CLAT Syllabus 2026 - Download Subject-Wise Syllabus PDF, Important Topics, and Weightage

CLAT Syllabus 2026: The Consortium of National Law University (NLU) releases the syllabus for CLAT UG and CLAT PG separately on its official website every year.The syllabus of CLAT 2026 consists of five sections namely, English comprehension, general knowledge including current affairs, legal reasoning, logical reasoning, and quantitative techniques. TheCLAT PG 2026 syllabushas topics from different areas of law.The difficulty level of theCLAT examis of class 12th standard, and each section in the CLAT 2026 syllabus has a set of 4-6 passages followed by questions based on the passage.

TheCommon Law Admission Test (CLAT) is conducted for admission into 5-year LLB and LLM programs offered by the NLUs. The exam is scheduled to be held on December 1, in offline mode. The candidates need to answer a total of 120 questions in MCQ format in a duration of 2 hours. Each question in the CLAT exam carries 1 mark, and 24 NLUs in total accept the CLAT UG and CLAT PG Scores.

Read in Detail: CLAT Exam Pattern

CLAT Syllabus 2026 - Overview

The table below presents a comprehensive view of the CLAT UG and CLAT PG exam, containing details about the number of questions asked, sections and subjects covered, and the marking scheme of the exam. Candidates are advised to go through the table to get a fair idea and understanding of the CLAT Syllabus. It is to be noted that the medium of both the exams is English Language only.

Particulars	CLAT UG	CLAT LLM
Number of questions	120	120
Mode	Offline	Offline
Type of questions	Multiple choice type with comprehension passages	Multiple choice type with comprehension passages
Marking Scheme	+1 for each correct answer -0.25 for each incorrect answer	+1 for each correct answer -0.25 for each incorrect answer
Skills tested	Reading ability, critical thinking and analytical skills	Reading ability, crucial thinking and analytical skills along with an understanding of the law
Prior knowledge of the law	Not required	LLB-level knowledge is required
Subjects in focus	General awareness - GK, current affairs, maths, logical and legal reasoning and English	Various subjects and concepts of law taught in LLB course

CLAT UG Syllabus 2026 - Sections and Weightage

The CLAT UG Syllabus is made up of 5 major sections, namelyEnglish comprehension, general knowledge including current affairs, legal reasoning, logical reasoning, and quantitative techniques. Each section carries different number of questions and has a distinct weightage.Sections like English comprehension and legal reasoning are considered the most important ones and carry significant weightage whereas, CLAT maths carries only around 10% weight. Given below is the weightage and marks for each section for a better understanding.

Section	Numbers of Questions	Marks	Weightage
English Language	22-26	22-26	20%
Current Affairs including General Knowledge	28-32	28-32	25%
Legal Reasoning	28-32	28-32	25%
Logical Reasoning	22-26	22-26	20%
Quantitative Techniques	10-14	22-26	10%
Total	120	120	100%

CLAT UG Syllabus 2026 - Subject-Wise Details

The five subjects of the UG CLAT 2026 syllabus test some common and some subject-specific skills. While the common skills are reading, critical thinking and analytical skills, the subject-specific skills are different for each subject. Let's explore each subject in depth.

CLAT 2026 Syllabus for English Language and Comprehension

TheCLAT Englishsection is primarily a test of a candidate's language skills — reading, comprehension, and grammar. The questions are asked from six to seven passages of around 450 words each, followed by a series of multiple-choice type questions. Students need to read these passages and answer the underlying questions accordingly. The passages are drawn from fiction, non-fiction, and journalistic sources such as newspapers and magazines.

