CLAT at a glance
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities for admission to undergraduate (five-year integrated) law programmes at the participating National Law Universities and other institutions that accept its score. Its pattern is unusual: every question is based on a passage, and the paper is 120 questions in two hours, which is one minute a question including the reading. It has been held offline as a pen-and-paper test in recent years, so confirm the mode in the Consortium's notice for the year you apply.
| Detail | CLAT UG format (as published) |
|---|---|
| Conducted by | Consortium of National Law Universities |
| Questions | 120 passage-based multiple-choice questions, one mark each (120 marks) |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Sections | English Language (22 to 26 questions), Current Affairs including General Knowledge (28 to 32), Legal Reasoning (28 to 32), Logical Reasoning (22 to 26), Quantitative Techniques (10 to 14) |
| Marking | +1 for a correct answer, −0.25 for a wrong answer, no marks for unattempted |
| Mode | Pen and paper in recent years; confirm for your year |
The question counts per section are given as ranges, so a paper may have slightly more of one area and less of another. Read the Consortium's notice for the year you apply.
Why CLAT is different
CLAT does not ask you to recall much; it asks you to read quickly and reason from what you read. The legal reasoning passages state a principle and give a fact situation, and you apply the principle, not your general legal knowledge. The current affairs questions are also passage-based, built on a news-like text. This puts reading speed and comprehension at the centre, and it means that a candidate who has practised passages under time will score better than one who has studied more content but read less.
The five sections and what each tests
| Section | Questions | What it tests | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 22 to 26 | Comprehension of passages, inference, vocabulary in context | English Language |
| Current Affairs including GK | 28 to 32 | Understanding news-style passages and general awareness | Current Affairs and GK |
| Legal Reasoning | 28 to 32 | Applying principles to facts | Legal Reasoning |
| Logical Reasoning | 22 to 26 | Arguments, inference, analogies and critical reasoning | Logical Reasoning |
| Quantitative Techniques | 10 to 14 | Class 10-level mathematics applied to short sets | Quantitative Techniques |
The role of mock tests in CLAT preparation
Mock tests do five jobs for CLAT candidates. They build reading stamina, because two hours of dense passages is tiring. They train section order and time budgets, since at one minute a question there is no slack. They show which passage types cost you time, for example long legal passages or news-style current affairs. They provide data for the attempt decision under the −0.25 penalty. And if your paper is offline, they help you practise on paper, with a pen, the way you will sit it. See how to use mock tests for CLAT.
Free and paid mock tests
Free tests are for sampling passage styles and testing your pace. A paid series is useful for a run of full-length 120-question papers with detailed explanations, especially in legal reasoning, where the reasoning behind an answer is the learning. Try a free CLAT mock test first and judge a paid series by how well its legal and logical passages resemble the real ones and by its explanations.
A preparation timeline
| Phase | Focus | Mocks |
|---|---|---|
| Months 1 to 3 | Reading habit; basics of each section; quant revision | Sectionals, untimed then timed |
| Months 4 to 6 | Timed passages; legal reasoning method; current affairs routine | One full paper a fortnight |
| Final 6 to 8 weeks | Weekly full papers in the exam slot; review and repair | Weekly full papers, two in the last fortnight |
| Last week | Light revision of current affairs and rest | No new strategies |
The timeline is a framework. Adjust it to your starting point and the date of the exam.
After the exam
Admission to the NLUs is through the Consortium's counselling process using CLAT scores and ranks, with each university's seats and rules. Check the Consortium's notice for details. Preparation for later stages is not needed for the UG exam, but reading habits help in law school.
Common mistakes
- Studying legal knowledge instead of practising the passage method.
- Taking full papers only in the last month.
- Reading the current affairs section as a list of facts, not as passages.
- Not practising on paper if the exam is offline.
- Judging mocks by rank instead of reviewing errors.
Explore CLAT preparation
Start with the CLAT exam pattern guide, plan with the mock test strategy and read how to use mock tests for CLAT. See also the full mock test directory. Tests below are published by institutes and educators on TestMint and are independent of the Consortium of NLUs.
Disclaimer: this page summarises published information. TestMint is not affiliated with the Consortium of National Law Universities. Always rely on the official CLAT notification for the pattern, mode, dates, fees and eligibility.
