J S Chauhan 
Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is one of the main entrance exams for students who want to study law after Class 12th class (Any stream) in India.
What is CLAT?
The full form of CLAT is Common Law Admission Test.
It is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs). It is for undergraduate students. It is for students who have cleared 12th class or are appearing for the exam. It is used mainly for admission to 5-year integrated law programmes such as:
B.A. LL.B., B.B.A. LL.B., BSc LLB, B.Com. LLB etc. These integrated courses are run by some of the prestigious universities and colleges of India.
The biggest advantage is that these universities give a graduation degree as well as law degree (LLB) during the five-year course.
The Consortium says the CLAT- Common Law Admission Test exam is for admission to participating NLUs (National Law Universities) for the 2027–28 academic year.
Which universities accept CLAT?
The major participating National Law Universities include:
NLSIU -Bengaluru, NALSAR-Hyderabad
NLIU-Bhopal, WBNUJS-Kolkata
NLU Jodhpur- Jodhpur, GNLU-Gandhinagar
HNLU-Raipur, RMLNLU-Lucknow
RGNUL-Punjab, NLU Odisha-Odisha
NUALS-Kochi, MNLU -Mumbai
MNLU Nagpur-Nagpur, HPNLU- Shimla
NUSRL-Ranchi, DSNLU-Visakhapatnam
NLU Assam-Assam, NLU Tripura-Agartala
RPNLUP-Prayagraj, NLU Meghalaya –Shillong
There are 26 participating NLUs for the Common Law Admission Test 2027, according to the Consortium’s current list. Visit the site https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in/
Why is CLAT important?
The rank obtained can be used for common admission through merit
Instead of applying separately to many National Law Universities, a student can use their CLAT score/rank for the centralised admission process to participating NLUs.
For example, a student interested in becoming a corporate lawyer could pass this exam and get the degree BBA LL.B. / BA LL.B. and start corporate legal career
What does the exam test?
CLAT UG broadly tests skills in:
English Language
Current Affairs including General Knowledge
Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and
Quantitative Techniques
The exam is designed around reasoning, reading and understanding.
Who can appear?
A student who is appearing for or has completed Class 12 (10+2) can apply for the UG CLAT, subject to the applicable eligibility requirements. Students appearing for their Class 12 board exams can also apply, provided they meet the requirements by the time of application.
After a law degree, career options can include:
Corporate lawyer
Advocate/litigator
Legal consultant
In-house legal department
Legal/compliance roles in companies
Government/legal services
Higher studies and research
Various competitive/legal examinations
So, in very simple terms:
CLAT is an entrance exam that gives Class 12 students a route into 5-year law programmes at India’s National Law Universities
For CLAT UG 2027:
You must have passed Class 12 (10+2) or an equivalent examination.
Minimum marks:
45% for General category candidates.
40% for candidates belonging to SC/ST/PwD categories.
There is no upper age limit.
Students who are appearing for Class 12 in March/April 2027 can also apply. However, they must show proof of passing Class 12 when required for admission.
For example, a student currently in Class 12 doesn’t have to wait for the board results to come out to apply for CLAT.
CLAT 2027 application timeline
Registration starts
3 August 2026
Last date to apply
31 October 2026, 11:59 PM
CLAT 2027 exam, 6 December 2026
Exam time
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Mode-Offline / pen-and-paper
Academic year-2027–28
These dates are from the Consortium’s current CLAT 2027 notification.
Important: Someone who has already passed Class 12 can apply now, provided they satisfy the eligibility requirements.
How to apply-Apply through https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in/
The application is online through the official CLAT website.
Official CLAT 2027 website- Visit https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in/
Step-by-step
Step 1 — Register
Create an account using your mobile number and email ID. An OTP is used to verify the mobile number
Step 2 — Fill in your details
You’ll provide things such as:
Name
Date of birth
Parents’ details
Contact information
Class 12/academic details
Category, if applicable
Make sure your name matches your marksheet/certificates/ID documents
Step 3 Choose your preferences
You’ll provide your preferences for participating NLUs. The order matters during the counselling/allotment process, so students should research the universities before finalising their choices.
Step 4 — Upload documents
The official instructions require documents such as:
Recent passport-size photograph
Signature
Category certificate, if applicable
PwD certificate, if applicable
BPL certificate, if applicable
The required certificates/documents must ultimately be produced as required by the allotted university.
Step 5 — Pay the application fee
For CLAT 2027:
₹4,000 — General/OBC
₹3,500 — SC/ST/BPL/PwD
The fee is paid online and is non-refundable/non-adjustable.
Step 6 — Submit and save everything
After checking the form carefully:
Submit → pay → download/save confirmation/receipt.
Keep your login details safe because you’ll need the account later for things such as the admit card and admission/counselling process.
One thing students should understand
Applying for CLAT does not mean getting admission.
The basic journey is:
Class 12 → Apply for CLAT → Take exam → Get CLAT rank → Participate in counselling → Seat allotment → NLU admission
For CLAT 2027, the Consortium says counselling is expected in December 2026/January 2027.
Also, the specific fees, reservation rules, courses and seat structure differ between NLUs, so students should check the individual university information before making their preferences.
