The CLAT 2026 examination is set to take place on 7th December 2025. The exam is a very competitive paper that requires a lot of effort and dedication by students to be able to crack. The exam helps students get into some of the top law colleges in India including NLSIU and NALSAR amongst others. This article highlights some useful tips all students can follow to be able to improve their performance on the CLAT examination and improve their overall score as well.
Is the CLAT Exam Difficult?
The CLAT examination is considered to be a difficult examination for students to crack, especially if they wish to pursue their programs from some of the top law-schools in the country. The syllabus for both, CLAT UG and PG is fairly vast and requires significant focus to be able to score well. Furthermore, the CLAT exam also consists of significant competition with thousands of students competing to get into top NLUs, law schools and law courses in the country.
CLAT Preparation Tips
Provided below is an overview of some preparation tips students can follow for the CLAT examination. Following these tips will ensure students are thoroughly prepared for the CLAT examination and are able to achieve the score possible on the exam.
The CLAT preparation tips are as follows:
Be Thorough With the Exam Pattern
Being thorough with the CLAT exam pattern is key for students to be able to score well. Understanding the pattern can help students formulate effective and efficient strategies. It helps students visualize which sections of the exam will require more effort and time than others.
Provided below is an overview of the CLAT UG exam pattern for students’ reference:
Exam Mode | Offline (Pen and Paper) |
Exam Duration | 2 Hours, 120 Minutes |
Total Marks | 120 Marks |
Total Questions | 120 Questions |
Question Types | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) with Passages |
Sections | 5 Sections:
|
Negative Marking | Yes |
Students Can Also Read: How Many Marks Are Required to Clear the CLAT Exam?
Practice Reading
Reading is an essential skill for students to have, especially if they wish to pursue and crack the CLAT examination. Practicing reading through legal journals or articles can not only help students be familiar with common terms, but also improve a student’s reading speed. This is crucial for students to be able to cover more ground of the CLAT exam without struggling. Practicing reading will help ensure that they do not spend more than 3 to 4 minutes on reading related questions or comprehensions. This is especially important for sections such as Legal Reasoning and English.
Mock Tests
Mock tests make or break a student’s performance on the CLAT exam. CLAT exams test a student’s skill and mock tests are a very useful way in students sharpening their skills for the examination. Using mock tests as practice is instrumental in building up a students’ speed, accuracy and confidence on the CLAT examination. Mock tests help students simulate the actual experience of giving the CLAT exam and allow them to practice for the examination a lot better. Students can time themselves for each section or whole papers and try to solve the exam as quickly as possible. Using mock tests this way helps students develop their speed as well as accuracy.
Learn Basic Legal Concepts
This is especially useful for the Legal Reasoning section of the CLAT exam. Having an understanding of the basics of legal terminology can help in students’ performances on the CLAT examination significantly. Students who have a basic understanding of beginner-level terms will be able to comprehend and answer the legal passages of the section a lot quicker. This can be very useful in being more thorough with this section of the CLAT exam.
Identify Arguments
Being able to identify arguments, argument structures and what they imply is a crucial skill for students to focus on and develop for the CLAT exam. Being able to do so helps students greatly improve their performance in almost all areas of the examination. Being able to do so can help students make their arguments and conclusions for questions more cohesive and precise.
CLAT 2026 Important Dates
Provided below is an overview of the important dates for the CLAT 2026 examination. Keeping these dates in mind is very important for students as being updated with these key dates ensure students are in the loop on all key events and deadlines about the CLAT UG 2026 examination.
The important dates for the CLAT exam are as follows:
Event | Date |
CLAT 2026 Registration Opening | 1st August 2025 |
Last Date of Submission for CLAT 2026 Form | 31st October 2025 |
CLAT 2026 Admit Card Release Date | November 2025 |
CLAT 2026 Examination Date | 7th December 2025 |
CLAT 2026 Result Declaration | 13th December 2025 (tentative) |
Also Read: Best CLAT UG and PG Books
