CLAT 2026 Registration Opens Today for UG & PG Programmes; Exam on December 7

The gateway to India's premier National Law Universities (NLUs) opens today! The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) has officially commenced the registration process for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2026. Aspiring law students for both undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) programmes can now submit their applications through the official CLAT website, consortiumofnlus.ac.in.

CLAT 2026 is the mandatory national-level entrance examination for admission to the five-year integrated B.A. LL.B (Hons.), B.Sc. LL.B (Hons.), B.B.A. LL.B (Hons.), B.S.W. LL.B (Hons.), B.Com. LL.B (Hons.) and LL.M. programmes offered by the 22 participating NLUs. This year's examination is set to take place on Sunday, December 7, 2025.

Key Dates for CLAT 2026 Aspirants:

• Online Application Begins: August 1, 2025
• Application Deadline: October 31, 2025
• Admit Card Release (Tentative): Mid-November 2025
• CLAT 2026 Exam Date: December 7, 2025 (Sunday, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM)
• Provisional Answer Key (Tentative): First week of December 2025
• Final Answer Key & Result (Tentative): Last week of December 2025 / First week of January 2026

Eligibility Criteria:

• For UG Programmes (5-year integrated LLB): Candidates must have passed the 10+2 examination or an equivalent examination with a minimum of 45% aggregate marks (40% for SC/ST/PwD categories). There is no upper age limit. Candidates appearing for their qualifying examination in April/May 2026 are also eligible to apply.
• For PG Programmes (LLM): Applicants must possess an LL.B. degree or an equivalent examination with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD categories). Candidates appearing for their final year LL.B. examination in April/May 2026 are also eligible.

Application Process and Fees:

The CLAT 2026 application process is entirely online. Candidates need to register on the Consortium's official website by providing a valid mobile number and email ID. After successful registration, they can proceed to fill out the detailed application form, which includes personal, academic, and contact information.

Applicants will also be required to upload scanned copies of their photograph, signature, and relevant category certificates (if applicable). A crucial step this year is the mandatory submission of NLU preferences during the application process itself.

The application fee for CLAT 2026 is as follows:

• General/OBC/NRI/PIO/OCI categories: INR 4,000/-
• SC/ST/PwD/BPL categories: INR 3,500/-

An additional INR 500/- can be paid if candidates wish to purchase previous years' question papers. The fee must be paid online through credit card, debit card, or net banking.

Exam Pattern Overview:

CLAT 2026 will be conducted in an offline (pen-and-paper) format. The UG paper will consist of 120 multiple-choice questions, to be completed in 2 hours. The sections include English Language, Current Affairs including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques. For every correct answer, 1 mark will be awarded, and 0.25 marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer.

The PG paper will also feature 120 multiple-choice questions over 2 hours, covering various law subjects.

Aspirants are strongly advised to refer to the official CLAT 2026 notification and brochure available on the Consortium's website for comprehensive details on the syllabus, exam pattern, participating universities, and reservation policies, and to begin their preparation promptly.