CLAT Exam Pattern: CLAT stands for the Common Law Admission Test and is conducted once a year by the Consortium of NLUs. Every year, approx. 88-90,000 candidates appear for this examination to pursue their dream of getting a prestigious law seat from top colleges. There are 26 NLUs participating in the CLAT, and another one is NLU Delhi which doesn’t participate in this examination but rather conducts a separate examination, namely AILET (All India Law Entrance Test).
Today, we are comprehensively talking about the CLAT exam pattern. The paper pattern for the CLAT doesn’t only stick for the number of questions asked in the exam but also various components such as the number of sections, total duration, total marks, weightage across the sections, and more. Let’s discuss the CLAT 2027 exam pattern in a detailed manner with past year trends.
CLAT Exam Pattern 2027: Highlights
The CLAT 2027 notification is not out yet, but candidates can expect the exam to be scheduled in the month of December 2026. Candidates can’t wait for the notification to come for starting CLAT preparation. Instead, understand the CLAT exam pattern to get clear insights about the number of questions asked in the exam, total duration, CLAT marking scheme, and more.
| CLAT Exam Pattern | Details |
| Number of Questions | 120 |
| Total Duration & Questions Type | 2 hours Multiple Choice Questions (1 Mark Each) |
| CLAT 2027 Marking Scheme (Tentative) | 1 Marks will be awarded by marking correct option 0.25 deducted for marking an incorrect answer |
| Total Sections | 5 English Language Current Affairs, including General Knowledge Legal Reasoning Logical Reasoning Quantitative Techniques |
| Weightage of Sections in CLAT Exam | 22-26 questions, or roughly 20% of the paper (English Language) 28-32 questions, or roughly 25% of the paper (Current Affairs, including General Knowledge) 28-32 questions, or roughly 25% of the paper (Legal Reasoning) 22-26 questions, or roughly 20% of the paper (Logical Reasoning) 10-14 questions, or roughly 10% of the paper (Quantitative Techniques) |
| Maximum Marks | 120 |
CLAT 2027: Important Dates
The CLAT 2027 notification has not been released yet, but as per the analysis, these important dates mentioned below give you the clear outline:
| Events | Expected Date |
| Release of CLAT 2027 Notification | July 2026 |
| Start of Online Registration | 1 August 2026 |
| Last Date to Submit Application | 31 October 2026 (tentative) |
| Application Correction Window | November 2026 (if announced) |
| Release of Admit Card | Third Week of November 2026 |
| CLAT 2027 Exam Date | 6 December 2026 (Sunday) |
| Provisional Answer Key | 7–9 December 2026 |
| Objection Window | 2–3 days after answer key release |
| Final Answer Key | Mid-December 2026 |
| Result Declaration | Mid-December 2026 |
| Counselling Registration Begins | Last Week of December 2026 |
| Seat Allotment Rounds | January–May 2027 |
CLAT Exam Pattern 2027: Subject-Wise Number of Questions
According to the CLAT exam pattern, there are 5 major subjects widely asked in the examination.
- English Language: 22 – 26 questions
- Current Affairs, including General Knowledge: 28 – 32 questions
- Legal Reasoning: 28 – 32 questions
- Logical Reasoning: 22-26 questions
- Quantitative Techniques: 10-14 questions
CLAT Exam Pattern & Syllabus
The CLAT syllabus is the initial part to start CLAT exam preparation. The syllabus is widely covered across English Language and Current Affairs, including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques.
| Section | Passage Type & Length | Skills/Focus Areas | Preparation Tips |
| English Language | Contemporary or historically significant fiction/non-fiction passages (approx. 450 words) | Reading comprehension, inference, summarization, comparison of viewpoints, vocabulary in context | Develop strong reading habits, improve vocabulary, and practice comprehension passages regularly. |
| Current Affairs & General Knowledge | News, journalistic, and non-fiction passages (up to 450 words) | Current events, legal awareness from passage, arts & culture, international affairs, historical events | Read newspapers and magazines daily, revise current affairs, and focus on important national and international developments. |
| Legal Reasoning | Passages on legal issues, public policy, or moral philosophy (approx. 450 words) | Identify legal principles, apply rules to facts, analyze changes in legal scenarios | Practice legal reasoning questions, understand basic legal concepts, and stay aware of contemporary legal issues. |
| Logical Reasoning | Short passages (~450 words) | Argument analysis, inference, critical reasoning, analogies, contradictions, strengthening/weakening arguments | Solve reasoning exercises regularly and improve analytical thinking through practice. |
| Quantitative Techniques | Numerical data, facts, or propositions followed by questions | Data interpretation, mathematical calculations, ratios, algebra, mensuration, statistics (Class 10 level) | Revise Class 10 mathematics concepts and practice data interpretation and calculation-based questions. |
| Preparation Resources (Consortium) | Official guides, sample papers, model papers, learning platform, online expert sessions | Familiarity with exam pattern and question types | Use official study materials, attempt mock tests, analyze performance, and attend expert guidance sessions. |
| Overall Preparation Strategy | Continuous practice across all sections | Reading speed, comprehension, current affairs awareness, mathematical accuracy | Read quality newspapers daily, practice mock tests, strengthen reading comprehension, and regularly solve quantitative and reasoning questions. |
CLAT Exam Pattern: Total Duration of Exam
The total duration of the CLAT exam is 120 minutes or 2 hours. With each question, carries 1 mark and total questions is expected to be 120 in CLAT 2027. So overall marks as per the CLAT exam pattern is 120.
