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ExamLast checked 2 November 20269 official sources
CLAT
How do I apply for CLAT 2027 without a mistake, and can I sit it?
Quick answer
CLAT, the Common Law Admission Test, is the entrance for the five-year integrated law degrees at the National Law Universities. The Consortium of National Law Universities runs it. CLAT 2027 (UG) is on Sunday 6 December 2026 for admission in 2027-28, and online applications closed on 31 October 2026, with no extension on the Consortium's site when we checked on 2 November. You need 45% in Class 12 (40% for SC, ST and PwD), from any stream, and there is no upper age limit. The paper has 120 one-mark questions in two hours, and a wrong answer costs a quarter mark. This page keeps the seven application steps and the printable checklist, and tells you what to do before the exam. Everything below is from the Consortium's CLAT 2027 pages.
CurrentApplies to 2027Last checked 2 November 2026
This page may be out of date. It was due for a re-check on 31 January 2027. Confirm every rule with the official source before acting on it.
Applications for CLAT 2027 closed on 31 October 2026 and the exam is on 6 December 2026. The Consortium says the date may be revised if needed, so check its website for changes.
Should you apply for CLAT 2027, and is anything stopping you?[1]
✓
Do it now
Eligible (CLAT 2027 forms closed on 31 October 2026)
You passed Class 12 with 45% or more (40% for SC, ST and PwD), or you sit Class 12 in March or April 2027. Any stream counts, and there is no upper age limit.
?
Check first
Read the eligibility rule first
Your qualifying exam isn't a regular Class 12, for example a three-year diploma. The Consortium's FAQ points diploma holders to the eligibility rule, which asks for 10+2 or an equivalent exam.
–
Not for you
CLAT is not open to you
You are a foreign national. The Consortium's instructions say foreign nationals can't sit CLAT and must apply to each NLU directly.
!
Get help
Ask the CLAT help desk
Your case isn't covered here, for example a payment that failed or a certificate you can't get in time. The Consortium's help desk is at clat@consortiumofnlus.ac.in and 080 4716 2020, 10 am to 5 pm on working days.
45%, or 40% for SC, ST and PwD; no upper age limit[1]
The steps, in order
1
Check that you can sit CLAT 2027 Before you register
You need 45% in Class 12 or an equivalent exam, or 40% if you are SC, ST or PwD. No stream is named and there is no upper age limit. If you sit Class 12 in March or April 2027 you can still apply, but you must show the pass result when you take admission.[1]
Have ready
Class 12 marksheet, or your 2027 exam schedule if you haven't sat it yet
Your category, if you claim one
2
Register with your own mobile number and email Portal open to 31 Oct 2026
Register on the Consortium website with a mobile number and email address that are yours. An OTP checks the number. After that you log in with the mobile number and the password you set.[2]
Have ready
Your own phone, for the OTP
An email address you check
The password, written down somewhere safe
3
Fill in names, programme and category exactly Before you pay
Spell your name and your parents' names exactly as they appear in your certificates, marksheets and ID. Choose UG as the programme and the right category. Once you submit and pay, the programme, category and BPL fields are locked.[2]
Have ready
Class 10 and Class 12 certificates or marksheets, to copy names from
Your ID proof
Category and BPL certificates, if you claim either
4
Upload the photo, signature and certificates as PDF Before you pay
Upload a recent front-facing passport-size photo on a plain background, your signature, and the certificate for each category you claim: SC, ST or OBC, PwD, or BPL. Every file must be a PDF. The photo and signature don't need attestation.[2]
Have ready
Photo and signature saved as PDF
Category, PwD or BPL certificate as PDF, if you claim one
5
Pay the fee online by 31 October, 11:59 PM By 31 Oct 2026, 11:59 PM
The fee is ₹4,000 for General and OBC candidates and ₹3,500 for SC, ST, BPL and PwD candidates. Previous years' question papers cost ₹500 more and are optional. You pay the bank charges, and the fee is not refunded or adjusted. The Consortium won't consider a form that isn't complete and paid by the deadline.[2]
Have ready
A way to pay online
The category you chose in step 3
6
Submit once and keep a record Right after payment
Check the whole form before you pay, because the Consortium accepts no changes after the closing date. If you file a second form, only the last one counts and the fee for the earlier one is lost.[2]
Have ready
A screenshot of the submitted form
The payment confirmation
7
Download the admit card and sit the paper on 6 December Exam: Sun 6 Dec 2026
