The CLAT cut off is the closing rank at which a national law university fills its last seat in a category, so it is a rank, not a mark, and there is a separate one for every NLU, every category and every counselling round. The Consortium of NLUs publishes allotment lists after each round, and the last rank admitted in a list becomes that seat's cut off.
Since rank is what counts, an identical score can mean different results in different years. This page explains how closing ranks are produced, what past cycles show in broad terms, and how to judge your own chances once your rank is out. Sections and marking are covered in the CLAT syllabus guide.
Exam at a glance
Conducted by
Consortium of National Law UniversitiesCut off form
Closing all India rank per NLU, category and roundPaper
120 questions, 120 marks, minus 0.25 per wrong answerMinimum to apply
45% in Class 12 (40% for SC and ST)Published as
Counselling allotment listsOfficial website
What the CLAT cut off means
Every candidate gets an all India rank from their CLAT score. During counselling you list NLUs in order of preference, and seats are allotted rank by rank. When a university's general seats run out at, say, the 200th ranked candidate who chose it, 200 becomes its closing rank for that round.
- Category: general, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD and other quotas each close at their own rank.
- Domicile: many NLUs reserve seats for students of their own state, and those seats close at much lower ranks than all India seats.
- Round: seats freed by candidates who leave or upgrade are refilled in later rounds, so the final closing rank is often lower than the first-round one.
What past CLAT cycles show
Exact closing ranks change each year and are best read from the Consortium's own allotment lists. The broad pattern across recent cycles has been steady:
| Group of NLUs | Where general seats usually close |
|---|---|
| The oldest and most sought-after NLUs (Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata) | Within the first few hundred ranks |
| Other well-established NLUs | From the high hundreds into the low thousands |
| Newer NLUs | Several thousand ranks deep, especially in later rounds |
| State domicile and reserved seats | Much deeper ranks than all India general seats |
The latest CLAT, held on 7 December 2025, was described in reports as moderate overall, with logical reasoning and quantitative techniques rated the trickier sections. A harder paper lowers raw scores across the board, but ranks, and therefore cut offs, shift far less than marks do.
Qualifying marks versus admission cut off
The Consortium does not publish a pass mark for CLAT itself. What you need to be eligible is the Class 12 minimum: 45% marks for general, OBC, PwD and NRI candidates, while SC and ST applicants need 40%. The cut off that matters is the admission one, which depends on the seats available against your rank.
Read the counselling notice carefully for any minimum score or other conditions it sets for registration, and for the tie-break order applied to equal scores. Check the full rules on CLAT eligibility.
What will move the CLAT cut off next time
- Applicant numbers. A bigger field pushes every rank deeper for the same score.
- Seats. New NLUs joining the Consortium or added seats loosen closing ranks.
- Preferences. If many top scorers pick the same few NLUs, ranks for those universities tighten while others close later.
- Reservation and domicile rules. These are set by each university under state law, and changes to them change the closing rank of each quota.
- Withdrawals. Students who choose AILET, other law schools or a different career free up seats, which pushes later rounds deeper. Students sitting both law tests should also read the AILET cut off guide.
How to judge your chances from your rank
- Note your all India rank and your category rank from the result.
- Open last year's final round allotment list for the NLUs you want and find the closing rank for your category and quota.
- Give yourself some margin; a rank close to last year's closing figure is a borderline case.
- List more NLUs than you think you need in your preferences. A wider list costs nothing and protects you in later rounds.
Where the real closing ranks are published
After each counselling round the Consortium publishes the allotment list and seat matrix on its website, and your login shows your own allotment. NLUs sometimes publish their admitted list too. Those documents, not coaching tables, are where real closing ranks come from. To compare CLAT with other routes into law and beyond, see the entrance exams hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is the CLAT cut off?
It is the closing rank at which each NLU fills its last seat in a category and quota during counselling. It differs by university, category, domicile and round.
Is the CLAT cut off given in marks or rank?
In rank. Marks are converted into an all India rank, and seats are allotted by rank and preference. Marks-based figures you see are estimates.
What CLAT exam cut off do I need for a top NLU?
For general all India seats at the oldest NLUs, recent cycles have closed within the first few hundred ranks. The exact rank varies each year, so check the latest allotment lists.
Can I get an NLU with a rank in the thousands?
Yes, often. Newer NLUs, later counselling rounds, domicile seats and reserved categories close much deeper, so a rank in the thousands can still bring a seat.
Where are official CLAT cut offs published?
In the allotment lists the Consortium of NLUs releases after each counselling round on consortiumofnlus.ac.in. Your login also shows your own result.
Does a tough paper lower the cut off?
It lowers marks, but because seats are allotted by rank, the closing ranks themselves change much less than the scores.