CLAT 2026: Result, Cutoff, Counselling, Marks vs Rank and CLAT 2027 Dates

CLAT 2026 (Common Law Admission Test) is the national-level law entrance exam conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities for admission to 5-year integrated LLB and LLM programmes across 24 NLUs. The CLAT 2026 exam was held on 7 December 2025 and the result was declared on 16 December 2025. The latest update is that the final admission window has now closed after the fee payment deadline of 30 May 2026, which means the CLAT 2026 counselling and admission cycle for the 2026-27 session is complete.

• Final Admission Window Closed: The last CLAT 2026 fee payment deadline ended on 30 May 2026. All seat allotments across the 24 NLUs are now confirmed and the admission cycle is closed.
• CLAT 2027 Notification: The next cycle notification is expected around July 2026. For the last few years, the Consortium has released the bulletin between July and August.
• CLAT 2027 Exam Date: The exam is expected on the first Sunday of December 2026. CLAT 2026 was held on 7 December 2025 and CLAT 2025 on 1 December 2024.
• Total Seats: More than 3,400 UG seats and over 1,300 PG seats are offered across the participating NLUs every year, and a similar range is expected for the next cycle.

CLAT 2026 Latest Updates

• 31 May 2026: The CLAT 2026 final admission window has closed. The last fee payment deadline was 30 May 2026, completing the 2026-27 admission cycle across all 24 NLUs.
• 20 May 2026: The Consortium released the 5th and final seat allotment list of CLAT 2026 counselling.
• 16 December 2025: CLAT 2026 result and final answer key were released. Geetali topped the exam with a score of 112.75 out of 120.
• 7 December 2025: The CLAT 2026 exam was held in offline mode from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM across 140 cities.

The CLAT 2026 admission process is now complete. No fresh registration or counselling round is open for the 2026-27 session. The next opportunity is CLAT 2027.

CLAT 2026 Key Summary

What is CLAT 2026?

CLAT 2026 is the Common Law Admission Test, a national-level entrance exam for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes. The Consortium of National Law Universities conducts the exam once a year. You can use the CLAT score to get admission into 24 National Law Universities in India.

The exam is held for two courses. The UG exam is for the 5-year integrated LLB programme after Class 12. The PG exam is for the one-year LLM programme after a law degree. CLAT is one of the most competitive law entrance exams in the country.

A record 92,344 candidates registered for CLAT 2026, the highest ever. They competed for more than 3,400 UG seats and over 1,300 PG seats across the NLUs. This makes it one of India’s top law entrance examinations. Many private and self-financed law colleges also accept the CLAT score for admission.

A law degree from an NLU is highly valued in India. After the 5-year LLB, you can work as an advocate, join a law firm, become a corporate counsel, or sit for the judiciary exams. Many students also use the degree for careers in policy, civil services and academics. This wide scope is one big reason why CLAT is so popular.

The CLAT 2026 exam was held on 7 December 2025 in offline mode. The result came out on 16 December 2025. After five rounds of counselling, the final admission window closed on 30 May 2026. So the CLAT 2026 cycle is now complete.

CLAT 2026 Important Dates

The CLAT 2026 important dates cover the full exam cycle, from the application start to the final admission deadline. All the CLAT 2026 events are now over. The table below lists the key dates in order.

Source: Consortium of NLUs

If you are planning for the next cycle, you should track the CLAT 2027 notification. It is expected around July 2026. The CLAT 2027 exam is likely to be held on the first Sunday of December 2026, based on the pattern of the last few years.

CLAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria

The CLAT 2026 eligibility criteria are set by the Consortium of NLUs. The rules are different for the UG and PG courses. You should check the eligibility before applying so that your form is not rejected.

CLAT 2026 UG Eligibility:

• You must have passed Class 12 or an equivalent exam from a recognised board.
• General, OBC and other category candidates need at least 45% marks.
• SC, ST and PwD candidates need at least 40% marks.
• Students appearing in the Class 12 exam in 2026 can also apply.
• There is no upper age limit for CLAT 2026.

CLAT 2026 PG Eligibility:

• You must have an LLB degree or an equivalent law degree.
• General and OBC candidates need at least 50% marks.
• SC, ST and PwD candidates need at least 45% marks.
• Final-year LLB students can also apply for the LLM programme.

There are a few more points you should keep in mind about eligibility. They help you avoid common mistakes during the application.

• Students waiting for their Class 12 result can apply, but they must pass before admission.
• There is no minimum or maximum number of attempts for CLAT.
• NRI and NRI-sponsored candidates can also apply under the special seats offered by some NLUs.
• The marks requirement is checked at the time of admission, not just at the form stage.

There is no upper age limit to appear for CLAT. Candidates of any age who meet the marks requirement can apply.

