The three most common law entrance tests across India are Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), Law School Admission Test (LSAT)-India and AILET (All India Law Entrance Test). Numerous candidates take these tests every year with a hope to get admission to India's premier and renowned law institutes. These exams offer admission for undergraduate and postgraduate courses of law. However, not every student wants to take all three entrance examinations, and often are unsure which one to choose.
Analysis Of India’s Most Popular Law Entrance Test (Source: Freepik)
These three entrance exams are distinctive in their own ways, and applicants may readily understand the difference in exam format and scoring system. The LSAT is a standardised test that emphasises aptitude, whereas the CLAT combines aptitude and general awareness. For those aspiring to get into National Law University (NLU), Delhi, admissions happen through the AILET admissions test.
Careers360 presents the main distinctions between CLAT, LSAT and AILET India in this article. Continue reading to see how CLAT, AILET, and LSAT India differ from one another in terms of various aspects.
Law Entrance Examination Overview
All of these exams are national level exams and they differ slightly from one another, CLAT combines aptitude and general awareness.While AILET evaluates applicants based on a variety of topics including general knowledge, legal aptitude, english, maths, and more. LSAT India typically places a greater emphasis on quick reading skills, logical thinking, and analytical reasoning. Syllabus for all entrance exams differs from one another. The organisation in charge of administering the exam, participating institutions, frequency of the exam, admissions given by various institutions, number of seats, and application fees are all different from one another.
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Difference between CLAT, LSAT-India and AILET
Particulars | CLAT | LSAT-India | AILET |
Exam conducted by | Consortium of National Law Universities | Pearson VUE | National Law University, Delhi |
Law programmes offered | 5-year integrated LLB and LLM course | 3-year LLB, 5-year LLB, LLM | BA LLB and LLM |
Number of times Exam held in a year | One time | Two times | One time |
Admissions offered to | 24 NLUs and 61 private law colleges and universities | More than 10 top private law colleges | NLU, Delhi and many more |
No. Of Seats | 2,801 | Depending upon the intake of participating institutes | BA LLB - 110
LLM - 70 |
Application Fees In Rs.(For General) | 4,000 | 3,800 | 3,500 |
Exam Pattern
All these exams are conducted in the English language only. The CLAT, LSAT, and AILET exam patterns are substantially distinct from one another, as are other law entrance exams.
The AILET test pattern is similar to other national-level law exam patterns, such as the CLAT exam pattern. In contrast to the 92–100 questions on the LSAT-India, there are 150 questions on the AILET. Additionally, candidates have 35 minutes on the LSAT-India to attempt each section, whereas the AILET has no such section-specific time restrictions.
The Exam Pattern
Category | CLAT | LSAT | AILET |
Time duration | 2 hours | 2 hours and 20 minutes (35 minutes for each section) | 1 hour 30 minutes |
Mode | Offline mode (pen paper-based mode) | Online, remote-proctored mode | Offline |
Type of questions | Objective-type questions | Multiple-choice questions | Multiple-choice questions |
Number of questions | CLAT UG - 150 questions | four sections with 23 questions each, total 92 questions | 150 |
CLAT PG - 120 questions |
Total marks | UG CLAT- 150 marks | Aggregate score between 420 and 480 will be received by each candidate and a percentile rank will be calculated too. | 150 |
CLAT PG - 120 marks |
Marking scheme | One mark for each correct answer and 0.25 negative marks for each incorrect answer. | There is no negative marking | There is no negative marking |
Top Participating Colleges: CLAT, LSAT, AILET
In addition to the 24 NLUs taking part in CLAT 2024, several other law schools are accepting CLAT scores for admission. Admissions to NLU, Delhi are made through the AILET. But many more law institutes accept the AILET score. LSAT India, on the other hand, is used to determine admission to a 12 of private law schools and universities in India.
Some Of The Law Institutes Admitting Through CLAT, LSAT, AILET
CLAT | LSAT | AILET |
National Law School of India University, Bangalore | Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat | NLU Delhi - National Law University, New Delhi |
NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad | Mewar University | SAGE University, Indore |
Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai | School of Law, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun | Vishwakarma University, Pune |
Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow | Alliance School of Law, Bangalore | Sushant University, Gurgaon |
National Law Institute University, Bhopal | BML Munjal University | Vinayaka Mission's Law School, Chennai |
National Law University, Jodhpur | VIT Law School, Chennai | BITS Law School, Mumbai |
Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala | GD Goenka University | Xavier Law School, Bhubaneswar |
NLU Odisha | BITS Law College | Raghunath Pandey Memorial Law College, Muzaffarpur |
Also Read | Getting Into NLU After CLAT? Here Are Some Popular Scholarships
Difficulty Level
The CLAT is undoubtedly a challenging exam to pass and is even regarded as the toughest legal entrance exam in India when it comes to the level of difficulty of the entrance exams. The CLAT exam consists of 150 questions that applicants must respond to in two hours. Further, a broad syllabus must be covered by the candidates because the questions cover a wide range of themes and subjects. Additionally, the CLAT marking scheme awards a deduction of 0.25 marks for each erroneous response, whereas the LSAT India does not.
In order to pass the LSAT India exam, candidates must typically respond to 92 questions in two hours and 20 minutes. There is no negative marking in the LSAT India exam.
AILET score helps in admission to the second best law college in India and hence is a little more difficult than LSAT India. The difficulty level is high comparatively also because candidates need to answer more questions in less time. Around 150 questions need to be answered in the total duration of 90 minutes for the AILET exam.
Which Is The Right Law Entrance Exam For You?
Although the LSAT India, AILET, and CLAT are all quite distinct exams, candidates should take them all since they are required for formal law admissions. The association of a particular college with the entrance exam or lack thereof may also influence the candidate's interest in the law entrance exam. Consider taking the LSAT India if students are one of the many applicants hoping to get into OP Jindal Global University, for instance. Similar to this, candidates must choose CLAT if they are more interested in attending national law schools.
Financial background can be another major factor while choosing to sit for these exams. LSAT helps admission to private universities that have a high fee structure. CLAT offers admission to public colleges, which have a lower fee comparatively.
The CLAT, LSAT and AILET are well-known because they are the most popular law admission examinations in India. The choice of a particular law entrance exam can be influenced by a number of variables, including the degree of difficulty, the likelihood of admission, the exam's scope, the popularity of the colleges, and the course fee.