CLAT 2027 Exam Pattern: Marking Scheme
The marking scheme for the CLAT exam is +1 mark assigned if you have marked a correct answer and 0.25 mark is deducted in the case of an incorrect marked answer.
| Particulars | CLAT Marking Scheme |
| Correct Answer | + 1 |
| Incorrect Answer | 0.25 deducted |
CLAT Exam Pattern 2027: Weightage of Sections
As per the CLAT exam pattern, the weightage across the sections is given in the manner:
22-26 questions, or roughly 20% of the paper (English Language)
28-32 questions, or roughly 25% of the paper (Current Affairs, including General Knowledge)
28-32 questions, or roughly 25% of the paper (Legal Reasoning)
22-26 questions, or roughly 20% of the paper (Logical Reasoning)
10-14 questions, or roughly 10% of the paper (Quantitative Techniques)
CLAT Exam Pattern 2027: Total Marks & Types of Questions
CLAT exam pattern covers the MCQ types of questions with a total marks of 120.
CLAT Exam Pattern: Trends Over the Years
| Exam Year | Total Questions | Duration | Pattern |
| 2026 | 120 | 2 Hours | Passage-based |
| 2025 | 120 | 2 Hours | Passage-based |
| 2024 | 120 | 2 Hours | Passage-based |
| 2023 | 150 | 2 Hours | Passage-based |
| 2022 | 150 | 2 Hours | Passage-based |
| 2021 | 150 | 2 Hours | Passage-based |
| 2020 | 150 | 2 Hours | Passage-based |
| 2019 | 200 | 2 Hours | Direct, section-wise MCQs |
CLAT Exam Pattern Key Features
- There are a total of 120 questions in the exam.
- The total duration is 2 hours, and the types of questions asked is MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions).
- As per the CLAT exam pattern, the correctly marked answer in the CLAT exam will be awarded with 1 mark and 0.25 will be deducted in case of an incorrectly marked answer.
- There are five major sections such as English Language, Current Affairs, including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques.
- Weightage of sections in the CLAT exam is covered as 22-26 questions, or roughly 20% of the paper (English Language), 28-32 questions, or roughly 25% of the paper (Current Affairs, including General Knowledge), 28-32 questions, or roughly 25% of the paper (Legal Reasoning), 22-26 questions, or roughly 20% of the paper (Logical Reasoning) and 10-14 questions, or roughly 10% of the paper (Quantitative Techniques)
NLUs Participating in the CLAT Exam
There are a total of 27 NLUs, out of which only 26 NLUs are participating in the CLAT exam and remaining one NLU which is NLU delhi conducts its own entrance examination, namely AILET, for the admission in a 5 year integrated program in law.
| S. No. | National Law University (NLU) | Location |
| 1 | National Law School of India University (NLSIU) | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| 2 | National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) | Hyderabad, Telangana |
| 3 | The National Law Institute University (NLIU) | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh |
| 4 | The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS) | Kolkata, West Bengal |
| 5 | National Law University, Jodhpur (NLUJ) | Jodhpur, Rajasthan |
| 6 | Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU) | Raipur, Chhattisgarh |
| 7 | Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) | Gandhinagar, Gujarat |
| 8 | Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU) | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh |
| 9 | Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) | Patiala, Punjab |
| 10 | Chanakya National Law University (CNLU) | Patna, Bihar |
| 11 | National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) | Kochi, Kerala |
| 12 | National Law University Odisha (NLUO) | Cuttack, Odisha |
| 13 | National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL) | Ranchi, Jharkhand |
| 14 | National Law University and Judicial Academy (NLUJAA) | Guwahati, Assam |
| 15 | Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU) | Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh |
| 16 | Tamil Nadu National Law University (TNNLU) | Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu |
| 17 | Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU) | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| 18 | Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU) | Nagpur, Maharashtra |
| 19 | Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU) | Aurangabad, Maharashtra |
| 20 | Dharmashastra National Law University (DNLU) | Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh |
| 21 | Himachal Pradesh National Law University (HPNLU) | Shimla, Himachal Pradesh |
| 22 | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Law University (DBRANLU) | Sonipat, Haryana |
| 23 | Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU) | Goa |
| 24 | National Law University, Tripura (NLUT) | Agartala, Tripura |
| 25 | National Law University Meghalaya (NLUM) | Shillong, Meghalaya |
| 26 | National Law University, Delhi (NLUD)* | New Delhi |
| 27 | National Law University, Jammu (NLUJ) | Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir |
FAQs: CLAT Exam Pattern 2027
The time duration is expected to be 2 hours in CLAT 2027.
There are a total of 5 sections in CLAT exam such as English Language, Current Affairs, including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques.
The total marks are expected to be 120 in CLAT 2027.
Weightage of sections in the CLAT exam is covered as 22-26 questions, or roughly 20% of the paper (English Language), 28-32 questions, or roughly 25% of the paper (Current Affairs, including General Knowledge), 28-32 questions, or roughly 25% of the paper (Legal Reasoning), 22-26 questions, or roughly 20% of the paper (Logical Reasoning) and 10-14 questions, or roughly 10% of the paper (Quantitative Techniques)
