CLAT, AILET, LSAT India: Key Differences, Syllabus, Pattern, Difficulty Level & More
Planning to appear for law entrance exams but confused which one to take? Read the article below to know key differences between the three best law entrance exams in India – CLAT, AILET and LSAT.
CLAT, AILET and LSAT are the three most popular law entrance exams in India. Every year thousands of students appear for these exams to secure admission to a prestigious law school in India. However, while not all students always want to appear in all the three law entrance exams, they are often seen confused on which one to take. In this article, we have listed out key differences in CLAT, AILET and LSAT India. Read on to know how CLAT, AILET and LSAT India are different from each other concerning colleges accepting exam scores, test patterns, syllabi, difficulty levels, eligibility criteria and more.
What is CLAT, AILET and LSAT India?
Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a law exam conducted by the Consortium of NLUs to offer admission to candidates in law courses offered at 24 National Law Universities (NLUs). All India Law Entrance Test (AILET) is an exam conducted by NLU Delhi to offer admission to candidates in law courses offered by it only. On the other hand, Law School Admission Test-India (LSAT India) is an entrance exam conducted by Law School Admission Council (LSAC) to offer admission to candidates in various private law schools in India.
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| Parameters |
CLAT |
AILET |
LSAT India |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conducting body |
Consortium of NLUs |
NLU Delhi |
Pearson VUE on behalf of LSAC |
| Exam level |
National |
National |
National |
| Courses offered |
|
|
|
| Duration of courses |
Integrated LLB – 5 years LLM – 1 year |
Integrated LLB – 5 years LLM – 1 year PhD – 5 years |
Integrated LLB – 5 years LLB – 3 years |
| Participating/associated colleges |
NLU Delhi |
||
| Frequency of exams |
Once in a year |
Once in a year |
Twice in a year |
| Application fee |
INR 4,000 (INR 3,500 for reserved categories) |
INR 3,050 (INR 1,050 for reserved categories) |
INR 3,799 |
Difference between CLAT, AILET and LSAT India Eligibility
Tabulated below are the key differences between CLAT, AILET and LSAT India exams concerning their eligibility criteria:
| Law Exams Eligibility Parameters |
CLAT |
AILET |
LSAT India |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educational Qualification |
UG courses: Class 12 PG courses: LLB degree |
UG courses: Class 12 PG courses: LLB degree PhD: LLM degree |
UG courses: Class 12/graduation |
| Minimum marks in qualifying exam |
UG courses: 45% (40% for SC/ST) PG courses: 50% (45% for SC/ST) |
UG courses: 45% (40% for SC/ST) PG courses: 50% (45% for SC/ST) PhD: 55% (50% for SC/ST) |
UG courses: 45-50% (vary from college to college) |
| Age limit |
UG courses: No age limit PG courses: No age limit |
UG courses: No age limit PG courses: No age limit |
UG courses: No age limit |
Also Read: CLAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria, Minimum Marks, Age Limit
Q: Which is more difficult, LSAT India or CLAT?
Q: What is a good rank for CLAT?
Students who wish to be admitted to this university should strive for a score of roughly 70% (80-84 marks) or above under the revised pattern. Because the CLAT cut-off marks are lower for reserved categories, a rank of about 4000 would be suitable for admission. According to CLAT 2024 analysis, candidates from the general category should aim for a score of 90 or more in order to be admitted to one of the top three NLUs. In CLAT 2024, 60–70 points are considered a decent score for SC/ST categories. The Consortium of NLUs will release the closing rank of candidates for each round at the time of CLAT counselling.
Q: What is considered a good score in AILET?
Difference between CLAT, AILET and LSAT India Exam Pattern & Syllabus
Tabulated below are the key differences between CLAT, AILET and LSAT India exam pattern and subjects for UG courses:
| Law Exam Pattern Parameters |
CLAT |
AILET |
LSAT India |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam mode |
Offline |
Offline |
Offline |
| Exam duration |
120 minutes (2 hours) |
90 minutes (1 hour 30 minutes) |
140 minutes (2 hours 20 minutes) |
| Type of questions |
Objective (based on Comprehension passages) |
Objective |
Objective |
| Exam subjects & sections |
|
|
|
| Total questions |
120 |
150 |
92 |
| Total marks |
120 |
150 |
420-480 score band and percentile |
| Negative Marking |
-0.25 for incorrect answer |
-0.25 for incorrect answer |
Not applicable |
Also Read:
| CLAT exam pattern | CLAT syllabus |
| AILET exam pattern | AILET syllabus |
| LSAT India exam pattern | LSAT India syllabus |
Difference between CLAT, AILET and LSAT India Difficulty Level
One of the big questions to ask when deciding whether to appear for one, two or all the three law entrance exams is, ‘what is the difficulty level of CLAT, AILET and LSAT India?’ The overall difficulty level of an exam can be decided by considering the parameters mentioned in the table below:
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| Law Exam Difficulty Parameters |
CLAT |
AILET |
LSAT India |
|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty level of questions |
Moderate |
Moderate to difficult |
Moderate to difficult |
| Negative marking |
-0.25 for incorrect answer |
-0.25 for incorrect answer |
No negative marking |
| Level of competition |
Moderate (approx. 60,000 candidates appear for over 3,500 seats of 22 NLUs) |
Difficult (approx. 19,000 candidates appear for nearly 200 seats at NLU Delhi) |
Easy to moderate (approx. 10,000 candidates appear for seats at over 25 associated colleges) |
| Overall difficulty level |
Moderate to difficult |
Difficult |
Easy to moderate |
Also Read:
| CLAT exam analysis | AILET exam analysis | LSAT India exam analysis |
CLAT, AILET and LSAT India: Which Exam to Choose?
