CLAT 2028 Exam: Important Dates, Syllabus, Pattern & Eligibility

This page covers the expected CLAT 2028 exam date, eligibility, pattern, possible pattern changes, syllabus, registration process, application fee, preparation books, and counselling

CLAT 2028 Exam Overview

All figures for CLAT 2028 are projected from recent CLAT cycles and will be confirmed only once the Consortium releases the official notification.

CLAT 2028 Exam Dates

CLAT Exam has consistently been held on a Sunday in early December over the last several years, and CLAT 2028 is expected to follow the same pattern. Here's the full cycle:

CLAT 2028 Proposed Changes: What Expert Committee Recommended

The Consortium of NLUs constituted an Expert Committee in September 2025 to review the CLAT format. The committee submitted its report in February 2026, and the Consortium published it on its website in July 2026. The report recommends shifting the paper's focus from testing general and legal knowledge to testing logical and legal aptitude.

Two recommendations matter most for CLAT 2028 aspirants:

• The proposed UG model moves from five sections to three.
• Current Affairs and GK would no longer be a separate section in that model.

None of this applies to CLAT 2027. The Consortium retained the existing pattern and syllabus for both UG and PG, invited public feedback until 31 August 2026, and said the feedback would inform future reforms. Whether the proposed model is adopted for CLAT 2028 has not been announced.

Until the Consortium confirms otherwise, the sections on this page reflect the current five-section pattern. Reading comprehension, logical reasoning and legal aptitude stay central under either model, so preparation built on those skills holds up whichever format is notified. The page will be updated as soon as the CLAT notification is released.

Also Check: CLAT 2028 Reforms

CLAT 2028 Eligibility Criteria

Students appearing for Class 12 boards in 2028 can apply for CLAT 2028, but they'll need to submit proof of having passed the qualifying exam at the time of document verification. There's no restriction on the number of attempts and no upper age limit either - so droppers and gap-year candidates remain fully eligible.

CLAT 2028 Exam Pattern

The table below shows the current exam pattern structure, which the Consortium has retained for CLAT 2027. Whether it carries into CLAT 2028 depends on whether the proposed change would be implemented or not.

The paper is entirely passage-based; every section tests comprehension and application rather than rote recall, so reading speed and accuracy matter more than memorised facts. No section requires prior legal knowledge; the Legal Reasoning passages give you all the principles you need within the question itself.

CLAT 2028 Syllabus

Based on the Consortium's official CLAT syllabus framework, here's what each section is expected to cover for CLAT 2028:

Every section is passage-based by design; the exam isn't testing what you already know as much as how well you can read, reason, and apply information given to you on the spot. This is exactly why comprehension speed, built over months of consistent reading, matters more for CLAT 2028 than last-minute topic cramming.

How to Start Preparing for CLAT 2028

CLAT 2028 aspirants have a real advantage: time. Whether you're in Class 11 or planning a drop year after CLAT 2027, here's how to use it well.

Class 11 students: Focus on building reading speed and comprehension habits early; with more than a year to go, this is the single biggest differentiator. Students who read consistently through Class 11 walk into Class 12 with a real head start on the English and Legal Reasoning sections, where speed under passage-heavy conditions matters more than anything else. 

Newspaper reading: Read editorials daily to strengthen both Current Affairs and English comprehension together. This one habit, sustained over two years, does more for CLAT readiness than any last-minute GK cramming ever will.

Quant fundamentals: Get Class 10-level maths concepts solid early so you're not relearning basics closer to the exam. Quantitative Techniques carries the lowest weightage in CLAT, but it's also the section where a shaky foundation costs the most time under pressure.

Mock tests: Start with sectional tests once the basic syllabus is covered, then move to full-length CLAT-pattern mocks as your preparation matures. Regular mock analysis, not just attempting mocks, is what actually improves accuracy and speed over time. 

Structured guidance: A well-planned CLAT 2028 coaching program, whether online or classroom-based, helps convert this early start into consistent, trackable progress instead of scattered self-study.

CLAT 2028 Registration Process

Registration for CLAT 2028 will open only after the Consortium releases the official notification, expected around July 2027. For reference, the CLAT 2027 application window runs from 3 August 2026 to 31 October 2026. The entire process runs online through the Consortium's portal, and candidates can expect it to unfold roughly like this:

1. Create your registration on the portal with a mobile number and email address; this becomes your login for the rest of the process.
2. An OTP will be sent to confirm the number is active and correctly entered.
3. Once logged in, complete the form with your academic background, personal details, and contact information.
4. Choose the exam centres you'd prefer, keeping in mind that popular cities tend to get booked out faster.
5. Upload a recent photograph, your signature, and any category or disability certificates that apply, matching the size and format specified.
6. Complete the fee payment through the available online options.
7. Go through every section one more time before hitting submit - several fields lock once the fee is paid, so this last check matters.

Since the notification itself is still some time away, the most useful thing to do now is keep your documents and certificates ready in advance, so the actual registration window doesn't turn into a scramble.

CLAT 2028 Application Fee

The CLAT application fees for 2028 are based on the fee structure followed in recent CLAT cycles. The Consortium will confirm the exact CLAT 2028 application fee in the official notification.

