The Common Law Admission Test ( CLAT 2026 ) for undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) law programs is scheduled for December 7 . Administered by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs), the entrance exam determines admissions to various law courses across India. All candidates must present their CLAT 2026 admit card, downloaded from the official website consortiumofnlus.ac.in, to gain entry to the examination hall. Without the admit card, entry will be denied.
Twenty-five NLUs nationwide will utilize CLAT 2026 scores for admissions into their Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (BA LLB) and Master of Laws (LLM) courses. The examination will be conducted in approximately 141 cities, spanning 25 states and four Union Territories across the country, ensuring wide accessibility for aspirants.
The CLAT 2026 exam will run for two hours, specifically from 2 pm to 4 pm . Candidates with disabilities (PwD) are granted an extended time of 40 additional minutes to complete their test, totaling two hours and forty minutes.
A specific change impacts candidates originally assigned to a Lucknow examination center. These candidates have been relocated to Lucknow Public College, located in A-Block, Rajajipuram. Affected individuals must download and print their updated admit cards reflecting this change.
CLAT 2026 Exam Pattern
The CLAT 2026 question paper consists of 120 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) . Each correct answer carries 1 mark. A system of negative marking is in place, where 0.25 marks will be deducted for every incorrect response. Candidates should approach questions carefully to avoid penalties.
Post-Examination Procedure
Following the examination, the Consortium of NLUs plans to release the provisional CLAT answer key 2026 within one week, with a target date around December 14 . Candidates will have a designated window to challenge this provisional answer key. After reviewing all objections, the Consortium will publish the final answer key.
Students who qualify in the CLAT 2026 entrance exam must then register separately for the centralized counselling process for both UG and PG admissions. During each round of counselling, candidates are permitted to submit up to 15 preferences for their desired National Law Universities and courses.
Application and Counselling Fees
The Consortium levies a fee of Rs 1,000 for challenging each question in the provisional answer key. Student organizations have previously raised concerns regarding this fee, advocating for its reduction. The application fee for CLAT 2026 was Rs 4,000 for General category candidates and Rs 3,500 for candidates from reserved categories. Proposals to lower these application fees have not been implemented by the Consortium.
Counselling fees differ based on category. For General category candidates, the counselling fee is Rs 30,000 . Candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and Persons with Disabilities (PwD) categories are required to pay Rs 20,000 for counselling registration.
Examination Day Guidelines
All candidates must strictly follow the guidelines and dress code specified on their individual CLAT 2026 admit card. These instructions are crucial for smooth entry and conduct during the examination. Candidates are advised to read these details thoroughly before arriving at the test center. The Consortium has not released a general public dress code, making the admit card the definitive source of information.