CLAT Exam Analysis 2026 – The NLU Consortium conducted the CLAT 2026 exam on December 7, 2025 (2 pm – 4 pm).

With the exam now over, we bring you the detailed CLAT exam analysis covering insights like – sectional and overall difficulty, the expected cut-off,  specific questions asked, section-wise weightage, good attempts, length of the paper, etc.

The exam analysis provides a Peer + Expert review of the CLAT 2026 question paper.  

We also bring you the CLAT 2026 question booklet (QB) and unofficial answer key (released by coaching institutes). 

So, keep reading!

Latest Updates:

• CLAT Counseling 2026 – Round I Seat Allotment OUT (Download Here)
• CLAT Answer Key 2026 – Date, Download Link, Mark Revision if Questions Dropped

What insights will CLAT 2026 Exam Analysis Cover?

The exam analysis of CLAT 2026 is OUT. The analysis provides the following aspects:

• Section-wise difficulty (easy, moderate, difficult)
• Overall Difficulty Level 
• Specific Questions Asked
• Topic-wise Weightage
• Expected Cut-off marks for all categories
• Did the CLAT 2026 question paper contain any incorrect questions
• Paper Length

Additionally, also brings you updates whether there were any technical or other issues faced by candidates during the CLAT 2026 exam.

Note that in case of technical issues/ or if the candidate is not able to complete the exam due to exam administration-related issues, exam officials may re-conduct the exam (say in affected exam centers).

CLAT Exam Analysis 2026 – Summary & Quick Highlights

• Difficulty Level: Overall moderate and more balanced compared to the CLAT 2025 exam. In other words, the difficulty was evenly spread across sections, and no part of the paper felt unfair, unpredictable, or unusually tough – unlike CLAT 2025.
• The exam followed the usual pattern of 120 questions in 120 minutes with a +1/–0.25 marking scheme.
• The English section was easy to moderate, with slightly lengthy passages and questions based on inference and contextual vocabulary.
• Current Affairs & GK was one of the easiest sections, with questions mainly from recent events and almost no static GK.
• Legal Reasoning was easy to moderate, using familiar principles–fact passages that were straightforward for prepared students.
• Logical Reasoning was the toughest section, featuring puzzle-heavy and analytical reasoning sets that made it time-consuming.
• Quantitative Techniques was moderate, containing calculative DI and basic arithmetic-based problems.
• The paper felt manageable overall but slightly time-pressed because Logical Reasoning required multiple steps per question.
• Students widely reported that the exam was fair and predictable, with no major technical or administrative issues.
• Expected cut-offs for the General category are estimated around 87–98, with 95+ considered strong for top NLUs.
• The overall structure, question styles, and difficulty distribution indicate that Logical Reasoning was the rank-deciding section for most candidates.
• OUT of syllabus questions – There were no questions in the question paper that were asked outside of CLAT 2026 exam syllabus. 
• Paper Length – English: easy but lengthy; LR & QT: time-consuming. In fact, the number of questions and time were the same as previous years, but the reading and puzzles made it feel long.

CLAT 2026 Exam Analysis – Section-wise Topics, Questions Asked

Specific Questions / Themes Students Reported

English RC sources/themes

• Passages inspired by “Sapiens” and “Animal Farm”.
• Social issues, public policy, behaviour, environment.

GK / Current Affairs examples

• American taxation policy.
• SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation).
• Air India disinvestment/ownership questions.
• Pahalgam-related CA.
• G20 & SCO summits.
• Operation Sindoor, India–Nepal protests.
• Waqf Amendment Bill, Articles 200/201 (Governor’s powers).

Legal Reasoning

• Same-sex marriage and governance issues.
• Basic legal principles (contract, constitutional rights, etc.).
• Principle–fact based; very CLAT-standard.

Logical Reasoning

• Puzzles on ECG, sunburst theft, family symbols, Olympiad teams etc.
• Analytical sets with ordering, arrangements, relations, coding-decoding.

Quantitative Techniques

• DI sets on health insurance and electricity data.
• Arithmetic: percentage, ratio, proportion, simple calculation-based questions.

CLAT 2026 Exam Analysis – Difficulty, Good Attempts, Section-wise Weightage

CLAT 2026 Exam Analysis – Section-wise weightage

• Legal Reasoning – 30 Q (~25%) → Heaviest section
• Current Affairs & GK – 28 Q (~23.3%)
• Logical Reasoning – 26 Q (~21.7%)
• English – 24 Q (~20%)
• Quantitative Techniques – 12 Q (~10%)

CLAT 2026 Expected Cut-off Marks (Category-wise)

CLAT 2025 – Exam Analysis

The CLAT 2025 exam was on December 1, 2024 (2 pm – 4 pm) in a single slot across the country. Here we bring you a quick analysis of the exam.

• The CLAT 2025 exam followed the same exam pattern as before: 120 questions in 2 hours across five sections. 
• Difficulty level: Paper overall was easy to moderate, with most sections being “easy to doable”. 
• Passages in most sections were the usual length or shorter
• However, Quantitative Techniques (Quants) was considered time-consuming and lengthy, making quant potentially the bottleneck.
• There was a noteworthy inclusion/change: a passage in the Logical Reasoning section was based on Analytical Reasoning (AR) – something that many test-takers flagged as a novel or surprising inclusion. 
• No major syllabus overhaul or pattern change was reported between 2024 and 2025; the structure remained largely consistent. 
• There were no major reported technical snags during the exam (i.e. smooth nationwide conduct) as per available analyses. 
• As per the analysis, it was predicted that the cut-off for top-tier NLUs would be high, given paper ease — general-category aspirants aiming for top NLUs may need around 92–100+ marks. 

