CLAT is India's national law entrance test for five year integrated LLB and LLM programmes. The CLAT 2025 exam pattern and syllabus, as described in current sources, has 120 passage based multiple choice questions in five sections, two hours, offline on paper. Each correct answer earns 1 mark and each wrong answer loses 0.25.

If you are a Class 12 student or a parent trying to understand the CLAT 2025 exam pattern and syllabus for the first time, this guide walks through it in plain terms. Most of the numbers are simple. The challenge is turning them into a study routine and a sensible exam day plan. The pattern described here is the one published for CLAT 2027, the latest cycle in our sources, so check the official notification each year before you lock in your plan.

What CLAT is, who it is for and who it is not for

CLAT, the Common Law Admission Test, is a national entrance test conducted by the Consortium of NLUs. It is used for admission to five year integrated LLB and LLM programmes. In simple words, if you want to study law after Class 12 or want a postgraduate law degree, CLAT is one of the main doors into India's national law universities. For a Hindi explanation of the same basics, the CLAT Coaching Delhi Hindi guide is a useful companion.

CLAT suits students who enjoy reading, can follow a long argument, and can stay calm while working through passages under time pressure. It also suits students who are willing to study five different subjects in a structured way, rather than relying on last minute cramming.

It may not suit you if your only goal is NLU Delhi. NLU Delhi does not join the common CLAT. It conducts its own test, AILET, for BA LLB Hons, LLM and PhD. If you are not willing to prepare in an organised way, a test with five sections and a negative marking rule will be hard to manage.

The exam pattern at a glance

The CLAT 2027 undergraduate test has 120 passage based multiple choice questions. You get two hours. The test is offline, on pen and paper, and it is in English only. Every question is based on a passage, so reading speed and comprehension matter as much as subject knowledge. You can read the full breakdown on the CLAT 2027 Exam Pattern | Marking Scheme and Duration page.

There are no sectional time limits and no sectional cut-offs. All 120 questions count toward one merged score out of 120. That means you decide how to spend your two hours. Imagine a student who spends 90 minutes on one hard Legal Reasoning passage. That student may have very little time left for English Language and Quantitative Techniques, and those easier marks can slip away. Time management across the whole paper matters more than being strong in one section.

Marking scheme with a worked example

The marking scheme is the part that surprises most first timers. Each correct answer earns +1. Each wrong answer loses 0.25. An unattempted question scores zero. The negative marking is small, but it adds up quickly.

Take a student who answers 100 questions and leaves 20 unattempted. Suppose 80 answers are correct and 20 are wrong. The calculation is:

• Correct answers: 80 × 1 = 80 marks
• Wrong answers: 20 × 0.25 = 5 marks deducted
• Final score: 80 minus 5 = 75 marks out of 120

Now consider blind guessing. Suppose a question has four options and you have no idea which is right. Your chance of being right is one in four. Over many such guesses, the arithmetic gives you a small average gain, but the risk is high and each guess costs you time. The picture changes when you can rule out options. Imagine you eliminate two of the four options and guess between the remaining two. Your chance of being right is 50 percent, and the expected value is 0.5 × 1 minus 0.5 × 0.25, which is 0.375 marks per attempt. This is an illustration of the arithmetic, not a promise of any score.

So the practical advice is to attempt a question only when you can eliminate at least two options, and to leave the rest unattempted. This is a strategy choice. It reduces your risk, but it does not guarantee a higher score, because skipping also means losing chances.

The five sections, one by one

The five sections are English Language, Current Affairs including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques. Here is what each one tests, with a simple example for each.

English Language. Expect a passage on a legal or social topic, followed by questions on vocabulary, inference and the main idea. Example: read a paragraph about the role of courts in protecting consumer rights, then decide which option best captures the author's main point. Daily reading of editorials and long form articles is the best practice.

Current Affairs including General Knowledge. This section rewards steady reading. Example: go through a monthly news digest and sort each item into law, economy, polity or international themes. Make a one line note for each item. By the final months, this habit makes recall faster.

