CLAT 2027 Exam Pattern, Syllabus Unchanged; Consortium Rejects Major Structural Changes

The Consortium of National Law Universities (Consortium of NLUs) has decided to keep the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2027 exam pattern and syllabus the same.

The Consortium of National Law Universities (Consortium of NLUs) has decided to keep the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2027 exam pattern and syllabus the same. This announcement was made by the Governing Body on July 21, 2026. They also shared the Expert Committee Report on their official website at consortiumofnlus.ac.in. The report was sent to the Consortium on February 2, 2026. The Expert Committee had suggested a major change in how the CLAT paper is structured. However, the Governing Body has not agreed to any of these structural changes for the 2027 exam. Instead, they may still consider some of the committee's suggestions on improving the quality of questions this year.

CLAT 2027 Key Details

Who Were the Members of the Expert Committee?

The Consortium formed the Expert Committee on September 15, 2025. Their job was to thoroughly review how the CLAT is conducted. The committee was co-led by Professor Dev Saif Gangjee from the University of Oxford and Professor Tarunabh Khaitan from the London School of Economics. Other members include Professor Shyamkrishna Balganesh from Columbia Law School, Professor Pritam Baruah from BML Munjal University, and Professor Surabhi Ranganathan from the University of Cambridge.

What Recommendations Did the Committee Make?

The committee suggested moving away from memorization based on coaching. They wanted the exam to test real logical and legal skills. Below are their main recommendations.

1. Proposals for the Undergraduate Paper
2. Combine the five sections into three.
3. Keep logical reasoning and legal aptitude as one section.
4. Keep Language and Comprehension as a single section.
5. Keep Quantitative Techniques as the third section.
6. Remove the General Knowledge and Current Affairs section completely.
7. Proposals for the Postgraduate Paper
8. Add a section specifically on legal knowledge.
9. Include a new part with problem questions.

What Remains the Same for CLAT 2027?

The CLAT UG paper will continue with its five sections: English Language, Current Affairs and General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques. The PG paper structure will also stay the same. The Consortium has said that paper setters may use the report’s recommendations to improve question quality.
However, the number of sections and the syllabus will not change.

How to Give Feedback on the Report?

The Consortium has opened a public feedback period for the Expert Committee Report. Students, teachers, parents, and others can share their opinions. The deadline for submitting feedback is August 31, 2026.

1. Visit the official website at consortiumofnlus.ac.in.
2. Open the link to the Expert Committee Report on the homepage.
3. Read the report and note the parts you want to comment on.
4. Send your feedback through the method provided by the Consortium.

What Should Candidates Do?

1. Continue preparing according to the current CLAT UG or PG syllabus.
2. Do not ignore the General Knowledge and Current Affairs section.
3. Read the full Expert Committee Report on the official website.
4. Send your feedback to the Consortium by August 31, 2026.
5. Keep an eye on updates for CLAT 2027 on consortiumofnlus.ac.in.