Analysis Of India’s Most Renowned Entrance Exam For Law

Analysis Of India’s Most Renowned Entrance Exam For Law

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CLAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 31 Oct' 25

Updated on 23 May 2023, 09:01 AM IST

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 Renowned Entrance Exam For Law
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.


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Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

Hello,

While NLUs are costly, you can still pursue government-funded law education through state-funded universities and their affiliated colleges that accept CLAT scores, such as institutes like Banaras Hindu University and Aligarh Muslim University.

I hope it will clear your query!!

It is always better to take the CLAT exam right after Class 12 if your goal is to build a career in law, because CLAT UG is specifically designed for admission into integrated five-year law programs like BA LLB, BCom LLB, or BBA LLB. Appearing after Class 12 saves you time, as you complete both graduation and law together in a single course. On the other hand, if you first complete graduation and then plan for law, you will not be eligible for CLAT UG but instead for CLAT PG, which is meant for admission into LLM programs. This path takes longer, because you first spend three or four years on graduation and then add another three years in an LLB program if you choose not to go for an integrated course. So, if you are already sure about pursuing law as your career, writing CLAT right after Class 12 is the smarter and time-saving option, while writing it after graduation makes sense only if you are considering higher studies in law or a shift in career later.

For CLAT, the most important topics are from  Legal Reasoning, Current Affairs & GK, the Indian Constitution, English Language, Quantitative Techniques and Logical Reasoning. For a brief detail you can go through the following link: https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-important-topics

Thank You.

Hi dear candidate,

Both the colleges Maharaja Agrasen (MAIMS) or Gitarattan (GIBS) are affiliated to IP University and allows admission either by CLAT or IPU CET Law. Without either of these exams, your admission is NOT accepted there. You can try looking for management quota seats in these colleges if you have got good marks in 12th class.

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Hi dear candidate,

You can easily register yourself for CLAT exam by visiting the Consortium of NLUs official website and follow these steps:

  • Register yourself with your EMail ID, phone number and password.
  • Log in using OTP
  • Complete application form by entering details, selecting program (UG/PG) and uploading required documents mentioned there.
  • Then at last, review the application and pay the registration fees.
  • Download your confirmation slip.

Know the complete process at:

CLAT Registration 2026 (Started): Documents Required, Application Fee, Link, Steps to Apply

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