Common University Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (CUET UG)
Built from official exam bulletins, conducting body notifications, and institution pages.
What this exam is
The Common University Entrance Test (Undergraduate), known as CUET UG, is the centralised entrance test that replaced individual university admission tests for undergraduate admissions across India. Introduced in 2022 by the National Testing Agency (NTA) under a directive from the University Grants Commission (UGC), CUET UG has rapidly become the largest university entrance exam in the country — surpassing even JEE Main in the number of registered candidates, with over 19 lakh students registering for the 2025 cycle alone.
Before CUET, each central university conducted its own entrance test or relied entirely on Class 12 board marks. The UGC mandated that all 44 central universities adopt CUET UG from 2022-23 onwards. This created a single pathway for students applying to institutions such as Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Banaras Hindu University, University of Hyderabad, and Jamia Millia Islamia — institutions that previously had vastly different admission processes and had relied heavily on Class 12 cut-offs that sometimes touched 100%.
Today, over 261 universities participate in CUET UG, including state universities, private universities, and deemed universities. The exam is conducted by NTA as a Computer-Based Test (CBT) every year, typically in May–June, with results declared in July.
The core logic of CUET is standardisation. Class 12 boards differ in difficulty and grade distribution. A student from a particular state board might score 95% while another from a different board scores 85% — yet both might have equivalent actual subject mastery. CUET tries to level this field by testing all students on the same subjects using a uniform format. NTA uses an equi-percentile normalisation method when the same subject paper is held in multiple shifts, converting raw scores into normalised NTA Scores to account for difficulty variations.
CUET UG is also notable for its flexibility: since 2025, candidates can choose any domain subject regardless of whether they studied it in Class 12. A student who took Commerce in Class 12 can appear for the Economics domain subject for a BA Economics programme — as long as the university accepts that combination.
Who should take this exam
CUET UG is relevant to virtually every student completing Class 12 who wants admission to a central university or any of the 261+ participating institutions. However, it is most critical for students targeting:
Delhi University programmes. DU was one of the earliest adopters of CUET and has phased out the cut-off list system almost entirely. For programmes like BA Economics, BA Political Science, BCom (Hons), and BSc Mathematics, admission is now almost entirely CUET-based. Miranda House, Lady Shri Ram College, and St. Stephen’s — historically the most sought-after DU colleges — now fill seats through CUET scores.
JNU, BHU, and University of Hyderabad. These universities offer highly competitive undergraduate programmes and have integrated CUET UG into their admission process. JNU uses CUET for some of its undergraduate courses, BHU accepts it for a wide range of BA and BSc programmes, and the University of Hyderabad uses it for integrated programmes.
Students in Arts, Commerce, and Science streams. CUET UG covers all three streams equally. Arts students will typically appear for Language (Section IA), one or two domain subjects from Humanities (History, Political Science, Sociology, Economics), and the General Test. Commerce students usually take Accountancy, Business Studies, Economics, and Mathematics. Science students appear for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology or Mathematics.
Students aiming for BBA programmes. Many private and deemed universities now use CUET scores for BBA admission, making the General Test section particularly important for management aspirants.
Students seeking alternatives to board-cut-off-based admissions. If your Class 12 board marks are not as high as needed for a particular college’s historical cut-offs, a strong CUET performance can independently establish your eligibility. The exam score is the primary — and often the only — criterion for shortlisting.
Students who plan to appear for CUET alongside JEE Main or other competitive exams should note that CUET tests Class 12 NCERT knowledge, not advanced competitive-level concepts. This makes it more accessible but also highly competitive given the sheer number of test-takers.
Exam pattern and structure
CUET UG 2025 is conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode. All questions are Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). The exam is divided into three sections — Section IA/IB (Languages), Section II (Domain Subjects), and Section III (General Test). Each candidate selects the combination of subjects that matches the requirements of the programmes they are applying for. The maximum number of subjects a candidate can select is five (from the 2025 cycle onwards, reduced from six).
Marking scheme: +5 marks for each correct answer, −1 mark for each incorrect answer, 0 for unattempted questions. Each subject paper is 60 minutes long and scheduled in separate slots.
| Section | Subjects Available | Questions Per Paper | To Be Attempted | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section IA – Languages | 13 languages (English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu) | 50 | 40 | 60 minutes |
| Section IB – Languages | 20 additional languages | 50 | 40 | 60 minutes |
| Section II – Domain Subjects | 23 domain-specific subjects | 50 | 50 (all compulsory) | 60 minutes |
| Section III – General Test | General Aptitude Test | 60 | 50 | 60 minutes |
Score interpretation. Each correct answer in any section carries 5 marks, so a perfect score in one domain subject (50 questions × 5 marks) is 250. University-specific composite scores are derived differently depending on how many subject scores they count and whether they use raw scores or normalised scores.
