CUET UG 2026

What CUET UG Is

CUET UG (Common University Entrance Test — Undergraduate) is the NTA-conducted entrance exam that most central universities in India now use for undergraduate admissions instead of individual entrance tests. If you want to study at Delhi University, BHU, JNU, Hyderabad Central University, Jamia, AMU, or any of the 200+ other universities that accept CUET scores, this is the exam.

CUET UG 2026 started on 11 May 2026, running across multiple shifts and days until late May. It's a computer-based test (CBT) with separate timed slots for each subject — you don't sit a single 3-hour block.

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Why CUET Replaced Board-Based Admissions

Before 2022, universities like DU used Class 12 board percentages as the primary admission criterion. That created perverse incentives (100% cutoffs at top colleges) and disadvantaged students from boards perceived as "easier." CUET standardises the admission process — your Board performance matters for eligibility, but your CUET score determines your seat.

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Structure — Three Sections

Section	What It Is	Duration
Section IA	13 languages (Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, etc.) — at least one required	45 min each
Section IB	20 additional languages (optional)	45 min each
Section II	27 domain-specific subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Maths, History, Economics, etc.)	45–60 min each
Section III	General Test — reasoning, GK, numerical ability, quantitative skills	60 min

You choose which subjects to appear for based on the requirements of the universities and programmes you're applying to. Different universities have different section/subject requirements — check each university's CUET requirements before selecting subjects.

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How Many Subjects Can You Take

• Maximum 6 subjects total across all sections
• At least 1 language from Section IA is required by most universities
• Domain subjects (Section II) must match what the programme requires (e.g., Physics + Chemistry + Maths for B.Sc. Physics at DU)
• The General Test (Section III) is required by some universities (especially for non-science programmes) — check university-specific requirements

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Exam Pattern (Per Subject)

Parameter	Detail
Mode	Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Questions per subject	40–50 (attempt 35–40)
Duration per subject	45–60 minutes
Marking	+5 for correct, -1 for wrong
Question type	MCQ

Unlike most exams, CUET gives +5 per correct answer (not +1). This increases the importance of attempting carefully rather than randomly.

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Eligibility

• Passed or appearing in Class 12 (or equivalent) in the current academic year
• No minimum percentage to appear for CUET (individual universities set their own percentage-based eligibility cutoffs)
• No age limit for CUET itself (universities may have age limits for specific programmes)

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Application Fee

Category	Fee (up to 3 subjects)	Additional subjects
General / OBC / EWS	₹750	₹300 per additional subject
SC / ST / PwBD	₹650	₹300 per additional subject
Outside India (abroad centres)	₹3,000	As applicable

Pay through the NTA portal. Fee varies slightly with the number of subjects selected.

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University-Specific Subject Requirements

Each university publishes its own CUET subject requirements. Examples:

University	Programme	CUET Subjects Required
Delhi University	BA (Hons.) Economics	English (IA) + Economics (II) + Maths or any one domain (II)
BHU	B.Sc. Physics	Physics + Chemistry + Maths (Section II)
JNU	BA (Hons.) History	History (II) + Any language (IA)
Hyderabad Central	BA English	English (IA or IB)

Check the university's official prospectus for exact subject combinations — getting this wrong means your score won't be considered.

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Admit Card and Exam Day

• Admit card was released via the NTA portal (cuet.nta.nic.in)
• Candidates can choose their exam state, city, date, and shift (within limits set by NTA)
• 96.6% of candidates were allotted their preferred city for CUET UG 2026

On exam day: Carry printed admit card + valid photo ID. Follow the dress code advisory (NTA issues specific instructions for each exam).

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Preparation Tips

• CUET tests Class 12 NCERT content. Unlike JEE or NEET, CUET domain subjects are closely aligned with CBSE Class 12 NCERT syllabus. If you've studied your Class 12 syllabus well, domain subject preparation is mostly revision.
• General Test needs separate prep. Section III (General Test) tests logical reasoning, quantitative ability, and general awareness — skills not covered by standard Class 12 preparation. Give it 4–6 weeks of dedicated practice.
• Language section is often neglected. The Section IA language papers test reading comprehension and grammar at a serious level. Don't assume you'll breeze through Hindi/English just because it's your medium of instruction.
• +5/-1 marking means be selective. With 5 marks for correct and 1 mark deducted for wrong, an answer with 80%+ confidence is worth attempting. Random guessing is costly.

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Common Questions

My Class 12 board percentage is low — will CUET help? Yes — CUET scores, not board percentages, determine university admissions in most cases. However, universities still set minimum eligibility percentages (usually 45–50%) for appearing in CUET for specific programmes. You need to meet that minimum.

Can I appear for CUET and apply to private universities too? CUET scores are only for participating universities (mostly central and some state universities). Private colleges have their own entrance tests or use JEE/other scores.

How are merit lists prepared? Each university prepares its own merit list using CUET scores of the subjects it requires. NTA only conducts the exam — universities do admissions independently.

Can I use one CUET attempt for multiple universities? Yes. One set of CUET scores can be sent to multiple participating universities — you don't take a separate exam for each.

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Official Links

NTA CUET Portal	cuet.nta.nic.in
Admit Card / Result	cuet.nta.nic.in
Participating Universities	Listed on cuet.nta.nic.in