As legal programs become more popular, students are asking themselves,” Which law entrance exam should we take?” Since there are differences in the benefits and drawbacks of various law entrance exams, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this query. The selection of law entrance exam ultimately comes down to your own objectives, tastes, and skills. If you want to improve your chances of being accepted into a reputable law school, you might consider taking multiple exams. But you should also take into account the expense and time commitment of taking several tests. Further details regarding India’s top law entrance exams can be found in this article.
CLAT
Common Law Admission Test is national level test that leads to admission in 24 NLUs to their LLM and BA undergraduate and graduate degree programs in India. Consortium of national law university is head of this examination. CLAT is accepted by colleges all over India. It is the most preferred admissions test for law after the 12th grade.
AILET
All India Law Entrance Test is the national level test that leads to the admission in NLU, Delhi. Applications are being accepted for admission to the B.A., LLB (Hons), LLM, and Ph.D. programs at the university. AILET is the only legal entrance exam that NLU Delhi accepts for admission to its law programs. Candidates from Delhi are eligible to hold half of the seats.
LSAT
Law School Admission Test is accepted by various universities such as Jindal Global Law School , SRM University, UPES Dehradun, Amity Law School in India. It is conducted by Law School Admission Council. LSAT is specifically made for admission to LLB and LLM programs.
MH CET
Maharashtra Common Entrance Test is the state level test that will give you admission in only colleges in Maharashtra such as GLC, ILS. It is conducted by State Common Entrance Test Cell. This online exam gives you opportunity to take admission in 3 year LLB and 5 year LLB courses. This exam is conducted by the Directorate of Higher Education (DHE).
SLAT
Symbiosis Law Admission Test is the university level test that will only lead you to admission in different Symbiosis Law School such as SLS Pune, SLS Noida, SLS Nagpur, and SLS Hyderabad. Admission to the three-year LLB, LLM, and five-year B.A. LLB, BBA LLB programs is available at Symbiosis Law School. Symbiosis International (Deemed University) administers this test.
The qualifying requirements, exam structure, syllabus, degree of difficulty, availability of seats, and reservation procedures vary amongst these exams. They can be compared using a range of criteria, including:
1. Exam date:
December 3, 2023 is when CLAT 2024 will be held in offline mode. AILET 2024 is anticipated to take place online during the initial week of May 2024. The dates of the 2024 MH CET Law have not yet been released, but the exam is typically administered online in April and June for 3- and 5-year LLB programs, respectively. The dates for LSAT India 2024 have not yet been released, but the online exam is typically administered in May. The dates of SLAT 2024 have not yet been released, but will be conducted in the first half of May 2024.
2. Duration and number of questions:
CLAT PG requires 120 minutes to complete 100 MCQs and 2 essay questions, while CLAT UG requires 120 minutes to complete 120 MCQs. In 90 minutes, candidates must complete 150 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) for AILET UG and 100 MCQs plus one essay question for AILET PG. There are 150 MCQs for MH CET Law UG and 150 MCQs for MH CET Law PG that must be answered in 120 minutes. There are 140 minutes to complete the 92–100 questions on LSAT India. There are 60 minutes to complete 60 questions in SLAT.
3. Curriculum and level of difficulty:
CLAT PG assesses candidates on constitutional law, jurisprudence, and other legal topics, while CLAT UG assesses candidates on English language, current affairs, legal reasoning, logical reasoning, and quantitative approaches. While AILET PG tests candidates on criminal law, constitutional law, law theory, law of contracts, and tort law, AILET UG tests candidates on English, general knowledge, legal aptitude, reasoning, and elementary mathematics. While MH CET Law PG tests candidates on constitutional law, jurisprudence, human rights, international law, family law, criminal law, law of contracts, law of torts, and consumer protection act, MH CET Law UG tests candidates on legal aptitude and reasoning, general knowledge, logical and analytical reasoning, English, and mathematical aptitude. SLAT contains 5 sections that are legal reasoning, logical reasoning, general knowledge, analytical reasoning and English comprehension.
4. Seat availability and reservation guidelines:
In the participating NLUs, CLAT provides approximately 3300 seats for UG courses and over 1200 seats for PG courses. Reservations are made for different categories in accordance with each NLU’s policies. At NLU Delhi, AILET provides 180 seats for undergraduate studies and 80 seats for graduate studies, with reservations made for different categories in accordance with university policies. In the participating universities, MH CET Law provides about 15,000 seats for undergraduate programs and 10,000 seats for graduate programs, with reservations made for different categories in accordance with state government regulations. Since the participating universities have their own admissions criteria and reservation policies, LSAT India does not have a set number of seats. SLAT provides a total of 1080 seats.
5. Marking Scheme:
In CLAT UG, +1 for every correct answer and -0.25 for each incorrect answer. Similarly, AILET has also same marking scheme as CLAT. There is no negative marking in LSAT, MH CET and SLAT.
CONCLUSION
It is significant that the advantages and disadvantages of every law entrance exam vary depending on the requirements and preferences of the individual. For instance, certain exams might be harder than others, and some might cost more or take more time to prepare for. Additionally, some tests might test various abilities or have different formats. As a law student applying to law colleges in India, it is crucial to be aware of each of them if you want to play to your advantages and be conscious of your shortcomings. But in the end, regardless of whether a law student attended a private law school or an NLU, their accomplishment is determined by their knowledge, aptitude for learning, and effectiveness in the fundamental skills needed to become an excellent lawyer.