Legal Reasoning. You are given a short legal principle and a set of facts. You decide which outcome the principle supports. Example: a principle says a contract needs a lawful object and free consent. A set of facts describes an agreement made under pressure. You must decide which option follows from the principle. Practise reading the principle carefully before looking at the options.

Logical Reasoning. You read a short argument and identify a flaw, an assumption or a conclusion that follows. Example: an argument says a city's new rule must work because a neighbouring city adopted it, without any data on results. The flaw is the weak comparison. Spot these patterns by writing down the argument's conclusion and its supporting reason in your own words.

Quantitative Techniques. Questions are based on short passages with numbers, often on percentages, ratios or simple data. Example: a passage gives the number of cases filed in three years and asks for the percentage change in one of them. Practise a small set of problems every day, rather than one long session each week, so that accuracy and speed improve steadily.

Exam date, notification and what to watch

CLAT 2027 is expected on 6 December 2026, from 2 to 4 PM. Registration for CLAT 2027 opens in August 2026, as confirmed by the Consortium. The notification is expected in July 2026. Please note that the exam date is confirmed only in the official notification, so treat 6 December 2026 as a planning anchor, not a final fact. You can track the expected timeline on the CLAT 2027 Exam Date and Notification page, and then confirm everything on the Consortium's official site.

A simple planning method is to work backwards from the expected date. Mark the date on your calendar, then block the final four weeks for full mock tests under the two hour limit. Before that, divide the remaining weeks into blocks: one block for reading and vocabulary, one for current affairs, one for legal and logical reasoning, and one for quantitative practice. Revisit weak areas every week rather than waiting until the end.

Choosing between CLAT and AILET, with honest trade-offs

The choice between CLAT and AILET depends on which colleges you want. CLAT is the common route into several National Law Universities. One test gives you access to a number of institutions. AILET is NLU Delhi's own test, for BA LLB Hons, LLM and PhD. It focuses on one university, with its own pattern and process.

The trade-off is simple. CLAT gives you more options through one exam. AILET gives you a single, highly regarded university but depends on your interest in that one institution. If you are unsure, compare the two on the CLAT vs AILET 2027 comparison page, which sets out the differences in pattern and which to pick. If you are new to AILET, the AILET Exam Full Form, Eligibility, Pattern and Syllabus page explains its basics.

To see which colleges are entered through CLAT, look at the Top Law Colleges in India (NIRF 2025) guide, then verify rankings and admission routes from official sources before you decide. Rankings and processes can change, so do not rely on any single page for final choices.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Mistake one: studying the syllabus without practising under the time limit. Reading every topic does not prepare you for two hours of passage reading. Fix this by taking a full timed mock every week in the final months, and reviewing every wrong answer afterwards.

Mistake two: ignoring the penalty and guessing on every question. Each wrong answer costs 0.25, so random guessing can erode a good score. Fix this by setting a personal accuracy target, such as attempting only questions where you can eliminate at least two options, and skipping the rest.

Mistake three: relying on an outdated pattern. Patterns, marking schemes and modes can change between cycles. Fix this by confirming the year, the mode and the marking scheme from the official notification each cycle, before you buy books or set your timetable.

Frequently asked questions

Is the CLAT exam pattern the same every year?

The sources used for this guide describe the CLAT 2027 pattern: 120 passage based questions, two hours, offline and in English. Do not assume that an earlier or later cycle is identical. Check the official notification for each cycle before you plan your preparation, and treat any older guide with caution.

How much does a wrong answer cost in CLAT?

Each wrong answer loses 0.25 marks. Unattempted questions score zero. For example, 80 correct and 20 wrong answers give 80 minus 5, which is 75 marks. The safest approach is selective attempting: answer only where you can eliminate options with confidence. This reduces risk, but it does not promise a higher score.

Should I choose CLAT or AILET?

CLAT is the common test for several National Law Universities, while AILET is NLU Delhi's own test for BA LLB Hons, LLM and PhD. Compare the pattern, eligibility and target colleges on the official websites, and use the CLAT vs AILET comparison page as a starting point. Choose based on the institutions you want, and remember that no test or guide can guarantee a result.