CLAT English Syllabus 2026 - Detailed View

Particulars	Important details
Total weightage	20%
Number of questions asked	22 - 26
Type of questions asked	Passage-based questions Length- Each passage will be around 450 words. Estimated time needed to read a passage- 5-7 minutes. Questions- Each passage will be followed by a series of questions
Source material or content of passages	Newspapers, journals, contemporary or historically important fiction and non-fiction writing.
Ability tested	Comprehension and language skills. Ability to read and comprehend the arguments and viewpoints discussed in the passage. The capacity to draw inferences and conclusions The ability to summarise a passage. The ability to compare and contrast various arguments or viewpoints Comprehension of words and phrases.
Difficulty Level	12th standard

Important Topics in CLAT English Language Section

The English Language Section is considered as an easy section in the CLAT exam. The English syllabus is widespread in CLAT covering a range of topics like Reading Comprehension, and Grammatical Knowledge. Given below are the most relevant and important topics covered in this section.

• Vocabulary Words
• Correcting Grammar
• Synonyms & Antonyms
• Tenses
• Fill in the Blanks
• Spotting Grammatical Errors
• Active & Passive Voice

Reference Material for CLAT English Section

To perform well in the English language section, it is crucial for the CLAT aspirants to choose the right kind of study material and books. Candidates can refer to the below list of books which are specially designed to help the CLAT exam aspirants with the English section.

• The Pearson Guide to the CLAT
• Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
• Objective General English by RS Aggarwal
• High School English Grammar & Composition by Wren and Martin

CLAT 2026 Syllabus for General Knowledge & Current Affairs

The GK and current affiars section carries 25% weightage in the exam, making it one of the most important sections of the exam. The section is focused ontesting the basic knowledge of candidates in subjects such as history, economics, political science, and technology. On the other hand, the current affairs part will cover the national and international news segment and happenings in the recent year.

CLAT General Knowledge & Current Affairs Syllabus 2026 - Detailed View

Particulars	Important details
Total weightage	25%
Number of questions asked	28 - 32
Type of questions asked	Passage-based questions Length- Each passage will be around 450 words. Prior knowledge of law subjects- While questions may include examination of legal information or knowledge, you don't need any prior knowledge to answer these questions. The answers to each question will be hidden in the passage. Estimated time needed to read a passage- 5-7 minutes. Questions- Each passage will be followed by a series of questions
Source material or content of passages	News, journalistic sources, and non-fiction writing.
Ability tested	Awareness of the following topics Contemporary events of significance from India and the world; Arts and culture; International affairs; and Historical events of continuing significance.
Question Areas	News, journalistic sources, and other non-fiction writing Intended to test your depth of understanding of issues and events of significance, rather than mere fact or trivia-based knowledge of such issues and events. Questions may be formed in the following ways: Fill in missing information in blanks Identify causes and consequences of the events described in the passages Answer questions about personalities and events associated with the events in the passage Answer questions about awards, recognitions, and other events of significance associated with persons mentioned in the passage. Answer questions related to laws and other events of legal significance (such as judgments) associated with events mentioned in the passage. Questions may also relate to matters associated with events mentioned in the passage. While the focus will be on recent and current events, some questions with historical significance may also be asked. These questions will gauge your understanding of the causes of such events.
Difficulty Level	Class 12th

Important Topics in CLAT General Knowledge and Current Affairs Section

The General Knowledge and Current Affairs Section is considered one of the most important section in the CLAT exam. The GK and current affairs syllabus is widespread in CLAT covering a range of topics from domestic to international news events to historical events, and even arts and culture. Given below are the most relevant and important topics covered in this section.

• National & International Affairs
• Schemes
• Science & Technology
• Summits & Conferences
• Sports
• Awards & Honours
• Arts & Culture
• Important Historical Events

Reference Material for CLAT General Knowledge and Current Affairs Section

To perform well in the General Knowledge and Current Affairs section, it is crucial for the CLAT aspirants to choose the right kind of study material and books. For this section candidates must practice and learn tricks to quickly comprehend the questions and answers. It is advised that the students focus on reading lots of newspapers and news items to build on their knowledge in this section. Candidates can refer to the below list of books which are specially designed to help the CLAT exam aspirants with the GK section.

