark questions for review before submitting.
- Detailed solutions, legal rationale, and projected All India Ranks are generated immediately upon submission.
5-Subject Sectional Breakdown
Select any subject to inspect the passage format, key skills tested, subtopics, and check off topics as you finish them. Progress is saved locally.
Legal Reasoning
Evaluates your ability to identify legal principles embedded in passage excerpts and apply them to factual situations. No prior degree in law is needed, but familiarization with legal concepts is critical.
~450 words per passage drawn from court judgments, statutes, or contemporary legal essays.
Core Topics & Completion Tracker
Constitutional Law & Governance
- Fundamental Rights (Articles 14–21A)
- Directive Principles of State Policy
- Writs & Judicial Review
- Federalism & Separation of Powers
- Important Constitutional Amendments
Law of Contracts
- Offer, Acceptance & Revocation
- Consideration & Capacity to Contract
- Free Consent (Coercion, Undue Influence, Fraud)
- Breach of Contract & Damages
- Quasi-Contracts & E-Contracts
Law of Torts
- Negligence & Defamation
- Nuisance & Trespass
- Strict Liability vs. Absolute Liability (Bhopal gas leak precedent)
- Vicarious Liability
- General Defenses in Torts (Volenti non fit injuria, Act of God)
Criminal Law (BNS / IPC)
- Elements of Crime (Actus Reus & Mens Rea)
- General Exceptions & Right of Private Defence
- Offences Against Person (Murder, Culpable Homicide)
- Offences Against Property (Theft, Extortion)
- Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 updates
Contemporary Legal Developments & IPR
- Intellectual Property (Copyright, Patents, Trademarks)
- Data Protection & Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023
- Environmental Law & NGT Orders
- Recent Supreme Court Landmark Judgments
- •Identifying rules and principles in factual contexts
- •Applying propositions of law to given facts
- •Distinguishing legal rules from general moral principles
- •Analyzing how changes in facts alter legal conclusions
- Strict rule: Never use outside legal knowledge that contradicts the passage. The principle in the passage is sovereign.
- Read Lawlit Daily Brief every morning to stay abreast of current landmark Supreme Court judgments and new legislation.
- Practice breaking passages into Rule (legal test) and Application (facts) under strict 7-minute limits per passage.
Target Score & NLU Tier Estimator
Slide to your target mock score (out of 120) to see the expected All India Rank bracket and eligible institutions.
Top Tier 1 & 2 NLUs
Likely Institutions: NLU Jodhpur, GNLU Gandhinagar, NLIU Bhopal, MNLU Mumbai
Solid competitive score. Eliminating 3–4 negative marks will push you straight into the top 3 NLUs.
CLAT 2027 Marks vs Rank & Historical Cutoff Benchmarks
Consolidated from CLAT 2024, 2025, and 2026 actual result trends. Find out what raw score out of 120 translates into top tier All India Ranks and admission to target National Law Universities.
| Raw Score (Out of 120) | Expected All India Rank | Admission Bracket & Target NLUs | National Percentile | Prep Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100+ Marks | AIR 1 – 60 | NLSIU Bengaluru (Confirmed General Category) | Top 0.1% National Percentile | Guaranteed admission to India's premier law university. Focus on zero negative marking in Logic and English. |
| 90 – 99.75 Marks | AIR 61 – 260 | NALSAR Hyderabad & WBNUJS Kolkata | Top 0.5% National Percentile | Safely clears Tier-1 top 3 NLUs. Maintain 85%+ accuracy across Legal Reasoning passages. |
| 80 – 89.75 Marks | AIR 261 – 650 | NLU Jodhpur, GNLU Gandhinagar, NLIU Bhopal, MNLU Mumbai | Top 1.2% National Percentile | Solid score for top corporate law recruiters. Eliminating 4 silly mistakes moves you to Top 3. |
| 70 – 79.75 Marks | AIR 651 – 1,450 | RMLNLU Lucknow, RGNUL Patiala, NLUO Cuttack, CNLU Patna | Top 3.0% National Percentile | Solid Tier-2 NLU allocation. High chance for premier state universities and great campus placements. |
| 60 – 69.75 Marks | AIR 1,451 – 3,200 | NUSRL Ranchi, DSNLU Visakhapatnam, TNNLU Tiruchirappalli, HPNLU Shimla | Top 6.5% National Percentile | Tier-3 NLU admission zone for General Category; comfortably clears Tier-1 for OBC/EWS/SC/ST or State Domiciles. |
| Below 60 Marks | AIR 3,200+ | State Domicile Quota NLUs, Newer NLUs (DNLU, Tripura, Silvassa) & Leading Private Law Schools | General Qualifying Pool | Qualifies for State Reservation seats or top private law colleges (JGLS, SLS, NMIMS) accepting CLAT scores. |
NLU Directory, UG Seats & Cutoff Ranks
Explore participating NLUs across India, their historical General category All India Rank cutoffs for UG (5-year law), and placement pipelines.
