Difference Between CLAT and AILET (2027): Full Comparison

If you are choosing between India's two biggest law entrance exams, the confusion is understandable: both are national, both are offline, and both feed into top National Law Universities. This guide lays out every difference between CLAT and AILET side by side, using the confirmed 2027 exam patterns, and shows why sitting both is usually the smartest move.

CLAT vs AILET: the complete comparison

Here is the full side-by-side comparison, based on the official CLAT 2027 and AILET 2027 notifications.

What is CLAT?

CLAT, the Common Law Admission Test, is a national-level exam conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes. A single CLAT score is accepted by almost every National Law University in the country, around 26 for the 2027 cycle after NLU Tripura and NLU Meghalaya joined the CLAT pool, which is why it is the default target for most law aspirants. The CLAT 2027 exam is scheduled for 6 December 2026 in offline mode. It is a fully passage-based paper that rewards reading speed, comprehension and applied reasoning rather than memorised law.

What is the AILET exam?

AILET, the All India Law Entrance Test, is conducted by National Law University Delhi and is the single admission route into NLU Delhi for its BA LLB, LLM and PhD programmes. NLU Delhi is not a member of the CLAT Consortium, so it does not accept CLAT scores at all. The AILET 2027 exam is set for 13 December 2026, one week after CLAT. Because NLU Delhi is one of the top ranked law schools in India and offers a limited number of seats, AILET is among the most competitive law entrance exams in the country.

CLAT vs AILET exam pattern and syllabus

The clearest difference between the two exams is the structure of the paper. CLAT spreads 120 questions across five sections, while AILET packs 150 questions into three, and the two do not test exactly the same skills.

CLAT 2027 section breakdown

CLAT has five sections and every question is tied to a passage. The Consortium does not publish official weightage, so the figures below are indicative of recent papers.

AILET 2027 section breakdown

AILET has just three sections, and the marks per section are officially fixed. There is no separate Legal Reasoning section and no maths section, and Logical Reasoning carries the heaviest weight.

Two points matter here. First, AILET has no dedicated Legal Reasoning section, so legal principles appear inside the reasoning questions rather than as their own block. Second, Logical Reasoning is worth almost half the AILET paper and is also NLU Delhi's first tiebreaker, so it decides ranks more than any other section.

How CLAT and AILET test each skill

Looking at the syllabus skill by skill shows exactly where your preparation overlaps and where it has to split.

• English Language: both exams test comprehension, grammar and vocabulary through passages, so this area is shared and you prepare it once for both.

• Current Affairs and General Knowledge: CLAT weaves current affairs into passages and leans on the recent year, while AILET tests more static general knowledge and direct factual recall alongside current affairs, so add static GK for AILET.

• Logical Reasoning: both test it, and it is AILET's largest section at 70 marks as well as its tiebreaker, so give it extra practice if NLU Delhi is your target.

• Legal Reasoning: this is a full CLAT section built on applying a stated principle to a fact situation, while AILET has no separate legal section and folds legal principles into its reasoning questions.

• Quantitative Techniques: CLAT includes elementary maths drawn from data and passages, whereas AILET has no maths section at all, so this is pure CLAT preparation.

Key differences between CLAT and AILET explained

• Reach: CLAT opens nearly every National Law University from one score, around 26 for the 2027 cycle, while AILET opens only NLU Delhi.

• Number of questions: CLAT has 120 questions, AILET has 150, so AILET demands faster solving in the same two hours.

• Sections: CLAT tests five areas including Legal Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques, while AILET tests only three and drops both a separate legal section and maths.

• Skill focus: CLAT is comprehension heavy, while AILET leans more on logical reasoning and current knowledge.

• Competition: AILET seats sit at one university, which makes the cut-off extremely high, while CLAT ranks spread across many NLUs.

• Fee: CLAT costs about 4,000 rupees for General category, while AILET is about 3,000 rupees, with lower reserved-category fees for both.

CLAT vs AILET: which is harder?

Neither exam is universally harder; they are hard in different ways. CLAT is tougher on stamina and reading, because every one of its 120 questions sits inside a long passage and the paper is dense. AILET is tougher on speed and precision, because you face 150 questions in the same two hours and a single university's limited seats push the cut-off very high. A strong reader who manages time well often finds CLAT more comfortable, while a fast, reasoning-strong candidate may prefer AILET. In pure competition terms, converting AILET into an NLU Delhi seat is one of the hardest outcomes in Indian law admissions.