CLAT 2025 Exam: Difficulty Level, Good Attempts, Expected 

CLAT Answer Key 2026

The Consortium of NLUs will release the CLAT 2026 answer key (provisional) likely on December 8, 2026. It will contain the keys (or answers) to questions asked in the entrance exam.

Using the keys, you can calculate the number of correct attempts and then expected score. 

To calculate probable score, use this formula:

Probable Score = No. of Correct Attempts X 1 – No. of Incorrect Attempts X (0.25)

Note that the candidate is allowed to take away the carbonised OMR Response Sheet along with the QB at the end of the test.

Make sample papers a mandatory part of your exam preparation to improve problem-solving & time-management skills. Download previous years’ question papers here.

The Consortium of NLUs conducted the CLAT 2026 exam on December 7, 2025.

If you are appearing in the next edition of the CLAT entrance exam, solve sample papers and previous years’ question papers. This will help you get a better and deeper understanding of various concepts, learn how to use these concepts to solve various types of problems, learn time management, and much more.

You can download the previous years’ CLAT question papers in PDF format below.

The CLAT 2026 question paper was released on December 10, 2025. In the previous edition, CLAT 2025 question paper was first released on December 2 (for context, CLAT 2025 exam was held on December 1). This was followed by the release of a revised question paper (Where 4 questions were dropped, and total marks of CLAT 2025 exam was reduced to 116 from 120), on December 7, 2025.

The CLAT 2026 answer key was released alongside the question paper.

Latest Updates:

• CLAT Counseling 2026 – Round I Seat Allotment OUT (Download Here)
• CLAT 2026 Answer Key & Question Booklet (OUT) – Download Here
• CLAT Result 2026 (OUT) – Scorecard Download Link, Toppers, Tie-breaker

CLAT Question Paper Format 2026

The question paper structure or exam pattern for CLAT 2026 for the UG and PG courses is given in the table below.

Also Read:

• AIBE Exam 2025 – Application START Date, Exam Schedule, Pattern, Syllabus, CoP
• AIBE Exam Syllabus 2025 – Subject-wise Questions, Weightage, Important Topics
• Best Books to Prepare for CAT 2025 – Section-wise Study Material, How and What to Study

CLAT Question Paper 2026 – Section-wise No. of Questions, Weightage

The CLAT question paper will include multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The number of questions asked in each section of the CLAT paper and weightage is given below. 

CLAT UG Question Paper 2024 – Section-wise No. of Questions, Weightage

CLAT PG Question Paper 2025 – Section-wise No. of Questions, Weightage

Download previous years’ CLAT Question Papers

The previous years’ question papers and answer keys for CLAT is given in the table below in downloadable PDF format.

Download Official CLAT Sample Papers 

How many CLAT sample papers should you solve?

It is recommended that the candidate solves as many sample papers as possible to prepare for the CLAT 2026 exam.

Also, the candidate can START solving the sample papers very early in their exam prep. For instance, after completing a few chapters, the candidate can solve the related problems given in the sample papers.

Early on in your preparation, you will not be able to solve the entire paper. But as you move deep into your preparation and complete more and more topics in the syllabus, you should be able to solve a major chunk of questions given in the paper.

Along with the sample papers, the candidate must also solve previous years’ CLAT question papers to get insights into the difficulty level, the scope and nature of questions asked, weightage of questions asked, etc.

How to properly use CLAT Question Papers for Maximum Benefit

CLAT previous year papers are the most reliable tools to understand the real exam pattern, question style, and time pressure. When used systematically, they help improve accuracy, speed, and confidence.

Follow these steps to get the maximum benefit from them:

1. Understand the Purpose – Real exam questions reveal pattern, difficulty, and important topics that are actually asked in the CLAT exam.
2. Start Gradually – Begin with one paper at a time; read carefully before attempting full-length timed tests.
3. Attempt Under Exam Conditions – Simulate a real 2-hour test without distractions or breaks. To ensure this, make sure you have a quiet place, so that that no one disturbs you for the entire duration of the exam.
4. Check and Analyze – After the test is over, review the answers and note the errors. Understand the reason behind an error and see how you can fix it, so that you are better prepared the next time.
5. Maintain an Error Log – Record wrong questions by topic and reason (conceptual, careless, or time-related).
6. Identify Weak Sections – Track your performance across English, Legal Reasoning, Current Affairs, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques.
7. Revise and Reattempt – Re-solve difficult papers or sections after a few weeks to measure improvement. Also, solve similar and related problems so that you get better at using various concepts for solving problems.
8. Study Trends – Observe how the exam has evolved yearly (e.g., shift toward passage-based questions).
9. Balance Old and New Papers – Use older papers for concept clarity, newer ones for realistic simulation.
10. Learn from Experts – Refer to topper strategies and official answer keys for benchmarking.
11. Stay Consistent – Practice regularly, even short 30-minute drills, to maintain momentum.

Tip: Practice + Analysis + Reflection = Mantra for success in CLAT 2026.