CLAT 2027 — Registration, Eligibility, Exam Pattern, Syllabus & Best Law Colleges Guide

For most students who dream of a career in law, the road to a National Law University runs through one exam: CLAT. It is the single most important gateway for students seeking admission to India's premier 5-year integrated LLB programmes, and getting the details right — registration windows, eligibility, the exact CLAT 2027 exam pattern, and which colleges genuinely suit your target rank — makes the difference between a wasted year and a seat at a top law school.

This guide draws only on information published by the Consortium of National Law Universities, the Ministry of Education's NIRF 2025 rankings, and verified counselling and placement data, so that every fact here is grounded and current as of August 2026.

1. What Is CLAT? Exam Overview 2027

The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a centralised, offline entrance examination conducted once a year by the Consortium of National Law Universities for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes across India's National Law Universities (NLUs). The CLAT-UG paper is the pathway into the 5-year integrated law degrees — BA LLB, BBA LLB, BSc LLB, and similar combined programmes — while CLAT-PG is used for admission to the 1-year LLM.

CLAT 2027 will be held for admission to the academic session beginning in 2027, even though the test itself is conducted in December 2026. A score from this single exam is accepted by 26 of the 27 National Law Universities, along with numerous private and affiliated law schools that use the CLAT merit list for their own admissions.

2. CLAT 2027 at a Glance — Key Facts

3. Latest CLAT 2027 Notice & Important Dates

The Consortium of NLUs has already published the CLAT 2027 notification. Here is the verified schedule, based on the official notification and the Consortium's public communication:

4. Eligibility Criteria for CLAT 2027 (UG & PG)

CLAT eligibility is refreshingly simple compared to most competitive exams — there is no age bar, and no restriction on which stream you studied in Class 12. Here is the complete breakdown for both papers:

5. How to Fill the CLAT 2027 Application Form

Every CLAT application goes through the same official portal — there is no separate exam-conducting agency to worry about, unlike engineering or medical entrance exams. Here is the process, step by step:

1. Register on the Official Consortium Portal Visit consortiumofnlus.ac.in, create an account using a valid, active email ID and mobile number, and note down your registration ID and password carefully.
2. Fill Personal & Academic Details Enter your name (exactly as on your Class 10 certificate), date of birth, category, nationality, Class 12 board and school details, and your preferred exam city choices.
3. Upload Photograph & Signature Upload a recent passport-size photograph and a scanned signature in the specified format and file size — check the official notification PDF for exact dimensions before uploading.
4. Select Programmes & NLU Preferences Indicate whether you are applying for CLAT-UG, CLAT-PG, or both, and note that your CLAT rank — not a separate application — determines eligibility across participating NLUs during counselling.
5. Pay the Application Fee Based on recent years' trends, the fee is expected to be around ₹4,000 for General/OBC/EWS candidates and ₹3,500 for SC/ST candidates, payable via net banking, UPI, or card. Confirm the exact amount from the official 2027 notification.
6. Review, Submit & Download Confirmation Recheck every field before final submission — corrections are allowed only during the designated correction window in November 2026. Download and safely store the confirmation page.
7. Download Admit Card The admit card is expected in the third week of November 2026. Carry a printed copy along with a valid original photo ID to the exam centre — no admission is allowed without it.

6. CLAT 2027 Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme

The Consortium has confirmed that the CLAT 2027 pattern and syllabus remain unchanged from CLAT 2026. The exam is entirely passage-based — every question is built around a comprehension passage of roughly 450–500 words, testing how well you can read, infer, and apply information under time pressure, rather than rote memorisation.

Section-wise Weightage (CLAT-UG)

7. CLAT 2027 Syllabus — Section-wise Breakdown

Since the syllabus is unchanged for 2027, here is what each section actually tests. Click a section to expand it:

8. Best Law Colleges for CLAT 2027 — NIRF Ranked NLUs

The Ministry of Education's NIRF 2025 rankings placed National Law Universities in 8 of the top 10 spots among all law schools in India — a reminder of just how dominant NLUs remain in Indian legal education. Here are the top-ranked institutions and how you can access them:

Beyond the NIRF top 10, well-regarded NLUs that accept CLAT scores and consistently place among the top 40 include NLU Jodhpur, Chanakya National Law University Patna, RMLNLU Lucknow, NLIU Bhopal, Maharashtra NLU Nagpur, NUSRL Ranchi, HPNLU Shimla, and NLUJAA Assam — collectively giving CLAT candidates access to 26 NLUs across the country.

9. CLAT Cutoff Trends — Rank Needed for Top NLUs

CLAT does not have a fixed "qualifying" cutoff the way some exams do — every candidate who appears gets a rank, and admission depends on where that rank falls relative to seats and reserved-category quotas at each NLU. Based on recent years' closing trends, here is a realistic picture for General category candidates:

10. NLU Fees 2027 — 5-Year BA LLB Cost

NLU fee structures vary considerably — there is no single fee slab across all 26 institutions. Broadly, they fall into three bands for the complete 5-year BA LLB programme (tuition, hostel, and mess combined):

11. CLAT vs AILET vs Other Law Entrance Exams

CLAT is the largest and most widely recognised law entrance exam in India, but it is not the only one. Here is how it compares to other major options:

Note that CLAT and other 5-year integrated LLB entrance exams are meant for direct-from-school candidates. If you are a graduate seeking a standalone 3-year LLB, that admission route is generally separate and handled by individual universities or state-level law entrance tests, not through CLAT.

12. Career Scope & Salary After LLB from an NLU

A law degree from a top NLU opens far more doors than courtroom litigation alone. Here are the major career paths NLU graduates typically pursue:

Top Recruiters at Leading NLUs

13. FAQs — CLAT Exam 2027