CLAT, AILET, LSAT India: Key Differences, Syllabus, Pattern, Difficulty Level & More
Planning to appear for law entrance exams but confused which one to take? Read the article below to know key differences between the three best law entrance exams in India – CLAT, AILET and LSAT.
CLAT, AILET and LSAT are the three most popular law entrance exams in India. Every year thousands of students appear for these exams to secure admission to a prestigious law school in India. However, while not all students always want to appear in all the three law entrance exams, they are often seen confused on which one to take. In this article, we have listed out key differences in CLAT, AILET and LSAT India. Read on to know how CLAT, AILET and LSAT India are different from each other concerning colleges accepting exam scores, test patterns, syllabi, difficulty levels, eligibility criteria and more.
- What is CLAT, AILET and LSAT India?
- Difference between CLAT, AILET and LSAT India Eligibility
- Difference between CLAT, AILET and LSAT India Exam Pattern & Syllabus
- Difference between CLAT, AILET and LSAT India Difficulty Level
- CLAT, AILET and LSAT India: Which Exam to Choose?
- Important FAQs regarding Differences between CLAT, AILET & LSAT India
What is CLAT, AILET and LSAT India?
Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a law exam conducted by the Consortium of NLUs to offer admission to candidates in law courses offered at 24 National Law Universities (NLUs). All India Law Entrance Test (AILET) is an exam conducted by NLU Delhi to offer admission to candidates in law courses offered by it only. On the other hand, Law School Admission Test-India (LSAT India) is an entrance exam conducted by Law School Admission Council (LSAC) to offer admission to candidates in various private law schools in India.
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Check some key differences between the three exams below:
| Parameters |
CLAT |
AILET |
LSAT India |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conducting body |
Consortium of NLUs |
NLU Delhi |
Pearson VUE on behalf of LSAC |
| Exam level |
National |
National |
National |
| Courses offered |
|
|
|
| Duration of courses |
Integrated LLB – 5 years LLM – 1 year |
Integrated LLB – 5 years LLM – 1 year PhD – 5 years |
Integrated LLB – 5 years LLB – 3 years |
| Participating/associated colleges |
NLU Delhi |
||
| Frequency of exams |
Once in a year |
Once in a year |
Twice in a year |
| Application fee |
INR 4,000 (INR 3,500 for reserved categories) |
INR 3,050 (INR 1,050 for reserved categories) |
INR 3,799 |
Difference between CLAT, AILET and LSAT India Eligibility
Tabulated below are the key differences between CLAT, AILET and LSAT India exams concerning their eligibility criteria:
| Law Exams Eligibility Parameters |
CLAT |
AILET |
LSAT India |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educational Qualification |
UG courses: Class 12 PG courses: LLB degree |
UG courses: Class 12 PG courses: LLB degree PhD: LLM degree |
UG courses: Class 12/graduation |
| Minimum marks in qualifying exam |
UG courses: 45% (40% for SC/ST) PG courses: 50% (45% for SC/ST) |
UG courses: 45% (40% for SC/ST) PG courses: 50% (45% for SC/ST) PhD: 55% (50% for SC/ST) |
UG courses: 45-50% (vary from college to college) |
| Age limit |
UG courses: No age limit PG courses: No age limit |
UG courses: No age limit PG courses: No age limit |
UG courses: No age limit |
Also Read: CLAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria, Minimum Marks, Age Limit
Difference between CLAT, AILET and LSAT India Exam Pattern & Syllabus
Tabulated below are the key differences between CLAT, AILET and LSAT India exam pattern and subjects for UG courses:
| Law Exam Pattern Parameters |
CLAT |
AILET |
LSAT India |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam mode |
Offline |
Offline |
Offline |
| Exam duration |
120 minutes (2 hours) |
90 minutes (1 hour 30 minutes) |
140 minutes (2 hours 20 minutes) |
| Type of questions |
Objective (based on Comprehension passages) |
Objective |
Objective |
| Exam subjects & sections |
|
|
|
| Total questions |
120 |
150 |
92 |
| Total marks |
120 |
150 |
420-480 score band and percentile |
| Negative Marking |
-0.25 for incorrect answer |
-0.25 for incorrect answer |
Not applicable |
Also Read:
| CLAT exam pattern | CLAT syllabus |
| AILET exam pattern | AILET syllabus |
| LSAT India exam pattern | LSAT India syllabus |
Difference between CLAT, AILET and LSAT India Difficulty Level
One of the big questions to ask when deciding whether to appear for one, two or all the three law entrance exams is, ‘what is the difficulty level of CLAT, AILET and LSAT India?’ The overall difficulty level of an exam can be decided by considering the parameters mentioned in the table below:
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| Law Exam Difficulty Parameters |
CLAT |
AILET |
LSAT India |
|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty level of questions |
Moderate |
Moderate to difficult |
Moderate to difficult |
| Negative marking |
-0.25 for incorrect answer |
-0.25 for incorrect answer |
No negative marking |
| Level of competition |
Moderate (approx. 60,000 candidates appear for over 3,500 seats of 22 NLUs) |
Difficult (approx. 19,000 candidates appear for nearly 200 seats at NLU Delhi) |
Easy to moderate (approx. 10,000 candidates appear for seats at over 25 associated colleges) |
| Overall difficulty level |
Moderate to difficult |
Difficult |
Easy to moderate |
Also Read:
| CLAT exam analysis | AILET exam analysis | LSAT India exam analysis |
CLAT, AILET and LSAT India: Which Exam to Choose?
Since the subjects from which questions are asked in all the three law entrance exams are similar, there is not much difference in the preparation strategy for CLAT, AILET and LSAT India. Therefore, if not heavy on pocket, candidates are advised to appear for all the three law entrance exams.
Appearing in all the three exams open up more options for candidates concerning securing admission in law schools in India.
Important FAQs regarding Differences between CLAT, AILET & LSAT India
Q: Which is better? LSAT or CLAT?
A: Since, CLAT is a gateway to the prestigious NLUs in India, it is a better law entrance exam than LSAT India. Through LSAT, candidates can secure admission in various private law colleges in the country.
Q: Which is more difficult? CLAT or AILET?
A: Considering previous year trends of the question paper difficulty level and the level of competition for both the exams, AILET can be considered more difficult than CLAT.
Q: Can I give all CLAT, LSAT and AILET?
A: Yes, if eligible, you can appear for all the three law entrance exams in a single year.
Q: Is LSAT and CLAT same?
A: No, through LSAT India, you can secure a seat in any of the private law colleges accepting exam scores. On the other hand, through CLAT you can secure admission in NLUs and various other colleges acceptig exam scores.
Q: Which is the best NLU in India?
A: As per NIRF ranking 2023, NLSIU Bangalore continues to be the best law college in India.
