CLAT 2027 Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme
The CLAT 2027 UG exam is a 2-hour (120-minute) offline, pen-and-paper test of 120 comprehension-based multiple-choice questions in English, across five sections. Each correct answer earns +1 mark and each wrong answer loses 0.25 marks; unattempted questions score zero. There are no sectional time limits and no sectional cut-offs — all 120 questions count toward one merged score out of 120.
120 questions · 120 minutes · 120 marks · +1 / –0.25 · 5 sections · offline OMR · English medium · no sectional cut-off
CLAT 2027 UG Exam Pattern — Key Particulars
| Conducting body | Consortium of NLUs |
| Mode | Offline (pen-and-paper, OMR) |
| Medium / language | English only |
| Duration | 2 hours (120 minutes) |
| Total questions | 120 (passage-based MCQs) |
| Total marks | 120 |
| Marking | +1 correct · –0.25 wrong · 0 unattempted |
| Sections | 5 (no sectional time limit or cut-off) |
| Exam cities | 130+ across India |
CLAT 2027 Section-Wise Questions, Marks & Weightage
Indicative counts based on recent CLAT papers. All sections are merged for the final score.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Weightage |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 22–26 (~24) | ~24 | 20% |
| Current Affairs & GK | 28–32 (~30) | ~30 | 25% |
| Legal Reasoning | 28–32 (~30) | ~30 | 25% |
| Logical Reasoning | 22–26 (~24) | ~24 | 20% |
| Quantitative Techniques | 10–14 (~12) | ~12 | 10% |
| Total | 120 | 120 | 100% |
All sections are merged for the final score — there is no sectional cut-off, so a strong section can offset a weaker one. The exact count per section is not fixed in advance; the Consortium publishes the weightage and these counts reflect recent CLAT papers.
How CLAT 2027 Is Scored
Negative marking makes CLAT a game of accuracy, not just attempts. Here's how every answer is scored.
One full mark added for every right response.
Quarter-mark deducted — four wrong answers cancel one correct.
No penalty for leaving a question blank. Skip the ones you can't reason through.
Worked example
Attempt 100 questions → 85 correct, 15 wrong. Score = (85 × 1) − (15 × 0.25) = 81.25 marks.
Now wild-guess the remaining 20 questions and get roughly 4 right, 16 wrong: you add 4 marks but lose 4 (16 × 0.25) — a net zero, and on a worse ratio it can pull your score down. The lesson: in CLAT, accuracy beats volume. Because there is no sectional cut-off but there is negative marking, rank is decided by accuracy and intelligent question selection, not by how many questions you attempt.
CLAT UG vs PG: How the Patterns Differ
Both CLAT UG and PG are 2-hour offline papers of 120 MCQs with the same +1 / –0.25 marking. The difference is what they test. UG tests general aptitude through five comprehension-based sections and needs no prior law. PG tests core law subjects studied in an LLB — Constitutional Law, Jurisprudence, Contracts, Torts, Criminal Law and others — for admission to NLU master's (LLM) programmes.
| Feature | CLAT UG (LLB) | CLAT PG (LLM) |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 120 | 120 |
| Duration | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Marking | +1 / –0.25 | +1 / –0.25 |
| Tests | Aptitude & reasoning | Core law subjects |
| Prior law needed | No | Yes (LLB level) |
Has the CLAT Pattern Changed?
The most significant recent change was the reduction of the UG paper from 150 to 120 questions (from CLAT 2024), keeping the 2-hour duration — which raised the time available per question. For CLAT 2027 the pattern currently stands unchanged, but the Consortium of NLUs has formed an Expert Committee to review the exam, so the question count, weightage or duration could be revised. Any change will be confirmed only in the official CLAT 2027 notification, expected July 2026.
What CLAT Exam Day Looks Like
CLAT 2027 is expected on 6 December 2026 (Sunday), in a single afternoon slot of 2:00–4:00 PM. You report to your allotted centre about an hour before, carrying a printed admit card and a valid photo ID. The paper is an OMR sheet — you mark answers with the prescribed pen — so practise OMR-style mocks beforehand. With 120 questions in 120 minutes, you have roughly one minute per question, which is why reading speed and a section-order strategy (most aspirants open with their strongest section) matter as much as knowledge. There is no sectional time limit, so you allocate the two hours yourself.
