The CLAT 2025 exam was on the easy to moderate side as compared to the previous year's papers. The CL-LST faculty members and students shared the same sentiment on the exam.
Even the CLAT exam pattern in terms of no. of questions in each section was exactly same as the last year.
It is advised to go over the CLAT 2025 exam analysis for all CLAT aspirants to determine their scores before the actual results and do better in the exams that follow CLAT, such as AILET.
The exam pattern for CLAT 2025 was exactly the same as CLAT 2024.
Some key points that an aspirant must remember about the CLAT 2025 exam
CLAT Exam Components |
CLAT Paper Pattern |
No. of Questions |
120 |
No. of Sections |
5 |
Duration |
120 minutes |
Mode of the Exam |
Pen & Paper based(Offline) |
Medium of Instruction |
English |
Type of Questions |
MCQs |
Here is an overview of the marking scheme for CLAT 2025
CLAT 2025 Question Type |
Marks Awarded/Deducted |
Correct Answer |
+1 |
Wrong Answer |
-0.25 |
The section-wise distribution of the exact number of questions in the CLAT 2025 is mentioned below.
CLAT Sections |
% of Questions in CLAT |
No. of Questions in CLAT 2025 |
English Language |
20% |
24 |
Current Affairs including General Knowledge |
25% |
28 |
Logical Reasoning |
20% |
24 |
Legal Reasoning |
25% |
32 |
Quantitative Techniques |
10% |
12 |
Total |
100% |
120 |
For a snapshot of the CLAT 2025 examination scheduled for December 1, 2024, refer to the table below:
CLAT 2025 Section |
Questions in CLAT 2025 |
Ideal Attempt |
Good Score |
Difficulty Level |
English Language |
24 |
20-23 |
20-21 |
Easy |
Current Affair Including GK |
28 |
25-26 |
20-22 |
Easy - Moderate |
Legal Reasoning |
32 |
28-30 |
25-26 |
Easy |
Logical Reasoning |
24 |
15 |
15 |
Moderate |
Quantitative Techniques |
12 |
8-9 |
6-7 |
Easy-Moderate |
Total |
120 |
96-103 |
90-95 |
Easy-Moderate |
Overall, CLAT 2025 is a paper that looked easier at the first impression but it is not. The cutoffs are likely to drop this year by a few notches.
There were 24 questions in the English section like last year, based on 4 passages with 6 questions from each. Most of the questions were simple. The questions were straightforward and contextual. Attempting 20-23 is a good attempt and a good score could be around 20-21.
There were a total of 28 questions based on 5 passages. Questions were asked about topics like the Civil Disobedience Movement, Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, Olympics 2024, Article 370, and the BRICS Summit. Some of the questions were straightforward from the passages. Overall, the section was easy and moderate. Attempting a total of 25-26 questions is a good attempt and a good score could be around 20-22.
There were a total of six passages, unlike the last five years. These passages were based on current affairs mostly covering topics such as the Right to Privacy, The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024, The 42nd Amendment, the Contact Act, Geographical Indications, and POCSO.
Overall this section was “easy”. An attempt of 28-30 is considered good for the section and a good score could be around 25-26.
There were a total of 24 questions along with one set of analytical reasoning, which was debatable. One passage was based on Homelessness and it required some extra knowledge in a couple of questions. Considering the above, the section is logical of 18 questions and 15 can be considered a good score.
Two sets were just like CLAT 2024. But it required calculations and hence it took students more time to calculate. Unlike the previous year, this section was more time-consuming and tedious with calculations. An attempt of 8-9 can be considered to be good.
The difficulty level of CLAT 2025 was on the easier side as compared to the previous years.
The CLAT exam is conducted by The Consortium of NLUs every year. It takes care of all the exam conduction and execution of the CLAT exam 2025. Everything from Registration Window dates, Eligibility Criteria, the CLAT Exam Fee, and more is taken care of by the Consortium of NLUs.
The difficulty level of CLAT 2025 was easy to moderate compared to the previous years.
CLAT UG is the entry-level exam for Class 12 students into the world of law. With topics and subjects that may be entirely new, the exam presents unique challenges to aspiring law students.
The varying reactions to the difficulty level of CLAT reflect the diverse preparation approaches taken by students. Success in this entrance exam often hinges on the dedication to master concepts outside of traditional schooling.
Yet, beyond individual preparation, some factors shape the difficulty level of an exam, for example:
For a comprehensive understanding of what lies ahead, delving into an analysis of the past five years of the CLAT examination can help. Students are advised to go over the brief analysis of the past five years of the CLAT examination to have a concrete picture of the exam.
Since the exam has not yet concluded, find below the expected CLAT 2025 cut-offs for the top 3 NLUs, the top 10 NLUs, and at least 1 of any NLUs.
Expected NLUs Cut-Off 2025 |
|
NLU |
Expected CLAT Cut-Off |
Top 3 NLUs |
90+ |
Top 10 NLUs |
87+ |
At least 1 NLU |
85+ |
In line with previous years, the answer key or response sheet for CLAT 2025 will be available on December 2 at 4 PM, 24 hours later to the conclusion of the exam. It is highly recommended that candidates promptly review the CLAT 2025 Answer Key upon its release.
