CLAT 2027 Marking Scheme: +1, −0.25 and Tie-Breaks
How a CLAT score is calculated, what different attempt patterns are worth, and how ties are broken. With a score calculator.
Part of the CLAT 2027 guide
Short answer
How is the CLAT UG paper marked?
CLAT UG has 120 questions of one mark each. A right answer earns +1, a wrong answer costs −0.25, and an unanswered question scores 0, so the maximum is 120. Score = correct answers − 0.25 × wrong answers. Every section is marked the same way.
CLAT score calculator
Enter how many questions you got right and wrong in a mock. The calculator applies the CLAT 2027 scheme.
This is arithmetic, not a prediction. It cannot tell you your rank, which depends on how everyone else scores. See CLAT score vs rank.
The CLAT marking formula
Score = correct answers − 0.25 × wrong answers.
There is no separate deduction for leaving a question blank, and the maximum score is 120.
| Result on a question | Marks |
|---|---|
| Correct | +1 |
| Wrong | −0.25 |
| Unanswered | 0 |
How much is negative marking in CLAT?
Each wrong answer costs a quarter of a mark. Put another way, four wrong answers cancel one right answer. Our negative marking guide covers the arithmetic and when a guess is worth taking.
What different attempt patterns are worth
Because wrong answers cost marks, a smaller number of accurate attempts can beat a larger number of careless ones. The table uses 100 attempts.
| Accuracy on 100 attempts | Correct | Wrong | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90% | 90 | 10 | 87.5 |
| 80% | 80 | 20 | 75 |
| 70% | 70 | 30 | 62.5 |
| 60% | 60 | 40 | 50 |
These are worked examples, not predictions of marks or ranks.
Should you attempt every question?
Each extra attempt helps only if your chance of being right is above 20%. At exactly 20% it adds nothing on average, and below it the average is negative. A question where you can remove two options and are left with a coin-flip between two is above that line. A question you cannot start is not.
How are ties broken in CLAT?
Many candidates will finish on the same total. The CLAT 2027 UG instructions give this order for tied scores:
- Higher marks in the Legal Aptitude section
- Higher age
- A computerised draw
The instructions use the phrase “Legal Aptitude”, which we read as the legal section of the paper, Legal Reasoning. That makes it worth more than its share of the paper in a close race.
Where to go next
- Is there negative marking in CLAT?
- How many questions are there in CLAT?
- CLAT exam pattern
- CLAT score vs rank
- Time management in the CLAT exam
Sources and scope
Official references checked on 10 October 2026. The score table and calculator are arithmetic, not an official guide to attempts.