CLAT vs AILET: Key Differences, Exam Pattern, Eligibility & Career Scope

Law is considered to be one of the most prestigious and rewarding careers in India. With the growing demand for legal professionals across all the sectors, thousands of students aspire to pursue law every year. And to start their legal journey, aspirants need to get admissions to top law schools and universities, for which they need to clear competitive entrance exams such as CLAT and AILET. When it comes to choosing between CLAT vs AILET, students often find it difficult to understand which exam suits them better.

These highly competitive entrance examinations serve as the gateways to premier law schools, like National Law Universities (NLUs), and top private institutions like Sharda University. Here, in this blog, we will understand the key differences between CLAT and AILET, their eligibility criteria, exam patterns, syllabus, and career scope so that students can make informed decisions.

What are Law Entrance Exams in India?

Law entrance exams are national-level entrance examinations based on whose scores candidates are admitted to undergraduate courses like BA LL.B and BBA LL.B and postgraduate courses like LL.M.

These exams are conducted to assess the important skills of students, like:

• English comprehension,
• Logical reasoning,
• Legal aptitude,
• General knowledge and current affairs,
• Analytical and problem-solving ability.

The two most important law entrance examinations are CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) and AILET (All India Law Entrance Test).

What is CLAT?

CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) is a national-level law entrance exam conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) for the admissions to 24 NLUs, excluding NLU Delhi. It is the most popular and widely accepted law entrance exam in India for admissions to both public and private law institutes.

What is AILET?

The All India Law Entrance Exam, commonly known as AILET is conducted by the National Law University, Delhi, exclusively for admission to BALLB and LLM programmes at NLU Delhi.

Key Differences Between CLAT vs AILET:

While both CLAT and AILET serve as gateways to top law schools, they differ primarily in their jurisdiction and level of difficulty. Here, in this table, we have drawn a comparison of both exams, explaining the major differences between them:

CLAT vs AILET Exam Pattern:

CLAT:

The Common Law Admission Test is an objective-based entrance exam with multiple-choice questions. It is an offline exam conducted for 2 hours and has a total of 120 questions. Candidates are rewarded +1 mark for each correct answer, and 0.25 mark is deducted for each wrong answer.

The question paper has 5 sections, namely:

1. English Language: Focuses on comprehension and grammar.
2. Current Affairs and General Knowledge: Passage-based questions on contemporary events and legal developments.
3. Legal Reasoning: Tests your ability to apply legal principles to factual situations.
4. Logical Reasoning: Includes critical reasoning, identifying arguments, and inferences.
5. Quantitative Techniques: CLAT includes a small section on elementary mathematics.

AILET:

The All India Law Entrance Test is also an offline objective-type entrance exam with 150 questions that are required to be solved in 2 hours. Candidates are given 1 mark for each correct answer, and 0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer. It has 3 sections, namely:

1. English Language: Proficiency in vocabulary, grammar, and reading.
2. Current Affairs and General Knowledge: A mix of static GK and recent news.
3. Logical Reasoning: It carries nearly 47% of the total marks and includes analytical and critical reasoning.

Eligibility Criteria of CLAT and AILET:

Though the eligibility criteria for both exams are almost similar, here we have mentioned the requirements to be met by candidates appearing for either exam:

• Interested candidates must be appearing for or have passed Class 12 from a recognized board with a minimum of 45% marks in aggregate for General and OBC, and in the case of SC/ST it must be 40%.
• There is no upper age limit for both CLAT and AILET.

Difficulty Level of CLAT vs AILET:

Both the Common Law Admission Test and the All India Law Entrance Test are challenging, but difficulty depends on several factors that we have mentioned below:

• CLAT assesses your legal aptitude, quantitative skills, and analytical thinking, making the syllabus wider for aspirants to prepare.
• While AILET has fewer seats available with more logical questions in the exam, thus increasing the competition.

Courses Available After CLAT and AILET:

After appearing for these competitive law entrance examinations, students can pursue various law programmes as given below:

Undergraduate Law Courses:

• BA LL.B,
• BBA LL.B,
• B.Com LL.B.

Postgraduate Law Courses:

• LL.M,
• Specialized law programs, etc.

Career Scope After Law Degree:

Law is a broad spectrum course that offers diverse career opportunities across industries. Some of the top career options that you can pick for your successful career are:

1. Corporate Lawyer:

Corporate lawyers are some of the highest-paid lawyers in the industry, as they work with companies and handle:

• Legal compliance,
• Contracts,
• Business transactions, etc.

2. Litigation Lawyer:

Litigation lawyers represent clients in courts and handle their criminal cases and civil disputes, and even sometimes they also represent states and individuals in constitutional matters. Most of the litigation lawyers later become judges.

3. Judge:

Judicial services are considered to be prestigious government career so after gaining enough experience in the legal world and clearing judicial exams, law graduates can also become:

• Civil Judge,
• District Judge,
• High Court Judge, etc.

4. Legal Advisor:

You can also become a legal advisor, providing legal guidance and compliance solutions to organisations, and can work with:

• Corporations,
• Government agencies,
• Top MNCs,
• Law firms, etc.

5. Corporate Legal Counsel:

Corporate legal counsel handle legal matters for organizations and ensure legal compliance. Top companies hire law graduates from reputed universities to get the best candidate on board.

6. Public Prosecutor:

One of the finest career options is becoming a public prosecutor. They represent the government in criminal cases and are a respected government legal position.

7. Legal Analyst:

These days another job option called Legal analysts is also emerging. Such professionals work in:

• Research firms,
• Think tanks,
• Corporate organizations, etc.

To analyze legal frameworks and policies.

8. Legal Journalist:

If you are a journalism enthusiast, you can become a legal journalist as well and can also work in:

• Media houses,
• Legal publishing, etc.

9. Law Professor:

If you are someone who has a desire to teach students, then after pursuing an LL.M. and PhD, you can become law professors and academic researchers as well.

10. Civil Services:

If you wish to enter the government sector, that too with a highly reputable job, then as a law graduate you can also prepare for:

• UPSC and State Civil Services,
• Judiciary exams,
• JAG,
• Government legal positions, etc.

Why Choose Sharda University for Law?

Even if you could not clear the prestigious law entrance exams CLAT or AILET, you can still pursue law at reputed universities like Sharda University. Sharda School of Law has emerged as one of the best law campuses in the Delhi NCR region over the years. For students who prefer a multidisciplinary campus environment, Sharda offers a unique edge through:

1. Industry-Oriented Curriculum
2. Experienced Faculty
3. Moot Court Training
4. Internship Opportunities
5. Excellent Placement Support
6. Global Exposure
7. Legal Aid Cell.

How to Prepare for CLAT and AILET:

To prepare well for highly competitive law entrance examinations, candidates must follow the below-mentioned points:

1. Read newspapers daily and focus on current affairs and legal news,
2. Practice mock tests regularly to improve accuracy and speed,
3. Improve reading skills by going through comprehensions,
4. Focus on logical reasoning,
5. Practice time management.

Conclusion:

CLAT and AILET are the most difficult and prestigious law entrance exams in India, as they open doors to top law universities. While CLAT offers broader opportunities with the choice of multiple NLUs, AILET provides entry only into NLU Delhi. So students should prepare strategically and aim for their choice of institute.

However, students who couldn’t make it to the NLUs also have excellent opportunities at reputed private universities like Sharda University, which offers quality legal education, practical training, and strong internship and placement support.