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.
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
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.