Every year we see the same scene in our office: brilliant students lose days, sometimes weeks, to confusion around the CLAT application form — wrong fee category, photo rejected twice, admit card photograph mismatch. Registration is pure procedure, not talent, and it should cost you one evening, not one month. This guide walks you through the entire process exactly as it works, so nothing catches you by surprise.
💡 Remember: the date you must never miss is the application deadline. Missed applications are not re-opened for any reason — the Consortium has never extended CLAT registration for individual candidates. Set two alarms: one a week before, one on the final day.
CLAT 2027 — Key Dates at a Glance
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Registration opens | August 2026 | (Expected) |
| Registration closes | Early November 2026 | (Expected) |
| Correction window | Short window after registration closes | (Tentative) |
| Admit card release | 1–2 weeks before the exam | (Expected) |
| CLAT 2027 exam | 6 December 2026 | Confirmed |
CLAT 2027 Application Fee — Category-wise
The fee is paid online at the final step of the application. Choose the category that matches your documents — selecting the wrong category later affects fee refunds and counselling verification.
| Category | Application Fee |
|---|---|
| General / UR | ₹4,000 |
| OBC-NCL | ₹4,000 |
| EWS | ₹4,000 |
| SC | ₹3,500 |
| ST | ₹3,500 |
| Persons with Disability | ₹3,500 |
Payment methods: net banking, credit card, debit card and UPI. Save the transaction reference number and take a screenshot of the payment success page — this is your proof if the form status ever shows "unpaid".
ℹ️ Note: the fee is for the application only. There is no separate fee for the admit card, and no charges for downloading it. Any website asking for money to "book your admit card" is a scam — the admit card is always free from the official Consortium website.
Step-by-Step Registration Process
- Open the official portal — visit consortiumofnlus.ac.in and click "CLAT 2027 Application". Do not use Google ad links or third-party portals; there are fake clones every year.
- Create your account — register with a valid email ID and mobile number. These are your login credentials for the entire cycle: application, admit card, result and counselling.
- Fill personal details — name exactly as in Class 10 certificate, date of birth, gender, category, and Aadhaar details if available.
- Enter academic details — board, roll number and year for Class 12 (or "appearing" status for the current year).
- Select NLUs and programmes — choose the law programmes you want (BA LLB, BBA LLB, B.Com LLB etc.) across the participating NLUs. Rank them in the order you prefer — this order can matter in later rounds.
- Upload photo and signature — follow the exact pixel and file-size limits shown on the page. Scanned copies of photographs taken on phones are the #1 reason applications get rejected or need correction.
- Pay the application fee — ₹4,000 or ₹3,500 as per your category, through the payment gateway.
- Preview the entire form — read every field once before submitting. A single-digit typo in the name or roll number creates counselling-day drama.
- Submit and download — take the printout/PDF of the submitted application form and the payment receipt. Keep both in a folder with your Class 12 documents.
- Track the status — log in a few days later to confirm the application shows "Submitted" and the payment shows "Received".
Documents Checklist Before You Start
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Photograph | Recent, front-facing, plain background, within the file size and dimension limits specified on the portal |
| Signature | On white paper, within the same file limits |
| Class 12 details | Mark sheet (if passed) or board roll number (if appearing) |
| Contact details | Active email ID and mobile number — every update arrives by SMS and email |
| Payment method | Net banking / card / UPI ready |
CLAT 2027 Admit Card — Everything You Need to Know
The admit card is released on the same portal, normally 1–2 weeks before the exam (expected). Here is how the process works:
- Download: log in with your registration credentials → click "Admit Card" → download the PDF. Save it and also print a hard copy; a phone screenshot is not accepted at the centre.
- Check every detail: name spelling, photograph, signature, exam centre, date and reporting time. The photo must be recognisably you — same hairstyle/glasses as the uploaded photo is a practical safety tip we give our students.
- Report mismatch immediately: contact the Consortium through the helpdesk on the website as soon as you spot any error. Do not wait for the exam day.
- Carry a valid ID: the exam hall requires the admit card plus one government photo ID (Aadhaar, passport, driving licence or college ID as specified).
- Timing: reach the centre at least 90 minutes before the reporting time — biometric and frisking queues can be slow, and latecomers are not allowed inside.
Common Mistakes That Cost Students
| Mistake | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Applying via a fake/mirror website | Money lost, no application on record |
| Photo or signature rejected (file size / format) | Application stuck in correction, deadline pressure |
| Typo in name or date of birth | Identity mismatch at centre and during counselling |
| Wrong fee category selected | Refund complications, counselling verification issues |
| Waiting for the last day to apply | Portal crashes under load — the Consortium server has gone down on closing day before |
ℹ️ Our rule at Surya Law Academy: every student in our batches submits the application within the first week of the window, not the last. We do a 10-minute form review in class — it has caught wrong categories and rejected photos in nearly every batch. Ask your mentor to check your form before you pay.
Registration Do's and Don'ts — Final Checklist
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Apply within the first week of the window — beat the closing-day portal rush | Don't wait for the last day; the Consortium server has failed under load on closing day before |
| Use the exact name from your Class 10 certificate everywhere | Don't mix spellings across Class 10, Class 12 and the form — counselling verification compares all three |
| Keep a screenshot of the payment success page and the transaction ID | Don't close the tab before the final confirmation screen loads |
| Log in 2–3 days later and confirm "Application Submitted + Payment Received" | Don't assume submission worked — check the dashboard yourself |
| Save the submitted-form PDF in your phone + email | Don't rely on one device; lost PDFs cause last-minute panic at counselling |
After Registration — Don't Waste the Months
With registration done, the real work is the ~4 months until 6 December 2026. At SLA we use the post-registration window for our mock-marathon phase: 200+ mock tests in the library, one full-length test every week, and daily current-affairs practice. Our results — including CLAT AIR 17 NLSIU (Anish Gupta, 2024) and AIR 32 NLSIU (Ananya Sharma, 2025) — come from students who had their paperwork done early and their head down through September–November.
🎯 Bottom line: register in August, submit within a week, download the admit card the day it releases, and check it like a banker checks a note. Procedure takes two hours; the exam takes two hours too — but the registration mistake can cost you a whole year.
Get Your Application Reviewed by Experts
Our counsellors review CLAT forms for free — catch photo errors, wrong categories and typos before you pay.