CLAT 2027 Eligibility Criteria — Complete Guide for UG and PG

The most common board among CLAT aspirants. Class 12 marks are accepted directly. All streams (Science, Commerce, Arts) qualify.

The Indian School Certificate (ISC) at the Class 12 level is fully recognised. Aggregate percentage is calculated across the subjects specified by the Consortium (typically five best subjects or as per CISCE convention).

All state government-recognised boards (Maharashtra Board, UP Board, Rajasthan Board, Tamil Nadu Board, etc.) are accepted. The percentage used is the aggregate appearing on the official marksheet.

Recognised as a valid Class 12 equivalent. Candidates who have passed or are appearing in their Class 12 examination through NIOS are eligible for CLAT UG, subject to meeting the minimum percentage requirement.

IB Diploma is recognised as equivalent to Class 12 for CLAT purposes. Candidates must obtain an AIU (Association of Indian Universities) equivalence certificate confirming the equivalence of their IB results to Indian Class 12 standards. Apply for this certificate well in advance as it takes time to obtain.

The Cambridge International A-level examination is recognised as equivalent to Class 12. As with IB, candidates are advised to obtain an AIU equivalence certificate to avoid complications during document verification at counselling.

Select "Appearing" in the academic status field. Upload your Class 12 admit card or roll number confirmation from your board as proof of enrolment. Enter your expected aggregate percentage — be honest and conservative in your estimate.

Your registration is accepted on the basis of an expectation that you will meet the minimum marks requirement. If your final results show you below the threshold (45% for General/OBC/EWS, 40% for SC/ST), your candidacy is cancelled at the time of document verification, even if you performed well in the CLAT exam itself.

Appearing candidates who receive a rank must produce their final Class 12 marksheet during the counselling document verification round. The marksheet must confirm the minimum required percentage. Until this is produced, admission is conditional/provisional.

If your board result is delayed beyond the counselling timeline through no fault of yours — as can happen with certain state boards or in unusual circumstances — you should contact the Consortium with documentation. The Consortium has provisions for provisional admission in such cases, with a specified deadline for producing the final marksheet.

A candidate who holds NRI status — an Indian citizen who has resided outside India for employment or business for a period meeting the Income Tax Act definition of NRI — may apply under the NRI category.

An Indian national candidate whose parent or guardian holds NRI status may register under the NRI-sponsored category. The candidate themselves need not be an NRI. A sponsorship declaration from the NRI parent/guardian along with proof of their NRI status is required.

Overseas Citizens of India (OCI card holders) are typically treated on par with Indian nationals for the purpose of CLAT eligibility. OCI candidates should confirm the applicable category in the official CLAT 2027 notification, as the exact treatment of OCI candidates has varied across cycles.

NRI/NRI-sponsored candidates are allotted seats from the NRI quota at each NLU, which is entirely separate from the general merit list. The quota is small — typically 1 or 2 seats per programme per NLU. Competition within the NRI quota is on the basis of NRI CLAT rank.

NRI and NRI-sponsored candidates pay a higher registration fee as specified in the CLAT 2027 notification. Additionally, the tuition fee at NLUs for NRI quota seats is substantially higher than for Indian national seats — verify the NLU-specific fee structure before committing to the NRI category.

LLB (3-year) or BA LLB / BBA LLB / B.Com LLB (5-year integrated) from a recognised university. The degree must be in law — other degrees (BA, B.Com, B.Sc) without a law component do not qualify.

55% aggregate in the qualifying law degree.

50% aggregate in the qualifying law degree.

Candidates in the final year of their LLB or BA LLB programme who have not yet received their results are eligible to register for CLAT PG, subject to producing the final marksheet at counselling.

No upper age limit and no restriction on number of attempts, consistent with CLAT UG policy.

LLM at NLUs is a 1-year full-time programme. Upon clearing CLAT PG and completing the LLM, graduates are eligible for academic positions, advanced legal practice roles, and international LLM programmes.

If your documents do not support your declared eligibility, your admit card may not be generated. You will not be permitted to sit the exam.

If a discrepancy is identified at the exam centre — name mismatch, invalid photo ID — you may be refused entry to the examination hall.

If your actual Class 12 marks fall below the minimum eligibility threshold (because you registered as "appearing" and hoped to meet the threshold), your candidacy is cancelled. Your CLAT rank is void for that cycle.

If you registered under a reserved category with forged or ineligible certificates, your admission is cancelled and you may be reported to the relevant authorities. This applies regardless of performance in the exam.

If document fraud is detected after admission has been granted — including during the course — the NLU has the authority to cancel admission at any stage of the programme. Degrees awarded under such circumstances may be revoked.

Yes. There is no restriction on gap years under the CLAT eligibility criteria. Whether you are a fresh Class 12 passer, a dropper who is re-appearing, or a candidate who has taken one or more gap years after Class 12, you are eligible to register for CLAT UG as long as you meet the academic qualification and minimum marks requirements. The Consortium does not penalise or restrict candidates based on the duration between completing Class 12 and appearing for CLAT.

No. CLAT UG eligibility requires that you are either appearing in the Class 12 (or equivalent) examination in the same academic year, or have already passed Class 12 with the required minimum marks. A student currently in Class 11 who has not yet appeared for Class 12 boards does not meet the educational qualification requirement and cannot register for CLAT in that cycle.

If your Class 12 board result is delayed — due to re-evaluation, supplementary exams, or administrative issues at your board — you should contact the Consortium immediately with documentation explaining the delay. The Consortium has provisions for provisional admission in genuine cases, subject to the candidate meeting all other eligibility criteria. Provisional admission is typically confirmed upon submission of the final marksheet within a specified period. Failure to submit the marksheet within that period results in cancellation of admission.

There is no upper age limit for CLAT UG. The Consortium removed the upper age limit in recent cycles and this position has not changed. There is also no lower age limit stated beyond the implicit requirement of having completed Class 12. Candidates of any age who meet the academic qualifications are eligible to register.

There is no limit on the number of attempts for CLAT. You may appear in as many CLAT cycles as you wish, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria in each cycle. This applies to both CLAT UG and CLAT PG. Unlike some other national entrance exams, the Consortium has no "maximum attempts" restriction.

For CLAT UG: General, OBC, and EWS candidates must have obtained or expect to obtain at least 45% marks in aggregate in Class 12 (or equivalent). SC and ST candidates require a minimum of 40% marks. PwD candidates are typically subject to the same percentage requirement as the category they belong to (General PwD: 45%, SC/ST PwD: 40%). For CLAT PG: a minimum of 55% marks in the LLB or BA LLB degree is typically required, with 50% for SC/ST candidates.

The Consortium recognises all standard Indian boards: CBSE, CISCE (ICSE/ISC), state boards, NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling), and international boards such as IB (International Baccalaureate) and Cambridge International (IGCSE/A-levels). If you have studied under an international or non-standard curriculum, verify your board's equivalence with the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) before registering, as the Consortium relies on AIU equivalence certificates in such cases.

Yes. Candidates with disabilities are eligible to appear for CLAT subject to meeting the same academic qualifications as other candidates (45% for General PwD, 40% for SC/ST PwD). PwD candidates are additionally entitled to: a lower application fee (₹3,500), reserved seats at NLUs under the PwD quota, and exam accommodations such as extra time and a scribe where applicable. The disability must be certified by a recognised medical authority, and the certificate must be in the prescribed format.