Is AILET tougher than CLAT?

Is AILET Tougher than CLAT?: CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) and AILET (All India Law Admission Test) are two popular law entrance exams in India. While both examinations are used to gain admission to top legal schools, they differ in terms of their administration, breadth, and focus. Individual interests and goals ultimately determine which exam is superior.

CLAT consists of 5 sections, while AILET has reduced it to only 3. This makes a direct impression that CLAT would be tougher as it has more sections and an increased syllabus. However, that’s not entirely true.

There are many differences between the two exams, including the number of available seats, the exam pattern, the number of candidates appearing, etc. So, let’s dive into reading the details.

CLAT vs AILET Exam Overview

Given below is the exam pattern difference between CLAT and AILET.

CLAT vs AILET: Section-wise Distribution

CLAT consists of five sections, namely:

• English Language
• Current Affairs including GK
• Legal Reasoning
• Logical Reasoning
• Quantitative Techniques

Meanwhile, AILET has only 3 sections in total.

• English Language
• Current Affairs including GK
• Logical Reasoning

CLAT, having two extra sections, does increase the syllabus by quite a bit. Especially when you consider its Legal Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques, which are two of the difficult sections in the exam. However, as we’ve seen, CLAT only has 120 questions in total. Meanwhile, AILET has 150. The question distribution for sections is given below.

Click the buttons below to read in detail about CLAT and AILET.

CLAT vs AILET: Difficulty Level

Coming back to the primary question, is AILET Tougher than CLAT?

Applicants attempting to identify the difficulty level of law entrance tests sometimes question which one presents the most difficulty. When comparing candidate-to-seat ratios, AILET emerges as the more demanding test. As a result, fewer individuals fight for CLAT (both undergraduate and postgraduate) seats, while a bigger pool competes for AILET seats, making it a harsher competition when compared to CLAT.

Students Attempting CLAT

Over 60,000 students take the CLAT exam each year, competing for 2,801 undergraduate places and 1,132 postgraduate seats. 

Students Attempting AILET

AILET, on the other hand, receives almost 18,000 people competing for 123 undergraduate places and 81 postgraduate seats. 

Section Differences

AILET has recently removed two sections from their exam—Quantitative Techniques and Legal Reasoning—giving the CLAT test an advantage in terms of the difficulty level of sections that are featured in the CLAT undergraduate question paper. The removal of these two key and difficult elements from the AILET undergraduate test results in a less complicated examination overall when compared to the CLAT undergraduate exam.

PG Exam

When comparing the CLAT and AILET postgraduate exams, AILET comes out as significantly more difficult due to the inclusion of more difficult tasks in Legal Aptitude/Reasoning that dive into key legal subjects.

Furthermore, the Consortium of NLUs has revised the exam paper to help applicants by increasing the number of thorough questions, making the exam comparatively simpler. When deciding which test to take, candidates should examine these variables as well as the unique requirements of the law schools they wish to attend.

Is AILET tougher than CLAT?

All this brings us back to the main question: Is AILET tougher than CLAT? Well, unfortunately, the answer isn’t straightforward. Kind of like, Yes and No. 

If we look at the common goal of both exams, which is getting admission into an NLU in India, then AILET is inarguably tougher than CLAT because of the sheer competition. However, that’s not all, as the answer changes on an individual basis.

Both entrance exams have nearly identical exam patterns. Candidates are encouraged to take both tests and then select their chosen National Law University depending on their exam results.

If you want to apply to undergraduate law studies, you should take both the CLAT UG and the AILET UG admission examinations. If you take both examinations, you will have more law school alternatives to choose from. Candidates should pass both examinations with a decent score after a year of preparation because the essential content is the same.

Also read: CLAT vs. AILET

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Who conducts AILET?

AILET, which stands for All India Law Entrance Test, is conducted once every year, usually in the second week of December, by NLU Delhi.

Question: Who conducts CLAT?

Answer: CLAT, which stands for Common Law Admission Test, is conducted once every year, usually in the first week of December, by the Consortium of National Law Universities (CNLUs).

Question: Is there any age limit to appear for the CLAT or AILET exam?

Answer: There is no age limit to appear for both exams as long as you meet the eligibility criteria. 

Question: Is the syllabus for AILET and CLAT the same?

Answer: No, the syllabi for the two examinations are not the same. CLAT is divided into five sections, while AILET has three.

Question: Which is better, CLAT or AILET?

Answer: Both exams grant you admission into top law schools in the country. AILET has a bit more competition because of limited seats while CLAT has more sections and a harder syllabus. 

Question: How many NLUs are taking part in CLAT? 

Answer: CLAT scores are used by 24 NLUs for admission into law courses all around India.