
CLAT 2028 Batch for Droppers : CLAT IQ
CLAT 2028 Batch for Droppers: Why CLAT IQ Is the Right Choice
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is the gateway to 27+ National Law Universities across India, and every serious aspirant's preparation journey starts with one thing: a clear understanding of the syllabus. CLAT has moved far away from rote-based, memory-heavy testing. Today, it is a passage-based, skill-oriented exam that checks how well you can read, comprehend, reason, and apply concepts under time pressure.
This post breaks down the CLAT 2027/2028 UG syllabus section by section, along with the exam pattern, marking scheme, and weightage — everything you need to build a focused study plan.
Before diving into the sections, here's the overall structure of the exam.
Exam Detail | Details |
|---|---|
Mode of Exam | Offline (Pen and Paper) |
Total Questions | 120 MCQs |
Duration | 2 Hours (120 minutes) |
Question Type | Passage-based, comprehension-driven MCQs |
Marking Scheme | +1 for correct answer |
Negative Marking | -0.25 for every incorrect answer |
Number of Sections | 5 |
Passage Length | Roughly 400–450 words per passage |
Maximum Difficulty Level | Class 12 |
The biggest thing to understand about CLAT is that it is not a subject-knowledge test. Every passage carries the information, facts, or legal principles you need — your job is to read fast, understand accurately, and apply logic to answer.
CLAT UG has five sections. Below is the number of questions and approximate weightage of each.
Section | Approx. No. of Questions | Approx. Weightage |
|---|---|---|
English Language | 22–26 | ~18–20% |
Current Affairs including GK | 28–32 | ~25–26% |
Legal Reasoning | 28–32 | ~25% |
Logical Reasoning | 22–26 | ~18–20% |
Quantitative Techniques | 10–14 | ~10% |
Total | 120 | 100% |
Now let's go through each section in detail.
This section evaluates reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and the ability to draw inferences from a passage — similar to how a first-year law student would need to read case material.
Topic Area | What It Covers |
|---|---|
Reading Comprehension | Passages from contemporary fiction, non-fiction, opinion pieces, and journalistic writing |
Vocabulary in Context | Meaning of difficult words/phrases as used in the passage |
Main Idea & Theme | Identifying the central argument or summary of a passage |
Author's Tone & Viewpoint | Understanding the author's opinion, tone, and purpose of writing |
Inference-Based Questions | Drawing logical conclusions that are implied but not directly stated |
Grammar & Sentence Correction | Basic grammatical accuracy within the context of the passage |
Arguments & Counter-Arguments | Identifying supporting and opposing arguments within a passage |
Summarising & Paraphrasing | Choosing the most accurate summary of a given paragraph |
Preparation tip: Reading editorials and opinion columns daily (rather than only novels) builds both vocabulary and the analytical reading speed this section rewards.
This is the highest-weightage section in recent papers. It is entirely passage-based — you'll be given a news-style extract and asked to answer questions based on the facts and context within it.
Topic Area | What It Covers |
|---|---|
National Affairs | Government policies, schemes, bills, and political developments |
International Affairs | Global events, treaties, diplomatic relations, international bodies (UN, WTO, etc.) |
Legal & Constitutional Developments | Landmark judgments, new laws, constitutional amendments |
Economy & Business | Budget highlights, economic policies, financial news, RBI/SEBI updates |
Awards, Honours & Appointments | National and international awards, key appointments |
Sports | Major tournaments, records, sporting events |
Science & Technology | Space missions (ISRO/NASA), AI and tech developments, environmental summits (COP series) |
Books, Authors & Obituaries | Recently published books, notable personalities in the news |
Static GK (contextual) | History, geography, and polity facts woven into current events |
Preparation tip: Since this section is passage-based, memorising a static GK book alone won't help — pair daily newspaper reading with a monthly current affairs digest and practice answering context-based questions, not just factual recall.
This is the section most unique to CLAT and carries one of the highest weightages. No prior legal background is required — every legal principle needed to solve the passage is given to you. Your job is to apply the stated principle to the facts and pick the most legally sound conclusion.