Log in to download the admit card; the Consortium will announce the date on its website. The exam is on paper, 2:00 to 4:00 PM (to 4:40 PM for eligible PwD candidates). Counselling is expected in December 2026 or January 2027, and the NLU you are allotted checks your original certificates at admission.[2]
Have ready
Your login: registered mobile number and password
Original certificates, kept together for admission
How the 120 questions split by section
The Consortium gives these shares as approximate. Source[3]
The Consortium gives these as approximate numbers. Most questions follow passages of about 450 words.[3]
CLAT 2027 application fee
Category
Fee
General, OBC
₹4,000
SC, ST, BPL, PwD
₹3,500
Previous years' question papers (optional)
₹500 extra
Online payment only. Bank charges are extra, and the fee is not refunded or adjusted.[2]
National Law Universities admitting through CLAT 2027
University
Location
NLSIU
Bengaluru
NALSAR
Hyderabad
NLIU
Bhopal
WBNUJS
Kolkata
NLU
Jodhpur
HNLU
Raipur
GNLU
Gandhinagar, and its Silvassa campus
RMLNLU
Lucknow
RGNUL
Punjab
CNLU
Patna
NUALS
Kochi
NLUO
Odisha
NUSRL
Ranchi
NLUJA
Assam
DSNLU
Visakhapatnam
TNNLU
Tiruchirappalli
MNLU
Mumbai
MNLU
Nagpur
MNLU
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
HPNLU
Shimla
DNLU
Jabalpur
DBRANLU
Haryana
NLUT
Agartala
RPNLUP
Prayagraj
IIULER
Goa
NLU Meghalaya
Shillong
Intake, reservation, courses and fees are in each university's brochure, linked from the Consortium site. The Consortium does not allot NRI or NRI-sponsored seats; those go through each NLU.[6]
What goes wrong
Your name in the form doesn't match your marksheet
What happens: The Consortium says any change or alteration it finds may disqualify the candidature.[2]
Fix: Copy each name letter by letter from your certificates, initials and order included.
You pick the wrong category or programme
What happens: After payment the programme, category and BPL fields can't be changed, and requests to change them are not entertained. If the category you claimed doesn't match your certificates at admission, you are considered in later counselling rounds without that reserved category.[2]
Fix: Decide the category with the certificate in front of you, before you pay.
You file a second form to fix a mistake
What happens: Only the last form counts, and the fee for the earlier one is not refunded.[2]
Fix: Check every field before payment. If something is wrong after you pay, ask the help desk first.
You leave payment to the night of 31 October
What happens: The Consortium won't consider a form that isn't complete and paid by 11:59 PM, and it takes no responsibility for last-minute trouble.[2]
Fix: Aim to finish a week early.
You can't show your Class 12 pass result at admission
What happens: You lose your right to be considered for admission.[1]
Fix: Watch your NLU's admission notice for how and when to hand in the result.
Variants: when the steps change
If this is you
What changes
You sit Class 12 in March or April 2027
Apply now. You must show proof that you passed when you take admission, and each NLU will say how.[5]
SC, ST, PwD or BPL candidate
The fee is ₹3,500 instead of ₹4,000, you upload the category, PwD or BPL certificate, and eligible PwD candidates write until 4:40 PM.[2]
No category certificate yet
You can still apply in that category. You must produce the certificate at admission, or you can't be admitted to the course.[5]
NRI, or after an NRI-sponsored seat
NRIs and PIO or OCI card holders can sit CLAT. The Consortium does not allot NRI or NRI-sponsored seats, so apply to each NLU directly as its brochure says.[2]
Who can sit CLAT 2027 (UG)
You need to have passed Class 12 or an equivalent exam with at least 45% marks or the equivalent grade, or 40% if you are SC, ST or PwD. The rule names no stream, so Science, Commerce and Arts students apply on the same terms. There is no upper age limit.
If you sit Class 12 in March or April 2027, you can apply now. You must show that you passed when you take admission, or you lose your claim to the seat.
Indian nationals, NRIs and PIO or OCI card holders can sit CLAT. Foreign nationals cannot; they apply to the NLUs directly.[1]
What each section tests
The Consortium says CLAT tests comprehension and reasoning rather than prior knowledge. Legal Reasoning passages describe facts, legal issues or moral questions, and you need no prior study of law to answer them. Current Affairs passages come from news and other non-fiction. English passages come from fiction and non-fiction that a Class 12 student can read in five to seven minutes. Logical Reasoning asks you to spot arguments, contradictions and analogies. Quantitative Techniques uses Class 10 mathematics: ratios, basic algebra, mensuration and statistical estimation.[4]
Rules to know before you apply
Register on the Consortium website with your own mobile number and email; an OTP checks the number.
