CLAT Syllabus 2027 — Complete Section-Wise Breakdown
A detailed breakdown of every section, topic, and sub-topic you need to cover for the Common Law Admission Test 2027.
Table of Contents
CLAT 2027 Exam Pattern Overview
The CLAT 2027 UG examination follows a passage-based, comprehension-driven format that was introduced in 2020. Every single question on the paper is linked to a passage — there are no standalone or isolated questions. This means that understanding the passage is the gateway to answering correctly, regardless of the section.
The exam is divided into five sections, each carrying a specific number of questions. While the exact distribution can vary slightly each year, the following table reflects the established pattern:
| Section | Questions (Approx.) | Marks | Suggested Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 28-32 | 28-32 | 20-22 minutes |
| Current Affairs & GK | 28-32 | 28-32 | 18-20 minutes |
| Legal Reasoning | 28-32 | 28-32 | 28-30 minutes |
| Logical Reasoning | 28-32 | 28-32 | 25-28 minutes |
| Quantitative Techniques | 13-17 | 13-17 | 15-18 minutes |
| Total | ~150 | 150 | 120 minutes |
Important: The marking scheme is +1 for every correct answer and -0.25 for every incorrect answer. There is no penalty for unattempted questions. With this marking scheme, educated guessing (after eliminating 1-2 options) is statistically advantageous.
English Language — Detailed Syllabus
The English Language section in CLAT 2027 is designed to test your ability to comprehend and interpret written English at an advanced level. Passages are typically drawn from contemporary sources such as newspaper editorials, magazine articles, literary excerpts, and opinion columns.
Topics Covered
1. Reading Comprehension
- Identifying the main idea and central theme of a passage
- Understanding the author's argument, perspective, and tone
- Drawing inferences from stated and unstated information
- Distinguishing between facts, opinions, and assumptions in the passage
- Understanding the logical structure of the argument presented
2. Vocabulary in Context
- Meaning of words and phrases as used within the passage (not dictionary meanings)
- Synonyms and antonyms in context
- Understanding idiomatic expressions and figurative language
- Identifying the connotation (positive, negative, neutral) of words used by the author
3. Grammar & Sentence Structure
- Identifying grammatically correct or incorrect sentences in context
- Sentence correction and improvement (tested through passage-based questions)
- Understanding complex sentence structures, subordinate clauses, and modifiers
4. Summarizing & Paraphrasing
- Choosing the most accurate summary of a given passage or paragraph
- Identifying which option best paraphrases a highlighted statement
- Understanding the difference between summarizing and interpreting
"CLAT English is not about knowing big words. It is about understanding what the author means, even when they say it in complicated ways. Read widely, read daily, and you will crack this section." — CLAT Gurukul Faculty
Current Affairs & General Knowledge — Detailed Syllabus
The Current Affairs section covers events and developments from approximately 12-18 months before the exam date. Questions are passage-based — you will be given a short paragraph about a current event and asked questions about it. However, prior knowledge of the event significantly improves your speed and accuracy.
Topics Covered
1. National Affairs
- Government policies, schemes, and programmes (e.g., budget highlights, new legislation)
- Supreme Court and High Court judgments of national significance
- Economic developments — GDP growth, inflation, fiscal policy, RBI decisions
- Social issues and debates — education policy, healthcare, environmental regulation
- Defence and security developments
2. International Affairs
- Geopolitical events — wars, treaties, diplomatic relations
- International organizations — UN General Assembly resolutions, WTO disputes, ICJ rulings
- Global economic trends — trade agreements, sanctions, market developments
- Climate change policies, environmental summits, and sustainability agreements
- India's foreign policy and bilateral relations
3. Legal Current Affairs
- Landmark Supreme Court judgments and their implications
- New legislation passed by Parliament — key provisions and debates
- Constitutional amendments and their background
- Legal controversies — bail reform, death penalty debates, privacy rulings
- International law developments — ICC, ICJ rulings, extradition cases
4. Static General Knowledge
- Indian Constitution — Preamble, fundamental rights and duties, amendment procedures
- Indian history — freedom movement, constitutional assembly debates (basic)
- Indian geography — states, capitals, major rivers, mountain ranges
- Awards and honours — national awards (Bharat Ratna, Padma awards), Nobel Prize, international awards
- Books, authors, and important publications
Legal Reasoning — Detailed Syllabus
Legal Reasoning is the highest-weighted and most distinctive section of the CLAT examination. It tests your ability to read legal passages and apply stated legal principles to hypothetical fact situations. No prior legal education is required — every principle you need is provided in the passage itself.
