CLAT 2027 Eligibility, Quotas & Regulations
Understand mandatory academic qualifications, state domicile and category reservations, official tie-breaking hierarchies, and how CLAT compares to AILET.
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.
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.
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) |
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