The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2026 has concluded, and aspirants across the country are buzzing with reactions. To help students, parents, and teachers understand the exam better, we have compiled a detailed CLAT 2026 paper analysis, including first impressions, section-wise difficulty, key takeaways, surprises, good attempts, and expected cutoff trends.

CLAT 2026: First Impressions

Based on feedback from students and experts, CLAT 2026 was:

• Paper was lengthy. Attempt could have been 110+ for good score and overall 104+
• Overall paper was easy to moderate.
• Tricky questions that were there in spurts in different sections will decide ranks
• Cut off is expected to be in and around or even more than last year.
• Good general awareness was key
• CR did the missing act!! So much for a reading based paper!!

Students found the paper doable but lengthy, making time management the biggest challenge.

🔹 Overall Difficulty Level (Section-wise)

Section Difficulty Key HighlightsEnglish Easy Central Idea based Questions,Meaning in Contex,2 figure of speech, very few inference and Rc based QuestionCurrent Affairs & GK Easy to Moderate US Policies, H1B, MAGA, Tariffs,⁠⁠Chess, Grandmaster, Chess Champion First, AI, WC, ⁠⁠Pahalgam, Indus, SAARC, ⁠⁠SCO, Tianjin, Chabahar, ⁠⁠Air India CrashQuantitative Techniques Easy to Moderate 2 set, 6 Questions each, All Passage based, no visual data,One Set Super easy and one Set Calculations HeavyLogical Reasoning Moderate Complete Surprise was that 18 Questions came from AR and only 7 Questions came from Critical Reasoning.Critical Reasoning 28% (7 Questions),Analytical Reasoning 72% (18 Questions),1 Question Incorrect in Blood Relations / SymbolsLegal Reasoning Moderate to Difficult Lengthy passages, high reading load 

🔹 Section-Wise CLAT 2026 Analysis

1. English Language

Total Questions: 24 Good Score: 21.5 Overall – 18+

2. Current Affairs & General Knowledge

Total Questions: 28 Good Score: 23 Cut-Off Score: 18 4 out of 5 Easy and Direct Passages 1-2 Questions from Passage

3. Quantitative Techniques

Total Questions: 12 Good Score: 8 Cut-Off Score: 5 2 sets – 6 Questions each All Passage Based; No Visual Data (Graphs/Charts): Just Like Last Year: Very Doable One Set - Super Easy and One Set – Calculation Heavy Based on Ratios and Percentage Based

4. Logical Reasoning

 Total Questions: 25Good Score: 18 Cut-Off Score: 14Patience was the key. Complete Surprise was that 18 Questions came from AR and only 7 Questions came from Critical Reasoning.Critical Reasoning 28% (7 Questions)Analytical Reasoning 72% (18 Questions)1 Question Incorrect in Blood Relations / Symbols 

5. Legal Reasoning

Total Questions: 30Good Score: 25Cut-Off Score: 20Passage 1: One Nation Policy; One Nation, One ElectionPassage 2: Constitution; PreamblePassage 3: Constitution; Good Governance; Manoj Narula v. UoIPassage 4: Governor’s Assent to Bills (TN Case)Passage 5: Same Sex Marriage; Legal Status

🔹 Expected CLAT 2026 Cutoff (Predicted)

Section	No. of Questions	Cut off Score (top 3)	Level of Difficulty
English	24	21	Easy
Current Affairs	28	23	Easy to Moderate
Data Interpretation	12	8	Easy - Moderate
Logical Reasoning	24	18	Easy - Moderate
Legal Reasoning	31	25	Easy – Moderate
Total	120	95 - 100

(For General Category)

CATEGORY	TOP 3	OVERALL(ANY NLU)
GENERAL	95-100	77-82

 This may vary based on final answer key and difficulty normalization.

🔹 Key Takeaways from CLAT 2026

Balanced paper with moderate difficultyHeavy reliance on comprehension & reasoningFew surprises but no drastic pattern shiftTime management determined final accuracyCutoffs expected to be slightly higher than last year

🔹 Student Reactions: What Aspirants Said

Many found Legal and Quant the most time-consumingGK was a relief—straightforward and current affairs heavyMajority rated paper as moderate but lengthyMost candidates attempted 105–118 questions

🔹 What Next? Post-CLAT Strategy

Students should now:Calculate expected scores using answer keysExplore NLU counselling prepKeep an eye on CLAT Consortium notificationsStart preparing for backup exams (AILET, SLAT, MHCET Law, etc.)

📌 About Clat Possible

Clat Possible is India’s leading law entrance preparation institute, known for delivering top ranks, expert faculty, structured courses, and high-quality analysis. We guide thousands of aspirants every year towards their dream NLUs with expert mentorship and personalized learning. This expert review will help you assess your performance and estimate your chances of securing a top NLU.