The CLAT Exam Pattern for UG consists of 120 MCQs to be attempted in 2 hours, The CLAT syllabus covers sections like English Language, Current Affairs & GK, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques. Each correct answer carries 1 mark, while 0.25 marks are deducted for wrong answers. The CLAT exam syllabus allocates:
- 20% weightage to English Language
- 25% to Current Affairs including General Knowledge
- 20% each to Legal Reasoning and Logical Reasoning
- 10% weightage to CLAT Quantitative Techniques
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is the entrance exam for admission to top Law Colleges in India. The consortium of NLUs in India releases the CLAT Exam pattern every year.The CLAT exam pattern 2026 will follow the same pattern, and any further updates, if any, wll be communicated in due course of time.
| Key Summary: As per CLAT Exam pattern, the total of 120 multiple-choice questions are present across five sections. The exam duration is 2 hours, conducted in offline (pen-and-paper) mode.
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| Table of Contents |
What is CLAT Exam Pattern 2026?
The CLAT Exam is held in pen and paper mode for 2 hours. You need to answer 120 questions allocating 1 marks for correct answer and deducting 0.25 marks for incorrect answer.
- Reading skills are essential since the CLAT exam pattern for 2026 includes passages and questions. The CLAT will test inferential reasoning skills, favoring those with strong reading habits.
- The CLAT exam pattern 2026 will include questions based on numerical data in graphs, pictures, propositions, and diagrams to demonstrate analytical and problem-solving skills.
- The CLAT 2026 Exam pattern questions are of a 12th standard level, while the quantitative techniques section will have questions of a 10th standard level.
The table below discusses key features of CLAT 2026 Exam Pattern of CLAT UG and CLAT PG exams.
| Particulars | CLAT UG | CLAT PG |
|---|---|---|
| Medium | English | English |
| Mode | Offline - Pen and Paper | Offline – Pen and Paper |
| Duration | 2 Hours | 2 Hours |
| Type of Questions | MCQ | MCQ |
| Total Number of Questions | 120 | 120 |
| Marking Scheme | Total Marks: 120 Marks for Correct Answer: 1 Negative Marking: -0.25 | Total Marks: 120 Marks for Correct Answer: 1 Negative Marking: -0.25 |
| Total No. of Subjects/ Sections | English Language Current Affairs, including General Knowledge Legal Reasoning Logical Reasoning Quantitative Techniques | Constitutional Law Other Law Subjects |
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What is CLAT Exam Pattern 2026 Sectional Weightage?
There are 20 passage-based MCQ questions for 120 marks, in CLAT exam 2026 for UG course admissions. Based on the CLAT exam pattern 2026 sectional weightage, candidates can consider the weightage of each section's questions as follows:
| CLAT Exam Subject | MCQs per section | Maximum Marks | Approximate Weightage (in %) |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 28-32 | 28-32 | 18.66 - 21.33 |
| Current Affairs including General Knowledge | 35-39 | 35-39 | 23.33 - 26 |
| Logical Reasoning | 28-32 | 28-32 | 18.66 - 21.33 |
| Legal Reasoning | 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% |
CLAT Past Year Question Paper
CLAT Question Paper consists of MCQ-based questions based on comprehension. Candidates preparing for CLAT PG 2026 and CLAT UG 2026 can get details on CLAT Exam syllabus 2026, making scheme, type of questions, and mode of examination from this article. We have provided the CLAT Question paper with solution here for reference:
CLAT Question Paper 2025 with Answer Key and Solution PDF
The CLAT past year question papers will help you understand the CLAT exam syllabus better.
| CLAT Paper | Download PDF | Detailed Solution |
|---|---|---|
| CLAT 2025 Question Paper with Answer Key Set A |  Download | Check Solution |
| CLAT 2025 Question Paper with Answer Key Set B | Download | Check Solution |
| CLAT 2025 Question Paper with Answer Key Set C | Download | Check Solution |
| CLAT 2025 Question Paper with Answer Key Set D | Download | Check Solution |
CLAT Question Paper 2024 with Answer Key and Solution PDF
| CLAT Paper | Download PDF | Detailed Solution |
|---|---|---|
| CLAT 2024 Question Paper with Answer Key Set A | Download | Check Solution |
| CLAT 2024 Question Paper with Answer Key Set B | Download | Check Solution |
| CLAT 2024 Question Paper with Answer Key Set C | Download | Check Solution |
| CLAT 2024 Question Paper with Answer Key Set D | Download | Check Solution |
| Year | CLAT Question Paper with Answer Key PDF | CLAT Solution PDF |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Check Here | Check Here |
| 2022 | Check Here | Check Here |
| 2021 | Check Here | Check Here |
| 2020 | Check Here | Check Here |
Want to know more about CLAT Exam Pattern 2026?