Since the subjects from which questions are asked in all the three law entrance exams are similar, there is not much difference in the preparation strategy for CLAT, AILET and LSAT India. Therefore, if not heavy on pocket, candidates are advised to appear for all the three law entrance exams.
Appearing in all the three exams open up more options for candidates concerning securing admission in law schools in India.
Q: Is CLAT LLM exam tough or easy?
CLAT is one of the highly competitive law exam and is considered to be one of the toughest exams to clear. However, aspirants should not worry, as with the right preparation and attitude you can definitely ace in the CLAT exam. The toppers of CLAT have suggested that aspirants should trust BA LLB books and a habit to read newspaper daily to crack the CLAT PG exam. The difficulty level of CLAT paper is usually moderate. For complete insights on CLAT paper difficulty level, check analysis for current and previous years above.
Q: When should I start preparing for CLAT 2026?
The ideal time to start preparing for the CLAT exam varies from person to person and depends on several factors such as your familiarity with the subject, the level of understanding of the topics covered in the syllabus, and the amount of time and effort you can devote to the preparation. However, as a general guideline, it is recommended that you start preparing for the exam at least 6-8 months before the exam date. This will give you sufficient time to cover the entire syllabus, revise the important topics, solve mock tests and previous year papers, and identify your strengths and weaknesses. If you are already familiar with the subject and have a good understanding of the topics covered in the syllabus, you can start preparing for the exam 3-4 months before the exam date. However, if you are new to the subject or need to improve your understanding of the topics, you may need to start preparing earlier. It is important to note that the CLAT exam is a highly competitive exam, and the level of competition is increasing every year. Therefore, it is important to start preparing early and stay consistent with your preparation. With a focused approach and consistent effort, you can increase your chances of qualifying for the CLAT exam.
Q: What is the highest score in AILET?
General - 93.25 marks
Scheduled Caste - 59.75 marks
Scheduled Tribe - 58.5 marks
Persons with Disabilities - 64 marks
Kashmir Migrant - 35.25 marks
Residents of Jammu and Kashmir - 54.25 marks.
Q: Which is the No. 1 university in CLAT?
Since 2018, the National Law School of India University in Bengaluru has maintained its position as the top-ranked law college in India according to the NIRF rankings.
Q: How do I start preparing for CLAT 2026?
To start preparing for CLAT 2026 there is no right time. However, as per experts, one should have began their CLAT preparation at least five or six months before the exam. If they began CLAT preparation early, then they will have sufficient bandwidth to complete the CLAT syllabus and also to attempt the previous year’s CLAT Question Paper. This will help them to know their strengths and weaknesses and also where they are committing the mistakes. Given below are some steps to help you start your preparation:
- Make a monthly and weekly timetable
- Keep your syllabus handy
- Ensure you cover all topics and concepts
- Revise it at regular intervals
- Attempt mock tests and previous years’ sample papers frequently
- Follow the proper marking scheme as there are negative marks for each incorrect answer in the actual CLAT 2025 Exam. This practice will help you to know your actual score and your weak points
Important FAQs regarding Differences between CLAT, AILET & LSAT India
Q: Which is better? LSAT or CLAT?
A: Since, CLAT is a gateway to the prestigious NLUs in India, it is a better law entrance exam than LSAT India. Through LSAT, candidates can secure admission in various private law colleges in the country.
Q: Which is more difficult? CLAT or AILET?
A: Considering previous year trends of the question paper difficulty level and the level of competition for both the exams, AILET can be considered more difficult than CLAT.
Q: Can I give all CLAT, LSAT and AILET?
A: Yes, if eligible, you can appear for all the three law entrance exams in a single year.
Q: Is LSAT and CLAT same?
A: No, through LSAT India, you can secure a seat in any of the private law colleges accepting exam scores. On the other hand, through CLAT you can secure admission in NLUs and various other colleges acceptig exam scores.
Q: Which is the best NLU in India?
A: As per NIRF ranking 2023, NLSIU Bangalore continues to be the best law college in India.
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CLAT is more difficult than LSAT India because of the time constraint. Candidates have only two hours to solve 150 questions in the exam. However, the time limit to solve 92 questions in the LSAT India exam is 2 hours and 20 minutes. Thus, it is difficult for candidates to complete all questions in the CLAT exam within such a short time limit. Moreover, the CLAT question paper includes questions from Current Affairs and General Knowledge. However, the LSAT India question paper does not include questions on Current Affairs and General Knowledge. Consequently, the LSAT India is comparatively easy because of its question paper pattern.