National Law School of India University
Bengaluru, Karnataka • Est. 1987
NALSAR University of Law
Hyderabad, Telangana • Est. 1998
The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences
Kolkata, West Bengal • Est. 1999
National Law University, Jodhpur
Jodhpur, Rajasthan • Est. 1999
Gujarat National Law University
Gandhinagar, Gujarat • Est. 2003
National Law Institute University
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh • Est. 1997
Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai
Mumbai, Maharashtra • Est. 2014
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh • Est. 2005
Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law
Patiala, Punjab • Est. 2006
National Law University Odisha
Cuttack, Odisha • Est. 2008
National University of Advanced Legal Studies
Kochi, Kerala • Est. 2005
Chanakya National Law University
Patna, Bihar • Est. 2006
National University of Study and Research in Law
Ranchi, Jharkhand • Est. 2010
Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh • Est. 2008
Tamil Nadu National Law University
Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu • Est. 2012
Himachal Pradesh National Law University
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh • Est. 2016
Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur
Nagpur, Maharashtra • Est. 2016
Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra • Est. 2017
Dharmashastra National Law University
Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh • Est. 2018
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Law University
Sonipat, Haryana • Est. 2012
National Law University and Judicial Academy
Guwahati, Assam • Est. 2009
National Law University Tripura
Agartala, Tripura • Est. 2022
Gujarat National Law University (Silvassa Campus)
Silvassa, Dadra & Nagar Haveli • Est. 2023
National Law University, Meghalaya
Shillong, Meghalaya • Est. 2022
CLAT 2027 vs AILET 2027: Key Differences & Comparison Matrix
While CLAT is the centralized gateway to 24 National Law Universities, National Law University Delhi (NLU Delhi) does not accept CLAT scores and conducts AILET independently. Compare exam patterns, marks, and sectional structures below.
| Comparison Parameter | CLAT 2027 (24 NLUs) | AILET 2027 (NLU Delhi) |
|---|---|---|
| Conducting Body | Consortium of 24 National Law Universities | National Law University, Delhi (NLU Delhi independently) |
| Participating Institutes | 24 NLUs across India (NLSIU, NALSAR, NUJS, NLUJ, GNLU, etc.) | Only 1 University: NLU Delhi |
| Offered Programs | 5-Year Integrated LL.B. (UG) & 1-Year LL.M. (PG) | B.A. LL.B. (Hons.), LL.M., and Ph.D. |
| Total Questions & Marks | 120 Questions | 120 Marks | 120 Questions (UG) / 100 Questions (PG) | 120 / 100 Marks |
| Exam Duration | 120 Minutes (2 Hours) | 120 Minutes (2 Hours) |
| Marking Scheme | +1 for correct, -0.25 for incorrect | +1 for correct, -0.25 for incorrect |
| Exam Format | Passage-based Comprehension (~450 words/passage) across all sections | 3 Sections: English (50 Qs), Current Affairs (30 Qs), Logical Reasoning (70 Qs) |
| Legal Reasoning Section | Dedicated 30-32 questions tested via comprehension passages | No separate Legal Reasoning section in UG; tested through Logical Reasoning |
| Exam Date Timing | First Sunday of December 2026 (Tentative Dec 6, 2026) | Second Sunday of December 2026 (Tentative Dec 13, 2026) |
Reservation Categories & Official Tie-Breaking Rules
Review vertical and horizontal reservation quotas across participating NLUs and understand the official Consortium formula used to resolve ties when candidates score identical marks.
Reservation Quotas in National Law Universities
| Category | Quota % | Type | Application Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Castes (SC) | 15% | Vertical | Requires valid Central/State SC certificate |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 7.5% | Vertical | Requires valid Central/State ST certificate |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC-NCL) | 27% | Vertical | Applicable in NLUs with Central/State OBC reservations (Non-Creamy Layer) |
| Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) | 10% | Vertical | Applicable in participating NLUs per government notification |
| State Domicile Quota | 25% – 50% | Institutional | Offered by most NLUs for permanent residents of their respective state (e.g. 25% at NLSIU for Karnataka, 50% at WBNUJS for West Bengal) |
| Persons with Disabilities (PwD) | 5% | Horizontal | Benchmark disability ≥ 40%; provides extra time / scribe assistance per Consortium rules |
| Women Candidates | 30% | Horizontal | Implemented horizontally in participating state NLUs |
Tie-Breaker Hierarchy (UG)
If two or more candidates obtain identical raw scores in CLAT UG 2027, the Consortium resolves ranks in the following sequence:
- 1Higher marks in the Legal Reasoning section of CLAT UG 2027
- 2Seniority in age (Older candidate gets higher rank)
- 3Computerized draw of lots conducted by the Consortium of NLUs
All India Ranks computed post tie-breaker are final and determine seat allocation through the Centralized Admission Counselling rounds.