• Manorama Yearbook
• General Knowledge
• Lucent's General Knowledge
• Pratiyogita Darpan
• Pearson's Concise GK Manual
• Competition Review Yearbook

CLAT 2026 Syllabus for Legal Reasoning

The CLAT Legal Reasoning section constitutes for 25% of the CLAT exam paper. The section does not require prior knowledge of law subjects but the consortium states that the candidates can benefit greatly in the section if they have prior knowledge of legal and moral issues. The passages in this section cover scenarios withlegal matters, public policy questions or moral philosophical enquiries which are drawn from non-fiction and legal journalistic sources.

CLAT Legal Reasoning Syllabus 2026 - Detailed View

Particulars	Important details
Total weightage	25%
Number of questions asked	28 - 32
Type of questions asked	Multiple choice type questions from comprehension passages Passage-based questions Length- Each passage will be around 450 words. Prior knowledge of law- No prior knowledge is needed to answer these passage-based questions. The answers will be hidden in the passage. However, general awareness of contemporary legal and moral issues may help you better apply general principles or propositions to the given fact scenarios. Estimated time needed to read a passage- 5-7 minutes. Questions- Each passage will be followed by a series of questions
Source material or content of passages	Legal knowledge, policy reports, legal journals, cases, news and editorials
Ability tested	Ability to apply rules and principles in various fact situations Familiarity with legal terminology and legal principles Current legal awareness and important laws, acts and regulations Identify and infer the rules and arguments in the passage Demonstrate how change in such rules/principles affects their application
Important topics asked in previous years	Law of Torts, Contract Law, Indian Penal Code (IPC) and related concepts, Monism and Dualism, Personal laws — Special Marriage Act, Contract Act, Bigamy and Constitution Void and voidable Marriage, Law of writs, Penal law, Public international law, Juvenile Justice Act, Personal data protection bill
Difficulty level	Class 12th

Important Topics in CLAT Legal Reasoning Section

The Legal Reasoning Section is considered one of the most important section in the CLAT exam. The Legal Reasoning syllabus is widespread in CLAT covering a range of topicswith legal matters, public policy questions or moral philosophical enquiries. Given below are the most relevant and important topics covered in this section.

• Concepts of law
• Law of Torts
• Indian Penal Code, and related concepts
• Monism and dualism
• Special Marriage Act
• Contract Act
• Bigamy and Constitution
• Law of writs
• Penal law
• Personal laws related to Bigamy
• Public international law
• Legal current affairs
• Legal Maxims
• Important Supreme Court Judgments
• Legal GK
• Indian Constitution
• Acts and Amendments

Reference Material for CLAT Legal Reasoning Section

To perform well in the Legal Reasoning section, it is crucial for the CLAT aspirants to choose the right kind of study material and books. For this section candidates must work on developing the skill sets required to become a great lawyer. Candidates can refer to the below list of books which are specially designed to help the CLAT exam aspirants with the Legal Reasoning section.

• Legal Awareness and Legal Aptitude by AP Bhardwaj
• LST's Legal Reasoning Module
• CLAT Guide by Universal
• National dailies like The Hindu and Indian Express
• Utilize online platforms and YouTube tutorials for additioal knowledge

CLAT 2026 Syllabus for Logical Reasoning

Carrying 20% weightage in the exam, the aim of this section is to test the aspirants' reasoning abilities.Mostquestions in CLAT logical reasoningfollow a similar paragraph pattern containing statements, arguments and facts. The language and tone of the passages can be tricky with the use of words like “And/Or, Where/There, All/Some” etc. Based on the understanding, candidates are also expected to apply relationships or arguments in different situations.

CLAT Logical Reasoning Syllabus 2026 - Detailed View

Particulars	Important details
Total weightage	20%
Number of questions asked	22 - 26
Type of questions asked	MCQs from comprehension passages Length- Each passage will be around 300 words. Questions- Each passage will be followed by a series of questions
Content of passages	Arguments, patterns, statements and fact situations. Sources include opinion and editorial pieces from newspapers and magazines, and essays on moral philosophy available online and in various books. Some passages will be created specifically for the exam. Examples of source material include: Ethics in the real world - 82 brief essays on Things That Matter by Peter Singer Articles and Editorials taken from The Economist, a leading international newspaper History for Health published by the Telegraph Where I am - An editorial published in the Indian Express.
Ability tested	Ability to identify arguments and their premises and draw conclusions Ability to critically analyse patterns of reasoning, and assess how conclusions may depend on particular premises or evidence Infer what follows from the passage and apply these inferences to new situations Draw relationships and analogies, Identify contradictions and equivalence, and assess the effectiveness of arguments.
Difficulty level	Class 12th

