AILET Exam Pattern 2026: Know the New Format, Marking Scheme, Tie-Breaking

AILET Exam Pattern 2026, as prescribed by National Law University (NLU) Delhi, outlines the structure, marking scheme, and sectional distribution of the exam. AILET 2026 exam will be conducted on December 14, 2025.

Last year, the NLU revised the AILET exam pattern, extending the duration from 90 minutes to 120 minutes. This change is expected to continue for the 2026 session as well. The pattern helps candidates understand the test format and prepare effectively.

For the AILET PG exam, the descriptive section is replaced by multiple-choice questions while retaining the 120 - minute duration. These updates aim to make the exam more streamlined and student-friendly without compromising its rigour.

The following section presents a detailed discussion on the question paper structure for the AILET 2026 aspirants.

AILET Exam Pattern 2026 Highlights

You may check the following table presenting the key highlights of AILET Exam Pattern 2026:

Exam Features	BA LLB	LLM
Exam mode	Center-based Pen-and-paper exam	Center-based Pen-and-paper exam
Test duration	120 minutes	120 minutes
Exam timings	2 PM to 4 PM	2 PM to 4 PM
Test medium	English	English
Type of questions	Multiple-choice questions	MCQs & Subjective question
Total questions	150 questions	100 multiple choice questions
Total marks	150 marks	100 marks
Marking scheme	+1 mark for each correct answer -0.25 mark for each incorrect answer	+1 mark for each correct answer -0.25 mark for each incorrect answer

AILET Exam Pattern 2026 - Question Format

To make the AILET exam more student-centric, NLU Delhi revised its structure by extending the UG paper duration from 90 to 120 minutes, without altering the total number of questions. The PG exam also underwent a major change, with the descriptive section being removed and replaced entirely by objective, multiple-choice questions focused on core areas of law. The AILET 2026 exam pattern for both UG and PG programmes is outlined below.

AILET BA LLB Exam Pattern 2026 - Number of Questions

You may check the question pattern of AILET BA LLB 2026 in the following table:

Subject	Questions per Section	Marks
English Language	50 questions	50
Current Affairs & General Knowledge	30 questions	30
Logical Reasoning	70 questions	70
Total	150	150

AILET LLM Exam Pattern 2026 - Number of Questions

You may check the question pattern of AILET LLM 2026 in the following table:

Type of Questions	Number of Questions	Marks
Different branches of law - (Constitutional Law, Jurisprudence, Administrative Law, Law of Contract, Law of Torts, Family Law, Criminal Law, Property Law, Company Law, Public International Law, Tax Law, Environmental Law, Labour & Industrial Law)	100 questions (1 mark each)	100 marks
Total	100	100

You can get the details in our AILET Syllabus 2026 page.

AILET Exam Pattern 2026 - Tie-Breaking Method

NLU follows a tie-breaking method in case two candidates have scored the same number of marks. Check the following section to understand how it works both for BA LLB and LLM candidates:

AILET UG (B.A. LL.B.) tie-breaking method

For the undergraduate program, the AILET tie-breaking process follows a three-step procedure to resolve a tie between two or more candidates with the same total score:

Logical Reasoning marks: The candidate with the higher score in the Logical Reasoning section is given preference.
Age: If the tie persists, the older candidate is given a higher rank.
Computerized draw: If the tie still isn't broken, the final ranking is decided through a randomized, computerized draw of lots.

AILET PG (LL.M.) tie-breaking method

For the postgraduate program, the AILET tie-breaker follows a simpler two-step process:

Age: The older candidate is given preference.
Computerized draw: If the tie persists, a randomized, computerized draw of lots is used to determine the rank.

AILET Exam Pattern 2026 - Key Takeaways

Check the following key takeaways of AILET Exam Pattern 2026:

Extended Duration: The AILET 2026 exam will be conducted for 120 minutes instead of 90 minutes, giving candidates more time to complete the paper.
Exam Date and Mode: The exam will be held on December 14, 2025, in offline (pen-and-paper) mode across various test centres.
AILET UG Structure: The BA LLB (Hons.) paper will have 150 multiple-choice questions from English Language, Current Affairs & General Knowledge, and Logical Reasoning, carrying a total of 150 marks.
AILET PG Structure: The LLM paper will consist of 100 multiple-choice questions covering major branches of law, with the descriptive section removed.
Marking Scheme: Candidates will receive +1 mark for every correct answer and -0.25 mark for each incorrect response, applicable to both UG and PG exams.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Ans: AILET 2026 exam will be conducted for 120 minutes (2 hours). This change was introduced by NLU Delhi last year, increasing the duration from 90 minutes to give candidates additional time for better performance. The extended duration helps reduce time pressure while attempting all sections effectively.

Ans: AILET BA LLB (Hons.) paper will include 150 multiple-choice questions, each carrying one mark. These questions are divided among three sections — English Language, Current Affairs & General Knowledge, and Logical Reasoning. The exam is designed to assess candidates’ comprehension, analytical reasoning, and awareness of current events.

Ans: AILET LLM exam will feature 100 multiple-choice questions based on various branches of law such as Constitutional Law, Jurisprudence, and Contract Law. The descriptive section has been removed, making the paper entirely objective. This change ensures a more uniform and time-efficient evaluation process.

Ans: Yes, there is a negative marking system in both AILET UG and PG exams. Candidates will earn +1 mark for every correct answer and lose 0.25 marks for each incorrect response. This system encourages careful answering and discourages random guessing.

Ans: AILET 2026 will be held in offline (pen-and-paper) mode at various test centres across India. Candidates will need to mark their answers on an OMR sheet using a blue or black ballpoint pen. This traditional format allows students to manage their pace and approach questions methodically during the exam.

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