The Consortium of National Law Universities released the CLAT 2027 update through a press release dated 22 July 2026 on its official website, consortiumofnlus.ac.in. The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2027 will be held on Sunday, 6 December 2026, for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes at 27 National Law Universities. Online registration opens on 3 August 2026 and closes on 31 October 2026. This is for students who want to study law at a National Law University through one national entrance test.
CLAT 2027 covers seats across all 27 participating National Law Universities, which together offer the five-year integrated UG law degree and the one-year LLM programme; a full list with each university’s official website is given below. Admission through CLAT is centralised and provisional — it does not create a right to a seat until the candidate’s original documents are verified at the allotted university. Candidates should check all details in the article below.
Information verified from the official Consortium of National Law Universities press release dated 22 July 2026, and the CLAT 2027 UG Instructions published on the official website. Last verified: 2 August 2026.
The Consortium of National Law Universities is conducting CLAT 2027 for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes at 27 National Law Universities. Online registration opens on 3 August 2026 at 10:00 AM and closes on 31 October 2026 at 11:59 PM, at consortiumofnlus.ac.in. The exam will be held on 6 December 2026 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM (2:00 PM to 4:40 PM for candidates in the PwD category) in offline, pen-and-paper mode.
Quick summary
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Consortium of National Law Universities (CNLU) |
| Test | CLAT 2027 (UG & PG) |
| Total seats | Seats depend on the intake per university and are in the separate Information Brochure of respective university. |
| Application mode | Online only |
| Eligibility (short) | 10+2 pass/appearing for UG; law degree holders for PG (see eligibility section) |
| Selection process | Written exam (offline) → merit list → Consortium counselling and seat allotment |
| Exam mode | Offline, pen-and-paper, OMR-based |
| Application opens | 3 August 2026 |
| Application closes | 31 October 2026 |
| Exam date | 6 December 2026 (Sunday) |
| Who can apply | Indian Nationals and NRIs; Foreign Nationals are not eligible through the Consortium |
About Consortium of National Law Universities
The Consortium of National Law Universities is the collective body of India’s National Law Universities, formed to coordinate legal education standards among member NLUs and to conduct a single common admission test on their behalf. It runs CLAT for both UG and PG law admissions and is governed by an Executive Committee and a Governing Body drawn from the member universities. For a candidate, this matters because a single exam and a single application determine eligibility for seats at every participating NLU, rather than writing a separate test for each university.
Local context: NLU Meghalaya and WBNUJS
Two of the 27 CLAT-participating universities sit inside the region this site covers most closely. NLU Meghalaya is located in Shillong, in the North East, and WBNUJS is located in Kolkata, the participating law university for West Bengal. Candidates from Darjeeling, Siliguri, Kalimpong, Sikkim and the wider North East who would rather stay closer to home during their five years of law school can list either university among their CLAT counselling preferences. This is added context, not part of the official notification — confirm how counselling preferences work with the Consortium before relying on it. The remaining 25 universities are spread across the rest of India, from Bengaluru and Hyderabad to Punjab and Prayagraj, so a CLAT score also opens up campuses well outside this region for candidates who want that.
Important dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Press release/notification | 22 July 2026 |
| Online registration opens | 3 August 2026, 10:00 AM |
| Last date to submit application (with fee) | 31 October 2026, 11:59 PM |
| CLAT 2027 exam date | Sunday, 6 December 2026 |
| Exam timing (General) | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
| Exam timing (PwD category) | 2:00 PM – 4:40 PM |
The exam timing is subject to revision if the Consortium finds it necessary, as stated in the official instructions. The admit card release date has not been announced yet — the notification only says it will be intimated on the official website closer to the exam.
Participating universities (all 27)
This is the full list from the Consortium’s official Participating Universities page — every university CLAT 2027 applies to, with its own website, so a candidate never has to search elsewhere to confirm one exists.
| University | Location | Official website |
|---|---|---|
| NLSIU | Bengaluru | nls.ac.in |
| NALSAR | Hyderabad | nalsar.ac.in |
| NLIU | Bhopal | nliu.ac.in |
| WBNUJS | Kolkata | nujs.edu |
| NLU | Jodhpur | nlujodhpur.ac.in |
| HNLU | Raipur | hnlu.ac.in |
| GNLU | Gandhinagar | gnlu.ac.in |
| GNLU, Silvassa Campus | Silvassa | gnlus.ac.in |
| RMLNLU | Lucknow | rmlnlu.ac.in |
| RGNUL | Punjab | rgnul.ac.in |
| CNLU | Patna | cnlu.ac.in |
| NUALS | Kochi | nuals.ac.in |
| NLUO | Odisha | nluo.ac.in |
| NUSRL | Ranchi | nusrlranchi.ac.in |
| NLUJA | Assam | nluassam.ac.in |
| DSNLU | Visakhapatnam | dsnlu.ac.in |
| TNNLU | Tiruchirappalli | tnnlu.ac.in |
| MNLU | Mumbai | mnlumumbai.edu.in |
| MNLU | Nagpur | nlunagpur.ac.in |
| MNLU | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | mnlua.ac.in |
| HPNLU | Shimla | hpnlu.ac.in |
| DNLU | Jabalpur | mpdnlu.ac.in |
| DBRANLU | Haryana | dbranlu.ac.in |
| NLUT | Agartala | nlutripura.ac.in |
| RPNLUP | Prayagraj | rpnlup.ac.in |
| IIULER | Goa | iiuler.edu.in |
| NLU Meghalaya | Shillong | nlumeg.ac.in |
Total participating National Law Universities: 27. Each university’s own intake, reservation policy and fee structure is published in the Information Brochure and on its own website, not in this notification — the Consortium has said seat numbers and their break-up can still change before final allotment.
