If you are in Class 11 or 12 right now and dream of a seat at a National Law University, CLAT 2028 is probably already on your mind. The notification is still many months away, but you don’t need to wait for it before you start preparing.
This guide covers what is officially known, what is expected, and how to prepare.
A quick note on accuracy: the Consortium of National Law Universities has not yet released the official CLAT 2028 notification. Everything here about CLAT 2028 dates and fees is based on the most recent official cycle, CLAT 2027. Treat it as a guide, and confirm final details on consortiumofnlus.ac.in once the notification is out.
What Is CLAT?
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is the national-level entrance exam for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes. It is conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities. The CLAT 2027 notification covered UG admissions to 26 NLUs, and a number of affiliated law schools also accept CLAT scores. The CLAT 2028 cycle will follow the same structure, with applications open to both UG (five-year integrated LLB) and PG (LLM) candidates.
CLAT 2028 Exam Date
No official CLAT 2028 exam date has been announced. The exam has been held in December in recent cycles. CLAT 2027 is scheduled for Sunday, 6 December 2026, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. consortiumofnlus
Several preparation websites project 5 December 2027 (Sunday) for CLAT 2028. That is an estimate based on past patterns, not an announcement, so don’t plan around it as a fixed date. Expect the real date in the notification.
CLAT 2028 Registration: Expected Timeline
CLAT registration is held entirely online. Here is how the last cycle ran, which is the best guide to what CLAT 2028 will look like:
Event CLAT 2027 (official) CLAT 2028 (expected) Notification 22 July 2026 Around July 2027 Registration opens 3 August 2026 Around August 2027 Last date to apply 31 October 2026, 11:59 PM Around October 2027 Exam 6 December 2026 Likely early December 2027.
CLAT 2028 registration dates will be confirmed only in the official notification.
How to Apply for CLAT 2028
The process is expected to match the CLAT 2027 procedure, which works like this:
Register on the CLAT website with your personal mobile number and email ID, then validate the mobile number with an OTP.
Log in with your mobile number and password, and fill in your personal and academic details.
Choose your programme (UG or PG) and your category carefully. Once the application is submitted and paid, you cannot change the programme, category or BPL field.
Upload your documents.
Pay the application fee online and submit the form.
Documents you will need. In the last cycle, the Consortium asked for a recent front-facing passport-size photograph with a plain background, your signature, and category certificates (SC/ST/OBC), PwD or BPL certificates where applicable. Certificates had to be uploaded in PDF format. Spell your name and your parents’ names exactly as they appear on your certificates, because any mismatch can lead to disqualification.
CLAT 2028 Application Fee
The CLAT 2028 application fee has not been announced. Last cycle’s official fees were:
General/OBC candidates: ₹4,000
SC/ST/BPL/PwD candidates: ₹3,500
Previous years’ question papers: ₹500 extra, not included in the application fee.
Fees are paid online only. You also bear the bank transaction charges, and the application fee is non-refundable and non-adjustable. Check your eligibility fully before you pay.
CLAT 2028 Eligibility Criteria
The CLAT 2028 eligibility criteria will be set in the official notification. For CLAT 2027, the rules were:
UG programme
Pass in Class 12 or equivalent with at least 45% marks (40% for SC/ST/PwD candidates). Candidates appearing in their final exams are also eligible.
PG programme
A 3-year or 5-year LLB degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD candidates)
Age limit: There is no upper age limit for CLAT UG or CLAT PG.
Who can appear: Indian nationals, NRIs, PIO card holders and OCI card holders can appear for UG programmes. Foreign nationals are not eligible for CLAT and must approach the NLUs directly.
If you are in Class 11 now, you will be appearing in Class 12 when CLAT 2028 registration opens, so you fall under the “appearing” category. You will need to submit your 10+2 result at the time of admission.
CLAT 2028 Exam Pattern
The Consortium confirmed no changes to the pattern or syllabus for CLAT 2027, and CLAT 2028 is expected to follow it unless a new announcement says otherwise. The format below is from the official CLAT 2027 UG question paper format:
Mode: Offline (pen and paper)
Questions: 120 multiple-choice questions of one mark each
Duration: 2 hours
Negative marking: 0.25 marks for each wrong answer
Sections: English Language, Current Affairs including General Knowledge, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques
The approximate weightage reported for the sections is English 20%, Current Affairs and GK 25%, Legal Reasoning 25%, Logical Reasoning 20% and Quantitative Techniques 10%. Every section except Quantitative Techniques is passage-based, so the paper rewards fast, accurate reading.
Tie-breaking: If candidates score equal marks, the tie is broken first by higher marks in Legal Aptitude, then by higher age, then by a computerised draw of lots.
How to Prepare for CLAT 2028
With the exam more than a year away, you have a real head start. This is how I’d use it.
1. Make reading a daily habit. Four of the five sections depend on understanding long passages quickly. Read an editorial or a long-form article every day, and note the main argument and the author’s tone. This helps English, Legal Reasoning and Logical Reasoning together.
2. Build your current affairs base early. Don’t cram it in the final three months. Follow a reliable daily newspaper, keep a short monthly notebook, and revise it every weekend. Cover national and international events, important judgments, appointments, awards and government schemes.
3. Practise Legal Reasoning for principles, not memorised law. The section gives you the legal principle in the passage, and you apply it to the facts. Practise reading the principle carefully and not importing outside knowledge.
4. Don’t ignore Quantitative Techniques. It carries about 10% of the paper and uses Class 10-level maths. Working through basic arithmetic, ratios, percentages and data interpretation regularly can make this your most reliable scoring section.
5. Solve previous papers and mocks under timed conditions. With 120 questions in 120 minutes, time management matters as much as knowledge. The Consortium sells previous years’ papers on its website. After every mock, spend more time analysing mistakes than you spent taking the test.
6. Be selective about guessing. With a 0.25 penalty, blind guessing hurts. Make an educated guess only when you can eliminate at least two options.
7. Follow only official sources. Coaching sites and news portals are useful for explanations, but dates, fees and rules should always be checked on consortiumofnlus.ac.in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has the CLAT 2028 notification been released?
No. Based on the previous cycle, it is expected around July 2027.
What is the CLAT 2028 exam date?
It has not been announced. CLAT is held in December, and CLAT 2027 is on 6 December 2026.
What will the CLAT 2028 application fee be?
It will be confirmed in the notification. The CLAT 2027 fee was ₹4,000 for General/OBC and ₹3,500 for SC/ST/BPL/PwD candidates.
Can Class 12 students apply for CLAT 2028?
Under the CLAT 2027 rules, yes. Candidates appearing in their Class 12 exams could apply, and they had to submit the result at the time of admission.
Is there an age limit for CLAT 2028?
The CLAT 2027 rules had no upper age limit, and the same is expected unless the notification says otherwise.
Where can I apply?
Only through the official website, consortiumofnlus.ac.in.
Final Thoughts
CLAT 2028 is still on the horizon, but the format has been stable for years, which makes early preparation practical. Build your reading speed, stay consistent with current affairs, and take timed mocks regularly. Keep the official website bookmarked, and check it as soon as the CLAT 2028 notification is released.
