⚖️ CLAT 2026 — NLU Law Entrance Guide

CLAT 2026 Guide: Eligibility, Pattern, Dates & Law Colleges Accepting CLAT

Everything for CLAT in one place — the Consortium of NLUs’ entrance for the 5-year integrated LLB and the LLM: eligibility, the UG pattern and marking, counselling, and the National Law Universities and law colleges that admit through CLAT, each linked to its fees, cutoffs and placements.

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By Krishna Pandey, Founder & Lead Counsellor · Reviewed by Punit Mishra, Law Admissions Lead · Updated 19 June 2026

Quick Answer CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) is the national entrance for law, conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities for admission to the 5-year integrated LLB (undergraduate) and the LLM (postgraduate) at 20+ NLUs and many other law colleges. It is an offline, comprehension-based test held once a year, usually in December for the next academic year. Confirm the current cycle’s date at consortiumofnlus.ac.in.

CLAT — Key Facts

Conducting body: Consortium of National Law Universities
Purpose: admission to the 5-year integrated LLB (UG) and LLM (PG) programmes at 20+ National Law Universities and many other law schools that accept CLAT
Mode & frequency: Offline (pen-and-paper), conducted once a year, usually in December for the following academic year
Eligibility: Class 12 for UG-CLAT; an LLB degree for PG-CLAT

CLAT 2026 Exam Overview

CLAT is the single most important law entrance in India. Conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities, its score is used for centralised admission to the National Law Universities — such as NLSIU Bangalore and NALSAR Hyderabad — and is accepted by many private law schools too. Note on timing: CLAT is held in December for the following year’s intake, so CLAT for 2026 admission was conducted in December 2025 and the next cycle (for 2027 admission) is expected in December 2026. A few law schools run their own tests — for example NLU Delhi admits through AILET, not CLAT.

CLAT 2026 Important Dates (Expected)

Event	Expected window
Registration window	Mid-2025 to around November (for the December exam)
CLAT exam	December (for the following-year intake)
Result	December, soon after the exam
Counselling	From December onwards

⚠ These CLAT dates are indicative (based on the usual cycle) — the official 2026 schedule was not released at the time of writing. Always confirm on the official portal consortiumofnlus.ac.in before planning.

CLAT 2026 Eligibility

For UG-CLAT you must have passed (or be appearing in) Class 12 or equivalent with the minimum percentage set by the Consortium (typically 45%, with a relaxation for reserved categories); there is no upper age limit. For PG-CLAT you need an LLB or five-year integrated law degree.

CLAT Exam Pattern & Marking

UG-CLAT: English Language, Current Affairs including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques — all comprehension/passage-based
PG-CLAT: objective questions on core law subjects such as Constitutional Law and Jurisprudence

UG-CLAT is a 2-hour test of around 120 comprehension-based questions with +1 for each correct answer and −0.25 for each wrong one. Ranks from CLAT are used by the Consortium’s centralised counselling to allot NLU seats by preference and category.

Colleges Accepting CLAT 2026 — Full List

CLAT scores are accepted by the National Law Universities and many other law schools. Below are the law colleges on FindUrCollege that admit through CLAT. Click any college for its fees, cutoffs, placements and admission process.

NLSIU Bangalore · Law College · Pursuing Law in Delhi NCR · NLU Delhi · MS Ramaiah College of Law Bangalore · UPES School of Law Dehradun · VIT School of Law Chennai · NALSAR Hyderabad · Alliance School of Law Bangalore 202 · Army Institute of Law Mohali · Amity Law School Delhi · NLU Jodhpur · Bennett University School of Law Gre · KIIT School of Law Bhubaneswar · Nirma University Law School Ahmedaba · St. Joseph's College of Law Bangalor · IFIM Law School Bangalore · 5-Year Integrated · NMIMS School of Law Mumbai · Jindal Global Law School · Symbiosis Law School Pune · BMS College of Law Bangalore · Christ University School of Law Bang · BITS Law School Mumbai Direct · Symbiosis Law School Noida · ILS Law College Pune · Pravin Gandhi College of Law Mumbai

How FindUrCollege Helps CLAT Aspirants

From shortlisting the right colleges for your expected score/rank to counselling guidance, application strategy and document help, FindUrCollege guides CLAT aspirants end-to-end. Use the free form on this page, or message us on WhatsApp at +91 91126 50438 for a free profile review.

Frequently Asked Questions — CLAT 2026

Who conducts CLAT and what is it for?

CLAT is conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities for admission to the 5-year integrated LLB and the LLM at 20+ NLUs and many other law colleges.

When is CLAT held?

Once a year, usually in December, for the following academic year. CLAT for 2026 admission was conducted in December 2025; the next cycle is expected December 2026 — confirm at consortiumofnlus.ac.in.

What is the CLAT exam pattern?

UG-CLAT is a 2-hour offline test of about 120 comprehension-based questions across English, Current Affairs/GK, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques, with +1 correct and −0.25 wrong.

What is the eligibility for CLAT UG?

Class 12 or equivalent with the minimum percentage set by the Consortium (typically 45%, relaxed for reserved categories). There is no upper age limit.

Do all NLUs admit through CLAT?

Most do, through the Consortium’s common counselling, but a few run their own tests — for example NLU Delhi admits through AILET, not CLAT.

Related 2026 Admission Guides

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