CLAT 2021 Question Paper
150 questions · passage-based (current pattern) · official answer key included.
Source: Consortium of NLUs official CLAT 2021 paper + provisional answer key. Used for educational practice.
CLAT 2021 paper: pattern and analysis
The CLAT 2021 paper carried 150 questions to be answered in 120 minutes, and it was fully passage-based: in every section you read a passage and answer the questions hanging off it. Marking was +1 for a correct answer, −0.25 for a wrong one and 0 for an unattempted one, and the exam was conducted by the Consortium of NLUs. 2021 was an early paper of the comprehension era — the longer, reading-led format that the Consortium first introduced in 2020 and ran through 2023 — so it gives you a clear feel for that 150-question structure. To see how each section is defined, read it alongside the CLAT syllabus.
| Section | Questions | Approx weight |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Reasoning | 40 | ~27% |
| Current Affairs & GK | 35 | ~23% |
| English Language | 30 | ~20% |
| Logical Reasoning | 30 | ~20% |
| Quantitative Techniques | 15 | ~10% |
What the 2021 paper demands
- ✓Legal Reasoning and Current Affairs & GK are the two biggest blocks — together they make up 75 of the 150 questions, exactly half the paper. Your score lives here more than anywhere else.
- ✓Speed under the clock — 150 questions in 120 minutes leaves under 50 seconds per question on average. With everything passage-based, that time is spent reading as much as answering.
- ✓Reading stamina across five sections — because every question hangs off a passage, comprehension and a steady pace matter just as much as subject knowledge. You are reasoning on the page, not recalling stray facts.
- ✓Quantitative Techniques is the smallest section at just 15 questions, about 10% of the paper — worth securing cleanly, but not where the bulk of your marks sit.
💡 Practise for the pace, not just the format
Because 2021 packs 150 questions into the same 120 minutes, it runs at a faster clip than the current 120-question paper — under 50 seconds per question. That makes it excellent training for reading speed and quick skip-decisions. Use it to build pace, but pair it with a newer paper so you also rehearse today's exact question count.
How to use the CLAT 2021 paper
- 1
Attempt it timed, in one blockSit all 150 questions in a single 120-minute window — no breaks, no peeking at answers. Take it as a timed mock so the on-screen navigation, flagging and pacing all feel familiar. The first honest attempt is the only true read of your speed and accuracy at this tempo.
- 2
Review with the answer keyGo through every wrong answer with the official key. Don't just note the right option — return to the passage, find the exact line that forces it, and the line that should have warned you off your choice. Name the cause each time: misread the passage, fell for a tempting option, or simply ran out of time.
- 3
Drill your weakest sectionYour error log will point at one or two weak spots — often Legal Reasoning or Quantitative Techniques. Spend the next days on targeted topic-wise practice there, then re-attempt the passages that beat you so the same type never costs you twice.
🗓️
CLAT 2022 Paper
The next paper in the comprehension era — another 150-question set to sit and analyse.
150 Q · scored
🗓️
CLAT 2020 Paper
The very first paper of the comprehension format — the one 2021 was built on.
150 Q · scored
📚
All question papers
Every CLAT paper, free to download or attempt online as a timed mock.
All years
🎯 CLAT 2021 in a nutshell
- 150 questions in 120 minutes, fully passage-based, conducted by the Consortium of NLUs.
- Marking is +1 for a correct answer, −0.25 for a wrong one and 0 for an unattempted one.
- Section split: Legal Reasoning 40, Current Affairs & GK 35, English 30, Logical Reasoning 30, Quantitative Techniques 15.
- An early comprehension-era paper, sharing the 150-question format used from 2020 to 2023.
- The pace is brisk — under 50 seconds per question — so 2021 is strong training for reading speed.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions were in CLAT 2021?
The CLAT 2021 paper had 150 questions, to be answered in 120 minutes — under 50 seconds per question on average. They were split across five sections: Legal Reasoning (40), Current Affairs and GK (35), English Language (30), Logical Reasoning (30) and Quantitative Techniques (15). Every question was passage-based.
What was the CLAT 2021 exam pattern?
CLAT 2021 followed the comprehension-era pattern: 150 passage-based questions in 120 minutes, conducted by the Consortium of NLUs. Each section gives a passage and asks linked questions, so you read and reason on the spot. Legal Reasoning and Current Affairs and GK were the two largest sections, together making up half the paper.
How is CLAT 2021 different from the current paper?
CLAT 2021 had 150 questions, while papers from 2024 onward carry 120 — both in the same 120 minutes. The section structure and passage-based style are the same, but 2021 runs faster, at under 50 seconds per question. The 150-question format ran from 2020 to 2023 before the count was reduced.
Is the CLAT 2021 paper still useful for practice?
Yes. The format, section split and passage-based reasoning all match today's exam, so 2021 is solid practice — especially for building reading speed, since it packs more questions into the same time. Pair it with a newer 120-question paper so you also rehearse the exact count you will face on exam day.
How is CLAT 2021 marked?
CLAT 2021 used the standard scheme: +1 mark for every correct answer, −0.25 for every wrong answer, and 0 for a question left unattempted. Because the penalty is small, a reasoned guess pays off once you can eliminate two of the four options from the passage — but leave a question blank if you can eliminate nothing.
Which section had the most questions in CLAT 2021?
Legal Reasoning was the largest section in CLAT 2021 with 40 questions, about 27% of the paper. Current Affairs and GK came next with 35 questions (~23%). English Language and Logical Reasoning had 30 each, and Quantitative Techniques was the smallest with just 15 questions, about 10% of the paper.