NPAT vs CUET UG: Differences & Similarities, Competition Analysis, Section Wise Prep Tips
CUET UG is a national-level entrance exam conducted for admission to UG courses across 250+ colleges. Whereas, NPAT exam is conducted for admission to BBA, BSc, and BCom courses offered by different campuses of SVKMs NMIMS. Check difference between CUET and NPAT here.
Difference b/w CUET & NPAT; Check Preparation Plan, Competition Analysis, Exam Pattern and more
CUET UG or NPAT becomes a big confusion for candidates aspiring for UG admissions in India. BBA aspirants frequently choose between CUET UG and NPAT. CUET UG is a national exam accepted by over 250 colleges. Candidates applying for CUET will have high admission chances through approximately 10,000 seats across 180 BBA institutes. It is considered a safe choice, irrespective of its complex structure. On the other hand, NPAT is exclusive to SVKMs NMIMS campuses. It is highly competitive, with more than 50,000 applicants fighting for 3500+ seats.
CUET UG exam pattern and NPAT exam pattern vary on multiple aspects. Scroll down for complete insights on CUET and NPAT exam comparison, including differences and similarities.
- Why Choose Between CUET UG and NPAT?
- NPAT vs CUET: Highlights
- NPAT vs CUET: Exam Pattern Differences
- CUET vs NPAT: Competition Difference
- NPAT vs CUET: Eligibility Criteria
- CUET vs NPAT Preparation
Why Choose Between CUET UG and NPAT?
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Deciding one among CUET and NPAT will require candidate to choose between admission probability and a prestigious institute. Applying for CUET will bring in increased chances of admissions due to its acceptability across numerous institutes. Whereas, NPAT will only be accepted by SVKMs NMIMS campuses.
With low admission chances through NPAT, the test structure is in favour of the candidates. With CUET UG delivering high admission chances, CUET UG exam pattern is designed to be tricky if compared with NPAT.
Also Read: CUET Syllabus
More than 180 BBA Colleges accepting CUET scores in India provide aspirants with more choices. Whereas NPAT score is accepted by SVKMs NMIMS campuses only.
Also, NPAT is included among the options as candidates have the flexibility to appear for the NPAT exam three times within the test window. On the contrary, candidates can only take CUET exam once during one exam session. Additionally, NMIMS is among the top colleges that offer management education.
Also Read: NPAT Syllabus
Typically, candidates go for both CUET and NPAT for BBA admissions as they are unable to choose between high admission chances and a candidate-friendly exam.
A comparison between MBA offered at IBS Hyderabad and NMIMS Hyderabad on the basis of total tuition fee and the highest package offered is mentioned below:
| College | Total Tuition fee | the highest Package Offered |
|---|---|---|
| IBS Hyderabad | INR 16.02 Lakh | INR 21.00 Lakh |
| NMIMS Hyderabad | INR 11.95 Lakh | INR 15.00 Lakh |
To know which is a better choice students must weigh both options based on important factors such as fees and highest salary. As per official sources fees to pursue MBA at NMIMS SBM Mumbai range from INR 13 Lacs and INR 25 lakh and fee to pursue MBA at KJ Somaiya Institute of Management is INR 21.34 lakh. In terms of fees KJ Somaiya Institute of Management is a better choice.
as per placement data available on Shiksha highest salaries given to MBA students at NMIMS SBM Mumbai and KJ Somaiya Institute of Management are INR 67.7 LPA and INR 28.25 LPA. In terms of package MBA from NMIMS SBM Mumbai is a better choice.
Note: The above information is taken from various official sources. Hence it is indicative.
