A score of 70 or above out of 150 in AILET 2026 is considered safe for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) students targeting the BA LLB (Hons) programme at NLU Delhi — the OBC category closed at rank 373 in the final round of AILET 2026 counselling.
The All India Law Entrance Test (AILET) is conducted exclusively by National Law University (NLU) Delhi for admission to its flagship BA LLB (Hons) programme. With only 24 OBC seats in a domestic intake of 110, this category is highly competitive. AILET 2026 was held on December 14, 2025, results were declared on December 18, 2025, and counselling concluded across three rounds in early 2026. This article presents the confirmed 2026 closing ranks alongside historical score-based cutoffs to help you identify the score that secures a confirmed OBC seat.
- Total marks in AILET 2026: 150 (150 MCQs, +1 per correct answer, −0.25 per wrong answer).
- AILET 2026 OBC final closing rank: 373 (Round 3) — tighter than 522 in 2025 and 457 in 2024.
- Score-based OBC cutoffs: 63 marks in 2022 and 56.5 marks in 2023 — both out of 150 total marks.
- Recommended safe score: 70+ marks out of 150, based on trends from 2022 to 2026.
- NLU Delhi has 24 OBC (NCL) seats; a 30% horizontal women’s reservation applies within this category.
| Direct Link to AILET 2026 Official Portal – National Law University Delhi (Active) |
AILET 2026 Exam at a Glance
AILET 2026 was a 150-mark, 120-minute computer-based test conducted on December 14, 2025 by NLU Delhi. Each correct answer earns 1 mark and each wrong answer deducts 0.25 marks. The paper is divided into three sections:
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Logical Reasoning | 70 | 70 |
| English Language | 50 | 50 |
| General Knowledge and Current Affairs | 30 | 30 |
| Total | 150 | 150 |
Logical Reasoning at 70 marks is the highest-weight section and the most trainable. Accuracy matters significantly — wrong answers cost 0.25 marks each, so selective attempts consistently outperform blind guessing across all three sections.
OBC Seats at NLU Delhi — BA LLB 2026
NLU Delhi’s BA LLB programme has a domestic intake of 110 seats split across five reservation categories. OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) students compete for 24 seats, of which one carries a horizontal PwD sub-reservation.
| Category | Total Seats | PwD Horizontal Seats | Net Seats (Excl. PwD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 50 | 3 | 47 |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 24 | 1 | 23 |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) | 17 | 1 | 16 |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | 11 | 1 | 10 |
| Domestic Total | 110 | 6 | 104 |
Within OBC, a 30% horizontal women’s reservation applies — approximately 7 of the 24 seats are earmarked for OBC women. A valid OBC Non-Creamy Layer certificate issued on or after April 1, 2025 is mandatory for the 2026 admission cycle. Students with expired certificates are moved to the General category at counselling.
AILET 2026 OBC Round-wise Closing Ranks
AILET 2026 counselling ran across three rounds. The OBC closing rank tightened progressively as seats filled each round:
| Counselling Round | OBC Opening Rank | OBC Closing Rank | OBC Women Closing Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 92 | 330 | 355 |
| Round 2 | 364 | 369 | 362 |
| Round 3 (Final) | — | 373 | 373 |
The confirmed OBC closing rank for AILET 2026 BA LLB is 373. Students who ranked within 373 in the OBC category received a seat at NLU Delhi. The 2026 closing rank (373) is lower than both 2025 (522) and 2024 (457), indicating either a smaller OBC test-taker pool or a stronger overall cohort in the 2026 cycle.
Historical AILET OBC Cutoff Trends (2022–2026)
Score-based cutoff data is available for 2022 and 2023; closing ranks are reported for 2024 to 2026. All figures are for the BA LLB OBC category at NLU Delhi:
| Year | OBC Cutoff | General Cutoff | SC Cutoff | ST Cutoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 63 marks | 83.5 marks | 51.5 marks | 44.25 marks |
| 2023 | 56.5 marks | 69.25 marks | 45.5 marks | 38.25 marks |
| 2024 | Rank 457 | Rank 62 | Rank 1,559 | Rank 2,646 |
| 2025 | Rank 522 | Rank 61 | Rank 1,400 | Rank 2,889 |
| 2026 | Rank 373 | — | — | — |
Score-to-rank mapping is not publicly disclosed by NLU Delhi for 2024–2026. Based on 2022–2023 data, the OBC score cutoff has ranged between 56.5 and 63 marks out of 150. The 2026 OBC closing rank of 373 — lower than 2024 and 2025 — suggests the score threshold in 2026 was at or slightly above the historical range. The gap between General and OBC cutoffs has consistently been 12–20 marks in the years where score data is available.
