The application window for the CLAT 2026 examination recently opened on 1st August 2025. Besides the CLAT exam, there are several other top national-level entrance exams that help students get into some of the law schools in India. This article highlights some of the key details on the CLAT, AILET and LSAT law-entrance examination. Knowing the details of these exams can help students come to better conclusions as to which exams they should aim to give to pursue their law school goals. For detailed CLAT exam overview including all specifications, refer to our complete guide.
Brief Overviews of CLAT, AILET and LSAT
CLAT
The Common Law Aptitude Test (CLAT) is conducted by the Consortium of NLUs each year. The examination helps students get into some of the top National Law Universities in the country. These universities include the likes of NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad and NLU Bhopal amongst other top national law institutions in India.
The CLAT examination also offers admissions in a wide variety of courses including BA LLB, BBA LLB, BSc LLB, LLB or PhD programs depending on a student’s interests and overall goals.
AILET
The All-India Law Entrance Test (AILET) examination is conducted by NLU Delhi. NLU Delhi is not part of the Consortium of NLUs The AILET examination helps students get admission to specifically and only NLU Delhi. The exam helps students get into a fairly limited number of programs such as BA LLB, LLM and PhD.
LSAT
The LSAT examination was conducted by the LSAC. The examination was discontinued from this year onwards. The LSAT examination helped students get into some of the best private law colleges in India including Jindal Global Law School or Amity Law School. Now, due to the exam’s discontinuation, different private law colleges require scores of different exams including CLAT, AILET or LNAT. Some law colleges even require students to take their own designed entrance exams for evaluation to replace the LSAT.
Differences Between CLAT and AILET
Provided below are some key fundamental differences between the CLAT and AILET examinations for students’ reference. Knowing these key differences of the two examinations can help students make better informed decisions for which exam to study and prepare for.
The differences are as follows:
Category | CLAT | AILET |
Conducting Body | Consortium of NLUs | NLU Delhi |
Offered Courses |
|
|
Exam Fees | INR 4000 | INR 3050 |
Exam Duration | 2 Hours, 120 Minutes | 1 Hour 30 Minutes, 90 Minutes |
Question Type | Objective | Objective |
Total Questions | 120 Questions | 150 Questions |
Total Marks | 120 Marks | 150 Marks |
Negative Marking? | Yes | Yes |
Students Can Also Read: CLAT 2026 For LLB Everything You Need to Know
How to Decide Which One is Right for You?
When evaluating which law entrance examination to give, there are several key factors students should consider when deciding. These factors include:
- Types of Colleges: With the CLAT, students have the potential to get into some of the most prestigious law universities in India, but also have the chance of getting into other colleges as well. With the AILET, they will be having the chance to get into NLU Delhi but the university has severe competition each year with limited seats.
- Exam Difficulty:The AILET examination is considered to be a more difficult exam to clear than the CLAT exam. It is crucial for students to consider the risks and rewards of both exams, especially when it comes to the effort put in, the scope of the exam itself and the chances of getting into the desired college.
- Quantitative Aptitude: Unlike the CLAT exam, the AILET has lesser numerical-based questions for students to work on. Students who are weaker in Mathematics and sure they can crack the rest of the exam, can go with the AILET over CLAT.
Ultimately, it comes down to a student’s overall goals. If they pursue a private college, they must consider the needs of the specific college they are looking to get into. Otherwise, ultimately students must evaluate whether they wish to go for a singular university or a wide variety of universities through either AILET or CLAT.
If students do not wish to risk putting all the effort into one university, it is better if they prepare for the CLAT examination. Overall, students must evaluate the exams they wish to take with the factors provided as well as their own long-term goals before coming to a conclusion with regard to which examination to undertake.
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