Normalisation. When a paper is held in multiple shifts (due to the large candidate volume), NTA applies the equi-percentile method to normalise raw scores across shifts. This means the reported NTA Score is a percentile-based normalised figure, not simply the raw marks. In practice, for many subjects, CUET is now conducted in a single shift to minimise normalisation complexity — but candidates should expect normalised scores on their scorecards whenever multi-shift administration is required.
Medium. The exam is offered in 13 Indian languages: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. A candidate can choose any one medium for each paper.
Exam cities. CUET UG 2025 was conducted across 171 cities in India and 24 cities abroad, making it one of the most geographically widespread entrance exams in the country.
Syllabus overview
CUET UG tests Class 12 NCERT-level content for domain subjects. Unlike JEE Main or NEET, the depth of individual topics is not beyond Class 12 board level — but the breadth across the NCERT syllabus is comprehensive.
Section IA and IB – Language Papers
The language papers assess reading and comprehension skills. A typical paper includes:
- Reading Comprehension: Factual, literary, and narrative passages (3–4 passages per paper)
- Verbal Ability: Sentence completion, grammar-based questions, rearranging parts
- Vocabulary: Synonyms, antonyms, idioms, and word usage in context
- Literary Aptitude: Understanding literary devices, tone, and author’s intent
English is the most-chosen language paper by a wide margin, as it is required by most DU and other central university programmes. However, many institutions also require a specific regional language paper.
Section II – Domain Subjects
All 23 domain subjects follow the NCERT Class 12 syllabus as their base. Key subjects and their primary content areas:
Economics / Business Economics: National Income and Related Aggregates, Money and Banking, Determination of Income and Employment, Government Budget, Balance of Payments, Indian Economic Development, Development Experience, and Current Challenges.
Mathematics / Applied Mathematics: Relations and Functions, Algebra, Calculus (including Integrals and Differential Equations), Vectors and 3D Geometry, Linear Programming, and Probability. Applied Mathematics additionally covers Financial Mathematics, Index Numbers, and Statistics.
History: Themes in Ancient and Medieval Indian History, Modern Indian History (Nationalism, Partition), World History. The paper follows the NCERT Themes in World History and Themes in Indian History structure.
Political Science: Indian Constitution, Political Parties and Democracy, Foreign Policy, Contemporary World Politics, and Issues of Social Justice.
Biology / Biological Science / Biotechnology / Biochemistry: Reproduction (plant and human), Genetics and Evolution, Biology in Human Welfare, Biotechnology, Ecology and Environment — all at NCERT Class 11–12 level.
Business Studies: Nature and Significance of Management, Principles of Management, Business Environment, Planning, Organising, Staffing, Directing, Controlling, Financial Markets, Consumer Protection, and Entrepreneurship Development.
Accountancy / Book-Keeping: Accounting for Partnership Firms, Company Accounts (Share Capital and Debentures), Financial Statement Analysis, Cash Flow Statements.
Physics and Chemistry: Follow NCERT Class 12 syllabi completely — electrostatics, current electricity, optics, modern physics for Physics; Solid State, Solutions, Electrochemistry, Coordination Compounds for Chemistry.
Sociology, Psychology, Geography/Geology, Home Science, Computer Science, and other subjects similarly follow NCERT Class 11–12 content.
From 2025 onwards, NTA removed six domain subjects — Entrepreneurship, Teaching Aptitude, Fashion Studies, Tourism, Legal Studies, and Engineering Graphics — consolidating the subject list from 63 to 37 (13 languages + 23 domain subjects + 1 General Test).
Section III – General Test
The General Test is required by many institutions for programmes such as BBA, BCom, and other non-specialised programmes. It covers:
- General Knowledge and Current Affairs: National and international events, awards, sports, governance
- General Mental Ability: Pattern recognition, series completion, analogies
- Numerical Ability: Basic arithmetic, percentages, ratios, averages
- Quantitative Reasoning: Application of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, statistics up to Class 8 level
- Logical and Analytical Reasoning: Syllogisms, blood relations, direction sense, coding-decoding
The General Test paper has 60 questions, of which 50 must be attempted, carrying 250 marks maximum.