Several affiliate universities and organisations outside this list also accept CLAT scores for their own admissions or recruitment; details for those are not part of this notification.
Eligibility
UG programme
Candidates must have passed, or be appearing in, the 10+2 (or an equivalent) examination. Only Indian Nationals and NRIs can apply through the Consortium’s regular process. NRI and NRI-sponsored seat candidates are advised to approach their target NLUs directly, since the Consortium does not allot these seats itself. Foreign Nationals cannot appear for CLAT and must approach the respective NLUs directly for admission. The minimum qualifying percentage is not mentioned in this notification — check the official UG Eligibility page for that detail.
PG programme
The PG (LLM) programme exists alongside the UG programme, and PG applicants follow the same registration, dates and fee structure. Specific PG eligibility criteria (qualifying law degree and marks) are not mentioned in the instructions reviewed for this article — check the official PG Eligibility page.
Age limit: not mentioned in this notification.
Selection process
CLAT 2027 is a single written exam. Candidates are ranked on their score, and this merit list decides who is called for the Consortium’s centralised counselling and seat allotment across the 27 NLUs.
- Candidates appear for the offline written exam on 6 December 2026.
- The Consortium prepares a merit list based on the marks scored.
- Seats are offered through centralised counselling, in the order of merit and category.
- Offers are provisional until original certificates and the 10+2 (or qualifying) result are verified at the allotted university.
Tie-break rule (a genuinely useful detail most portals skip): if two candidates score equal marks, the notification sets a fixed order to break the tie — first, whoever scored higher marks in the Legal Aptitude section; then, whoever is older; and if it is still tied, a computerised draw of lots.
Application fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General / OBC | ₹4,000 |
| SC / ST / BPL / PwD | ₹3,500 |
| Previous years’ question papers (optional, not part of the above fee) | ₹500 |
Fees can be paid online only. Bank transaction charges are borne by the candidate and are shown on the payment gateway page. The application fee is non-refundable and non-adjustable.
How to apply
- Register on the official website using a personal mobile number and email ID.
- Validate the mobile number using the OTP sent to it.
- Log in using the registered mobile number and the password set at registration.
- Fill in the application form carefully — the candidate’s and parents’ names must match spelling exactly as it appears on certificates, mark sheets and ID proof; a mismatch found later can disqualify the candidature.
- Upload the required documents (see checklist below).
- Pay the application fee online.
- Review and submit the form before 31 October 2026, 11:59 PM.
Once the form is submitted and the fee is paid, the programme (UG/PG), category and BPL field cannot be changed. No updates are entertained after the closing date.
Apply at the official website: consortiumofnlus.ac.in
Documents to keep ready (PDF format only):
- Front-facing passport-size photograph with a plain background
- Signature
- Category certificate (if applying under SC/ST/OBC)
- PwD certificate from a competent authority (if applying under PwD)
- BPL certificate from a competent authority (if applying under BPL)
Important links
| Link | What it is |
|---|---|
| CLAT 2027 official press release (PDF) | The source notification for this article |
| Consortium of NLUs — official website / apply online | Registration, login and application portal |
| India Job Alerts — Admissions | More current admission notifications |
| India Job Alerts — Latest Jobs (All India) | Pan-India job and admission updates |
| India Job Alerts — 12th pass | Other opportunities open to 10+2 candidates |
Should you apply?
CLAT 2027 suits a 10+2 student who has already decided on law as a career and is willing to prepare through to December 2026, or a law graduate looking at a one-year LLM. It is not a good fit for someone still undecided between multiple fields, since the ₹4,000 (or ₹3,500) fee is non-refundable and the programme choice locks once paid. Realistically, admission to the more established NLUs — the ones candidates usually name first — is known to be highly competitive; the exact number of applicants and seats for 2027 has not been published yet, so treat any specific cut-off claim you see elsewhere with caution until the Consortium releases one. Many candidates prepare through self-study using past papers, and others join a coaching institute; neither is compulsory, and the Consortium itself does not run or endorse any coaching programme. This is added context, not part of the official notification. The main trade-off is location: a strong CLAT score can mean moving to a city far from home for five years, so weigh preference order carefully during counselling rather than only chasing the highest-ranked name.
FAQs CLAT 2027
What is the CLAT 2027 exam date?
CLAT 2027 will be held on Sunday, 6 December 2026, in offline (pen-and-paper) mode. The exam runs from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM for general candidates, and from 2:00 PM to 4:40 PM for candidates in the PwD category, subject to revision if the Consortium finds it necessary.
What is the CLAT 2027 registration last date?
Online registration opens on 3 August 2026 at 10:00 AM and closes on 31 October 2026 at 11:59 PM. The application, along with fee payment, must be completed within this window; incomplete forms are not considered.
What is the CLAT 2027 application fee?
The fee is ₹4,000 for General and OBC candidates and ₹3,500 for SC, ST, BPL and PwD candidates. Fees are paid online only and are non-refundable. Previous years’ question papers are available separately for ₹500, outside this fee.
What is the CLAT 2027 syllabus?
The syllabus is not mentioned in the notification reviewed for this article. The Consortium’s official website carries a separate “Syllabus & Guide” page for both UG and PG once details are published — check that page directly rather than relying on unofficial summaries. This is added context, not part of the official notification.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sandeep Khati is the founder of India Job Alerts and a B.Tech in Computer Science from JGEC (2010). He started his career as a Systems Engineer at TCS and has been active in digital publishing since 2011, beginning with SearchDarjeeling.com(2011) and working as a web developer and designer at Darjeeling Informatics. Launched in April 2025, India Job Alerts is his most focused project — dedicated to publishing verified government and PSU job notifications for West Bengal, Sikkim, and All-India candidates. Every post is cross-checked against official notifications before publishing.. Know more