CLAT Syllabus 2026: Section-Wise Topics & Pattern

Preparing for the CLAT 2026 exam can feel challenging, especially when information is spread across different sources. For law aspirants aiming for admission into a top National Law University (NLU), understanding the CLAT syllabus is the most important first step. The exam does not simply test your knowledge; it also assesses your ability to think, read, and analyze, which are all crucial skills for a successful legal career. This comprehensive guide to the CLAT 2026 syllabus will help you understand each section of the exam, its weightage, and the best approach to prepare with confidence and clarity.

Highlights of the CLAT 2026 Exam

CLAT 2026 will be held for admission into two categories:

Undergraduate (UG) program: This is for students aiming to join five-year integrated law courses such as BA LLB, BBA LLB or BCom LLB.

Postgraduate (PG) program: This is for candidates seeking admission to LLM programs.

In this guide, we will focus on the UG-CLAT, which is meant for students who will complete their 12th standard in 2025 or in the early months of 2026.

Section-Wise Overview of the CLAT 2026 Syllabus

The CLAT 2026 syllabus is divided into five key sections:

• English Language

• Current Affairs including General Knowledge

• Legal Reasoning

• Logical Reasoning

• Quantitative Techniques

Here is a closer look at each section.

1. English Language

This section evaluates your reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar through 400 to 450 word passages taken from modern or historical books, speeches, or essays. Each passage is followed by 4 to 6 questions that check your understanding, assumptions, and ability to draw inferences.

Key Topics:

• Reading comprehension based on contemporary and historical contexts

• Vocabulary in context such as synonyms, antonyms, and idioms

• Grammar based questions including error detection and fill in the blanks

• Inference based and summary oriented questions.

Tip: CLAT passages are usually dense and take time to read, so building a reading habit through newspaper editorials from The Hindu or The Indian Express can greatly improve your speed and comprehension.

2. Current Affairs Including General Knowledge

This section plays a crucial role in determining the merit list. It evaluates not only a candidate’s memory but also their ability to understand and analyze recent national and international events. The questions are usually presented in a paragraph of about 350 to 400 words followed by multiple reasoning-based sub-questions.

Key Focus Areas:

• Major national and international events from the past 12 months

• Important government schemes, awards, and appointments

• Updates related to the environment and climate change

• Significant sports events and recognitions

• Art, culture, and notable historical anniversaries.

Preparation Strategy:

Use at least one trusted current affairs magazine such as Pratiyogita Darpan or online platforms like GKToday.
Review monthly current affairs regularly to remember important timelines.
Prepare brief notes on legal and political updates because they are often linked to questions in the legal reasoning section.

3. Legal Reasoning

This is one of the core sections of the CLAT exam. It assesses your ability to understand and analyze legal situations rather than testing prior legal knowledge. You will be given passages based on scenarios involving laws, regulations, or ethical issues, followed by questions that check your reasoning skills.

Syllabus Coverage:

• Principles of law and their application in everyday situations

• Legal maxims and key legal concepts such as justice, rights, and duties

• Constitutional principles including fundamental rights, duties, and the rule of law

• Basics of contract law, tort law, and criminal law (focused purely on reasoning, not memorization).

How to Prepare:

• Concentrate on understanding legal reasoning patterns instead of memorizing individual law sections.

• Solve principle and fact-based questions on a daily basis.

• Read short summaries of important landmark judgments to learn how logical interpretation is applied.

• Beginners can refer to books such as Legal Aptitude for CLAT by A.P. Bhardwaj for effective preparation.

4. Logical Reasoning

This section evaluates your ability to recognize patterns, understand logical links, and derive conclusions from brief passages. Strong logical reasoning skills are essential for argument building and case analysis, which makes this part highly important for law aspirants.

Topics Covered:

• Critical reasoning (assumptions, strengthening or weakening arguments)

• Syllogisms and analogies

• Logical sequences and relationships

• Drawing conclusions and analyzing cause-and-effect scenarios.

Preparation Advice:

• Practice reasoning questions using RS Aggarwal’s Logical Reasoning book.
• Try to solve at least 10 short passages each week with attention to how arguments are structured.
• Understanding how to spot the “author’s conclusion” in any passage is essential for improving accuracy.

5. Quantitative Techniques

Although this section carries the least weightage in the exam (around 10 percent of the paper), it still plays an important role in improving the overall percentile. It includes fundamental mathematics concepts up to the Class 10 level, usually presented through data interpretation or graphical formats.

Key Areas Covered:

• Arithmetic topics such as ratios, percentages, averages, time and work, and profit and loss

• Data interpretation through tables, graphs, and charts

• Word problems that require logical numerical reasoning

How to Prepare:

• Prioritize accuracy rather than speed because even small mistakes can lead to negative marking

• Refer to NCERT mathematics books from Class 8 to 10 to build strong concepts

• Practice for 30 minutes every day to stay consistent and improve confidence.

Weight Distribution for CLAT 2026 Syllabus