Exam Pattern FAQs
What is the CLAT 2027 exam pattern?
CLAT 2027 (UG) is a 2-hour offline, pen-and-paper exam of 120 comprehension-based multiple-choice questions in English, across five sections — English Language, Current Affairs & GK, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques. Each correct answer earns +1 mark and each wrong answer loses 0.25; unattempted questions score zero. There are no sectional time limits or cut-offs, and all questions count toward one score out of 120.
How many questions are there in CLAT 2027?
CLAT 2027 UG has 120 multiple-choice questions, to be answered in 2 hours. They are spread across five sections — Current Affairs & GK and Legal Reasoning carry the most (about 28–32 each), English and Logical Reasoning about 22–26 each, and Quantitative Techniques about 10–14. The exact per-section count is not fixed in advance; only the weightage is published by the Consortium.
Is there negative marking in CLAT 2027?
Yes. CLAT 2027 deducts 0.25 marks for every incorrect answer, against +1 for each correct answer. Unattempted questions carry no penalty. Because four wrong answers cancel one correct, negative marking makes accuracy and intelligent question selection more important than the sheer number of attempts — blind guessing can lower your score.
What is the duration of the CLAT 2027 exam?
CLAT 2027 UG is a 2-hour (120-minute) exam. With 120 questions, that works out to roughly one minute per question, so reading speed and time management are decisive. There is no sectional time limit — you can move between the five sections freely and spend your two hours however you choose, which is why most aspirants open with their strongest section.
What is the CLAT 2027 marking scheme?
CLAT 2027 awards +1 mark for each correct answer, deducts 0.25 marks for each wrong answer, and gives 0 for unattempted questions. The UG paper is out of 120 marks for 120 questions. The same marking scheme applies to CLAT PG. This rewards accuracy and penalises careless guessing, so candidates should attempt questions they can reason through and skip those they cannot narrow down.
How many marks is the CLAT 2027 exam out of?
CLAT 2027 UG is out of 120 marks — 120 questions, each worth one mark, with 0.25 deducted per wrong answer. CLAT PG is also out of 120 marks. Your raw score (correct minus the negative-marking penalty) determines your All-India rank, which in turn decides your NLU and seat through the Consortium's centralised counselling.
Is CLAT 2027 online or offline?
CLAT 2027 is an offline, pen-and-paper exam. Candidates mark answers on an OMR sheet at an allotted test centre — it is not a computer-based test. Because it is OMR-based, practising full-length mocks in the same format helps you get used to marking answers and managing time. The Consortium conducts it across 130+ exam cities in India.
What is the medium or language of the CLAT exam?
CLAT is conducted in English only — the entire question paper, including all passages and questions, is in English. There is no regional-language option. This is one reason the exam places such weight on English reading comprehension; strong reading skills in English support every section, not just the English Language part of the paper.
How many sections are in CLAT 2027?
CLAT 2027 UG has five sections: English Language, Current Affairs including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques. All five are comprehension-based and merged into a single score — there are no separate sectional papers. CLAT PG, by contrast, tests core law subjects rather than these five aptitude sections.
Is there a sectional cut-off in CLAT 2027?
No. CLAT 2027 has no sectional cut-off and no sectional time limit. All 120 questions across the five sections are merged into one total score, so a strong performance in one section can offset a weaker one. You are free to attempt the sections in any order and divide the two hours as you like — only your overall score and rank matter.
How much time should I spend per question in CLAT?
With 120 questions in 120 minutes, the average is about one minute per question — but it is not uniform. Reading-comprehension and legal passages need more time, while a familiar GK question may take seconds. The practical approach is to read each passage once carefully, answer what you are sure of, and not get stuck; pace is built through timed mock practice.
How many questions should I attempt in CLAT?