Topic Area | What It Covers |
|---|---|
Constitutional Law | Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties, Directive Principles, Citizenship, Centre-State relations, Amendments, Landmark Judgments |
Law of Torts | Negligence, Strict & Absolute Liability, Vicarious Liability, Defamation, Nuisance, Trespass, Malicious Prosecution, general defences |
Contract Law | Offer & Acceptance, Essentials of a Valid Contract, Consideration, Free Consent, Void & Voidable Agreements, Breach & Damages, Indemnity & Guarantee, Bailment |
Criminal Law | General Principles (mens rea, actus reus), Culpable Homicide vs Murder, Theft, Robbery, Extortion, Kidnapping & Abduction, General Exceptions |
Family Law | Marriage, Divorce, Maintenance, Custody, Succession & Inheritance basics |
Legal Maxims & Terminology | Common Latin maxims used in judgments (e.g., volenti non fit injuria, res ipsa loquitur) |
Public Policy & Contemporary Legal Issues | Environmental law, gender justice, consumer protection, recent Supreme Court rulings |
Legal Ethics & Jurisprudence (basic) | Concepts of justice, equity, and the role of law in society |
Preparation tip: Instead of memorising bare definitions, learn each principle through a real-world example — it helps you apply it faster to unfamiliar fact patterns in the exam.
This section tests your ability to analyse an argument's structure rather than solve puzzles in isolation — it is passage/argument-based, just like the rest of the paper.
Topic Area | What It Covers |
|---|---|
Critical Reasoning | Identifying arguments, premises, and conclusions in a passage |
Assumptions | Spotting unstated assumptions behind an argument |
Inferences | Drawing valid conclusions strictly from the given information |
Strengthening/Weakening Arguments | Selecting statements that support or contradict an argument |
Logical Consistency | Identifying contradictions or fallacies in reasoning |
Analogies | Understanding relationships between concepts or situations |
Cause and Effect | Distinguishing correlation from causation in given scenarios |
Course of Action | Judging the most logical next step based on a given situation |
Preparation tip: This section rewards precision over speed-reading tricks — practice identifying the exact conclusion an author is drawing before evaluating the answer options.
The smallest section by weightage, but often a scoring opportunity since the difficulty is capped at Class 10 level. It's built around data interpretation rather than pure calculation.
Topic Area | What It Covers |
|---|---|
Data Interpretation | Bar Graphs, Pie Charts, Line Graphs, Tables, Mixed/Combined Data Sets |
Percentages | Percentage change, increase/decrease-based problems |
Ratio & Proportion | Comparative and proportional reasoning problems |
Averages | Simple and weighted average-based questions |
Profit, Loss & Discount | Basic commercial mathematics |
Simple & Compound Interest | Interest calculation problems |
Time, Speed & Distance | Basic motion-related word problems |
Time & Work | Work-rate and efficiency-based problems |
Mensuration | Basic area, perimeter, and volume calculations |
Preparation tip: Since every question here is attached to a short passage or dataset, practising interpretation speed matters more than mastering advanced formulas.
Section | Core Skill Tested | Difficulty Level | Prior Knowledge Needed? |
|---|---|---|---|
English Language | Comprehension & Vocabulary | Class 12 | No |
Current Affairs & GK | Awareness & Contextual Reading | Class 12 | Helpful, not mandatory |
Legal Reasoning | Legal Application & Logic | Class 12 | No (principles are given) |
Logical Reasoning | Argument Analysis | Class 12 | No |
Quantitative Techniques | Data Interpretation & Arithmetic | Class 10 | No |
CLAT is a skill-based, passage-driven exam — success depends on reading speed, comprehension, and application, not memorisation.
Legal Reasoning and Current Affairs together make up nearly half the paper, so these deserve consistent daily attention.
Negative marking of 0.25 means accuracy matters more than attempting every question — build the discipline to skip passages you're unsure of.
Since the difficulty level is capped at Class 12 (Class 10 for Maths), the real differentiator between candidates is speed and consistency of practice, not access to advanced material.
Following the official syllabus released by the Consortium of National Law Universities and cross-checking it regularly is important, as minor pattern tweaks have occurred in recent years (e.g., number of passages per section).
Cracking CLAT isn't just about knowing the syllabus — it's about having the right guidance, structured practice, and consistent feedback to convert that knowledge into a top rank. Here's why aspirants choose CLAT iQ for their preparation:
Structured, Section-Wise Curriculum – Every section of the syllabus above is broken down into a step-by-step study plan, so nothing is left to guesswork.
Passage-Based Practice from Day One – Since CLAT is entirely comprehension-driven, practice material is designed to mirror the real exam pattern rather than isolated topic-wise questions.
Updated Current Affairs & Legal Developments – Regular updates ensure students are always prepared with the latest legal and current affairs developments that CLAT tends to draw from.
Personalised Doubt Support – Dedicated mentorship to clear concepts in Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques.
Full-Length Mock Tests with Detailed Analysis – Simulated exam conditions combined with in-depth performance analytics to track speed, accuracy, and section-wise improvement.
Proven Track Record – A strong history of student results across top National Law Universities, built on a preparation system tailored specifically to how CLAT is evolving.
If you're serious about CLAT 2027 or 2028, having a syllabus is just the starting point — the right preparation partner makes the difference between knowing what to study and knowing how to master it.