CLAT 2027 registration usually opens in July, closes around late October/early November, and the exam is held on the first or second Sunday of December. Results follow within two to three weeks, with NLU counselling running from late December through the spring. AILET, conducted separately by NLU Delhi, is typically held a week or two before CLAT — so both papers fall in the same fortnight.
The Consortium of NLUs runs a stable calendar. You can plan a year around it before the notification is out.
The CLAT cycle #
| Stage | Typical window |
|---|---|
| Notification and registration opens | July |
| Last date to apply | Late October – early November |
| Application correction window | November |
| Admit card | Late November |
| CLAT exam | First or second Sunday of December |
| Provisional answer key + objections | Within days of the exam |
| Result | Mid-to-late December |
| Counselling rounds begin | Late December, continuing into spring |
| Related exam | Typical date |
|---|---|
| AILET (NLU Delhi) | A week or two before CLAT |
| CUET UG (for law at central universities) | May |
| State law entrances (MH CET Law, AP/TS LAWCET) | Varying, mostly spring |
- Register early and pick your test city early — popular centres in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru fill first, and travel on exam morning costs you marks.
- You indicate NLU preferences in the application, and the order matters at counselling. Research the list properly before you fill it, not in the last week.
- The objection window after the answer key is real leverage. Every year some answers change. Check your paper against the key rather than assuming.
What the form needs #
Personal and category details, Class 10 and 12 details (Class 12 result pending is acceptable), a photo and signature to specification, your test city choices and your NLU preference order. The fee is roughly ₹4,000 for General and about ₹3,500 for SC/ST/BPL candidates, with past papers sold as an optional add-on.
Step 1: Apply in July or August #
The portal is quiet, test cities are open and you have the correction window in reserve.
Step 2: Work backwards from the first Sunday of December #
Your final mock should be about a week before. That puts mock season in September and October, and syllabus completion by August.
Step 3: Write AILET too #
It falls in the same fortnight, the preparation overlaps almost entirely, and it is a separate seat at NLU Delhi.
Step 4: Keep the answer-key window on your calendar #
Objections have a hard deadline days after the exam. Marks recovered here are the cheapest marks in the process.
CLAT 2027 dates — frequently asked questions
When is the CLAT 2027 exam date?
When does the CLAT 2027 form come out?
What is the CLAT application fee?
Can I apply for CLAT if my Class 12 result is not declared?
Is AILET on the same day as CLAT?
Institutes with batches timed to the December exam.
Disclaimer: Dates are typical windows from previous cycles, not official announcements. Verify on the Consortium of NLUs website.