Seats and cut-offs: CLAT vs AILET

Seat numbers explain a lot of the difference in difficulty. NLU Delhi offers roughly 180 BA LLB seats, all filled through AILET, which keeps its cut-off among the steepest in the country. CLAT, by contrast, spreads around 3,520 undergraduate seats across the National Law Universities that use it, about 26 for the 2027 cycle, so there is far more room overall, even though the very top NLUs are just as competitive. As a rough guide, a General category CLAT rank under about 1,000 to 1,500 puts the leading NLUs within reach, while lower ranks still open many good universities. Because every AILET seat sits at a single university, a strong AILET rank is harder to convert than an equivalent CLAT rank.

Can you take both CLAT and AILET?

Yes, and most serious aspirants do. The two exams fall about a week apart, CLAT on 6 December 2026 and AILET on 13 December 2026, so there is no clash. The syllabuses overlap heavily on English, current affairs and logical reasoning, which means a single well-planned preparation covers most of both. You then add the parts that differ: Legal Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques for CLAT, and extra speed practice plus a sharper focus on logical reasoning and static general knowledge for AILET. Sitting both simply widens your options, since one score targets nearly every NLU and the other keeps NLU Delhi in play.

CLAT or AILET: which should you choose?

The honest answer for almost everyone is both, but your emphasis can shift with your goal.

• If you want the widest choice of NLUs: build your plan around CLAT, since it opens nearly every NLU from a single exam.

• If NLU Delhi is your dream college: AILET is non-negotiable, because it is the only way in.

• If you are strong at reading and comprehension: CLAT plays to your strengths.

• If you are fast and reasoning-strong: AILET may suit your style, though the cut-off remains steep.

• If you are unsure: prepare for CLAT as your base and add AILET, since the extra effort is small next to the upside.

How to prepare for CLAT and AILET together

Build one core plan around the shared sections, then layer the differences on top. Start with English, logical reasoning and current affairs, which count in both papers. Add Legal Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques for CLAT, and drill speed and static general knowledge for AILET's faster 150-question paper. Take full-length mock tests for each format separately, because the two feel different: CLAT rewards steady comprehension across long passages, while AILET rewards pace. Review every mock, track your section-wise accuracy, and give extra time to logical reasoning, since it is heavy in both exams and is AILET's tiebreaker. Handled this way, preparing for both adds only a little effort over preparing for one.

Eligibility for CLAT and AILET

The eligibility for the five-year law programme is almost identical for both exams. Candidates must have passed or be appearing for Class 12 with at least 45% marks for the General category and 40% for SC and ST candidates. AILET sets 42% for OBC non-creamy-layer candidates. Neither exam has an upper age limit, and there is no cap on the number of attempts, so students who are still in Class 12 can apply provisionally for either.

After the exam: counselling and admission

The admission process differs as much as the paper. CLAT results feed the Consortium's centralised counselling, where you fill a single preference list and seats are allotted across all participating NLUs over several rounds. AILET is handled entirely by NLU Delhi, which publishes its own merit list and runs its own counselling for its seats. In other words, one CLAT rank is used by many universities at once, while an AILET rank is used only by NLU Delhi.

Important dates and fees at a glance

Common myths about CLAT and AILET

A few misconceptions push aspirants toward the wrong plan. Clearing them early saves months.

• Myth: AILET is easier because it has no legal section. In reality AILET packs more questions into the same time and funnels every seat through one university, which keeps its cut-off among the highest anywhere.

• Myth: you have to choose one exam. The two dates are about a week apart, so there is no reason not to sit both and widen your options.

• Myth: the two need completely separate preparation. English, current affairs and logical reasoning carry over almost entirely, so one base plan handles most of both.

• Myth: a strong CLAT score can get you into NLU Delhi. NLU Delhi does not accept CLAT at all. The only way in is AILET, so a CLAT score, however high, cannot secure a seat there.

• Myth: more questions means AILET tests more topics. AILET actually covers fewer areas than CLAT. It simply asks more questions within its three sections, which is why speed matters so much.

Prepare for CLAT and AILET together

The smartest strategy is one preparation that keeps both exams open. At CLAT Coaching Delhi our mentors build a single plan that covers the shared ground and then layers in the parts unique to each exam, so you walk into both papers ready. If you want classroom teaching, our CLAT Coaching in Delhi programme runs across the city, and if you would rather study from home, our online CLAT coaching in Delhi NCR gives you the same mentorship and test practice remotely. Either way, preparing for CLAT and AILET together is the surest path to a top NLU seat