NPAT vs CUET: Highlights
The table below mentions the key areas of comparison between CUET UG and NPAT exam:
| CUET vs NPAT |
CUET UG |
NPAT |
|---|---|---|
| Conducting body |
SVKMs NMIMS |
|
| Exam level |
Undergraduate |
Undergraduate |
| Exam frequency |
Annually with single attempt |
Annually with three attempts |
| Exam mode |
Hybrid (using OMR sheet and CBT mode) |
CBT only |
| Exam difficulty level |
Moderate to tough |
Moderate |
| Courses on offer |
UG courses across all streams |
UG courses under:
|
| Educational qualification |
Passed in 10+2 |
Passed in 10+2 with up to 60 per cent aggregate |
| Age limit |
No age limit for CUET UG |
NPAT eligibility lays the age limit between 17 years to 25 years. |
| Exam fees |
|
INR 2000 for single attempt with one school choice. (Additional INR 1000 required for each additional school choice) |
| Exam sections |
IA: Language IB: Second Language (optional) II: Domain subject (Business Studies) III: General Test |
I: Quantitative Reasoning II: Logical Reasoning III: Verbal Reasoning |
| Type of questions |
MCQ |
MCQ |
| Medium of exam |
English, Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Urdu |
English |
| Marking scheme |
+5 marks for each correct response -1 mark for each incorrect response |
+1 marks for each correct response No negative marking |
| Validity of score |
One year |
One year |
| Average time for preparation |
6 month preparation is enough |
4-6 month preparation |
| Colleges accepting scores |
UG and PG courses of state, central, private and deemed universities |
All NMIMS campuses |
| Official website |
exams.nta.ac.in/CUET-UG |
nmimsnpat.in |
Also Read: What is the right time to begin CUET preparation?
NPAT vs CUET: Exam Pattern Differences
NPAT and CUET exam patterns have multiple differences in terms of sections. Therefore, it is difficult for candidates to prepare for NPAT and CUET UG simultaneously. However, fundamentals can be covered while NPAT and CUET preparation.
CUET vs NPAT Exam Pattern
The table below mentions differences in the CUET and NPAT test pattern:
| CUET vs NPAT |
CUET |
NPAT |
|---|---|---|
| Exam mode |
Hybrid (using OMR sheet and CBT mode) |
CBT only |
| Type of questions |
MCQ |
MCQ |
| Total questions |
- 40 out of 50 questions for all test papers - 50 out of 60 for the General Test |
120 (40 in each section) |
| Exam Duration |
- 60 minutes for
- 45 minutes for all other test papers |
1 hour 40 minutes |
| Marking scheme |
+5 marks for each correct response -1 mark for each incorrect response |
+1 marks for each correct response No negative marking |
| Sectional time limit |
No |
No |
| Medium of exam |
English, Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Urdu |
English |
CUET vs NPAT: Sections
The table below mentions differences in the CUET and NPAT exam sections:
| Sections |
CUET Sections |
NPAT Sections |
|---|---|---|
| Section I |
Language A (one among 13 choices) |
Quantitative Reasoning |
| Language B (one among 20 choices) |
||
| Section II |
Domain subject (27 options) |
Logical Reasoning |
| Section III |
General Test |
Verbal Reasoning |
Universities offering BBA admissions through CUET provide the domain subjects and language to be mapped while filling the CUET application form. For BBA admissions, most of the universities will require the candidate to choose Business Studies as a domain subject in section II of CUET. Additionally, universities may or may not require the candidate to take the General Test.
Also Read: Domain Subjects in CUET
CUET vs NPAT: Competition Difference
As per the previous year's CUET registrations, more than 2 lakh candidates applied with Business Studies as the domain subject. Typically, Business Studies domain subject is chosen by the candidates to get into a business related course such as BBA. On the other hand, NPAT records around 80,000 test takers every year for admission to courses after class 12th at NMIMS campuses.
Also Read: NMIMS NPAT Registration
CUET UG exam is conducted for admission to 150+ BBA colleges. Whereas, NPAT exam is conducted for admission to all campuses of NMIMS. BBA admission through CUET will likely fill around 10,000+ seats across India. On the contrary, NPAT exam is conducted to fill more than 3900 seats across different courses offered by NMIMS campuses.
NPAT vs CUET: Eligibility Criteria
Besides the NPAT and CUET UG exam structure, both the exams host differences in eligibility conditions as well. The space below mentions the CUET and NPAT eligibility criteria
CUET UG Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must meet the following conditions to be eligible for CUET UG exam:
Educational Qualification: Class 12 passed candidates from a recognised board are eligible. Candidates who are waiting for the Board exam results are also eligible.
