How is CLAT different from AILET? Key differences in Pattern, Syllabus, Difficulty Level
Candidates seeking admission into prominent law colleges in India are well aware of the fact that they have to appear and qualify the entrance exams accepted by the colleges. In India, the National Law Universities (NLUs) are among the top-tiered law colleges to study law and, at present, the total number of NLUs in India is 25. For admission to these NLUs (excluding NLU Delhi), candidates have to appear in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). Admission to NLU Delhi is through the All India Law Entrance Test (AILET). In this article, we have shared differences in key features of CLAT and AILET exams including exam pattern, difficulty level, and admission criteria.
Also Read: CLAT Questions for Practice with Solutions: Free PDF Download
As a relief to law aspirants, both the law entrance exams have similar test patterns for UG law programmes i.e.
- The question papers of CLAT are based on subjects including English, General Knowledge and Current Affairs, Elementary Mathematics (Quantitative Techniques), Legal Aptitude & Reasoning and Logical Reasoning.
- This year, the Consortium of NLUs announced some notable changes in the exam pattern of CLAT by reducing the number of questions to 120 from that of 150.
- The exam pattern of AILET has been changed as well since NLU Delhi removed Elementary Mathematics and Legal Aptitude section from the question paper. This changed the section-wise weightage of AILET question paper. Other than this, AILET exam mode, duration, and pattern remains the same.
Let us understand, the key features of both the law entrance exams on this page below.
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- Difference between CLAT UG and AILET UG Exam Pattern
- Difference between CLAT LLM and AILET LLM Exam Pattern
- The difference in CLAT and AILET Application Fees
- Which is tougher – CLAT or AILET?
- Important FAQs regarding CLAT & AILET
Difference between CLAT UG and AILET UG Exam Pattern
The major differences and similarities in key features of AILET and CLAT exam pattern 2026 are as under:
| Subject |
Features of CLAT 2026 |
Features of AILET 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Exam mode | CLAT is conducted in a paper-based test mode. | AILET is also conducted in a paper-based test mode. |
| Exam timings | 2:00-4:00 PM. | 10:00-11:30 AM. |
| Test duration |
120 minutes |
90 minutes |
| Type of questions |
Objective-type of question-based on Reading Comprehension passages of about 300-450 words. |
The questions are completely multiple-choice based in all sections. |
| Total questions |
120 | There are 150 MCQs in total. |
| Negative Marking |
+1 for a correct answer |
+1 for a correct answer |
Also Read:
To crack AILET exam in your first attempt-
- Create a plan
- Collect the books along with the previous year question papers
- Divide equal days to each subject
Though CLAT Preparation takes months of practice, it is still not impossible. You can prepare for the CLAT Exam in one week with a correct and dedicated focus. But you should have at least some understanding of concepts to clear the exam.
Section-wise Weightage of Questions and Marks
| Subjects |
Question and Marks for CLAT |
Question and Marks for AILET |
|---|---|---|
| 28-32 questions of 1 mark each |
50 questions of 1 mark each |
|
| 35-39 questions of 1 mark each | 30 questions of 1 mark each |
|
| 13-17 questions of 1 mark each |
Removed |
|
| 35-39 questions of 1 mark each |
Removed |
|
| 28-32 questions of 1 mark each |
70 questions of 1 mark each |
|
| Total |
120 questions and marks |
150 questions and marks |
Also Read:
Difference between CLAT LLM and AILET LLM Exam Pattern
In case of PG courses of AILET and CLAT for LLM course, the exam pattern is distinct from each other. Check below the difference in CLAT LLM and AILET LLM paper as under:
| Features |
CLAT LLM Pattern |
AILET LLM Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Exam mode |
Pen-paper mode |
Pen-paper mode |
| Exam duration |
2 hours |
1 hour 30 minutes |
| Subjects |
Constitutional Law, Jurisprudence, other law subjects including contemporary issues |
Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Law of Contract, Jurisprudence, Law of Tort and International Law |
| Type of questions |
Objective as well as subjective questions |
Multiple-choice questions |
| Total questions |
120 multiple-choice questions |
102 questions
|
| Total marks |
120 marks |
150 marks |
| Marking scheme |
|
Multiple-choice questions:
Descriptive questions:
|
The difference in CLAT and AILET Application Fees
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There is a huge difference in the application form fees of AILET and CLAT and it can be understood from the table below:
| Categories | CLAT application fees | AILET application fees |
|---|---|---|
| General/Other Backward Class (OBC)/ Persons with Disability (PwD)/ Non-Resident Indians (NRI)/ Persons of Indian Origin (PIO)/ Overseas citizens (OCI)/ Kashmiri Migrant | INR 4,000 | INR 3,050 |
| Scheduled Class (SC)/ Scheduled Tribe (ST) | INR 3,500 | INR 1,050 |
| BPL candidates from SC and ST categories | INR 3,500 | Exempted |
Which is tougher – CLAT or AILET?
