KLEE vs CLAT vs CUSAT CAT: Which Law Entrance Exam Is Right for You?
Updated November 2026. Confirm final details in the official notification.
| KLEE | CLAT | CUSAT CAT (Law, 5-year) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conducted by | CEE Kerala | Consortium of NLUs | Cochin University (CUSAT) |
| Colleges | 4 Government Law Colleges + govt seats in self-financing colleges in Kerala | 24+ National Law Universities incl. NUALS Kochi | School of Legal Studies, CUSAT, Kochi |
| Questions | 120 | 120 | 150 |
| Duration | 2 hours | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Marking | +3 / −1 | +1 / −0.25 | +3 / −1 |
| Sections | English 36 · GK 27 · Arithmetic & Mental Ability 15 · Legal Aptitude 42 | English · Current Affairs & GK · Legal Reasoning · Logical Reasoning · Quantitative Techniques | English 50 · Reasoning 50 · Legal Aptitude 25 · GK & Current Affairs 25 |
| Question style | Short, direct questions | Long passages followed by questions | Short questions, more reasoning |
| Mode | Computer-based | Pen and paper | Computer-based |
| Usually held | June – August | December | Applications early in the year |
| Language | English; Malayalam also expected from next year | English | English |
What this means for preparation
- Common core: English vocabulary and grammar, general knowledge, reasoning and basic legal awareness are tested in all three.
- CLAT needs reading speed: practise long passages and inference questions.
- KLEE and CUSAT reward accuracy: with +3/−1 marking, avoid blind guesses.
- KLEE has the most Kerala-specific GK and more direct legal-term questions.
Practise KLEE for free: 2024–2026 question papers with answers »
Preparing for KLEE, CLAT or CUSAT CAT? Mentors, Elamkulam, Ernakulam runs classroom and online coaching. See our courses or call / WhatsApp +91 81290 48880.
Frequently asked questions
Is CLAT harder than KLEE?
Generally yes. CLAT is passage-based and competitive at the national level, while KLEE has short factual questions. KLEE has heavier negative marking (−1 for +3).
Do KLEE and CLAT have negative marking?
Yes. KLEE deducts 1 mark for a wrong answer (correct = +3). CLAT deducts 0.25 (correct = +1). CUSAT CAT deducts 1 (correct = +3).