The application fee is paid online at the time of registration, through the payment options available on the Consortium's portal - net banking, debit/credit card, or UPI. The fee once paid is generally non-refundable, so candidates should confirm all details in the form before making the payment.

CLAT 2028 Admit Card

The Consortium releases the admit card online, and candidates download it from the CLAT portal with their registered mobile number and password. In the previous CLAT cycles, it came out in the third week of November, about two weeks before the exam. On the same pattern, the CLAT 2028 admit card is expected in the third week of November 2027.

How to download the CLAT 2028 Admit Card

• Go to the Consortium of NLUs website, consortiumofnlus.ac.in.
• Open the CLAT 2028 section and click Login.
• Sign in with the mobile number and password created at registration. A candidate who has forgotten the password can use the Forgot Password option on the login page and follow the instructions sent to the registered mobile number or email.
• Click Download Admit Card on the dashboard.
• Check every detail, save the PDF, and take a printout. It is safer to keep more than one copy.

The admit card shows the candidate's name, roll number, category (where applicable), photograph and signature, exam date and time, the name and address of the allotted centre, the reporting time and the exam-day instructions. The centre is disclosed only on the admit card. Any error in the name, date of birth, photograph or other details should be reported at once to the CLAT help desk at clat@consortiumofnlus.ac.in.

CLAT 2028 Answer Key

The Consortium publishes the CLAT answer key in two stages. The provisional key comes first, together with the question booklets, and candidates can challenge it during a short objection window. The final key is prepared after the objections are reviewed, and the result is based on it. Separate keys are published for UG and PG, and each has four question booklet series, A to D. A candidate has to use the key for the series printed on their own booklet. 

In the recent CLAT cycle, the provisional key was released after 3-4 days of the exam. For CLAT 2028, the provisional key is expected within 3 to 5 days of the 5 December 2027 exam, with an objection window of about two days. 

How to download the CLAT 2028 answer key

1. Go to the official website and open the provisional answer key notification.
2. Download the key for the right programme, UG or PG.
3. Find the series (A, B, C or D) printed on the cover of the question booklet, and use the key for that series only.
4. Log in to the CLAT account, download the response sheet, and compare it with the key.

The score is worked out as 1 mark for each correct answer and a deduction of 0.25 for each wrong answer. Unanswered questions carry no deduction, so the maximum UG score is 120.

CLAT 2028 Results

The CLAT 2028 result is expected in mid-December 2027, within about 10 days of the exam, based on the CLAT 2026 cycle. It will be declared on the Consortium's website, and the scorecard in the candidate login shows sectional marks, the total score, and the All India Rank. The Consortium publishes separate merit lists for UG and PG.

The score is the number of correct answers minus 0.25 for each wrong answer, out of a maximum of 120. If two or more UG candidates have the same score, the tie is broken in this order: higher marks in the Legal Aptitude (Legal Reasoning) section, higher age, and then a computerised draw of lots.

Counselling registration opens after the result. Seat allotment depends on the rank, category, and the NLU preference.

CLAT 2028 Counselling Process

Counselling comes into play only once the CLAT 2028 result is announced, which puts it well ahead on the calendar, but understanding how it works now helps you think more clearly about NLU choices as the exam approaches. Broadly, here's the sequence:

1. A separate login and registration are required specifically for counselling, apart from your exam registration.
2. You'll be asked to rank the NLUs you're interested in, from most to least preferred.
3. Based on your rank, category, and the preference order you submitted, seats are allotted in the first round.
4. Confirming your seat means paying an acceptance fee within a set window; missing this deadline can cost you the seat.
5. Once accepted, you'll need to visit the allotted NLU in person to complete document verification and finish admission formalities.
6. If any seats open up later, either unfilled or given up by other candidates, further rounds follow the same rank-based process.

Reservation rules aren't identical across NLUs - categories like SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and PwD, along with domicile-based quotas, are decided independently by each university. Because of this, the same rank can play out very differently depending on which NLUs you've prioritised, so it's worth going through the reservation matrix of your target universities well before this stage arrives.

CLAT 2028 Preparation Books

With more than a year in hand, CLAT 2028 aspirants have a real chance to build strong fundamentals through the right books instead of last-minute cramming. Subject-wise best books for CLAT 2028 preparation are as follows:

GKP's CLAT UG series follows the current pattern, which the Consortium has retained for CLAT 2027. The titles above are the 2027 editions, so they stay useful for CLAT 2028 unless the pattern is revised, in which case updated editions will be needed. Pair any book with CLAT PYQs and regular mock tests rather than relying on books alone; that combination is what actually builds speed and accuracy under exam conditions.

Key Takeaways

• CLAT 2028 is expected on Sunday, 5 December 2027. The official notification is likely around July 2027. 
• Eligibility is straightforward: Class 12 pass with 45% (40% for SC/ST), no upper age limit, open to all streams.
• The current format has 120 questions across 5 sections in a 2-hour, passage-based paper, with no prior legal knowledge required. The Consortium kept it unchanged for CLAT 2027 and will decide separately on CLAT 2028.
• The Expert Committee has recommended reducing the UG paper to three sections. This is a recommendation under review, not a decision.
• All dates, fees, and figures on this page are projections based on recent CLAT cycles and will be confirmed once the Consortium releases the official CLAT 2028 notification.