CLAT 2027 test centres removed from Vellore, Tiruvarur; update preference by October 31

The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) has removed Vellore and Tiruvarur from the list of designated test centres for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2027. This change was announced via a notification issued on September 3, 2026. The CLAT 2027 examination is scheduled to be held on December 6, 2026, from 2 PM to 4 PM.

Candidates who had previously selected Vellore or Tiruvarur as their preferred test centres are required to update their choice by October 31, 2026. The Consortium has, however, confirmed that there will be no alterations to the CLAT Exam Pattern 2027 or the CLAT Syllabus for the upcoming examination.

Instructions for Affected Candidates

Candidates who had opted for Vellore or Tiruvarur as their CLAT 2027 test centre city must log in to their respective CLAT accounts to make the necessary changes. The deadline for updating test centre preferences is October 31, 2026. Failure to do so may impact their ability to appear for the exam at a convenient location.

The process involves logging into the CLAT account, selecting the ‘Edit Application Form’ option, and then accessing the ‘Test Centre Preference’ section. From there, candidates can choose an alternative city from the available options in the drop-down menu and proceed to save or submit their revised preference.

CLAT 2027 Key Dates and Exam Structure

The registration for CLAT 2027 commenced on August 3, 2026, and the last date for submitting applications is October 31, 2026. The exam itself will be a two-hour, passage-based test. The CLAT syllabus comprises five sections, and candidates can access the detailed syllabus on consortiumofnlus.ac.in.

The CLAT exam is considered challenging due to high competition, time pressure, and negative marking. Sections such as English, General Knowledge, and Legal Reasoning demand deep preparation from aspirants. The score range for CLAT is from -30 to 120, with a score validity of one year.

Competition and Admissions Overview

CLAT serves as a centralized national-level entrance test for admissions to 26 out of 27 National Law Universities (NLUs), with NLU Delhi administering its own entrance exam, the All India Law Entrance Test (AILET). In the most recent cycle, over 90,000 aspirants appeared for the CLAT exam, competing for approximately 3,800 seats available across NLUs. This results in an approximate qualification rate of 3%.

Many private and self-financed law schools in India also use CLAT scores for law admissions. Also, public sector undertakings like ONGC, Coal India, BHEL, the Steel Authority of India, Oil India, and the Indian Army (for Judge Advocate General officers) use CLAT PG scores. NLU Meghalaya began using CLAT scores for admissions as of January 2026. The application fee for CLAT is 4,000 INR.

About the Consortium of NLUs

The Consortium of National Law Universities was established on August 19, 2017, with the objective of improving legal education standards in the country and serving the justice system. Twenty-Six National Law Universities have joined the Consortium as members. The serving President of the Consortium is Prof. (Dr.) Dilip Ukey, Vice-Chancellor, MNLU Mumbai, while the Vice-President is Prof. (Dr.) Amar Pal Singh, Vice-Chancellor, RMLNLU, Lucknow.

Before the introduction of CLAT in 2008, National Law Universities conducted separate entrance tests, which often led to conflicting schedules and increased stress for students. A Public Interest Litigation in 2006 led to the Chief Justice of India directing the Union of India to consult with NLUs for a common test, culminating in the establishment of CLAT. The CLAT helpdesk can be reached at 080-47162020 from 10 AM to 5 PM on working days.

Further reading

• CLAT 2026: Apply by Dec 7 for law courses after 12th
• CLAT/Gujarat Law Test: Apply for Gokul BA LLB 2026 by July 12
• CLAT application form: eligibility, dates and how to apply Next step
• AILET 2027 registration open: apply by November 10 for BA LLB, LLM, PhD
• CBSE 12th/CUET: Apply for B.Com in Auditing in Karnataka by Today
• CLAT: complete exam guide

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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