CUET Exam 2026: Dates, UG Pattern, Syllabus, Eligibility, Online Form, Question Paper

Common University Entrance Test (CUET) is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to Undergraduate (UG) or Postgraduate (PG) courses offered by participating universities and institutes across India. It is a national-level entrance exam conducted annually. CUET UG is the biggest UG entrance examination, providing a common platform for students seeking admission to undergraduate programs of top universities and colleges across India. The exam is held in computer-based (CBT) mode, across 200+ cities in India and abroad. CUET UG is conducted in multiple phases, depending on the number of candidates registered for the exam.

CUET UG 2026 Exam Highlights

Check the table below for important features or highlights of the CUET 2026 exam.

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CUET FAQs 2026

Advantages and Disadvantages of Taking CUET Exam

Candidates must meet the key CUET eligibility criteria such as educational qualification, board, nationality, age limit and minimum marks to apply and appear for the biggest UG entrance exam. The CUET eligibility parameters are as follows:

CUET Basic Educational Qualification

• Students should have passed Class 12 from a recognised board in Science or a relevant stream to be admitted to bachelor’s degree programs in the Central Universities.

• Students in Class 12 who are yet to appear for the Board exam were also eligible to apply.

CUET UG Age Limit

There is no age limit for appearing in the CUET 2026 exam. However, the candidates will be required to fulfil the age criteria (if any) of the University/Institution/Organisation to which they are willing to take admission. 

CUET Nationality Criteria

To be eligible for the CUET Exam, aspirants must be Indian citizens.

CUET UG exam structure is divided into three sections- 13 Languages, 23 Domain subjects and General Test sections. CUET UG language section assesses candidates' literary aptitude, comprehension and vocabulary. The domain subject section assesses students' in-depth knowledge about the chosen subject, and the general test includes general knowledge, current affairs, mental and numerical ability. As per the CUET exam pattern 2026, each section will be of a duration of 60 minutes. 

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What type of questions are asked in CUET UG?

How many domain subjects are compulsory in CUET UG?

CUET 2026 Exam Structure

The table below presents the broad structure of CUET 2026 in terms of the number of questions in each section, along with the duration.

CUET 2026 Marking Scheme

The CUET UG total marks vary based on the number of subjects chosen and the slot allotted to the candidate. The CUET 2026 marking scheme, as per NTA is as follows:

• For every correct answer or the most appropriate answer: Five marks (+5)
• For any incorrect option chosen, a mark will be deducted: one mark (-1)
• Unanswered/Marked for Review will receive no mark (0).
• If more than one option is found correct, five marks (+5) will be awarded to those who have marked any of the correct options.
• If all options are found correct, five marks (+5) will be awarded to all those who have attempted the question.
• If none of the options is found correct or a question is found to be wrong or dropped, all candidates who have attempted the dropped question will receive five marks (+5) marks.

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CUET UG Commerce Previous Year Question Papers

CUET UG Science Previous Year Question Papers

Common University Entrance Test (UG) syllabus includes topics from class 12th NCERT curriculum, including subjects in language, Science, Commerce and Arts streams.  Candidates preparing for exam must be thorough with the CUET syllabus 2026 for language, domain subjects and general aptitude test to prepare. Check below to know CUET syllabus overview:

CUET 2026 Section-wise Syllabus

The following table brings the section-wise types of questions or the CUET 2026 syllabus.

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CUET Weightage Chapter Wise for Commerce, Science, and Humanities

CUET UG Top 10 Subjects

CUET 2026 application form will be released on NTA official website as per the schedule. To apply for CUET exam, first step is to register by entering the basic details such as name, address, and contact details. This generates login credentials. After logging in with the registration credentials, candidates can fill the CUET 2026 application form with their personal and academic details, programme and exam city preference, and upload documents. After the CUET UG form is filled, candidates have to pay the CUET application fee online via debit/credit card, Net Banking, Paytm, and UPI. The table below shows the CUET form fees 2026.

CUET UG Form Fees 2026

Also Read:

• How to Fill CUET Application Form 2026?
  

• List Of Documents Required For CUET Application Form

CUET 2026 Admission Process

Following image shows the CUET admission process:

CUET Admission Process 2026

Also Read:

• CUET Universities List
• CUET Admission Process
• CUET Admission Process for Central Universities

CUET Registration Statistics

Check the table below to know the CUET statistics for 2025-22:

CUET 2026 Exam Centres

CUET UG 2026 exam centres will be located in around 300 cities across India and cities in abroad. The exam centre allotment details will be announced through the admit card of CUET. Before that, an advance intimation slip will be released mentioning the exam centre's city and state. Candidates had to enter four of their preferred CUET exam centre cities while filling the CUET application form. NTA will try to assign their CUET 2026 centre in their preferred exam city.

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CUET 2026 Shift Timings: Reporting Time & Exam Duration

CUET Application 2026 Correction Window

CUET UG correction window 2026 will open once the registration window is closed. Candidates can edit the details in the application form till the prescribed last date. Only registered candidates will be able to edit the details in the application form after submission. In the CUET 2026 correction window, registered candidates can make changes in the following fields:

• Candidate name
• Parent's or Guardian's name
• Class 10th & 12th details
• Date of birth
• Gender & category
• Photograph
• Signature
• Examination city (based on present or permanent address)

The CUET UG question papers carry 100 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). Since CUET is conducted in a computer-based mode, candidates will not be given the CUET 2025 question papers on the day of the exam. However, NTA will release the question papers online on its official website along with the answer keys. Candidates will also be able to download their response sheets. Downloading the CUET UG previous year question paper PDF and solving those in a proctored manner will help students prepare for the exam.

CUET 2026 Preparation Tips

CUET is an all-India entrance exam that is highly competitive, and candidates appearing for the exam need to have a strategy and aim to score well and qualify. Aspirants can go through the following prep strategy methods while preparing for CUET.

• First and foremost, candidates should go through the exam pattern and structure of the test. After that, students should get hold of some of the best books for CUET preparation.

• After gaining conceptual clarity on each section and subject, students should segregate their areas of strengths and weaknesses they should work towards improving their weaknesses by finding out the root cause and seeking help from their mentors or fellow students.

• After completing the syllabus, they should take regular mock tests and analyse their performance. Solving previous years’ question papers will also expose them to the topics and question types to expect in the actual exam.

• Last but not least, staying confident is the key to success in CUET.

Check more preparation articles: 

• CUET Toppers Interview
• CUET 2026 Exam Day Strategy: Know Tips to Attempt Questions, Dos and Don’ts
• Last Minute Preparation Tips for CUET 2026
• Best Books for CUET UG 2026: Subject-wise Best Books, Study Materials & Preparation Tips

The mock test is an important feature of preparing for CUET 2026. NTA provides the official CUET 2026 mock test in an online mode. The practice questions will also be made available for all subjects and languages. The online CUET mock test 2026 is on the official exam website, wherein students can get an understanding of the navigation system. By taking the official CUET UG mock test 2026, aspirants will be able to practice the usage of a virtual keyboard and calculator, moving from question to question and among sections. To improve their preparation, students should take the mock tests released by coaching institutes or experts, which will give them questions from actual sections of the expected difficulty level. Along with taking the mock test, it is equally important to analyse it. After a thorough analysis, it is important to implement the pointers of analysis within one’s preparation to succeed in the exam.

Also Read:

CUET English Paper Preparation Tips

CUET General Test Preparation Tips