Difference between CLAT and AILET is an important aspect to consider when one is deciding about the University, they want to pursue law from. One of the most predominant differences between CLAT and AILET is that they are essentially two different entrance exams that are held for granting admission into different universities. Common Law Admission Test helps one to get into the 22 National Law Universities that India has to offer. On the other hand, All India Law Entrance Test (AILET) is held specifically by the National Law University Delhi (NLUD). Let’s look at the differences between the two entrance exams in detail.
What is CLAT
- Common-Law Admission Test or commonly known as CLAT is an entrance test that is centralized and is conducted at a national level each year. This test is a gateway for admission to the twenty-two National Law Universities or NLUs in India. It is conducted at two levels i.e., at the undergraduate level (CLAT UG) and at the postgraduate level (CLAT PG).
- After the completion of their Higher Secondary examination students can take the CLAT. CLAT UG provides students entry into a course that offers them an integrated degree that includes a Bachelor of Arts degree and Bachelor of Legislative Law degree, commonly known as BA LL.B.
- Students can opt for CLAT PG after their graduation. The candidate applying for CLAT in post-graduation should have completed a graduate degree in Law either a 3year LLB course or 5-year BA.LL. B from a university that is recognized by the Bar Council of India. Furthermore, the candidate should have secured at least 55 percent in the qualifying examination. ST/SC category candidates should score at least 45 percent in the qualifying examination.
- Besides the 22 National Law Universities, CLAT scores are also accepted by most of the private and self-financed Law colleges in India for their Admissions.
What is AILET
- All India Law Entrance Test mostly known as AILET is an entrance test that is specifically conducted by the National Law University Delhi (NLUD) each year.
- This test determines admissions of students into various programs offered by the National Law University Delhi such as the five-year integrated undergraduate course, BA LLB, and postgraduate courses like LLM and PhD.
- All India Law Entrance Test’s scores are accepted and valid only at the National Law University Delhi (NLUD). They cannot be used as a means of getting admission in other NLUs beside NLU Delhi or in any other Law college.
Difference between CLAT and AILET
On the basis of overall exam pattern:
Undergraduate BA LLB (Bachelor of Art and Bachelor of Legislative Law)
| Entrance Exam | Duration | Number of Questions | Marks for corrects answer | Marks for incorrect question | Type pf Questions | Exam Timings(Generally) |
| CLAT | 2 hours or 120 minutes | Reduced to 150 from the earlier 200 | + 1 | -0.25 | Objective Type | 3 pm to 5 pm |
| AILET | 1 hour 30 minutes or 90 minutes | 150 questions in total | +1 | -0.25 | Multiple choice questions (MCQ) | 10 am to 11:30 am |
On the basis of section-wise exam pattern
| S. No | Subjects | CLAT | AILET |
| 1 | English including comprehension | 28-32 questions of 1 mark each | 35 questions of 1 mark each |
| 2 | Mathematics | 13-17 questions of 1 mark each | 10 questions of 1 mark each |
| 3 | General Knowledge and Current Affairs | 35-39 questions of 1 mark each | 35 questions of 1 mark each |
| 4 | Logical Reasoning | 28-32 questions of 1 mark each | 35 questions of 1 mark each |
| 5 | Legal Aptitude | 35-39 questions of 1 mark each | 35 questions of 1 mark each |
For Postgraduate LLM
| Entrance Exam | Duration | No. of Questions | Marks for correct answer | Marks for incorrect answer | Type of questions |
| CLAT | 2 hours | 102 | Section A – 40 marks Section B – 60 marks Section C – Two Essay based questions of 50 marks each | -0.25 | Both objective and subjective |
| AILET | 1 hour 30 minutes | 150 | 1 mark for each correct answer | -0.25 | Multiple Choice Based (MCQ) |
On the basis of Application Fee
| Category | CLAT | AILET |
| General/OBC/PWD/NRI/PIO/OCI | Rs.4000 | Rs. 3050 |
| SC/ST | Rs.3500 | Rs.1050 |
| BPL | Rs. 3500 | No Fees |
On the basis of difficulty level
When it comes to the difficulty level AILET is considered to be more difficult than CLAT. There are approximately 59,000 candidates who appear for CLAT to get a spot in 3283 seats present in 22 NLUs. On the other hand, around 19,000 candidates appear for AILET to get a spot in the limited space of 180 seats. Therefore, in CLAT around 17 students compete for one seat whereas in AILET around 105 students are competing for one single seat.
The difference between CLAT and AILET may be subtle to some extent and therefore one should take into careful consideration all the factors relevant to them to make a sound and well-informed decision.Â
