NPAT vs CUET UG: Differences & Similarities, Competition Analysis, Section Wise Prep Tips

NPAT vs CUET UG: Differences & Similarities, Competition Analysis, Section Wise Prep Tips

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Abhishek
Abhishek Dhawan
Deputy Manager - MBA & BBA Content
Updated on Jan 23, 2026 00:15 IST
CUET or NPAT becomes a big dilemma for candidates aspiring for BBA admission. NTA CUET is a safe bet considering the number of participating institutes and multiple courses offered. On the contrary, NMIMS NPAT is not accepted by institutes other than SVKMs NMIMS campuses. CUET exam pattern and NPAT exam pattern vary on multiple fronts.

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.

CUET vs NPAT

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.

Table of contents
  • 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?

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.

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What is the placement package offered at NMIMS Mumbai?
A: 

The highest and average package secured by MBA Tech batch 2026 stood at INR 28.38 LPA and INR 12.02 LPA. Engineering batch 2026 of MPSTME, NMIMS Mumbai achieved the highest and average salary of INR 19.75 LPA and 8.03 LPA. 

Q:   How are the NMIMS Navi Mumbai placements?
A: 

NMIMS Navi Mumbai provides great placements to its students from different fields like MBA BTech, BSc, BCom, etc. The institute has released its school wise placement report. The following table provides the placement highlights recorded during NMIMS Navi Mumbai Placements:

Schoolthe highest PackageAverage PackageMedian Package
SBMINR 19 LPAINR 12.85 LPAINR 12 LPA
SOL

INR 7.40 LPA (BA LLB)

INR 7.40 LPA (BBA LLB)

INR 5.88 LPA (BA LLB)

INR 5.88 LPA (BBA LLB)

INR 6 LPA (BA LLB)

INR 6 LPA (BBA LLB)

SOEINR 6 LPAINR 5.6 LPAINR 5.6 LPA
SOHMINR 4.32 LPAINR 3.8 LPAINR 4 LPA
STME

INR 42.3 LPA (BTech)

INR 15 LPA (MBA Tech)

INR 7.53 LPA (BTech)

INR 10.5 LPA (MBA Tech)

INR 6 LPA (BTech)

INR 11 LPA (MBA Tech)

SOCINR 6.83 LPAINR 5.28 LPAINR 5.25 LPA
SOLAINR 2.16 LPAINR 2.16 LPAINR 2.16 LPA
Q:   What is the highest package offered at NMIMS Mumbai?
A: 

The highest package secured by Engineering and MBA Tech batch 2026 of MPSTME, NMIMS Mumbai was INR 19.75 LPA and INR 28.38 LPA.

Q:   How are placements at NMIMS Bangalore?
A: 

The key highlights of NMIMS Bangalore MBA placements 2025 are presented below:

Particulars

MBA Placement Statistics (2025)

the highest package

INR 72 LPA

Average package

INR 14.12 LPA

Median package

INR 13 LPA

Total recruiters

121

PPOs offered

14

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

NTA

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:

  • Commerce
  • Economics
  • Liberal Arts
  • Branding & Advertising
  • International Studies
  • Management

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 750 (General)
  • INR 700 (OBC-NCL, EWS)
  • INR 650 (SC, ST, PwD and Transgender)
  • INR 3,750 (International centres)

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?

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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

  • Mathematics
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Accountancy
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Economics
  • Computer Science
  • Informatics Practices
  • General Tests

- 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

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   Does NMIMS have 100% placement?
A: 

NMIMS placement percentage data is not released. Total 316 Niche offers, 146 Dream and 70 Elite offers were made to Engineering batch 2026 of MPSTME, NMIMS Mumbai. Engineering batch 2026 of MPSTME achieved the highest and average salary of INR 19.75 LPA and 8.03 LPA. Highest and average package secured by MBA Tech batch 2026 stood at INR 28.38 LPA and INR 12.02 LPA.

Q:   Is NMIMS, Hyderabad a good university?
A: 

 One of the best businesses schools in India and NMIMS has campuses in several state additionally it is currently a deemed university the university  offers in depth instruction  in the discipline of management studies additionally the university provides their reliable infrastructure that is convenient for both on campus and online students the university provides campus placements, undergraduate and post graduate courses as well as a variety of other events

Q:   Who are the top recruiters of SVKM'S NMIMS School of Commerce, Dhule?
A: 

The list of top recruiters during NMIMS School of Commerce, Dhule placements 2024 is presented below:

NMIMS School of Commerce, Dhule Top Recruiters

Godrej

Planet Spark

EY

CRISIL

PwC

Tresvista

Accenture

Tata

D E Shaw & Co

Baidyanath

Q:   What is the salary package offered at NMIMS Shirpur?
A: 

the highest and average packages given to different course during the NMIMS Shirpur placements 2025 are presented in the table below:

CourseHighest Package (2025)Average Package (2025)
BTechINR 19.75 LPAINR 8.11 LPA
MBA TechINR 28.38 LPAINR 11.79 LPA
BPharm+MBAINR 17 LPAINR 10.65 LPA
MPharm+MBAINR 17 LPAINR 10.23 LPA

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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.

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

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   Which is better among NMIMS Shirpur and Shivaji University for BTech course?
A: 

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.

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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

CUET Business Studies Syllabus PDF

NPAT Preparation in One Month

CUET Business Studies Question Paper

NPAT Preparation in Three Months

CUET General Test Syllabus PDF

NPAT Preparation in Six Months

CUET General Test Question Paper

NPAT Question Papers, Previous Year Sample Question Papers

CUET Question Papers

Best Books for NPAT

Best Books for CUET

NPAT Preparation Tips

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About the Author
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Abhishek Dhawan
Deputy Manager - MBA & BBA Content

Abhishek Dhawan is a content writer and editor with 7+ years of experience in education journalism. He holds a BA degree from the University of Delhi. At Shiksha, Abhishek primarily covers MBA and BBA entrance

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