Safe Score for OBC in AILET 2026
Based on the 2022–2026 trend data, the OBC score cutoff at NLU Delhi has ranged from 56.5 to 63 marks out of 150. A safe score includes a buffer of at least 7–12 marks above this range to protect against year-on-year variation in paper difficulty and test-taker volume. The score band table below maps scores to expected outcomes for OBC students:
| Score Band (Out of 150) | Expected Outcome for OBC Students |
|---|---|
| Below 50 marks | High risk — below the historical OBC score cutoff range |
| 50–64 marks | Borderline — admission uncertain; depends on paper difficulty and cohort strength |
| 65–74 marks | Moderate safety — above historical cutoffs with a limited buffer |
| 75 marks and above | Safe — comfortable buffer above historical OBC cutoffs; NLU Delhi seat highly likely |
| 85 marks and above | Strong — competitive against General merit; OBC seat near certain |
Targeting 70–75 marks out of 150 is the recommended safe zone for OBC students planning for the next AILET cycle. This provides a 7–18 mark buffer above the historical OBC score range of 56.5–63 marks and accounts for any upward shift driven by a higher-scoring cohort or tougher paper.
Factors That Affect AILET OBC Cutoff
The OBC cutoff shifts year to year based on several variables:
- Test-taker volume: AILET 2026 saw 3,682 registered students. Fewer OBC test-takers in 2026 contributed to the lower closing rank of 373 compared to 522 in 2025.
- Paper difficulty: A harder paper compresses raw scores and lowers the cutoff mark. The OBC score cutoff dropped from 63 marks in 2022 to 56.5 marks in 2023 during a more difficult paper year.
- No normalisation: All AILET students write the same paper with no shifts and no normalisation — the cutoff directly reflects raw performance.
- Certificate validity: Students presenting expired or state-ineligible OBC certificates at counselling are reclassified as General, reducing the effective OBC pool slightly.
- Seat intake changes: Any revision to NLU Delhi’s OBC seat count directly changes competitiveness. The 2026 OBC intake remained at 24 seats for BA LLB.
AILET 2026 OBC Safe Score FAQs
Ques. What is the safe score for OBC category in AILET 2026?
Ans. Based on historical OBC score cutoffs of 56.5 marks (2023) and 63 marks (2022) out of 150, a score of 70–75 marks or above is considered safe for OBC students. In 2026, the OBC category closed at rank 373 in the final counselling round. Targeting 70+ marks provides a 7–15 mark buffer above the historical score range.
Ques. What was the AILET 2026 OBC closing rank at NLU Delhi?
Ans. The AILET 2026 OBC closing rank for BA LLB at NLU Delhi was 373 in the final Round 3 of counselling. In Round 1 it was 330 and in Round 2 it was 369. Students with an OBC rank within 373 received a seat offer in the 2026 cycle.
Ques. How many OBC seats does NLU Delhi offer through AILET?
Ans. NLU Delhi has 24 OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) seats in its BA LLB domestic intake of 110. One of these 24 seats carries a horizontal PwD sub-reservation, leaving 23 seats for non-PwD OBC students. An additional 30% horizontal women’s reservation applies within the OBC category, reserving approximately 7 seats for OBC women.
Ques. Can an OBC student with 65 marks get admission at NLU Delhi through AILET?
Ans. A score of 65 marks out of 150 is above the historical OBC cutoff range of 56.5–63 marks and falls in the moderate safety band. Whether 65 marks translates to a rank within 373 (the 2026 OBC closing rank) depends on the exact score-to-rank distribution, which NLU Delhi does not publish. Scoring 70 or above is recommended for greater certainty.
Ques. What OBC certificate is required for AILET 2026 admission?
Ans. You need a valid OBC Non-Creamy Layer certificate issued on or after April 1, 2025. NLU Delhi accepts certificates issued under the Central List of OBCs or the Delhi State List of OBCs notified by the Government of NCT of Delhi. A certificate issued before April 1, 2025 is not accepted and the student competes as a General category applicant at counselling.
Ques. Is there a separate cutoff for OBC women in AILET 2026?
Ans. Yes, OBC women and OBC men have separate sub-lists under the 30% horizontal women’s reservation. In AILET 2026, the OBC women closing rank in Round 3 was 373, matching the overall OBC closing rank. The score requirement comes from the same OBC merit list — only the sub-category seat allocation differs, not the score threshold.
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