CLAT 2026 Eligibility: Check Latest CLAT Exam Eligibility Criteria

The Common Law Admission Test or ‘CLAT’ is the main exam for admission to any of the 25 National Law Universities. The Consortium of NLUs is scheduled to conduct CLAT 2026 on December 7, 2025. The consortium has released a notification regarding the registration for the exam.

Before filling out the forms for CLAT 2026, students should read the following article to understand the CLAT eligibility criteria for undergraduate programmes.

CLAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit

There is no upper age limit for CLAT 2026.

CLAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria for Undergraduate Programs

A candidate should have passed 10+2 or any equivalent exam with the following percentage:

45% marks for candidates belonging to the General/OBC/Specially-abled Persons (SAP) category.
40% marks for the candidates belonging to the SC/ST category.
Any candidate appearing in the qualifying examination, i.e., 10+2, can also appear for this examination. However, they should be able to produce sufficient evidence to prove that they have passed 10+2 at the time of admission.
The candidate must submit the result of the qualifying examination (i.e., 10+2) at the time of admission, failing which the candidate shall be ineligible for admission to the Course.

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CLAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria for Postgraduate Programs

Candidates must have passed the LL.B or equivalent exam with at least 50% marks for General/OBC/SAP category and 45% marks for SC/ST category. Candidates who have completed the qualifying exam in March 2025 will also be eligible to take part in the CLAT 2026. However, in order to be eligible for admission, they will need to provide proof that they have successfully completed the qualifying examination at the National Law Universities to which they are applying.

CLAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria: Application Form

CLAT 2026 application forms are out. For help on filling out the application form, candidates can follow the guidelines below:

Candidates must register and create a CLAT login to access the CLAT Application Form. To register, candidates must provide their personal details like – name, email id, contact number, and password.
Once the candidate has registered, they can now move ahead to fill in their CLAT Application Form. They must upload their passport-size photograph, signature, personal information, communication details, and educational qualifications.
Then select the NLUs based on your preference and the three exam centres you prefer.
If applicable, candidates must provide their reservation details and submit their CLAT Application Form.
After submitting the CLAT Application Form, you can make payment online via Credit/ debit/ UPI or Net Banking and submit the registration fees as mentioned below.

Category	Fee
General/ OBC/PwD/NRI/PIO/OCI category	Rs. 4000
SC/ST/BPL category	Rs. 3500

NLU Preference List

It is important to note that candidates are now required to submit their preference of NLUs while submitting their CLAT application form. It is a mandatory step from 2026 onwards where applications are now required to select their preference list carefully as the consortium will only consider those NLUs that have been mentioned during registration.

Following the above, candidates can fill in their applications with the eligibility requirements. However, every candidate needs to be thorough with the eligibility requirements before applying for the exam. Ensure that you have entered all the details correctly, as you will not get another chance to edit your application form.

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CLAT Eligibility 2026: Tie-breaker

When two or more candidates score the same in CLAT 2026, NLUs will be using the process mentioned below to break the tie –

Tie-breaker Round for CLAT 2026

So when the condition appears –

Candidates with higher grades in legal reasoning will be ranked higher in the selection process.
After a second tie, the older candidate will be given priority over the other.
A computerized drawing of lots will determine how the candidates will be ranked if a tie cannot be broken in the first round.

Tie-breaker for CLAT PG 2026

For CLAT PG, the following points will be considered to break the tie –

Age of the candidate
Computerized draws

FAQs

What is the CLAT age limit?

Candidates for the CLAT UG must have completed Class 12 or the equivalent from an accredited board. Candidates must receive a score of 45% to be admitted. There is no upper age limit to apply for CLAT.

Which stream is best for CLAT?

If you are sure you will take the CLAT to pursue a legal career, the Commerce stream is the one to choose, followed by B.Com and LLB. Alternatively, you can directly apply for CLAT after completing 12th grade. However, there are also additional topics in business that might not be relevant to law.

Are 12th marks important for CLAT?

The 12th grade does not play a significant role in the CLAT exam, but you must have achieved a minimum score or percentage.

What is CLAT 2026?

CLAT is the Common Law Admission Test conducted by the Consortium of NLUs. The exam is conducted at UG and PG levels for admissions to the law programmes.

What is the CLAT 2026 Eligibility?

CLAT Eligibility for UG and PG courses is different. Candidates applying for the CLAT UG must qualify for Class 12th or equivalent from a recognised board. Candidates must score 45% to be eligible for admission.

What is the Age Limit for CLAT?

There is no upper age limit to apply for CLAT.

How many times can one appear for CLAT?

Candidates can take CLAT as many times as they want. As of now, there is no limitation to appearing for the exam, but the candidates must meet the minimum eligibility requirement.

Can I get admission to Integrated law programmes at NLUs without CLAT?

CLAT is mandatory for admission to any of the law programmes at NLU. Thus, law aspirants must take CLAT to be eligible to apply for any law programme.

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