Eligibility and registration
Eligibility criteria
NTA has intentionally kept the eligibility bar minimal to allow maximum participation:
- Qualifying examination: Passed or appearing in Class 12 (or equivalent) from any recognised board
- Minimum marks: NTA prescribes no minimum percentage. However, individual universities have their own eligibility thresholds — for example, most DU programmes require at least 45–50% in relevant subjects at Class 12
- Age limit: No age limit prescribed by NTA
- Number of attempts: No restriction on how many times a candidate can attempt CUET UG in different academic years
- Subject combination flexibility: From CUET 2025 onwards, candidates can choose any domain subject regardless of their Class 12 subject combination
Registration process
Registration is entirely online at cuet.nta.nic.in. The typical cycle follows this pattern:
- Application window: Usually February–March (CUET 2025: March 1–22; CUET 2026 window closed February 26)
- Subject and city selection: Candidates choose up to five subjects (from languages, domain subjects, and General Test) and up to four preferred exam cities
- Fee payment: Online via net banking, credit/debit card, or UPI
- Correction window: Approximately 2–3 days after the application closes for corrections to basic details (not subject changes in most cycles)
- Admit card: Released 1–2 weeks before the exam
- Exam: Conducted from May to early June across multiple slots
- Result: Published in July; scores are reported as NTA Scores (normalised) for each subject
Registration fee
| Category | Up to 3 Subjects | Each Additional Subject |
|---|---|---|
| General (Unreserved) | ₹1,000 | ₹400 |
| OBC-NCL / EWS | ₹900 | ₹375 |
| SC / ST / PwD / Third Gender | ₹800 | ₹350 |
| International Centres (outside India) | ₹4,500 | ₹1,800 |
Fees are non-refundable. Candidates must pay the fee by the deadline following application submission.
Documents required
- Class 10 or 12 certificate (for age and identity verification)
- Passport-size photograph (JPG/JPEG, 10–200 KB)
- Signature (JPG/JPEG, 4–30 KB)
- Category certificate, if applicable (PDF, 50–300 KB)
- Valid government ID proof
Cutoffs and score interpretation
CUET UG scores are reported as NTA Scores on a 250-point scale per subject (since each paper carries 250 maximum marks: 50 questions × 5 marks). Universities then compute composite admission scores using their own formulae, which may weight different subject scores differently.
DU’s approach. Delhi University calculates a “Best of” composite score from the subjects most relevant to the programme being applied for. For example, BA (Hons) Economics typically considers the candidate’s English/Language score and Economics score. This means a CUET score cannot be read in isolation — the competition for each specific programme at each specific college determines the effective cutoff.
Indicative cutoffs (2024–25 cycle) — DU colleges:
| Programme | Category | Indicative Score Range |
|---|---|---|
| BA (Hons) Economics | General | 190–220 / 250 |
| BCom (Hons) | General | 200–230 / 250 |
| BA (Hons) Political Science | General | 180–200 / 250 |
| BA (Hons) English | General | 180–200 / 250 |
| BSc (Hons) Mathematics | General | 190–215 / 250 |
Top DU colleges such as Miranda House, Lady Shri Ram College, Hindu College, and St. Stephen’s College typically have effective cutoffs in the 95th–99th percentile range for the most competitive programmes. Mid-tier and newer central universities generally have lower effective thresholds — scores of 140–170 out of 250 may suffice for admission.
Score vs. percentile (illustrative, based on 2024 data):
| Score Range (out of 250) | Approximate Percentile |
|---|---|
| 225–250 | 99.5th and above |
| 200–224 | 97th–99th |
| 175–199 | 93rd–96th |
| 150–174 | 85th–92nd |
| 125–149 | 70th–84th |
These figures vary across subjects and years. Candidates should treat these as rough benchmarks only.
Interpretation for non-DU universities. Many state universities and private institutions use CUET scores as one component — sometimes alongside Class 12 marks or internal merit criteria. The actual admission process varies by institution.
Colleges and programmes that accept this exam
CUET UG is accepted by all 44 central universities. The most prominent are Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), University of Hyderabad, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), and Pondicherry University.
At Delhi University, CUET is the primary admission basis for its 90 constituent colleges and dozens of programmes. Miranda House, Lady Shri Ram College, and St. Stephen’s College are among the most sought-after DU colleges that fill seats based on CUET scores.
