CLAT Exam Pattern 2027 – Marking Scheme, Section-Wise Weightage & Question Paper Pattern
Understanding the CLAT 2027 Exam Pattern is essential for building the right preparation strategy. The pattern determines how many questions you will face, the time available, the marking scheme, and how each section is weighted. Candidates who master the exam pattern can plan their attempt order, manage time effectively, and maximise their score.
CLAT 2027 is expected to be conducted on 6 December 2026 in offline (pen-and-paper) mode by the Consortium of National Law Universities.
CLAT 2027 Exam Pattern – Overview
|
Parameter |
Details |
|
Exam Name |
Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2027 |
|
Conducting Body |
Consortium of National Law Universities |
|
Exam Mode |
Offline (Pen and Paper Based) |
|
Exam Duration |
2 hours (120 minutes) |
|
Total Questions |
120 |
|
Total Marks |
120 |
|
Marks per Question |
1 mark |
|
Negative Marking |
0.25 marks per wrong answer |
|
Question Type |
MCQs (Passage-based) |
|
Number of Sections |
5 |
|
Exam Timing |
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
|
Medium |
English only |
|
Number of Shifts |
Single shift (no multiple sessions) |
CLAT 2027 Section-Wise Exam Pattern
|
Section |
No. of Questions |
Total Marks |
Weightage |
|
English Language |
22–26 |
22–26 |
~20% |
|
Current Affairs & General Knowledge |
28–32 |
28–32 |
~25% |
|
Legal Reasoning |
28–32 |
28–32 |
~25% |
|
Logical Reasoning |
22–26 |
22–26 |
~20% |
|
Quantitative Techniques |
10–14 |
10–14 |
~10% |
|
Total |
120 |
120 |
100% |
The Consortium may revise the exact number of questions per section. Numbers given here are based on CLAT 2026 patterns. Always check the official notification for confirmed details.
CLAT UG vs CLAT PG – Exam Pattern Comparison
|
Parameter |
CLAT UG 2027 |
CLAT PG 2027 |
|
Programme |
5-Year Integrated LLB |
1-Year LLM |
|
Questions |
120 MCQs |
120 MCQs |
|
Marks |
120 |
120 |
|
Duration |
2 hours |
2 hours |
|
Sections |
5 (English, GK, Legal, Logical, Quant) |
Law subjects (Constitutional Law, Jurisprudence, etc.) |
|
Negative Marking |
0.25 per wrong answer |
0.25 per wrong answer |
|
Mode |
Offline |
Offline |
CLAT 2027 Marking Scheme
Understanding the marking scheme helps candidates decide when to attempt a question and when to leave it.
|
Scenario |
Marks |
|
Correct Answer |
+1 mark |
|
Wrong Answer |
–0.25 marks |
|
Unattempted Question |
0 marks (no penalty) |
Marking Scheme Strategy
|
Situation |
Recommended Action |
|
Confident about the answer |
Attempt it |
|
Can eliminate 2 out of 4 options |
Attempt it (favourable risk-reward) |
|
No idea — random guess |
Skip (negative marking applies) |
|
Running out of time |
Attempt only high-confidence questions |
A well-calibrated attempt strategy is more important than attempting all 120 questions. Many top scorers attempt around 105–115 questions with high accuracy.
CLAT 2027 Question Paper Pattern
All questions in CLAT are passage-based MCQs. This is a critical feature of the exam pattern:
-
Each passage is followed by a set of 4–8 questions
-
Passages are sourced from legal texts, news articles, economic reports, literary extracts, and logical arguments
-
No factual recall questions — all information needed to answer is in the passage
-
Questions test comprehension, inference, application, and reasoning ability
Passage-Based Format by Section
|
Section |
Passage Type |
Questions per Passage |
|
English Language |
Literary / journalistic text |
4–5 questions |
|
Current Affairs & GK |
News article or GK passage |
4–6 questions |
|
Legal Reasoning |
Legal principle + scenario |
4–6 questions |
|
Logical Reasoning |
Argumentative text |
4–5 questions |
|
Quantitative Techniques |
Data-heavy table, chart, or graph |
3–5 questions |
Expected Changes in CLAT 2027 Pattern
The Consortium has formed an Expert Committee chaired by Justice Indu Malhotra (Retd.) — with members from Oxford, LSE, Columbia, and Cambridge, to recommend reforms for CLAT 2027. Based on the committee's mandate:
|
Expected Change |
Current Status |
|
Enhanced reading comprehension depth |
Likely to continue |
|
Higher reasoning complexity |
Possible improvement |
|
Better question quality standards |
High likelihood |
|
Core passage-based format |
Expected to continue unchanged |
|
Any changes to number of questions |
To be confirmed in July 2026 notification |
CLAT 2025 vs CLAT 2026 – Pattern Comparison (Reference)
|
Parameter |
CLAT 2025 |
CLAT 2026 |
|
Total Questions |
120 |
120 |
|
Duration |
2 hours |
2 hours |
|
Negative Marking |
0.25 |
0.25 |
|
Mode |
Offline |
Offline |
|
Question Type |
Passage-based MCQs |
Passage-based MCQs |
|
Difficulty Level |
Moderate |
Moderate |
|
Topper Score (UG) |
~112 marks |
112.75 marks (Geetali Gupta) |
Time Management Strategy Based on CLAT Pattern
Given 120 questions in 120 minutes, effective time allocation is critical:
|
Section |
Suggested Time |
|
Current Affairs & GK |
25–28 minutes |
|
Legal Reasoning |
28–32 minutes |
|
English Language |
20–22 minutes |
|
Logical Reasoning |
22–25 minutes |
|
Quantitative Techniques |
12–15 minutes |
|
Review & Buffer |
5–8 minutes |
Key Tips:
-
Spend no more than 60 seconds per question on average
-
Attempt your strongest section first to build confidence and bank easy marks
-
Use the last 5 minutes to review flagged/skipped questions
CLAT 2027 Exam Centres
CLAT 2027 will be conducted across 130+ exam centres in cities across India. Candidates can select 3 centre preferences while filling the application form. The final exam centre is assigned by the Consortium and mentioned on the admit card.
Understanding the CLAT 2027 exam pattern in detail and practising full-length mock tests aligned with it is the single most effective preparation strategy for securing a high rank.
