Complete Guide to CLAT 2027
Everything Class 11 & 12 students need for CLAT 2027 — exam pattern, syllabus, eligibility, expected dates, marking scheme, and a month-wise preparation strategy from Law Prep Tutorial Bathinda.
CLAT 2027 will be a 2-hour, 120-question English-medium UG entrance test for admission to 24+ National Law Universities. Expected exam date: first or second Sunday of December 2026. Class 11 students should begin a structured 18-month plan now — focus on Reading Comprehension, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Current Affairs/GK, and Quantitative Techniques.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Exam mode: Offline, pen-and-paper
- Duration: 120 minutes (2 hours)
- Questions: 120 MCQs (passage-based)
- Marking: +1 for correct, -0.25 for wrong
- Sections: English, Current Affairs & GK, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques
- Conducting body: Consortium of NLUs
- Eligibility: 45% in 10+2 (40% for SC/ST)
- Seats: ~3,200+ across 27 NLUs
CLAT 2027 Exam Pattern
CLAT UG is a comprehension-heavy test. Every section is passage-based — there are almost no standalone factual questions. Speed of reading and accuracy of inference decide your score.
| Section | Questions | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 22–26 | ~20% |
| Current Affairs & GK | 28–32 | ~25% |
| Legal Reasoning | 28–32 | ~25% |
| Logical Reasoning | 22–26 | ~20% |
| Quantitative Techniques | 10–14 | ~10% |
CLAT 2027 Syllabus (Detailed)
- English: 450-word passages, inference, tone, vocabulary in context, summary.
- Current Affairs & GK: News of last 12 months — polity, international affairs, awards, sports, schemes.
- Legal Reasoning: 450-word legal principle passages — apply principle to facts, no prior law knowledge needed.
- Logical Reasoning: Short 300-word arguments — assumptions, inferences, conclusions, analogies.
- Quantitative Techniques: Class 10 math from data (graphs, tables, charts) — percentages, ratios, averages.
Expected CLAT 2027 Important Dates
| Event | Expected Window |
|---|---|
| Notification release | July 2026 |
| Application starts | August 2026 |
| Application closes | October 2026 |
| Admit card | Late November 2026 |
| CLAT 2027 exam date | First/second Sunday of December 2026 |
| Result | Late December 2026 |
| Counselling starts | January 2027 |
18-Month Preparation Strategy for CLAT 2027
- Month 1–3: Build reading habit — The Hindu editorial + 1 non-fiction book/month. Finish English & basic Legal Reasoning theory.
- Month 4–8: Complete Logical Reasoning, Quant from data, and Legal Reasoning (contracts, torts, crimes, constitution).
- Month 9–12: Sectional tests + monthly current affairs compendium. Target 70+ raw score in mocks.
- Month 13–16: Full-length mocks every weekend — analyse for 3× the time you took to attempt.
- Month 17–18: Revision, current affairs revision, mental conditioning, exam-day simulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is CLAT 2027 expected to be held?+
CLAT 2027 is expected in the first or second week of December 2026, following the Consortium of NLUs' usual pattern of conducting the exam on a Sunday in December.
How many questions will be there in CLAT 2027?+
CLAT 2027 will have 120 multiple-choice questions to be solved in 120 minutes, with +1 for each correct answer and -0.25 negative marking for every wrong answer.
Can a Class 11 student start CLAT 2027 preparation now?+
Yes. Class 11 is the ideal time to start. An 18-month structured plan covering reading habit, legal reasoning fundamentals, current affairs, and weekly mocks gives you a clear edge over droppers and Class 12 starters.
Is coaching necessary for CLAT 2027?+
Coaching is not mandatory but highly recommended. Structured classroom teaching, sectional tests, current affairs capsules, and mentor-led mock analysis cut preparation time roughly in half and give measurable accuracy gains.
What is a good score in CLAT 2027 for a top NLU?+
For NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad and NLU Delhi (via AILET), a raw score of 95+ out of 120 is typically needed. Top 5 NLUs require 88+, and the remaining NLUs are accessible from 70–85.
Get personalised CLAT 2027 mentoring
Free 15-minute counselling at Law Prep Tutorial Bathinda — syllabus walkthrough, scholarship test info & batch options.
Call +91 9888320967