The long wait for thousands of law aspirants is over. The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) has officially released the final answer key for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2026. This crucial document, published on the official portal consortiumofnlus.ac.in, allows candidates to verify their responses and calculate their probable scores ahead of the final result declaration.
How to Download the CLAT 2026 Final Answer Key
Accessing the final answer key is a straightforward online process. Candidates who appeared for the CLAT 2026 exam must visit the official website at consortiumofnlus.ac.in. On the homepage, they need to locate and click on the link designated for the 'CLAT 2026 Final Answer Key'. This will typically redirect them to a secure login portal.
To proceed, aspirants must enter their required login credentials, which usually include their application number/roll number and password. Once logged in, the final answer key will be displayed on the screen, typically in a PDF format. Candidates are advised to download the document and save a copy for their personal records and future reference. It is also prudent to take a printout for detailed, offline analysis.
From Provisional to Final: The Answer Key Journey
The release of the final answer key marks the culmination of a transparent multi-stage process. Earlier, the Consortium had published a provisional answer key along with the candidates' response sheets. This initiated a crucial challenge window from December 11 to December 13, 2025.
During this period, candidates were empowered to raise objections against any question or answer they believed was incorrect. They had to submit their challenges along with supporting documents and a fee. An expert panel constituted by the Consortium then meticulously reviewed all the valid objections received.
The newly released final answer key incorporates all the corrections made based on this scrutiny. The decisions of the expert committee are final and binding, meaning no further challenges will be entertained against this final version.
What Comes Next? Calculating Scores and Awaiting Results
With the final answer key in hand, candidates can now accurately calculate their expected scores in the CLAT 2026 exam. The marking scheme for CLAT 2026 awards +1 mark for each correct answer and deducts 0.25 marks for every incorrect response. No marks are awarded or deducted for unanswered questions.
By comparing their recorded responses with the final key, aspirants can get a clear and reliable estimate of their raw score. This allows them to gauge their performance and anticipate their probable rank. The next major milestone will be the declaration of the final results, which is expected to follow shortly after the release of the final answer key.
Based on these results, the Consortium will conduct the counselling process for admission to the participating 24 National Law Universities (NLUs) and other affiliated institutions for the academic session 2026-27.
Important Directives for Candidates:
- Use only the official website, consortiumofnlus.ac.in, to download the key to avoid misinformation.
- Carefully match each question ID from your response sheet with the answer key.
- Calculate your score using the prescribed marking scheme (+1 and -0.25).
- Keep your login credentials secure and check the official website regularly for updates on the result date and counselling schedule.
The release of the final answer key is a significant step towards finalizing the CLAT 2026 admissions. It underscores the Consortium's commitment to a fair and transparent selection process for the future legal professionals of India.