Age Limit: There is no age limit for CUET exam; however, candidates must check the institute-specific eligibility for the same.
Nationality: Candidates must abide by any of the following citizenship rules to be eligible for CUET:
- The candidate must be an Indian citizen
- A constituent subject of Nepal or Bhutan
- A Tibetan refugee who landed in India before January 1, 1962, to reside in India permanently
- Candidates from the following countries who have moved to India permanently:
- Pakistan
- Burma
- Sri Lanka
- Kenya
- Uganda
- Tanzania
- Zambia
- Malawi
- Zaire (The Democratic Republic of Congo)
- Ethiopia
- Vietnam
The above-mentioned CUET eligibility criteria are for candidates who want to appear for the exam. Eligibility conditions for admission may vary across CUET UG participating universities.
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NPAT Eligibility Criteria
The space below mentions the NMIMS NPAT eligibility criteria for all courses:
- Age Limit: NMIMS has set the upper age limit as 25 years for admissions based on NPAT exam.
- Educational Qualification: Candidates must have passed 10+2 in single attempt. Compulsory subjects and minimum score requirements vary for different courses mentioned here:
- BBA: Minimum 50 per cent aggregate with Mathematics or Statistics in 10+2
- BCom: Minimum 50 per cent aggregate with Mathematics or Statistics in 10+2
- BSc Finance: Minimum 50 per cent aggregate with Mathematics or Statistics in 10+2
- BSc Economics: Minimum 50 per cent aggregate with Mathematics or Statistics in 10+2
- BBA Branding and Advertising: Minimum 50 per cent aggregate in 10+2
- BA Liberal Arts: Minimum 50 per cent aggregate in 10+2
- BBMM: Minimum 50 per cent aggregate in 10+2
- BBA International Business: Minimum 60 per cent aggregate in 10+2
Also Read: NMIMS Mumbai Courses
CUET vs NPAT Preparation
CUET UG preparation and NPAT preparation can go hand in hand. CUET Language will be covered by the candidate while NPAT Verbal Ability preparation. On the other hand, CUET General Test preparation includes topics to be covered from numerical ability and reasoning. Candidates will cover major chunk of CUET General Test syllabus while preparing for QA and LR of NPAT exam.
Candidates can refer to the table below to get CUET and NPAT preparation resources:
| CUET Preparation Resources |
NPAT Preparation Resources |
|---|---|
Read More:
To know which college to choose students can compare options based on significant factors such as fees and highest salary. The presented below is a comparison between MBA courses at NMIMS SBM Mumbai and SPJIMR based on fees and highest salary:
Institute | Course Fee | the highest Salary |
|---|---|---|
NMIMS SBM Mumbai | INR 13 Lacs - INR 25 lakh | INR 67.7 LPA |
SPJIMR | INR 14.50 lakh | INR 52 LPA |
Note: The above information is as per official sources. However it is subject to change.
The best CUET course depends on candidate's interest, stream, subjects studied in class 12th. Some of the top CUET UG courses with best career options are B.Sc (Chemistry, Physics, CS), B.Com (Pass, Hons.), BBA/BMS/BFIA, BA (Economics, English, History), BCA and integrated programs. Candidates must make sure to align the CUET courses with the university requirement, subjects studied in class 12th and CUET subjects.
B.Tech degree from NMIMS Shirpur might not be as useful because NMIMS of Shirpur is considerably a new college and still is getting its validity and credibility in the job market place while Shivaji University is old and established and is also more affordable than NMIMS. So, go for the Shivaji University.
Abhishek is a content writer and editor with 7+ years of experience in education journalism. He completed his graduation from University of Delhi with a BA Degree. At Shiksha.com, he handles content for MBA, BBA, an
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A comparison between BBA LLB offered at NMIMS Hyderabad and Symbiosis Law School on the basis of total tuition fee and total seat intake is given below:
The total tuition fee is taken from unoffficial sources. Hence, is indicative.