CLAT 2027 Safe Score for OBC Category: Minimum Marks Required for NLU Admission

The safe score for OBC category students in CLAT 2027 is expected to be 85–95 marks out of 120, based on three years of closing cutoff trends from participating NLUs.

CLAT 2027 will be conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities for admissions to 24 participating NLUs across India. OBC (Other Backward Classes — Non-Creamy Layer) students compete in a reserved seat pool with cutoffs typically 6–12 marks lower than the General category. However, competition within the OBC pool has risen year on year, making it important to target a score well above the minimum closing cutoff rather than aiming for a borderline admission.

• CLAT 2027 is a 120-mark exam with 120 questions and a -0.25 negative marking for every wrong answer.
• OBC safe score for Tier 1 NLUs (NALSAR, NUJS): 90–96 marks out of 120.
• OBC safe score for Tier 2 NLUs (NLU Jodhpur, GNLU, NLIU, RMLNLU): 82–89 marks out of 120.
• OBC safe score for Tier 3 NLUs (HNLU, CNLU, NUALS, RGNUL): 72–80 marks out of 120.
• Scoring 85+ marks puts OBC students in contention for 8–10 NLUs based on recent trends.
• OBC cutoffs are typically 6–12 marks lower than General category cutoffs for the same NLU.

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CLAT 2027 OBC Safe Score Overview

A safe score gives OBC students a reliable buffer above the previous year’s closing cutoff, accounting for year-on-year variation in paper difficulty and applicant volume. For CLAT 2027, targeting a score 5–8 marks above the 2026 OBC closing cutoff for a target NLU is the recommended approach. The table below gives expected safe score ranges by NLU tier:

All figures above are expected estimates based on CLAT 2025 and 2026 closing cutoff trends and are not official CLAT 2027 cutoffs.

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CLAT OBC Cutoff Trends (2023–2026)

OBC cutoffs in CLAT have shown a consistent upward trend over four years as the total number of applicants has grown and competition within the OBC category has intensified. Tracking this trend helps students set a realistic target for CLAT 2027.

The upward shift of 2–4 marks seen across all tiers from year to year reflects rising applicant numbers. All CLAT 2027 figures are expected estimates based on previous trends.

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NLU-wise Expected OBC Cutoff for CLAT 2027

Each NLU attracts a different level of competition, which means OBC cutoffs vary significantly across institutions. The table below shows the expected OBC closing cutoff in marks out of 120 for major CLAT-participating NLUs in 2027, based on previous years’ trends:

These cutoffs are expected figures based on CLAT 2026 trends and are subject to change depending on paper difficulty and OBC applicant volume in 2027.

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OBC vs General Category: Cutoff Comparison

The cutoff gap between OBC and General category depends on the NLU. Highly competitive NLUs show a larger gap while less competitive ones show a smaller difference. Understanding this gap helps OBC students translate their score into realistic seat probability.

All figures above are expected estimates based on previous years’ data. The actual difference may vary depending on seat availability and applicant distribution within each category in 2027.

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How to Achieve the OBC Safe Score in CLAT 2027

Reaching the OBC safe score of 85–95 marks out of 120 requires a section-wise strategy across CLAT’s five areas. Here are the key steps:

• English Language (22–26 questions): Focus on comprehension, inference, and tone questions. Aim for 18+ correct answers by reading quality editorials daily to build passage speed.
• Current Affairs and GK (28–32 questions): Cover 12 months of major news events alongside static GK. Target 20+ correct answers as this is the highest-weightage section.
• Legal Reasoning (28–32 questions): Master the principle-fact-application format. This section differentiates high scorers from average ones — aim for 22+ correct answers with regular mock practice.
• Logical Reasoning (22–26 questions): Strengthen critical reasoning and argument evaluation. Target 18+ correct answers; accuracy matters more than speed here.
• Quantitative Techniques (8–12 questions): Secure all straightforward calculation-based questions and basic data interpretation. Target 7+ correct answers even with limited maths background.
• Manage negative marking: With -0.25 per wrong answer, attempting 100–108 questions at 85% accuracy is safer than attempting all 120 at lower accuracy. Skip genuinely uncertain questions to protect net score.