Topics Covered
1. Legal Principles & Rules Application
- Reading a legal principle (e.g., "A person is liable for negligence if they owe a duty of care, breach that duty, and cause damage") and applying it to a given set of facts
- Distinguishing between the stated legal principle and common-sense notions of justice
- Identifying relevant facts and ignoring irrelevant information in the fact pattern
- Handling exceptions and provisos within legal rules
2. Constitutional Law Passages
- Fundamental Rights — Articles 14 (Equality), 19 (Freedoms), 21 (Life and Liberty), 25 (Religious Freedom)
- Reasonable restrictions on fundamental rights
- Directive Principles and their enforceability
- Federal structure, separation of powers, judicial review
3. Criminal Law Scenarios
- Basic elements of a crime — mens rea (intent) and actus reus (action)
- Defences — self-defence, insanity, duress, necessity
- Concepts of attempt, abetment, and conspiracy
- Distinction between murder, culpable homicide, and accident
4. Civil Law & Contract Scenarios
- Formation of contracts — offer, acceptance, consideration, capacity
- Breach of contract and remedies
- Tort law — negligence, strict liability, vicarious liability
- Property rights and transfer of ownership (basic)
5. Legal Knowledge & Awareness
- Passages about contemporary legal issues — privacy, free speech online, environmental regulation
- International law and human rights concepts
- Legal maxims in context — nemo judex in causa sua, audi alteram partem, res judicata
Logical Reasoning — Detailed Syllabus
Logical Reasoning in CLAT evaluates your critical thinking and analytical abilities through passage-based questions. Unlike traditional reasoning tests used in banking exams, CLAT focuses on argument analysis and logical structure rather than puzzles and seating arrangements.
Topics Covered
1. Critical Reasoning
- Identifying the conclusion and premises of an argument
- Strengthening or weakening an argument by adding new information
- Identifying assumptions — necessary and sufficient
- Evaluating whether a conclusion follows logically from given premises
2. Logical Fallacies
- Ad hominem (attacking the person, not the argument)
- Straw man (misrepresenting an opponent's argument)
- False dichotomy (presenting only two options when more exist)
- Slippery slope (assuming extreme consequences without justification)
- Circular reasoning, appeal to authority, hasty generalization
3. Analogies & Pattern Recognition
- Identifying relationships between concepts in passage-based analogies
- Recognizing parallel reasoning structures between two arguments
- Number and letter series presented within passage context
4. Arrangements & Sequencing
- Sequencing events or items based on conditions stated in a passage
- Syllogisms — determining validity of conclusions from given statements
- Cause-and-effect analysis from presented data or narrative
Quantitative Techniques — Detailed Syllabus
Quantitative Techniques is the smallest section in CLAT, carrying approximately 13-17 marks. The difficulty level is equivalent to Class 10 mathematics, and questions are presented in passage form — often involving data interpretation from tables, charts, or narrative descriptions containing numerical data.
Topics Covered
1. Data Interpretation
- Reading and interpreting data from tables, bar charts, pie charts, and line graphs presented within passages
- Calculating percentages, averages, and ratios from given data
- Comparing data across categories or time periods
- Drawing conclusions from statistical information
2. Arithmetic
- Percentages — calculation, percentage change, successive percentage changes
- Ratio and proportion
- Profit and loss, discount calculations
- Simple and compound interest
- Averages, mixtures, and allegations
- Time, speed, and distance (basic)
- Time and work (basic)
3. Algebra (Basic)
- Linear equations in one and two variables
- Quadratic equations (basic)
- Inequalities
4. Geometry & Mensuration (Basic)
- Area and perimeter of basic shapes — rectangles, triangles, circles
- Volume and surface area of cubes, cuboids, cylinders
- Basic properties of triangles and angles
CLAT vs AILET vs SLAT — Comparison
While CLAT is the most prominent law entrance exam, students often appear for AILET (NLU Delhi) and SLAT (Symbiosis Law Schools) as well. Here is how the three exams compare:
| Parameter | CLAT | AILET | SLAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conducting Body | Consortium of NLUs | NLU Delhi | Symbiosis International University |
| Accepting Colleges | 24 NLUs | NLU Delhi only | 5 Symbiosis Law Schools |
| Exam Mode | Offline (Pen & Paper) | Offline (Pen & Paper) | Online (Computer-based) |
| Duration | 120 minutes | 90 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Total Questions | 150 | 150 | 60 |
| Question Format | 100% passage-based | Mix of passage-based & standalone | MCQ (topic-based) |
| Sections | 5 (English, CA, Legal, Logical, Quant) | 5 (English, GK, Legal, Logical, Maths) | 5 (Logical, Legal, Analytical, Reading, GK) |
| Negative Marking | -0.25 | -0.25 | No negative marking |
| Difficulty Level | Moderate-High | High | Moderate |
| Syllabus Overlap | — | ~80% with CLAT | ~60% with CLAT |
CLAT Gurukul Advantage: Our Prahar AILET/SLAT programme provides targeted preparation for all three exams simultaneously, covering the unique requirements of each while building on the common CLAT foundation.
How CLAT Gurukul Covers the Full Syllabus
At CLAT Gurukul, our course structure is meticulously aligned with the CLAT syllabus. Every lesson, every practice session, and every mock test maps directly to the sections and topics outlined above.
- Sankalp 2027 — Our flagship programme covers the complete syllabus over 8-10 months with 60+ structured lessons, weekly mock tests, and daily practice sessions.
- Prahar (3-Month Crash Course) — Intensive syllabus coverage with a focus on high-yield topics and exam strategy for students with limited time.
- Drishti (Subject-Wise) — Deep-dive into individual sections. Choose English, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, GK, or Quantitative Techniques based on your weak areas.
- Daily MCQ Practice — Free daily 50-question papers covering all 5 sections, with AI-powered evaluation.
- Siddhi Mock Test Series — 10 full-length + 5 sectional + 5 analysis mock tests that replicate exact CLAT conditions.