Important Topics in CLAT Logical Reasoning Section

The Logical Reasoning Section is considered an important section in the CLAT exam. The Logical Reasoning syllabus is widespread in CLAT covering a range of topicsperatining to blood relations, analogies, syllogisms, and more. Given below are the most relevant and important topics covered in this section.

• Statements and arguments
• Blood relation
• Logical sequences,
• Clocks
• Calendars
• Analogies
• Series
• Seating arrangement
• Syllogisms

Reference Material for CLAT Logical Reasoning Section

To perform well in the Logical Reasoning section, it is crucial for the CLAT aspirants to choose the right kind of study material and books. For this section candidates must work on developing their critical thinking, reasoning, and analytical thinking abilities. This section is purely based on mind games, and cannot be prepared by memorizing the answers. Candidates can refer to the below list of books which are specially designed to help the CLAT exam aspirants with the Legal Reasoning section.

• 501 Challenging Logical Reasoning Practice Book
• Analytical Reasoning (English) by MK Pandey
• A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning by RS Aggarwal
• Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning by RS Aggarwal

CLAT 2026 Syllabus for Quantitative Aptitude

Though the Quantitative Aptitude section carries only 10% weightage in the exam, candidates need to note that the questions asked in this section are not like the straightforward maths.Questions in CLAT mathswill be framed from a short of facts, conditions, data, graphs or textual representations containing numerical information. Candidates will have to study that information before answering the underlying questions. At an overall level, the purpose of the section is to ultimately test the candidates' mathematical abilities only.

CLAT Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus 2026 - Detailed View

Particulars	Important details
Total weightage	10%
Number of questions asked	10 - 14
Type of questions asked	Sets of facts or propositions, graphs, or other textual, pictorial, or diagrammatic representations of numerical information, followed by a series of questions.
Skills to be tested	Derive, infer, and manipulate numerical information set out in such passages, graphs, or other representations; and Apply various 10th-standard mathematical operations
Standard of questions	Class 10th

Important Topics in CLAT Quantitative Aptitude Section

The Quantitative Aptitude Section is considered an important section in the CLAT exam. The Quantitative Aptitude syllabus is widespread in CLAT covering a range of topicsperatining to mathematics like probability, ratios, mensuration, time and work, etc. Given below are the most relevant and important topics covered in this section.

• Algebra
• Profit and loss
• Ratios and proportions
• Mensuration
• Statistical estimation
• Number theory and basic arithmetic
• Averages and Percentages
• Mixtures and allegations
• Time and work
• Time, distance, and speed
• Fractions and equations
• Monetary evaluations
• Probability
• Permutation and combinations

Reference Material for CLAT Logical Reasoning Section

To perform well in the Quantitative Aptitude section, it is crucial for the CLAT aspirants to choose the right kind of study material and books. For this section candidates must work on solving as many sample papers as possible, and practicing lots and lots of questions from each topic. If you put your mind in this section, you can score handsomely. Candidates can refer to the below list of books which are specially designed to help the CLAT exam aspirants with the Quantitative Aptitude section.

• S Chand's 30 Days Wonder for Maths
• Class 10 NCERT book
• Maths 18 Days Wonder by S Chand
• Quantitative Aptitude eBook (All Parts Solved) by RS Aggarwal

CLAT PG Syllabus 2026 - LLM Syllabus for CLAT

The LLM Syllabus for CLAT 2026 is majorly divided into 2 sections - Objective type questions and various other law subjects in the second part.The questions are asked in similar comprehension passage formats. However, questions are framed around specific topics of law and current legal affairs. The LLM CLAT exam has no descriptive or essay type questions to be answered. Take a look at the CLAT PG Syllabus below.

