CLAT 2027 vs AILET 2027 — Which Law Entrance Exam Should You Target?

If you are a Class 11th or 12th student planning for 2027, you face one critical decision early: Should you focus on CLAT, AILET, or both? This guide gives you an honest, data-based comparison to make the right choice.

CLAT vs AILET — Quick Overview

CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) is conducted by the Consortium of NLUs and gives admission to 22 National Law Universities across India. AILET (All India Law Entrance Test) is conducted exclusively by NLU Delhi — one exam, one university, but arguably the most prestigious NLU in India.

Exam Pattern Comparison

Which Exam is More Competitive?

AILET is significantly harder to crack because 110 seats vs 2800+ applicants creates extreme competition. CLAT at NLSIU Bangalore (AIR 1) requires around 130+/150. AILET at NLU Delhi requires similar scores but with a much smaller seat pool making the cut-off more brutal in practice.

Should You Appear in Both?

Yes — always appear in both if you are targeting top NLUs. The syllabus overlap is approximately 85%. Extra preparation needed for AILET is primarily additional current affairs depth and slightly harder legal reasoning passages. Appearing in only CLAT or only AILET is unnecessary restriction.

Our Recommendation

If your target is NLU Delhi specifically — prepare exclusively for AILET with CLAT as backup. If your target is any top-5 NLU (NLSIU, NLU Delhi, NALSAR, NLU Jodhpur, WBNUJS) — focus on CLAT with AILET as parallel attempt. Either way, start preparation in Class 11th for 2027 exam.