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Content Writer | Updated On - Oct 7, 2026

CLAT UG 2027 requires 45% in Class 12 or an equivalent examination; the minimum is 40% for SC, ST and PwD candidates. For CLAT PG, the requirement is 50% in an LLB or equivalent law qualification, reduced to 45% for SC, ST and PwD candidates.

Neither paper has an upper age limit. Students appearing for their qualifying examination in 2027 can apply under the relevant UG or PG rules, but must produce passing evidence at admission.

CLAT 2027 Eligibility: UG and PG

Eligibility route	Qualification	Standard minimum	SC / ST / PwD minimum
UG: five-year integrated LLB	10+2 or equivalent	45%	40%
PG: LLM	LLB or equivalent	50%	45%

CLAT UG is for five-year integrated law programmes such as BA LLB. CLAT PG is for LLM after a qualifying law degree. The terms UG and PG identify the programme you want to enter, not simply whether you have already graduated.

For example, a BCom graduate without an LLB does not meet the CLAT PG qualification. A law graduate applying for PG must meet the LLB marks threshold, not use Class 12 marks in its place. The rules also accept the equivalent grade where the qualification is reported in grades.

Class 12 Subjects and Equivalent Qualifications

There is no prescribed Arts, Commerce or Science stream in the CLAT UG eligibility rule. Mathematics and Legal Studies are not compulsory Class 12 subjects for taking CLAT UG. You still have Quantitative Techniques in the paper, based on Class 10-level numerical skills.

Can a diploma holder apply?

A diploma is not automatically accepted just because it lasts three years. The UG requirement is 10+2 or an equivalent examination. The Consortium FAQ directs diploma applicants back to that eligibility rule rather than giving every diploma a blanket approval.

If applying through an equivalent qualification, obtain the recognition or equivalence evidence for the exact qualification and confirm its acceptance with the relevant admission authority. A course-duration comparison alone does not establish equivalence. The same minimum marks condition continues to apply.

LLB Requirement for CLAT PG

CLAT PG requires an LLB degree or equivalent examination. A completed three-year or integrated law qualification must satisfy that requirement and the applicable minimum marks. Final-year applicants use the appearing-candidate route; they do not receive a waiver of the final qualification.

The PG syllabus assumes undergraduate legal study. It covers constitutional and other law subjects through passages drawn from legal sources. Taking a coaching course or studying legal aptitude for CLAT UG does not replace the qualifying law degree.

Academic position	PG eligibility implication
LLB / equivalent passed with required marks	Meets the stated academic threshold
Appearing in qualifying law examination in 2027	Can apply; passing evidence required at admission
BA / BSc / BCom without LLB or equivalent	Does not meet the stated PG qualification
Law qualification below the applicable minimum	A higher CLAT score does not waive the degree marks requirement

Appearing Candidates and Pending Results

The UG eligibility page permits candidates appearing in the qualifying examination in March/April 2027. The Consortium FAQ also discusses April/May 2027 candidates whose results will not be ready when counselling starts. PG eligibility allows candidates appearing in the qualifying examination in 2027.

These applicants can register before their final result. They must produce evidence of passing at admission, and the NLU will explain the submission arrangements. This is important because the broad counselling window is December 2026/January 2027, before many qualifying examinations take place.

If you have a compartment or pending paper, appearing status should not be treated as unconditional eligibility. You need the complete qualifying result and the required marks within the university's admission conditions. An offer received before results does not permit an unresolved qualification to remain pending indefinitely.

CLAT Age Limit and Gap Years

CLAT 2027 has no upper age limit for UG or PG applicants. An older applicant or a student returning after a gap is not excluded by an upper-age condition in these rules.

The qualification and minimum marks still apply. The published eligibility pages do not impose a recent-passing-year condition, so a previous qualifying certificate does not expire merely because a gap year has passed. The admission authority must still accept the qualification and its supporting records.

Nationality, NRI and Foreign-national Eligibility

Applicant category	CLAT examination / admission route
Indian national	May appear, subject to academic eligibility
NRI / PIO card holder / OCI card holder	May appear under the published instructions
Foreign national	Cannot appear for CLAT; approach the NLU directly
NRI or NRI-sponsored seat applicant	Apply to the NLU for that seat category; Consortium does not allot it

Being allowed to take CLAT and being allotted a particular category seat are separate questions. An NRI applicant can be eligible for the examination, while the NLU still requires a separate application and evidence for its NRI seats.

Do not apply one university's sponsorship, domicile or certificate conditions to all NLUs. Their programmes, reservation policies, intake and fee structures are university-specific.

Category Relaxations and Eligibility Documents

SC, ST and PwD candidates have the lower qualifying-marks thresholds. OBC and EWS are not named in that academic relaxation, and BPL status alone does not lower the required marks. This differs from the application fee, where SC/ST/BPL/PwD candidates pay INR 3,500 instead of the standard INR 4,000 group.

Claim	Supporting record
Qualifying examination and marks	Passing certificate, marksheet or equivalent-grade evidence
SC / ST / OBC reservation claim	Applicable category certificate
PwD benefit	Certificate from the competent authority
BPL fee category	Certificate from the competent authority
NLU-specific reservation	Documents required by that university for the particular claim

The Consortium FAQ allows an applicant to apply before a reservation certificate is ready, but the document is required at admission. The category must be selected truthfully: it cannot be changed after submission and payment of the form.

A category-document mismatch can remove that reservation benefit in subsequent counselling rounds. It should not be treated as a harmless spelling issue or a guaranteed opportunity to keep the same seat under a different category.

