CLAT 2027: Exam Date, Admit Card, Pattern and Final Prep Guide
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2027 will be held on Sunday, 6 December 2026, from 2 PM to 4 PM in offline (pen-and-paper) mode, according to the Consortium of National Law Universities' UG instructions. Eligible PwD candidates get until 4:40 PM. Registration has closed, the one-time correction window ended on 10 November, and the next step is the CLAT 2027 admit card, which the Consortium says it will announce on its website.
This guide sets out the confirmed dates, the exam pattern for 2027, what to check on your admit card, and how to use the final weeks. CLAT scores are used for admission to the UG and PG programmes of the 26 participating National Law Universities (NLUs).
CLAT 2027 important dates
- Exam date announced: 22 July 2026 press release, after the Consortium's meetings on 18 July.
- Applications opened: 3 August 2026.
- Original last date: 31 October 2026, later extended to 7 November 2026, as reported by the Times of India (Education Times).
- Fee payment and corrections: closed at 11:59 PM on 10 November 2026, per Careers360.
- Admit card: date to be announced on the Consortium website; Careers360 expects it in the third week of November.
- Exam: Sunday 6 December 2026, 2 PM to 4 PM (4:40 PM for eligible PwD candidates).
If you missed the 7 November deadline, you cannot sit CLAT 2027. The application fee was Rs 4,000 for General and OBC candidates and Rs 3,500 for SC, ST, BPL and PwD candidates, and the official instructions say it is non-refundable.
Has the CLAT 2027 exam pattern changed?
No. A CLAT Expert Committee report submitted in February 2026 recommended a major redesign of the test. But the Consortium's press release of 21 July 2026 says the Governing Body resolved that there will be no changes to the syllabus and the pattern or sections of the UG and PG papers in CLAT 2027. Paper setters will adopt the committee's suggestions on question format and quality "in a feasible manner", and the wider reforms are being considered for CLAT 2028.
UG paper structure
The Expert Committee report describes the current UG test, which continues in 2027:
- Duration: 2 hours.
- Questions: 120 compulsory multiple-choice questions.
- Five sections: English Language, General Knowledge and Current Affairs, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques.
- Marking: +1 for each correct answer, -0.25 for each wrong answer; unanswered questions carry no penalty.
Most questions are passage-based, so reading speed and comprehension decide how far you get. With 120 questions in 120 minutes, the negative marking means careful skipping often scores better than guessing.
Tie-break rule
If two or more candidates score the same, the UG instructions say ties are broken by higher marks in the Legal Aptitude section, then higher age, then a computerised draw of lots.
CLAT 2027 admit card: how to download and what to check
The official instructions say the hall ticket will be available by logging into your candidate account, and the exact date will be announced on the website. Download it from consortiumofnlus.ac.in only, using your registered mobile number and password.
When you get it, check:
- Your name, photograph and signature match your application.
- Your programme (UG or PG) and category are correct.
- The test centre address and reporting time. Locate the centre a day early if you can.
- The exam-day instructions on permitted items and ID.
Careers360 reports that a printed admit card is mandatory at the centre and that the download link stays active until 30 minutes before the exam. Do not leave it to the last day. The Consortium also says it may shift candidates to another centre or city if a centre is cancelled or numbers do not work out, so recheck your admit card for any update notices.
For help, Careers360 lists the Consortium helpdesk as clat@consortiumofnlus.ac.in and 080-47162020 (Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM). Be wary of unofficial sites and Telegram channels claiming "early" admit card links; only the Consortium portal issues them.
How to use the last three weeks
- Full mocks at 2 PM. Sit timed 120-question mocks at the same hour as the real exam so your concentration is tuned to the afternoon slot.
- Review every mock. Track which sections cost you the most negative marks and adjust your attempt strategy.
- Current affairs. Revise the major national and international news of 2026 in short notes; GK passages are drawn from recent events.
- Legal reasoning. Apply the principle given in the passage, not outside legal knowledge.
- Section order. Decide in advance which section you attempt first and how long you give each.
- Official papers. The Consortium sells previous years' question papers for Rs 500, separately from the application fee.
Many aspirants are juggling more than one exam. If you are also preparing for engineering, keep the JEE Main 2027 registration deadline in view, and graduates comparing management routes can check the CAT 2026 exam date and pattern. Class 12 students in CBSE schools should also read about CBSE's biggest reform in years as they balance boards and entrance tests.
What happens after the exam
After CLAT, the Consortium publishes answer keys, results and a centralised counselling process for NLU seats on its website. The instructions stress that seat allotment is provisional and that you must produce your Class 12 result and category certificates at admission. Fee structures differ by NLU, so if cost is a concern, look at NLU fee waivers and government scholarships early; our NSP scholarship guide explains central schemes and their deadlines.
Frequently asked questions
When is CLAT 2027?
Sunday, 6 December 2026, from 2 PM to 4 PM (2 PM to 4:40 PM for eligible PwD candidates).
When will the CLAT 2027 admit card be released?
The Consortium will announce the date on consortiumofnlus.ac.in. Careers360 expects it in the third week of November 2026.
Is there negative marking in CLAT 2027?
Yes. Each wrong answer costs 0.25 marks; correct answers earn 1 mark.
Has the CLAT 2027 syllabus changed?
No. The Consortium resolved on 18 July 2026 that the syllabus and pattern stay unchanged for CLAT 2027.
Sources: Consortium of NLUs CLAT 2027 UG instructions; Consortium press releases of 21 and 22 July 2026; CLAT Expert Committee Report 2026; Times of India Education Times (deadline extension); Careers360 (correction window, admit card timing, helpdesk). Always follow the latest notices on consortiumofnlus.ac.in.
Featured image: Smuconlaw / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). National Law School of India University campus, Bengaluru (2013); illustrative.