If you are looking to know What is the total marks of CLAT exam pattern? or What are the questions in CLAT exam pattern, this video by “TopRankers” will help you guide throughout your CLA preparation journey.
CLAT Exam Pattern 2026: Key Areas
Some of the key areas that you should prepare while going through CLAT examination pattern are:
| Section | Key Focus Areas |
|---|---|
| English Language | Comprehension, Vocabulary, Grammar |
| Current Affairs including General Knowledge | Static GK, Current Events, Awards, Sports |
| Legal Reasoning | Legal Principles, Case Analysis |
| Logical Reasoning | Critical Thinking, Analytical Reasoning |
| Quantitative Techniques | Arithmetic, Data Interpretation |
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CLAT Exam Pattern: Marking Scheme
As per the marking scheme of CLAT exam pattern 2026, candidates are awarded one mark for every correct answer. However, 0.25 marks will be deducted for an incorrect answer due to the provision of negative marking in CLAT exam pattern 2026. No marks will be deducted for unanswered questions.
Refer to the table below for a better understanding of the CLAT 2026 marking scheme.
| CLAT Marking Parameters | Marks Awarded |
|---|---|
| Correct answer | +1 marks |
| Incorrect answer | -0.25 marks |
| Unattempted question | 0 marks |
CLAT Exam Pattern 2026: PG Exam
CLAT LLM 2026 (CLAT PG 2026) Exam Pattern for the PG program is discussed below. Students can read the article to get details on the CLAT PG question pattern, marking scheme, and mode of the CLAT PG exam.
CLAT Examination Pattern 2026: Section-wise Weightage for PG Exam
CLAT PG questions will cover undergraduate-level legal topics, including Contract Law, Property Law, and Family Law. This portion of CLAT syllabus assesses the candidates' abilities to make legal arguments and their legal knowledge. The CLAT paper Pattern is tabulated below:
| Subjects | No. of Questions | No. of Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Constitutional Law | 60 | 60 |
| Other Law | 60 | 60 |
| Total | 120 | 120 |
CLAT Marking Scheme 2026: PG Exam
The CLAT Question Paper for PG has a total of 120 questions. The CLAT Marking Scheme for PG exam is discussed below:
| Parameters | Marks Awarded |
|---|---|
| Correct answer | 1 |
| Incorrect answer | - 0.25 |
| Unanswered | 0 |
CLAT Syllabus 2026: PG Exam
The CLAT LLM Syllabus 2026 for the PG exam along with the important topics is discussed below:
| Sections | Important Topics |
|---|---|
| Constitutional Law | Revise the topics mentioned in the CLAT UG Program Syllabus |
| Other Areas of Law | Jurisprudence, Administrative Law, Law of Contract, Torts, Family Law, Criminal Law, Property Law, Company Law, Public, International Law, Tax Law, Environmental Law, Labour & Industrial Law |
CLAT Syllabus 2026
The following table provides a detailed view of CLAT Syllabus 2026 for the UG exam with the important topics and CLAT subjects.
| CLAT Subjects | Important Topics |
|---|---|
| English Language | Grammar (correcting incorrect grammatical sentences, filling in the blanks, etc.) Vocabulary |
| Vocabulary | |
| Current Affairs including General Knowledge | Static GK (Arts & Culture and History) |
| Knowledge of all events happening nationally and internationally | |
| Logical Reasoning | Relationships |
| Analogies | |
| Logical Sequences | |
| Arguments | |
| Legal Reasoning | General awareness of contemporary legal and moral issues |
| Quantitative Techniques | Ratios and Proportions |
| Basic Algebra | |
| Mensuration | |
| Statistics |
CLAT Books 2026
CLAT is one of India's most difficult and competitive law exams. A huge number of students attempt CLAT each year, therefore the competition is also high. Candidates can refer to these recommended books while preparing for the CLAT 2026 Exam.
