CLAT vs AILET – The All India Law Entrance Test (AILET) and the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) are two of India’s most prominent national-level entrance exams for aspiring law students. Both serve as gateways to prestigious National Law Universities (NLUs) but differ in their scope and structure.
AILET, conducted exclusively by National Law University, Delhi (NLU Delhi), is held annually for admission to its B.A. LL.B (Hons.), LL.M., and Ph.D. programs. Since NLU Delhi does not accept CLAT scores, AILET is the only route for candidates seeking admission there.
On the other hand, CLAT is organized by the Consortium of NLUs and is accepted by 26 NLUs across India (excluding NLU Delhi). It covers both undergraduate and postgraduate law programs and is also widely accepted by several private universities.
In essence, while CLAT exam has a wider reach, AILET exam is specialized, catering solely to one premier institution.
Here we discuss in detail the differences between CLAT and AILET, explaining the key differences, and also the nuances.
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Table of Contents
CLAT Vs AILET – Key Features
| Feature | CLAT | AILET |
| Exam conducting body | NLU Consortium | NLU Delhi |
| Application fee | Open – INR 4000 SC, ST, PwD, BPL – INR 3500 | Open – INR 3000 SC, ST, PwD – INR 1000 SC/ST and Women candidates who are Below Poverty Line (BPL) only – Fee exempted |
| Participating Institute | CLAT 2026 participating institute includes 26 colleges. Additionally, many private law institutes consider CLAT for admission purposes. | NLU Delhi is the sole participating institute. Additionally, a few private colleges also accept AILET scores. |
| Exam pattern (UG) | English LanguageCurrent Affairs, including GKLegal ReasoningLogical ReasoningQuantitative Techniques | English Language, Current Affairs & GK, and Logical Reasoning |
| Test Duration | 120 minutes | 120 minutes |
| No. of Questions | 120 multiple choice questions of 1 mark | 150 multiple choice questions of 1 mark each So, you have less time per question. |
| Competition and seats | CLAT participating colleges offer around 4,092 UG seats and 1,599 PG seats. Considering high seat intake, competition is lower. | NLU Delhi seat intake: BA LLB (Hons.) seats – 120 LLM seats – 81 With very limited seats on offer, the competition is high, which can mean higher cut-offs. |
| How to prepare | To get a good score, you need to focus on all subjects. | Reasoning and English can be a make-or-break |
Also Read:
- CLAT Books 2026 – Best Study Material to Prepare for Law Entrance Exam
- CLAT Question Paper 2026 – Download Previous Years’ Papers, QP with Answers
- AIBE Exam 2025 – Notification, Application & Exam Date to be OUT Soon, Pattern, Syllabus, CoP
CLAT vs AILET – Admission Calendar
| Event | CLAT 2026 | AILET 2026 |
| Application form START Date | August 1, 2025 | August 7, 2025 |
| Last date to apply | October 31, 2025 | November 10, 2025 |
| Exam date | December 7, 2025 | December 14, 2025 |
| Declaration of results | To be notified | To be notified |
CLAT vs AILET – Which to choose and why?
CLAT – If you want to have multiple NLU or college options, then CLAT is the best fit.
AILET – If you are only interested in admission to NLU Delhi, take the AILET exam.
Both – The best option, however, is to take both the exams. If you are preparing for the CLAT, you will only need to make a few adjustments and prepare a few extra topics to get ready for the AILET exam as well. Note that at the foundation level, both AILET and CLAT will cover more or less the same topics.