12-Month Month-by-Month Roadmap
Structured in 4 strategic phases to transition you from building foundational reading speed to peak simulated OMR mock testing.
Phase 1: Foundation & Reading Stamina
“Building reading stamina, Class 10 arithmetic fluency, and core legal principles.”
Phase 2: Sectional Mastery & Speed Drills
“Passage breakdown speed, GMAT-level Critical Reasoning, and monthly GK compendiums.”
Phase 3: Advanced Testing & Simulation
“Simulating 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM exam conditions, OMR sheet shading speed, and fatigue management.”
Phase 4: Peak Revision & Final Sprints
“High-yield revisions, past 5 years' papers, avoiding negative marks, and mental composure.”
Recommended Books & Authoritative Resources
Avoid buying dozens of redundant guides. Stick strictly to these standard textbooks and case repositories.
Word Power Made Easy
by Norman Lewis
The gold standard for vocabulary, root words, prefixes, and etymology. Read 1 session daily.
High School English Grammar & Composition
by Wren & Martin
Ideal for sentence structures, modifiers, parallelism, and grammatical correctness.
GMAT Critical Reasoning Bible
by PowerScore
Best conceptual framework for breaking down premises, conclusions, unstated assumptions, and paradoxes.
Legal Aptitude for the CLAT and other Law Entrance Examinations
by A.P. Bhardwaj
Comprehensive introduction to Constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, and torts with factual exercises.
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations
by R.S. Aggarwal
Refer strictly to Class 10 chapters: Percentages, Ratios, Averages, Profit & Loss, and Data Interpretation.
Lawlit Daily Brief & The Hindu Editorial Analysis
by Lawlit Editorial Team & Daily Broadsheets
Free daily coverage of court judgments, legal policy changes, and major national/international headlines.
CLAT UG Eligibility Criteria
- •Candidates must have passed 10+2 (Higher Secondary Exam) or equivalent examination from a recognized State or Central board.
- •Candidates appearing in their 10+2 board examination in March/April 2027 are fully eligible to appear for CLAT 2027 in December 2026.
- •Proof of passing must be produced at the time of admission/counselling in May/June 2027.
- •General / OBC / PWD / NRI / PIO / OCI: Minimum 45% aggregate in 10+2.
- •SC / ST Categories: Minimum 40% aggregate in 10+2.
No upper age limit for CLAT UG as per the Supreme Court of India ruling.
No stream restriction! Students from Arts, Commerce, Science, Humanities, or any vocational stream can appear.
Expected CLAT 2027 Timeline (UG & PG)
Official Notification & Information Brochure
The Consortium of NLUs publishes the official syllabus, eligibility criteria, and fee structure for both UG and PG.
Online Application Window Opens
Registration begins online at consortiumofnlus.ac.in. Application fee is ₹4,000 (General/OBC) and ₹3,500 (SC/ST/BPL).
Application Submission Deadline
Last date to fill preferences for all participating NLUs and submit fees.
Admit Card Release
Download hall tickets with allotted exam centre and reporting guidelines.
CLAT 2027 Examination Day (UG & PG)
Single-shift offline examination from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM across 80+ test cities in India.
Provisional Answer Key & Objection Window
Consortium uploads master question paper and key; candidates can challenge questions for a nominal fee.
Final Answer Key & Results / Merit List
All India Ranks (AIR) and category ranks published alongside scorecard downloads.
Centralized Admission Counselling
5 rounds of counselling, seat allotment, document verification, and fee confirmation for LL.B and LL.M seats.
Ace Legal Reasoning & Case Extracts with Lawlit Daily Brief
CLAT UG and PG passages are derived directly from recent Supreme Court judgments, constitutional amendments, and commercial accords. Read Lawlit's free 3-minute Daily Brief every morning to develop the exact legal vocabulary tested in the exam.
Join 5,000+ CLAT 2027 Aspirants on WhatsApp
Connect with fellow UG & PG aspirants from across India. Get daily curated legal GK digests, critical reasoning drills, mock strategy sessions, and case law updates. 100% free, zero spam.