Before appearing for the law entrance exams, the aspirants want to know which one is difficult to crack. If you compare the number of applicants per seat then definitely AILET is a tougher exam as compared to CLAT. It can be confirmed as under:
- More than 60,000 candidates appear in CLAT admission to 2,644 UG seats and 914 PG seats
- Approximately 19,000 candidates appear for 110 seats - BA LLB, 70 seats - LLM, and 18 seats - PhD
Thus, in CLAT approximately 20 candidates compete for a seat at CLAT participating NLUs, whereas in AILET around 100 candidates are competing for a seat at NLU, Delhi.
As per NIRF ranking 2025, NLSIU Bangalore emerged to be as the No. 1 ranked NLU colleges in India. Listed below are the other NLUs in India along with their top NLU in India rank wise 2025:
Top NLUs in India | NIRF 2023 | NIRF 2024 | NIRF 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 1 | |
2 | 2 | 2 | |
4 | 4 | 4 | |
7 | 8 | 5 | |
18 | 21 | 27 | |
24 | 22 | 30 | |
30 | 26 | 15 | |
28 | 27 | 35 |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from official website of the ranking body listed and may vary.
While it is bit challenging as its syllabus is not defined. Candidates can expect question on CLAT Current Affairs from anywhere. But if you do prepare well your chances to score high in this section also increases. The best way to prepare is to read the newspaper on a daily basis. Rest is to read GK books.
General - 93.25 marks
SC/ST - 59.75/58.5 marks
PwD - 64 marks
Kashmir Migrant - 35.25 marks
Residents of J&K- 54.25 marks.
However, an important fact to consider is that the majority of the applicants apply for both AILET and CLAT exams. Since NLU Delhi is ranked among the top five NLUs of India it makes it tougher to get admission in. Whereas, the difficulty level of CLAT question paper and AILET questions paper can be understood by the fact that the latter exam has tougher questions in Legal Aptitude which is based on core law topics. Moreover, now the CLAT Consortium has modified the test paper by increasing the comprehensive type of questions, to make it easier for candidates.
Read More:
Important FAQs regarding CLAT & AILET
Q: Which is better - CLAT or AILET?
A: Both CLAT and AILET are equally good as both give opportunity to secure admission in the prestigious National Law Universities in India. However, through AILET candidates can secure admission only in NLU Delhi. On the other hand, through CLAT, candidates can secure admission in 24 NLUs in India.
Q: Which law entrance exam is more difficult - CLAT or AILET?
A: The difficulty level of AILET is usually higher than CLAT. To check complete details, click on CLAT exam analysis and AILET Exam analysis links.
Q: Can I get admission in NLU without CLAT?
A: For admission in UG-level courses (such as BA/BBA LLB) and PG-level courses (such as LLM) offered at NLUs, it is mandatory for candidates to appear for either CLAT or AILET.
Q: Is the syllabus and exam pattern for CLAT and AILET different?
A: The exam pattern and syllabus for CLAT and AILET are different. So candidates need to refer to the specific pattern and syllabus when preparing for any of these exams.
Q: Do I need to adopt different preparation strategies for CLAT and AILET?
A: You can keep the same preparation strategy for CLAT and AILET as the paper pattern and syllabus for both the exams are largely similar.
Q: What is the application fee for CLAT and AILET?
A: The application fee for CLAT is INR 4,000 for the General category and INR 3,500 for SC/ST category. On the other hand, the AILET application fee is INR 3,050 for the General category and INR 1,050 for SC/ST category.
Q: How many seats are offered through CLAT and AILET exams?
A: The seat intakes for both the law entrance exams are as follows:
CLAT 2024:
- UG courses - 2, 644 seats
- PG courses - 914 seats
AILET 2024:
- BA LLB - 110
- LLM - 70
- PhD - 18
Q: In which modes are CLAT and AILET exams conducted?
A: Both CLAT and AILET are conducted in offline mode as pen-paper tests.
Q: What is the duration of CLAT and AILET exams?
A: CLAT exam is of two hours duration while AILET is of 90 minutes duration.
Q: Is there negative marking in CLAT and AILET exams?
A: Yes, there is negative marking of 0.25 marks in both CLAT and AILET exams.
Q: How many questions are asked in CLAT and AILET exams?
A: In both the exams, total 150 questions are asked in UG level.
Q: What type of questions are asked in CLAT and AILET exams?
A: In CLAT 2024, objective-type MCQs will be asked for UG and PG admission. AILET UG will have only MCQs, but PG paper will have both objective and descriptive questions.
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To crack the AILET exam, candidates must target to achieve rank between 50-60, which means score above 75 will help you land at the NLU Delhi. Candidates must go through the AILET exam pattern, syllabus, and previous year questions to prepare for the exam effectively. The previous year questions will help candidates to get an idea about the kind of questions asked in the exam.