The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2026 will be held on 7th December 2026 between 2 pm and 4 pm. The CLAT 2026 scores will be eligible to be used by the National Law Universities (NLUs) to apply to their undergraduate law courses. The essay will give a comprehensive analysis of CLAT 2026 once the test is taken.
The CLAT 2026 exam shall be administered in pen-and-paper format, with 120 questions across five sections: English, Current Affairs (including General Knowledge), Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques. Each question will be worth one mark, with a 0.25 penalty for a wrong answer. The paper will be of average complexity, as per past trends.
Surprise Element: Over the past few years, there were a couple of surprise elements, including unexpected questions in the Logical Reasoning part (e.g., seating arrangements). There are some twists candidates can expect; still, there are no signs of a significant change compared with previous years.
The exam will last 2 hours (120 minutes), and the questions will be distributed across the sections as follows:
Overview of CLAT 2026
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Category
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Details
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Number of Sections
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5
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Total Number of Questions
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120
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Duration
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2 hours
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Total Marks
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120
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Marks per Question
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1
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Negative Marking
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0.25 for incorrect answers
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Expected Cut Off
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93+ for top 5 NLUs, 85+ for others
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Section-wise Breakup of CLAT 2026
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Section
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No. of Questions
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Marks Allotted
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English
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24
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24
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General Knowledge & Current Affairs
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28
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28
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Legal Reasoning
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32
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32
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Logical Reasoning
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24
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24
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Quantitative Techniques
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12
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12
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Total
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120
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120
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Detailed Section-wise Analysis for CLAT 2026
I. English
- Evaluation: This section will contain 24 questions. The difficulty level is expected to be easy to moderate. There will likely be 4 reading comprehension passages, each followed by 6 questions. Most questions will be based on contextual understanding and vocabulary.
- Passage Topics: Topics may include themes related to education, ethics, and socio-political issues.
- Skills Required: Good reading speed and an understanding of diverse topics.
- Overall Feel: Easy to Moderate
- Good Attempt: 20-22 questions
II. Current Affairs including General Knowledge
- Evaluation: The General Knowledge & Current Affairs section is expected to have 28 questions. The difficulty level will likely be moderate, with questions drawn from both historical context and current affairs.
- Passage Topics: Topics will include current political developments, international relations, and legal milestones.
- Skills Required: Awareness of current events, critical thinking, and analysis.
- Overall Feel: Moderate
- Good Attempt: 23-25 questions
III. Legal Reasoning
- Evaluation: This section will have 32 questions, likely making it the lengthiest section of the exam. The difficulty level is expected to be moderate to slightly difficult, with 6 passages covering contemporary legal issues.
- Passage Topics: Topics may include constitutional law, human rights, environmental law, and contract law.
- Skills Required: Inferential understanding and application of legal principles.
- Overall Feel: Moderate to Difficult
- Good Attempt: 27-29 questions
IV. Logical Reasoning
- Evaluation: This section will include 24 questions and may feature 4 passages. The difficulty level will be moderate, with a few unconventional sets of questions, such as seating arrangements or critical reasoning problems that require candidates to think outside the box.
- Passage Topics: These may cover problem-solving related to social issues, efficiency, and decision-making.
- Skills Required: Good reading speed and basic knowledge of critical reasoning.
- Overall Feel: Moderate
- Good Attempt: 19-21 questions
V. Quantitative Techniques
- Evaluation: The Quantitative Techniques section will contain 12 questions. There will likely be 2 sets of 6 questions each. These sets will cover topics like percentages and averages, with one set being slightly easier and the other more difficult.
- Set 1: Likely to focus on real-life scenarios involving financial calculations.
- Set 2: Could focus on comparative data analysis like income disparity and inequality.
- Skills Required: Quick calculations and accuracy.
- Overall Feel: Moderate to Difficult
- Good Attempt: 8-10 questions
Conclusion
The CLAT 2026 exam is expected to be moderate in difficulty, with no major changes compared to previous years. Candidates with a strong understanding of current affairs, legal reasoning, and logical thinking will perform well. Time management and accuracy will be crucial, especially in Quantitative Techniques and Legal Reasoning sections.
Good luck with your preparations, and remember that consistent practice and time management are key to success in CLAT 2026!