| Subject | Name of Book | Publisher/ Author |
|---|---|---|
| English | Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis |
| High School English Grammar and Composition Key | Wren & Martin | |
| Current Affairs | Manorama Yearbook 2021 | Manorama |
| Current Affairs Yearly 2021 | Arihant | |
| Legal Reasoning | Legal Awareness Legal Reasoning | Bhardwaj |
| Legal Aptitude for the CLAT and other Law Entrance Examinations | Bhardwaj | |
| Logical Reasoning | Universal’s Logical Reasoning for CLAT, LSAT and other Law Entrance Exams | Jain Prateek |
| Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning | RS Agarwal | |
| Quantitative Techniques | Universal's Elementary Mathematics (Numerical Ability) | Jain Prateek |
| Quantitative Aptitude | RS Aggarwal | |
| Constitutional Law | Indian Constitutional Law | M P Jain |
| The Constitution of India | P M Bakshi |
Quick Links:
| Logical Reasoning Preparation | Current Affairs Preparation | Legal Reasoning Preparation |
| Quantitative Techniques Preparation | English Language Preparation | Preparation Tips |
CLAT 2026 Exam Pattern: Frequently Asked Questions
Ques. What are the changes in the CLAT 2026 Exam Pattern?
Ans. The consortium of NLUs in India releases the CLAT Syllabus and CLAT Exam pattern every year. The CLAT exam pattern was changed in 2024, which suggests that the consortium is likely to maintain the same pattern for the CLAT Exam 2026. CLAT exam pattern negative marking is 0.25 marks for each wrong answer and 1 mark is awarded for each correct answer.
| Parameters | Marks Awarded |
|---|---|
| Correct answer | 1 |
| Incorrect answer | - 0.25 |
| Unanswered | 0 |
Ques. When will the CLAT 2026 exam be held?
Ans. The Consortium of NLUs declared the CLAT exam date 2026 at consortiumofnlus.ac.in. As per the update, the exam will be held on December 7th for 2 hours from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Ques. How many questions will be asked in CLAT 2026?
Ans. There will be 120 questions in the CLAT 2026 exam, per the CLAT 2026 exam pattern. It is highly unlikely that there will be any changes in the pattern due to the changes done in 2026.
| Sections | MCQs per section | Approximate Weightage (in %) |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 28-32 | 18.66 - 21.33 |
| Current Affairs including General Knowledge | 35-39 | 23.33 - 26 |
| Logical Reasoning | 28-32 | 18.66 - 21.33 |
| Legal Reasoning | 35-39 | 23.33 - 26 |
| Quantitative Techniques (Elementry Mathematics up to Class 10) | 13-17 | 8.66 - 11.33 |
| Total | 120 | 100% |
Ques. What is the mode of the CLAT exam 2026?
Ans. CLAT is conducted in offline mode for 2 hours. Both CLAT UG 2026 as well as CLAT PG 2026 consist of objective-type questions.
Ques. Is CLAT Exam MCQ based?
Ans. Yes, the CLAT exam consists of objective-type questions based on passages- Each section consists of passages, based on which candidates have to answer objective-type questions.
Ques. What is CLAT negative marking?
Ans. CLAT has a negative marking of -0.25 for each incorrect answer. While each correct answer will be given 1 mark. CLAT 2026 question paper will have 120 questions instead of 150.
Ques. What is a good score in CLAT 2026?
Ans. CLAT is a tough exam and candidates need to score high to qualify for the cut-offs. Anything above 100 is considered a good score in CLAT to qualify for the NLUs in India. The expected CLAT cut-off score of NLUSIU Bangalore is 100 plus, whereas NLU Kolkata, NLU Jodhpur, and NLU Bhopal are between 94 to 98.
For General Category:
- Top NLUs (e.g., NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad): Aim for 100+ marks.
- Other Top NLUs: A score of 90+ is generally desirable.
For Reserved Categories:
- EWS: Aim for 85-95+ marks.
- OBC: Target 80-90+ marks.
- SC/ST: Look for scores between 75 and 85.
Ques. What are the 5 subjects of CLAT?
Ans. CLAT exam pattern has 5 subjects- English Language, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques, and Current Affairs. The Current Affairs section also has questions based on General Knowledge.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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