AILET vs CLAT: Which Law Entrance Exam Should You Focus On?

Appearing in both national-level law entrance exams, such as AILET and CLAT, provides a wider option to get selected in the Top National Law Universities in India. The AILET exam is held for admission into NLU Delhi, whereas the CLAT exam is administered for all 24 NLUs in India. It is highly suggested that students appear for and focus on both Law Entrance exams equally, as it increases their chance to secure a seat in the law Programme. While making this crucial selection, you must be concerned about the differences between AILET vs CLAT, a side-by-side comparison that helps you to find out which exam you should focus on based on your strengths, objectives and study approach.

AILET vs CLAT: Overview of Exam

If you want to attend a top-tier law institution in India, you’re probably thinking about two significant law entrance exams: CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) and AILET (All India Law Entrance Test). Both the entrance offer Undergraduate Law admission; however, they differ in format, syllabus, difficulty, and seat competitiveness. The CLAT exam scores are considered for 24 NLUs; on the other hand, the AILET is the only entryway to NLU Delhi.

CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) is administered by the Consortium of NLUs for admission to 5-year integrated law and LLM programs at India’s several National Law Universities. The syllabus of the CLAT covers five sections, including English, General Knowledge and Current Affairs, Elementary Mathematics (Quantitative Techniques), Legal Aptitude & Reasoning and Logical Reasoning.

AILET (All India Law Entrance Test) is conducted by National Law University, Delhi; its scores are utilised for admission to NLU Delhi’s BA-LLB, LLM (and other law programs). The exam’s question paper is based on several sections, such as English, current affairs & GK, legal reasoning, logical reasoning,

Difference Between AILET and CLAT Exam

For a quick overview, we have shared a table mentioning the key differences between AILET and CLAT Exam.

Difference between CLAT UG and AILET UG Syllabus

Before choosing which exam is good for you, you must refer to the official syllabus of both exams. The main difference between the AILET and CLAT syllabuses is that the AILET does not have a Quantitative or Mathematics element, but the CLAT does. CLAT GK is based on passages, whereas AILET GK is based on broad statements or one-liners. As per the 2026 edition, the CLAT Syllabus features a more extensive syllabus that includes courses such as English, Current Affairs & GK, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques. On the other hand, the Syllabus of AILET focuses only on logical reasoning and analytical skills, with a stronger emphasis on legal knowledge, and no Quantitative Techniques section.

AILET vs CLAT: Difference B/w Exam Pattern

CLAT and AILET share certain parallels in terms of exam pattern, but also some significant variations. Take a look at the significant similarities and differences between the following law exam patterns.

Similarities of AILET & CLAT Exam Pattern

• Both exams were held in the pen-and-paper mode
• The Time Duration of both the exams is 2 hours
• The marking scheme is the same for both exams
  • For the correct answers: +1 Mark Awarded
  • For incorrect answers:0.25 mark deducted

Differences between AILET & CLAT Exam Pattern

• The number of Questions in the CLAT Exam is 120, whereas the AILET Exam includes 150 questions.
• In the CLAT Exam paper, Objective-type questions are asked from the Reading Comprehension passages of about 300-450 words. Where in the questions are completely multiple-choice based in all sections of AILET Question paper.

AILET vs CLAT: Cutoff Trends

An analysis of the cutoff patterns is critical before preparing for the aforementioned law exam. AILET cutoffs have historically been higher for its single NLU than for many other NLUs in the CLAT system. For example, the BA LLB (Hons) cut off for AILET at NLU Delhi can be as high as 85-95, whereas the best CLAT NLUs, such as NLSIU Bengaluru, require scores of 95 or more.

Also Read:

• AILET Cut off Trends over last few years
• NLU Wise CLAT Cut off trends over the years

Which is tougher, CLAT or AILET?

If you have a dream to pursue your undergraduate law exam from NLU Delhi, then AILET is crucial because that is its domain.  If you desire options other than one university, CLAT offers a diverse range of 124 NLUs, which helps in lowering the competition comparatively. Before taking the law entrance exams, applicants want to know which ones are hardest to pass. If you compare the number of applications per seat, AILET is clearly a more difficult exam than CLAT. It can be confirmed as follows.

• More than 60,000 candidates appear in CLAT admission to 2,644 undergraduate seats and 914 graduate seats.
• Approximately 19,000 candidates compete for 110 BA LLB slots, 70 LLM seats, and 18 PhD seats.

Thus, in CLAT, roughly 20 students compete for a place at participating NLUs, whereas in AILET, approximately 100 candidates compete for a seat at NLU, Delhi.