Objective Section

This section will provide candidates with extracts from primary legal materials, such as significant court decisions in several law fields, statutes, or regulations. Every passage will be followed by a series of questions that will require candidates to:

• Read and comprehend the issues, any arguments, and viewpoints discussed in the passage
• Awareness of the issues talked about in the passage, legal matters, and facts related to and arising out of the passage and the statute or judgment from which it is extracted
• Summarise the passage
• Apply the knowledge of the fields of law discussed in the passage.

Other Subjects Covered

CLAT LLM Topics & Subjects Covered
Constitutional Law	Law of Torts
Administrative law	Criminal Law
Family law	Labour and industrial law
Property law	Public international law
Jurisprudence	Company law
Intellectual Property Law	International Law
Tax law	Law of Contracts

Reference Material for CLAT LLM / CLAT PG

Candidates can refer to the below mentioned books to prepare for the LLM exam.

Book Name	Author/ Publisher
S.S. Handbook for LLM Entrance Exam	Singhal's Law Publications
Guide To LLM Entrance Examination, including Previous Year's Solved Papers	Universal's
Solved Papers of the LLM Entrance Test (Faculty of Law, Delhi University, including ILI, AILET, and CLAT)	Singhal's Law Publications
Ascent's Law Guide for LLM Entrance Exam	Ashok K Jain

CLAT Syllabus - Exam Pattern Overview

Take a look at the CLAT 2026 Exam Pattern for CLAT UG and CLAT PG. It will help the candidates prepare a better exam strategy.

Components	5-year LLB	One-year LLM
Exam mode	Offline	Offline
Type of questions	Objective type test	Objective type test
Total number of question	120 MCQs	120 MCQs (No descriptive questions were asked in 2022)
Exam duration	2 hours	2 hours
Negative marking	+1 mark for a correct answer -0.25 marks for incorrect answer	+1 mark for a correct answer -0.25 marks for incorrect answer
Language	English	English

Recommended books and study material for CLAT 2026

Subject	Books and Author(s)
Quantitative Aptitude	Legal Aptitude for CLAT and other Law Exams: Workbook by A. P Bhardwaj
General Awareness, Current affairs	Legal General Knowledge by R. K Gupta Pearson General Knowledge Manual Pratiyogita Darpan Monthly current affairs magazine
Reasoning	Logical Reasoning by Jain Prateek Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by RS Aggarwal Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey
English	Objective General English by N. Khurmi and George English is Easy by Chetan Anand Singh High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren & Martin
Previous Year Papers	Previous Year Papers by A.P. Bhardwaj
Additional Resources	Newspaper - The Hindu or The Indian Express, legal journals, articles, editorials, explanations

CLAT 2026 Preparation Tips & Guide

CLAT is the toughest law exam in India and a dream for the upcoming lawyers to study at the top NLUs. The syllabus for CLAT is not limited and so is the Law. While it is overwhelming to prepare for the exam, below are a few generic tips to help you get through the CLAT exam.

• Understand the CLAT exam pattern and Syllabus in detail, and know what are the topics covered in the exam.
• Make a list of all the topics you are familiar with and all the topics you are unfamiliar with. Then, categorize them each into tough and easy topics as per your strengths and weaknesses.
• Make short notes and flashcards of the important facts, theorems, and figures that can help you at the time of revision and also prepare on the go.
• Practice as many sample papers as possible to get an in-depth understanding of the exam and syllabus.
• Solve mock tests as they will help you in gaining the exam experience and will help you understand the marking scheme of the exam as well.
• Build on your problem-solving skills by daily practice and improve on your time management skills as CLAT is a time-based exam.
• Do not stress or take much pressure of the exam. Prepare with a calm mind and do not rush to solve any question.
• Understand each concept first thoroughly, and then solve the questions.
• Solve all the previous year question papers to understand the exam pattern and see what sections carry the most weightage and require more attention.

Read in Detail: CLAT 2026 Section-Wise Preparation Strategy