In the competitive landscape of legal education in India, two prominent entrance exams stand out: CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) and AILET (All India Law Entrance Test). Aspiring lawyers across the nation often find themselves confused, deliberating which exam to undertake for their journey into the field of law. In this comprehensive guide of CLAT vs AILET, we delve into the intricacies of both CLAT and AILET, offering students a detailed comparison to aid in their decision-making process.
About CLAT
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) serves as a centralized national-level entrance examination, administered by the Consortium of National Law Universities, a collective comprising representative universities. The CLAT Exam serves as the cornerstone of the admission process for gaining admission in 25 out of 27 National Law Universities (NLUs) across India. Notably, NLU Delhi and NLU Meghalaya conduct their own entrance exams. Thus, while CLAT facilitates admission to a majority of NLUs, these two institutions have their independent assessment processes.
The CLAT comprises five sections: English Language, Logical Reasoning, Current Affairs, Quantitative Techniques and Legal Reasoning. There will be a total of 120 questions, which need to be answered within 2 hours.
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About AILET
The All India Law Entrance Test (AILET) is a prestigious national-level exam aimed at initiating the admission process for individuals interested in pursuing law studies at NLU-Delhi. Therefore, aspiring candidates keen on enrolling in NLU-D’s undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) law programs are encouraged to kick start their preparation promptly for the forthcoming AILET Exam 2025.
The AILET exam comprises three sections: English Language, Logical Reasoning, and Current Affairs & General Knowledge. The total duration of the exam is 90 minutes, during which candidates will be presented with a total of 150 questions (for AILET UG courses). Based on the analysis from previous years, the overall difficulty level of the AILET typically remains moderate, though the competition for this exam is notably high. Hence, prospective law candidates are advised to do thorough preparation to excel in the AILET and secure admission to NLU-D.
Read : AILET Preparation Strategy
CLAT vs AILET: Key Differences
| Point of Comparison | CLAT | AILET |
| Test Duration | 120 minutes | 120 minutes |
| Total Questions | 120 | 150 |
| Exam Mode | Paper based | Paper based |
| Correct Answer | +1 marks | +1 marks |
| Wrong Answer | -0.25 marks | -0.25 marks |
CLAT vs AILET: Application Fees
| Point of Comparison | CLAT | AILET |
| General/OBC/PwD/NRI/PIO/OCI/Kashmiri Migrant | INR 4000 | INR 3050 |
| SC/ST | INR 3500 | INR 1050 |
| BPL Candidates from SC and ST | INR 3500 | Exempt |
CLAT vs AILET: Section-Wise Number of Questions
| Point of Comparison | CLAT | AILET |
| English Language | 25-26 questions | 50 questions |
| Logical Reasoning | 22-26 questions | 70 questions |
| Current Affairs (GK Included) | 28-32 questions | 30 questions |
| Quantitative Techniques | 10-14 questions | Removed |
| Legal Reasoning | 28-32 questions | Removed |
| Total Questions | 120 questions | 150 questions |
Also Read : Top Law Entrance Exams
CLAT vs AILET: PG Courses
| Point of Comparison | CLAT LLM | AILET LLM |
| Exam Duration | 120 minutes | 90 minutes |
| Total Marks | 120 Marks | 150 Marks |
| Total Questions | 120 Questions | 102 Questions 100-MCQs 2-Descriptive Questions (Only 2 out of 8-10 questions have to be attempted) |
| Correct Answer | +1 Marks | MCQs +1 Marks Descriptive Questions 25 Marks/Question |
| Wrong Answer | -0.25 Marks | -0.25 Marks in MCQs |
CLAT vs AILET: Difficulty Analysis
A comparative analysis between AILET and CLAT sheds light on the difficulty aspect of the exams. When considering the number of applicants per seat, it becomes evident that AILET presents a more formidable hurdle compared to CLAT.
On breaking down the statistics we find that:
- CLAT witnesses a staggering influx of over 1,00,000 candidates competing for 2,644 undergraduate (UG) seats and 914 postgraduate (PG) seats across various participating NLUs.
- On the other hand, AILET attracts approximately 19,000 candidates contending for a mere 110 seats in the BA LLB program, 70 seats in LLM, and 18 seats in PhD programs.
This contrast illustrates the intensity of competition faced by aspirants in both exams. While approximately 20 candidates compete for a single seat at CLAT participating NLUs, the ratio skyrockets to around 100 candidates per seat at NLU Delhi through AILET.
However, a vital aspect to consider is the overlap in applicant pools between AILET and CLAT. Given that NLU-D holds a prestigious rank among the top five NLUs in India, securing admission becomes even more challenging. Additionally, the difficulty level of the question papers in CLAT and AILET plays a crucial role. AILET is notably recognized for its rigorous questions in Legal Aptitude, which delve deep into core law topics. Conversely, recent changes in the CLAT exam format by the CLAT Consortium have introduced a higher proportion of comprehensive-type questions to increase the exam’s difficulty level for candidates.
In conclusion, while AILET may have a higher applicant-seat ratio and tougher questions in Legal Aptitude, CLAT’s evolving exam format and prestigious stature of NLU-D make both exams challenging for aspiring law students. Ultimately, success in either exam requires meticulous preparation, strategic planning, and unwavering determination.
Where to prepare from for CLAT and AILET?