Eligibility Marks Are Not the CLAT Admission Cutoff

The 45% or 40% UG threshold concerns Class 12 marks; the 50% or 45% PG threshold concerns the qualifying law degree. These are not the marks needed in the 120-mark CLAT paper and are not a percentage of applicants who will be admitted.

Meeting eligibility allows your application to be considered under the examination rules. An NLU seat also depends on the applicable admission process, rank, category, preferences and available seats. The wider CLAT-accepting colleges list includes institutions with their own application routes; score acceptance alone does not place every institution in central counselling.

For entrance preparation, use previous CLAT question papers for the paper you intend to take. UG practice and a strong test score cannot make up for a missing LLB qualification on the PG route.

What do you need right now?

Quick Navigation ACADEMIC

Minimum marks
Qualification routes
Appearing candidates

Minimum Marks by Programme

−

Programme	Standard minimum	SC / ST / PwD
UG: Class 12 / equivalent	45%	40%
PG: LLB / equivalent	50%	45%

There is no upper age limit for either paper. BPL fee relief is not a separate academic marks relaxation.

Which Qualification Fits Which Paper?

−

Your position	Applicable rule
Arts / Commerce / Science in Class 12	UG permits any stream, with the required passing marks
Class 12 without Mathematics	UG is permitted; Quantitative Techniques remains in the exam
Non-law bachelor's degree	Not sufficient for CLAT PG
LLB or equivalent	PG route, with the required marks
Diploma	Requires accepted 10+2 equivalence; duration alone is not enough

Applying Before Final Results

−

Stage	Requirement
UG appearing route	2027 qualifying examination; March/April eligibility wording and April/May FAQ clarification
PG appearing route	Qualifying law examination in 2027
Counselling before results	Follow the NLU's result-submission arrangements
Final admission	Proof of passing with the applicable minimum marks

An unresolved compartment or pending paper does not disappear because CLAT has been taken.

Test Eligibility and Special Seats

−

Route	Rule
Indian / NRI / PIO / OCI	Can appear subject to academic eligibility
Foreign national	Direct NLU admission; cannot appear for CLAT
NRI / NRI-sponsored seat	NLU-specific process; no Consortium allotment of those seats

A separate NLU application may be needed even if you have registered for the examination.

Documents Behind Your Eligibility Claim

−

Claim	Evidence
Academic qualification	Passing result and required marks/equivalent grade
SC / ST / OBC	Applicable category certificate
PwD	Competent-authority disability certificate
BPL	Competent-authority BPL certificate
University reservation	The exact NLU's prescribed documents

Original evidence is checked at admission. A pending category certificate can be produced later as permitted by the Consortium FAQ, but the claim must be supported then.

CLAT Eligibility 2027 FAQs

Marks and Qualifications

Can a PwD candidate with 42% in Class 12 apply for CLAT UG?+

The 2027 UG threshold for PwD candidates is 40%, so 42% meets that marks condition. The qualification must still be accepted and the PwD claim supported by the required certificate. Meeting the academic threshold is not a guarantee of an NLU seat.

Does an OBC candidate need 40% or 45% in Class 12?+

The standard UG minimum is 45%. The 40% academic threshold is specified for SC, ST and PwD candidates, not for OBC status alone. A university's OBC seat reservation is a separate question from the minimum marks required to appear.

Can I apply for CLAT PG after BCom?+

Not unless you also hold, or are appearing in 2027 for, the required LLB or equivalent law qualification. BCom by itself is not the qualifying examination for PG. An undergraduate law entrance course or certificate does not replace an LLB.

Can a three-year diploma replace Class 12 for CLAT?+

Only if the exact qualification is accepted as equivalent to 10+2. The Consortium does not give a blanket approval to every three-year diploma. Obtain the relevant recognition/equivalence evidence and confirm acceptance; the course length alone does not settle eligibility.

Can a Class 11 student use the appearing-candidate route?+

The route is for applicants appearing in the qualifying examination in the stated 2027 cycle. Simply being in Class 11 does not satisfy it. The applicant must be able to complete the accepted qualifying examination and produce passing evidence at admission.

Results, Age and Category

Can a gap-year student apply for CLAT UG?+

Yes, provided the qualifying examination and marks requirements are met. The published 2027 eligibility rules have no upper age limit or requirement that Class 12 must have been passed in the immediately preceding year.

Can I join an NLU while a compartment result is pending?+

Taking CLAT as an appearing candidate and completing admission are different stages. You must produce a complete passing qualification with the required marks under the NLU's admission instructions. Do not assume that a provisional offer permits a failed or pending subject to remain unresolved after the university's deadline.

Are Class 12 marks added to the CLAT score?+

The percentages listed on the eligibility page are academic minimums, not a published formula for adding board marks to the entrance score. The CLAT paper has its own marking scheme; eligibility and admission verification remain separate.

Can a foreign national take CLAT instead of applying directly?+

The 2027 examination instructions say foreign nationals are not eligible to appear for CLAT. They must approach the NLU directly for its admission route. This is different from the listed NRI, PIO and OCI examination eligibility.

Can I claim the lower marks threshold because I pay the BPL fee?+

No. BPL status provides the listed fee concession, but the academic relaxation is specified for SC, ST and PwD. Unless another applicable category establishes that relaxation, use the standard qualifying-marks requirement.

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.

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CLAT Eligibility 2027: UG and PG Qualification, Minimum Marks and Age Limit