Spell your name and your parents' names exactly as in your certificates and marksheets.
After you submit and pay, you cannot change the programme (UG or PG), category or BPL field.
If you submit more than one form, only the last one counts, and the earlier fees are not refunded.
Upload documents as PDF. The photo and signature do not need attestation.
You can apply under a reserved category without the certificate now, but you must produce it at admission.
The Consortium expects counselling in December 2026 or January 2027. CLAT 2027 covers admission to the five-year integrated LL.B. and the LL.M. programmes that start in the 2027-28 academic year. Each NLU confirms its own start date.[5]
Tips and tricks
Before you register, put your Class 10 and Class 12 certificates beside the screen. Names go in exactly as printed there, and a mismatch can disqualify the form.
Use a mobile number you will keep through counselling. The OTP goes to it, and it is your login when the admit card comes out.
Make the PDFs before you open the form. Every upload has to be a PDF, and the photo and signature need no attestation.
The ₹500 for previous years' papers is an optional extra. It is not part of the ₹4,000 or ₹3,500 fee.
The Consortium breaks ties on Legal Aptitude marks first, then age, and only then by a computerised draw of lots.
Free printable
Print the working copy
CLAT 2027 application: the one-page checklist: one A4 page, black and white, with the decision, every step with a date box, and blanks to fill in.
CLAT 2027 application: the one-page checklist
Class 12 students and parents applying for CLAT 2027 (UG); forms closed 31 Oct 2026
Decide
Should you apply for CLAT 2027, and is anything stopping you?
Do it now: Eligible (CLAT 2027 forms closed on 31 October 2026)
Check first: Read the eligibility rule first
Not for you: CLAT is not open to you
Get help: Ask the CLAT help desk
Checklist
Done
Step
Date
45% in Class 12 (40% SC, ST, PwD), or sitting Class 12 in 2027
Registered with my own mobile and email, OTP done
Names copied letter by letter from certificates
Programme UG and category checked before paying
Photo, signature and certificates uploaded as PDF
Fee paid: ₹4,000, or ₹3,500 for SC, ST, BPL, PwD
Only one form filed
Paid before 31 Oct 2026, 11:59 PM
Admit card downloaded
Exam: Sun 6 Dec 2026, 2:00 to 4:00 PM
Candidate name, as on the Class 10 certificate
Registered mobile number and email
Category claimed, and BPL yes or no
Date paid and amount
Source: CLAT 2027 UG instructions, Consortium of NLUs. Check the official circular before you act. correctpath.in/exams/clat/
Every step above cites a numbered source; the full list is at the end of the page. If the board issues a newer circular, it overrides this page.
Questions people ask
Is there an age limit for CLAT 2027?
There is no upper age limit for the UG programme.[1]
Can I apply for CLAT while I am in Class 12?
Yes. If you sit Class 12 in March or April 2027 you can apply. You must show your pass result at the time of admission.[1]
Which stream do I need for CLAT?
Any. The rule asks for 45% in Class 12 (40% for SC, ST and PwD) and names no stream or subject.[1]
Is there negative marking in CLAT?
Yes. Each wrong answer costs 0.25 mark. A correct answer earns one mark.[3]
Is CLAT 2027 online or offline?
Offline. Only the application is online, on the Consortium website.[2]
What is the last date to apply for CLAT 2027?
It was 31 October 2026, 11:59 PM, and the Consortium's site showed no extension when we checked on 2 November 2026. Forms that were incomplete or unpaid by then are not considered.[2]
How are ties broken in CLAT, and is a seat offer final?
Higher marks in Legal Aptitude decide first, then higher age, then a computerised draw of lots. Seat allotments and admission offers are provisional and give you no right to admission.[2]
Can I change my category after paying the CLAT fee?
No. Once the form is submitted and paid, you can't change the programme, category or BPL field.[2]
Which documents do I upload for CLAT 2027?
A recent front-facing passport-size photo on a plain background, your signature, and a certificate for each category you claim (SC, ST or OBC, PwD, BPL). All files go up as PDF, and the photo and signature need no attestation.[2]
Whom do I contact about a CLAT application problem?
The Consortium's help desk: clat@consortiumofnlus.ac.in or 080 4716 2020, 10 am to 5 pm on working days. Its help-desk page also has a query form.[7]
I missed the CLAT 2027 form. What can I still do?
CLAT 2027 forms are closed. NLU Delhi does not take CLAT scores and runs its own test, AILET 2027, whose online form closes on 10 November 2026. Otherwise, watch consortiumofnlus.ac.in for CLAT 2028.[9]