What a CLAT PG cut-off really is
There is no single pass mark for CLAT PG. A cut-off is the closing rank (and the matching score) of the last candidate who got a seat at a particular NLU, in a particular category, in a particular counselling round. Each NLU has its own, so the same score can win a seat at one university and miss at another.
Why the numbers move every year
- Seats change. Each NLU can change its intake and seat breakup before final allotment.
- Difficulty changes. A harder paper lowers scores, and ranks shift with it.
- Preferences change. Candidates fill their NLU preferences differently each year, which moves where each round closes.
- Rounds change the picture. Counselling runs in several rounds with freeze and float options. Closing ranks are usually tightest in the first round, and the most sought-after NLUs often have very few seats left to allot in the later rounds.
What published data tells us, and why we don’t show a table
We checked several education websites for recent NLU-wise closing ranks. Their figures disagree with one another, and some mix up undergraduate and postgraduate counselling or show only estimates. Publishing a table we cannot trace to official allotment lists would mislead you, so we have not.
The broad picture is consistent, though. At the most sought-after NLUs, general-category closing ranks have generally been within the top few hundred, with reserved categories closing at much higher ranks. Treat this as a rough guide, not a target.
How to get reliable cut-off data
- Open the allotment lists for each counselling round on consortiumofnlus.ac.in. They show the ranks and categories actually allotted.
- Compare at least three previous years for the NLU you want, not just the latest.
- Check the seat matrix and reservation policy in that year’s information brochure.
- Aim above the closing rank of your target NLU and list safer options as backups.
Competition in numbers
The Consortium reported 17,335 applicants for the PG programme in the CLAT 2026 cycle, with 92.45% of them sitting the exam, which is about 16,026 candidates. Published coverage puts the LL.M. seats across the NLUs at roughly 1,500 to 1,750, depending on the year and whether NRI and supernumerary seats are counted. That works out to around nine to ten candidates appearing for every seat. The seats at the best-known NLUs are far fewer than that, so competition there is much sharper than the average suggests.
How your score becomes a rank
You earn 1 mark for each correct answer and lose 0.25 marks for each wrong one. For example, 80 correct and 20 wrong gives 80 minus 5, so 75 out of 120. Candidates are ranked by score. If two candidates have the same marks, the official tie-breaker applies: higher age first, then a computerised draw of lots. Because ties are broken this way, a single mark can move your rank by a lot.
Why accuracy matters as much as attempts
Each wrong answer costs a quarter mark, so four wrong answers wipe out one correct one. Assuming four options, a blind guess is worth about +0.06 marks on average, which roughly breaks even. Eliminating one option lifts that to about +0.17 and eliminating two lifts it to about +0.38, so eliminate first and guess second.
How to read a closing rank
- Category matters. General, OBC, EWS, SC, ST and PwD each have their own closing rank at every NLU.
- Round matters. The first allotment usually shows the tightest ranks. Later rounds show where seats freed up by floating and withdrawals went.
- Seat type matters. Domicile, supernumerary and NRI seats are not comparable with general CLAT seats.
- Programme matters. Undergraduate and postgraduate closing ranks are different lists. Make sure any figure you read is for the LL.M.
A simple way to plan your target
- Pick three to five NLUs and note each one’s LL.M. specialisations.
- From the official allotment lists, write down the closing rank for your category in each round for the last three years.
- Take the worst round-wise rank for the NLU you want, then aim to beat it with a margin.
- Convert that rank into an approximate score using your mock-test results, and train to that score.
See also: participating NLUs and the CLAT PG FAQ.