Candidates are allowed to raise objections against the CLAT 2025 answer key from 4 PM December 2, 2024, till 4 PM December 3, 202,4 by submitting the objections on the website itself.
Steps to File An Objection Against the CLAT 2025 Answer Key
If your objection is accepted and the answer key is updated, the fee will be refunded. Aspirants can only raise objections against the provisional answer key and not the final answer key. The objection window is open for 1 to 2 days after the release of the provisional answer key.
The CLAT 2025 was on similar lines compared to CLAT 2025 concerning the exam pattern. However, a few facts differed CLAT 2024 from CLAT 2025.
All of these are mentioned in the table below:
Basis of Similarity/Difference |
CLAT 2024 |
CLAT 2025 |
Difficulty Level |
Easy-Moderate |
Easy-Moderate |
No. of Sectional Questions |
Similar |
Similar |
Length of the Exam |
Decent |
Lengthier |
Cutoffs |
Higher |
Lower |
Overall, the CLAT 2024 paper was termed as easy on difficulty level with moderate length. CLAT 2024 paper, although expected, was termed easier than its predecessors. However, candidates should go through the detailed CLAT 2024 exam analysis to get a brief overview of the test, calculate their expected score, and plan their options accordingly.
With every easy paper, the cut-offs are expected to be on the higher side. The top 3 NLUs had a cut-off of around 95-100. Mid-level NLUs are expected around 80-90.
Given below is the section-wise breakup of the paper, the ideal attempts, and the good score:
Section |
Ideal Attempt |
Good score |
No. of Qs. |
Reading Comprehension |
20-23 |
20-21 |
24 |
GK, including Current Affairs |
25-26 |
23-25 |
28 |
Legal Reasoning |
28-30 |
25-26 |
32 |
Logical Reasoning |
20-21 |
19-20 |
24 |
Quantitative Techniques |
10-11 |
9-10 |
12 |
The CLAT 2023 was of a decent difficulty level, having little to no surprise elements in the paper pattern or question topics unlike AILET 2023.
The paper was conducted on December 18, 2022, from 2 to 4 pm. With a very easy paper, the cut-offs were on the higher side. The top 3 NLUs had a cut-off of around 95-100. Mid-level NLUs were around 80-90.
Given below is the section-wise breakup of the paper, the ideal attempts, and the good score:
Section |
No. of Questions |
Ideal Attempt |
Good Score |
Reading Comprehension |
30 |
25–27 |
19-21 |
GK, including Current Affairs |
35 |
20-21 |
14-15 |
Legal Reasoning |
40 |
35-37 |
31-32 |
Logical Reasoning |
30 |
26-27 |
19-21 |
Quantitative Techniques |
15 |
7-9 |
6-7 |
CLAT 2022 was conducted on June 19, 2022. It was the last time that the CLAT exam took place in mid-year.
Overall, the paper was termed as moderately difficult and extremely lengthy. Compared to the previous year’s paper, it was lengthier and moderately difficult. 2020 was the beginning of the new era of the CLAT 2.0 paper pattern. That year’s paper, although expected, was termed as tougher than its predecessors.
Given below is the section-wise breakup of the paper, the ideal attempts, and the good score:
Section |
No. of Questions |
Ideal Attempt |
Good Score |
Reading Comprehension |
30 |
25-26 |
21-22 |
GK, including Current Affairs |
35 |
30-31 |
25-26 |
Legal Reasoning |
40 |
33-34 |
28-30 |
Logical Reasoning |
30 |
22-25 |
16-18 |
Quantitative Techniques |
15 |
8-10 |
8-9 |
CLAT 2021 was conducted on July 23, 2021.
Overall, the paper was termed as moderately difficult and extremely lengthy. Compared to the previous year’s paper, it was lengthier and moderately difficult.
Given below is the section-wise breakup of the paper, the ideal attempts, and the good score:
Section |
No. of Questions |
Ideal Attempt |
Good Score |
Level of Difficulty |
Reading Comprehension |
30 |
25-26 |
24+ |
Easy-Medium |
GK, including Current Affairs |
35 |
30-31 |
25+ |
Difficult |
Legal Reasoning |
40 |
34-35 |
31+ |
Moderate |
Logical Reasoning |
30 |
25-26 |
21+ |
Easy-Moderate |
Quantitative Techniques |
15 |
7-8 |
8+ |
Easy-Moderate |
Total |
150 |
119-120 |
100+ |
Moderate |
CLAT 2020 became the big bad and the most awaited entrance exam of 2020 because of the COVID-19 crisis. The exam was held on September 28, 2020, in online CBT mode across various centers in India.
The paper was lengthy but moderately easy. It was a different era for the CLAT exam so it couldn’t be compared to the past year's papers. But one thing was common. Like previous online CLAT exams, there were a few centers where the students faced technical issues.
Given below is the section-wise breakup of the paper, the ideal attempts, and the good score:
Section |
No. of Questions |
Ideal Attempts |
Good Score |
Reading Comprehension |
30 |
27-28 |
25+ |
GK, including Current Affairs |
36 |
29-30 |
20+ |
Legal Reasoning |
39 |
34-35 |
28+ |
Logical Reasoning |
30 |
25-27 |
22+ |
Quantitative Techniques |
15 |
7-8 |
8+ |