CLAT 2026 – Counselling

The CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) 2026 counselling will be a crucial phase that comes after the declaration of results. It is a centralized, online seat allotment process conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) that determines admission to undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) law programs across 24 participating NLUs. Understanding the counselling procedure, schedule, and key steps is essential for all qualified candidates to secure admission in their preferred law schools.

Overview of CLAT 2026 Counselling

• Conducting Body:Consortium of National Law Universities (CNLU)
• Mode:Online, centralized counselling portal
• Applicable for:Qualified candidates of CLAT 2026 UG (5-year LLB) and PG (LL.M.) exams
• Number of Participating NLUs:24
• Counselling Rounds:Three (tentative, reduced from earlier five rounds)
• Counselling Registration Fee:INR 30,000 for General/OBC; INR 20,000 for SC/ ST/ PwD
• Seat Allotment Basis:All India Rank (AIR), category rank, and NLU preference order
• Options after Seat Allotment:Freeze (accept), Float (upgrade attempt), or Exit (cancel)
• Admission Confirmation:Payment of counselling fee and completion of admission formalities.

Tentative Counselling Schedule for CLAT 2026

Candidates must adhere strictly to these timelines to avoid disqualification or losing their allotted seat.

Step-By-Step Counselling Process

1. Counselling Registration

• Candidates who have qualified as per the CLAT 2026 merit list must register online on the official counselling portal.
• Pay the required counselling registration fee online (INR 30,000 for General/OBC; INR 20,000 for SC/ST/PwD).
• Upload necessary documents such as scorecard, ID proof, category certificate (if applicable), and academic certificates for verification.

2. Updating NLU Preferences

• After registration, candidates must log in to their account and update their NLU preferences.
• A minimum of 15 preferences should be provided, though candidates can select more.
• Candidates should review individual NLU brochures to understand available programs, seat matrix, and reservation policies before filling preferences.
• Preferences can be updated multiple times until the counselling registration window closes.
• Seat allotment depends heavily on preference order, combined with rank and reservation category.

3. Seat Allotment Rounds

• Counselling consists of three rounds of seat allotment.
• After each round, a merit list with seat allotment results is published online.
• Candidates allotted a seat must decide to “Freeze” (accept the seat), “Float” (stay in counselling to try for a better choice in the next round), or “Exit” (withdraw from counselling).

4. Fee Payment and Admission Confirmation

• Candidates accepting a seat must pay the admission confirmation fee promptly.
• Failing to pay within the stipulated deadline results in cancellation of the seat.
• After confirmation, candidates receive a provisional admission letter and instructions for joining the respective NLU.

5. Document Verification and Final Admission

• Candidates must complete the document verification process at the allotted NLU.
• Admission is finalized after verification, fee payment, and fulfilling university-specific formalities.

Important Points to Remember

• The counselling registration fee is refundable if the candidate does not get a seat or exits the counselling before the deadline. However, the admission confirmation fee is non-refundable.
• Duplicate registrations are not allowed.
• Candidates must keep track of all official notifications and counselling updates from the Consortium of NLUs’ website.

Click Here for Clat 2026 syllabus

FAQs

Q1. When does the CLAT 2026 counselling process begin?

Ans. CLAT 2026 counselling starts in December 2025 (tentatively) for UG candidates after the result declaration, with PG counselling following shortly after in January 2026 (tentatively).

Q2. How many rounds of counselling are conducted for CLAT 2026?

Ans. There are three rounds of seat allotment planned for CLAT 2026, which is a reduced number from previous years to streamline the process.

Q3. What is the counselling registration fee for CLAT 2026 and is it refundable?

Ans. The registration fee is INR 30,000 for General/ OBC candidates and INR 20,000 for SC/ ST/ PwD candidates. It is refundable if the candidate does not get a seat or exits counselling before the deadline. The confirmation fee, however, is not refundable.

Q4. How important is the order of NLU preferences in counselling?

Ans. The preference order is highly important as seat allotment considers candidate rank, category, and the submitted NLU preferences. Providing sincere and maximum preferences increases the chance of seat allocation.

Q5. What options do candidates have after seat allotment?

Ans. Candidates can “Freeze” their seat to confirm admission, “Float” to try for an upgrade in the next counselling round, or “Exit” to withdraw from the counselling process.