There is no fixed number — because of negative marking, what matters is your accuracy, not your attempt count. Many high scorers attempt 85–110 of the 120 questions with high accuracy rather than all 120 with reckless guessing. Attempt every question you can reason through, eliminate options where you can, and leave only those you genuinely cannot narrow down.
What is the difference between CLAT UG and PG exam patterns?
Both are 2-hour offline papers of 120 MCQs with +1 / –0.25 marking. The difference is content: CLAT UG tests general aptitude through five comprehension-based sections and needs no prior law, while CLAT PG tests core law subjects from the LLB — Constitutional Law, Jurisprudence, Contracts, Torts, Criminal Law and more — for admission to NLU LLM programmes. UG is for school leavers; PG is for law graduates.
Has the CLAT exam pattern changed for 2027?
As of now the CLAT 2027 pattern is unchanged — 120 questions, 2 hours, five sections, +1 / –0.25. The most significant recent change was the reduction from 150 to 120 questions (from CLAT 2024). The Consortium has formed an Expert Committee to review the exam, so further revisions are possible; any change will be confirmed only in the official CLAT 2027 notification, expected July 2026.
Why was CLAT reduced from 150 to 120 questions?
From CLAT 2024, the Consortium reduced the UG paper from 150 to 120 questions while keeping the 2-hour duration, giving candidates more time per question. The aim was to reward depth of comprehension over speed-reading alone, in line with the exam's comprehension-based design. The change applies to CLAT 2027 too, unless the Expert Committee's review leads to a further revision announced in the notification.
Are CLAT questions passage-based or direct?
All CLAT UG questions are passage-based. Since 2020 the exam presents passages — reading extracts, news passages, legal-principle passages, argument passages and data sets — followed by questions you answer from the passage. Even Quantitative Techniques and Legal Reasoning are set on passages. There are no standalone, direct-recall questions, which is why comprehension and application are the core skills tested.
What type of questions are asked in CLAT 2027?
CLAT 2027 asks only objective multiple-choice questions (MCQs), each with a single correct option, all set on passages. There are no descriptive, subjective or fill-in answers. Question types include inference and main-idea (English), principle-application (Legal), assumption and strengthen-weaken (Logical), news-based comprehension (GK) and data interpretation (Quant) — all testing aptitude and application rather than memorised facts.
How is the CLAT score calculated?
Your CLAT raw score is the number of correct answers minus the negative-marking penalty: (correct × 1) − (wrong × 0.25), with unattempted questions counting zero. For example, 85 correct and 15 wrong gives 85 − 3.75 = 81.25 out of 120. This raw score determines your All-India rank, which the Consortium uses for NLU seat allotment through centralised counselling.
In how many cities is the CLAT exam held?
CLAT 2027 is expected to be conducted in 130+ exam cities across India, including Delhi, Noida and Gurugram in the NCR. During the application you select preferred test cities, and the Consortium allots your centre based on availability and your preferences. The final list of cities is confirmed in the official notification and your allotted centre appears on the admit card.
Does CLAT have an interview or only a written exam?
CLAT itself is a single written exam — there is no interview or group discussion in the CLAT selection process. Admission to the NLUs is based purely on your CLAT score, All-India rank, category and NLU preferences, processed through the Consortium's centralised online counselling. Some NLUs may have separate formalities at admission, but the entrance decision rests on the written exam.
How should the CLAT pattern shape my preparation strategy?
Three pattern features drive strategy. First, negative marking means accuracy over volume — train to skip unsure questions. Second, no sectional cut-off means you can lean on strong sections, but the ~70% weight of CA&GK, Legal and Logical makes them priorities. Third, the comprehension-based, English-only, OMR format means daily reading and timed OMR mocks are essential. Build all three into your plan from the start.
Turn the pattern into a scoring strategy
Knowing the CLAT 2027 pattern is one thing; using it — accuracy over volume, section order, OMR timing — is what lifts your rank. If you want help building a pattern-aware mock and accuracy strategy, talk to a CLAT mentor.
Start your CLAT 2027 journey today
CLAT 2027 is expected on 6 December 2026 — the earlier you start, the more reading and mock practice compounds. Book a free demo class at any Delhi NCR centre. No commitment: attend one session and decide.