AILET 2026 Preparation Guide: Syllabus and Strategy for NLU Delhi

AILET, the All India Law Entrance Test, is the sole gateway into National Law University Delhi, and its 2026 preparation needs a section-wise strategy across English, Legal Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics, since NLU Delhi does not accept CLAT scores for its undergraduate programme.

What Is the AILET Exam Pattern?

AILET for the BA LLB programme is a 90-minute offline pen-and-paper test with 150 multiple-choice questions, each carrying 1 mark with a 0.25 mark penalty for a wrong answer. The paper is divided into five sections, and unlike CLAT's passage-heavy format, several AILET sections retain direct factual and static General Knowledge questions.

How Is the Syllabus Distributed Across Sections?

How Should You Structure Your Preparation?

• Months 1 to 2: build fundamentals in Legal Aptitude and Logical Reasoning, since these carry the highest combined weightage
• Months 3 to 4: add daily current affairs reading and static GK revision alongside continued reasoning and English practice
• Month 5: begin full-length mock tests under strict 90-minute timing, at least 2 per week
• Final 3 to 4 weeks: revise GK notes, attempt previous year papers, and analyse every mock for recurring error patterns

What Makes AILET Different From CLAT?

AILET retains a dedicated static General Knowledge section with direct factual questions, unlike CLAT's fully passage-based comprehension format introduced after 2020. AILET also includes Elementary Mathematics, absent from CLAT entirely, and its 90-minute duration is far shorter than CLAT's 2 hours, demanding faster decision-making per question.

What Is the Expected AILET Cutoff for NLU Delhi?

NLU Delhi admits roughly 80 to 90 students to its BA LLB programme through AILET each year. The general category cutoff typically requires a score in the range of 90 to 100 marks out of 150 for a realistic shot at a seat, though the exact figure shifts with the paper's difficulty each year. Reserved category and Delhi-domicile cutoffs are lower, since NLU Delhi reserves a portion of seats for Delhi residents.

• General category: typically needs 90 to 100+ marks out of 150
• OBC and Delhi domicile categories: somewhat lower, varies by year
• SC and ST categories: significantly lower than general cutoff

Should You Prepare for AILET Alongside CLAT?

Yes. Most NLU aspirants prepare for both exams together, since Legal Aptitude, Logical Reasoning and English overlap heavily between AILET and CLAT. The additional AILET-specific work is limited mainly to static GK revision and basic mathematics, both of which need only a few focused weeks rather than a separate long-term preparation track.

Compare NLUs and top law colleges, check the CLAT exam page for overlapping preparation resources, and confirm dates on the official NLU Delhi website.