CLAT 2026 Application Process

The CLAT 2026 application process was fully online on the official website. The registration window was open from 1 August 2025 to 7 November 2025. The application process is closed now, but the steps remain the same every year.

You should complete each step carefully to avoid rejection. The CLAT registration is a multi-step process. Here are the main steps:

• Registration: Sign up with your name, mobile number and email to create a login.
• Form Filling: Enter your personal, academic and category details.
• Document Upload: Upload your photo, signature, category certificate and other documents.
• NLU Preferences: Choose your preferred NLUs in order of choice.
• Fee Payment: Pay the application fee online to complete the form.

You need a few documents ready before you start the form. Keeping them scanned in advance saves time and avoids last-minute errors. The main documents are:

• A recent passport-size photograph in the given size and format.
• Your signature scanned in the correct size.
• Category certificate (SC, ST, OBC) if you are applying under a reserved category.
• PwD certificate and BPL certificate, if these apply to you.
• A valid government photo ID such as Aadhaar.

You should keep a printout of the submitted form for your records. The fees should be paid online and will be non-refundable. Always use a working email and mobile number because all updates come there.

CLAT 2026 Application Fee

The CLAT 2026 application fee depends on your category. You can pay the fee online using a debit card, credit card, net banking or UPI. The fee is non-refundable once paid.

The cost of previous year question papers is extra if you want to buy them during the application. You should pay the fee before the deadline because late forms are not accepted.

CLAT 2026 Syllabus

The CLAT 2026 syllabus tests your reading, reasoning and awareness skills. The UG paper does not need any law knowledge in advance. Instead, it checks how well you read and apply information. Here is the section-wise syllabus for the UG exam.

• English Language: Passage-based questions on comprehension, meaning, inference, vocabulary and summary.
• Current Affairs including GK: News, events, arts, culture, international affairs and historical events of importance.
• Legal Reasoning: Passages on legal matters, public policy and moral questions. You apply given rules to facts.
• Logical Reasoning: Arguments, patterns, premises and conclusions, and analogies.
• Quantitative Techniques: Class 10 level maths on ratios, percentages, graphs and basic algebra.

For the PG exam, the syllabus covers the main LLB subjects. These include Constitutional Law, Jurisprudence, Law of Contract, Torts, Criminal Law, International Law, Family Law and Intellectual Property Law. The focus is on these core subjects of the law degree.

The most scoring sections in the UG paper are Legal Reasoning and Current Affairs. Together they carry 50% of the marks. So you should give these sections extra attention during preparation.

Participating NLUs and Seats

A total of 24 National Law Universities accept the CLAT 2026 score for admission. Together they offer more than 3,400 UG seats and over 1,300 PG seats. NLU Delhi is the only National Law University that does not use CLAT; it conducts its own exam called AILET.

Some of the top NLUs that accept the CLAT score are:

• NLSIU Bangalore: The oldest and most preferred NLU in India.
• NALSAR Hyderabad: Known for its strong academics and placements.
• WBNUJS Kolkata: A top choice for students in the east.
• NLU Jodhpur: Popular for its management and law programmes.
• GNLU Gandhinagar: One of the leading NLUs in the west.

The list of major participating NLUs, with their location, is given below. You can use this to plan your NLU preferences for the next cycle.

Apart from the NLUs, many private and deemed law universities also accept the CLAT score. So the exam opens doors to a large number of law colleges across India.

CLAT 2026 Exam Centres

The CLAT 2026 exam was held across around 140 cities in India. This wide spread means most candidates get a centre close to their home town. You had to choose your preferred test cities while filling the application form.

The Consortium allotted the final centre based on your choices and seat availability. Some points you should know about the exam centres:

• You could select multiple cities in order of preference during the application.
• The exact centre and address were printed on the admit card.
• The centre once allotted could not be changed later.
• You had to reach the centre before the reporting time on exam day.

The big cities had many centres because of the high number of candidates. So you should always reach early to find your room and complete the entry checks without stress.

CLAT 2026 Preparation Tips

Good preparation is the key to a high CLAT score. The exam tests your speed, reading and reasoning. If you are going to appear for the next cycle, you should start early and follow a clear plan. Here are some useful tips.

• Read daily: Read newspapers and editorials to improve reading speed and current affairs.
• Focus on weightage: Give more time to Legal Reasoning and Current Affairs, as they carry 50% of the marks.
• Practice passages: Solve comprehension passages because the whole UG paper is passage based.
• Take mock tests: Attempt full-length mocks every week to build speed and accuracy.
• Revise current affairs: Keep monthly notes of important news and events.
• Manage time: Practice finishing 120 questions in 2 hours with proper time per section.

A study plan also needs the right material. You should pick a few good sources and stick to them instead of using too many books. Some useful resources are listed below.

Along with these, you should solve the previous year CLAT papers. They show the real level and style of the questions. Solving them under a timer is the best way to build exam-day speed.