Beyond central universities, the following types of programmes on this site are most directly relevant to CUET UG:
- BA Economics — requires Economics domain subject + Language
- BA Political Science — requires Political Science domain subject + Language
- BA History — requires History domain subject + Language
- BA English — requires English (Section IA)
- BA Sociology — requires Sociology domain subject + Language
- BA Psychology — requires Psychology domain subject + Language
- BSc Mathematics — requires Mathematics domain subject
- BSc Physics — requires Physics domain subject
- BSc Chemistry — requires Chemistry domain subject
- BSc Biology — requires Biology domain subject
- BBA — requires General Test and/or Business Studies
- BCom — requires Accountancy and/or Economics and General Test
- BCA — requires Mathematics / Computer Science domain subjects
State universities such as Presidency University Kolkata and Ambedkar University Delhi also participate in CUET UG.
Several private and deemed universities have also joined the CUET UG framework, though many continue to hold their own supplementary tests or interviews. Among those on this site, Shiv Nadar University and Krea University have indicated participation.
How to prepare
CUET UG is fundamentally an NCERT exam. The domain subjects are designed to test Class 12 content, not the deeper conceptual rigour of JEE or NEET. This has two implications: preparation is highly accessible for students who have studied their board syllabus thoroughly, but the competition is intense because the high ceiling of the exam is relatively reachable.
Start with your target programme’s subject requirements. Before preparing, confirm which subjects the programmes you are targeting actually require. DU admission office lists subject requirements for each programme. Preparing a domain subject you don’t actually need is wasted effort.
NCERT textbooks are the core resource. For every domain subject, the prescribed syllabus is explicitly drawn from NCERT Class 11 and Class 12 textbooks. Read chapters thoroughly — not just bullet-point summaries — because the MCQs often test precise definitions, examples from the textbook, data mentioned in specific chapters, and subtle distinctions that only careful reading surfaces.
Language papers reward regular reading. Section IA English or Hindi papers test comprehension speed and vocabulary. Students who read newspapers, editorial sections, or literary prose regularly will find these sections more comfortable. The questions follow standard comprehension formats, and vocabulary questions draw on common academic English.
General Test requires consistent current affairs practice. Unlike domain subjects, the General Test has a current affairs component that cannot be fully prepared from textbooks. Students should follow national news, government schemes, appointments, sports results, and international events in the 3–6 months before the exam.
Practise with official NTA mock tests and past papers. NTA releases practice question papers and mock tests on its portal. Since CUET was introduced only in 2022, the pool of past papers is limited but growing. Solving 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 papers gives a realistic sense of question difficulty and format.
Subject-wise allocation of time. Each 60-minute subject paper requires discipline. Domain subjects with 50 compulsory questions give 72 seconds per question on average. There is no flexibility to skip — all questions must be attempted or left blank. In Language papers (50 questions, 40 to attempt), candidates have slightly more flexibility.
Manage negative marking carefully. The −1 penalty for wrong answers in CUET is proportionally lighter than in exams with 4-mark questions, but it still matters. A wrong answer costs 6 marks net (−1 vs +5). Guessing blindly is inadvisable on questions where you have no idea; on questions where you can eliminate two options, attempting is generally statistically worthwhile.
For multi-programme applicants. Many students apply to 10–15 programmes across multiple universities using the same CUET score. This is one of the major advantages of the single test system. However, it also means that preparation must cover the subject combination that satisfies the broadest set of programmes being targeted — not just the top choice.
Key dates and timeline
CUET UG follows an annual cycle aligned with the academic calendar:
| Event | Typical Timing |
|---|---|
| Registration window opens | January–February |
| Registration deadline | Late February – late March |
| Application correction window | ~3 days after registration closes |
| Exam city intimation | April |
| Admit card release | Late April |
| Examination | May – early June |
| Provisional answer key | Within 1–2 weeks of exam |
| Result declaration | July |
| University-level counselling / merit lists | July – August |
CUET UG 2025 actual dates: Registration opened March 1 and closed March 22, 2025. The exam was conducted from May 8 to June 1, 2025. Results were expected in July 2025.
CUET UG 2026: The registration window was open from January 3 to February 26, 2026. The exam is expected in May–June 2026.
Candidates should check the official NTA CUET website (cuet.nta.nic.in) for real-time updates, as dates shift each cycle.
Related exams
- JEE Main — For engineering admissions; many science students appear for both CUET UG and JEE Main in the same cycle
- SET Symbiosis — Symbiosis International University’s entrance test; relevant for BBA, BCA, and liberal arts applicants
- DU JAT — Delhi University’s own Joint Admission Test for BMS and BBA-FIA at SSCBS; separate from CUET UG
- SAT — Relevant for students considering international and dual-degree options alongside CUET-based admissions
Sources Used
The information on this page is compiled from official sources and institutional programme pages. It may not reflect the most recent changes. Always verify directly with the institution before making any admission or financial decision.