CUET 2026 English Question Paper Analysis (OUT) & Answer Key
Common University Entrance Test 2026 ( CUET )
CUET UG 2026 Provisional Answer Key
9 Jun '26
CUET UG English 2026 exam analysis for the May 26 for shift 1 and 2 has been updated after exam concluded. NTA is conducting the exam from May 11 to May 31, 2026. Candidates appearing for CUET English 2026 exam can check the memory-based questions, paper analysis, and answer key.
CUET UG English 2026 Analysis
CUET UG English exam 2026 for May 26 has concluded. As per the student review the exam was moderate in difficulty level. NTA is conducting the CUET exam 2026 between May 11 and May 31, 2026, in Computer-Based Test mode. The English paper aims to assess candidates’ reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, verbal ability, and literary aptitude. Students appearing for the exam can check this page for CUET English question paper analysis 2026, memory-based questions, answer key, and section-wise difficulty level.
- CUET English 2026 Memory-Based Questions & Answer Key
- CUET UG 2026 English Exam Analysis
- CUET English 2026 Important Topics & Expected Questions
- CUET English 2026 Difficulty Level
CUET English 2026 Memory-Based Questions & Answer Key
As the exam is conducted online, candidates do not receive printed copies of the English question paper. Memory-based questions and unofficial answer keys can be checked below. Students preparing for future shifts can use these questions to understand the pattern and frequently asked topics.
| Topics | Question Type and Number |
|---|---|
| May 26, Shift 1 and 2 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 2 passage |
| Speech | 2 questions |
| Voice | 1 question |
| Misspelled | 1-2 questions |
| Setence re-arrangement | 7-8 questions |
| Vocabulary |
|
| Idioms |
|
| Homophones | Sore, shore, sure |
| May 22, Shift 1 | |
| Synonym/ Antonym | Match the following |
| RC | Direct questions 1 passage – Story based 1 passage – Fact based (Side-effects of Technology on Humans) |
| Rearrangement | 4 questions |
| Grammar | Adjectives (Determiners) Indirect Speech (1-2 questions) Active/Passive (1 question) Preposition (1 question) Figure of Speech (Simile, Metaphor, Metonymy, Alliteration) Adverb |
| Idioms | Hit the Sack (Repeated) Throw in the Towel Bee in his Bonnet Feather in one’s hat |
| Vocabulary | Verbose Innocuous Pediology Philatelist |
| Spelling Error | - |
| One word subsitution | - |
| May 21, Shift 1 | |
| Passage | Color theory and stroy |
| Sentence correction | 6-7 questions |
| Idioms | 3-4 questions (odd one out) |
| Antonym/Synonym | 10 questions Radiant Dim |
| Fill in the blanks | articles, homophones, tense, subject and verb agreement |
| Phrasal verb | Lay take Push Pull Play |
| Stamp paper collection | - |
| Correct Spelling | - |
| May 20, Shift 1 | |
| RC | First RC (Easy) Direct Questions Second RC - Varanasi Related (Indirect Questions) |
| Phrasal verbs | Stand Put Pull |
| Idioms | Bring down the house |
| Vocabulary | Rescind Gregarious Ardous Strenuous Enervate |
| Grammar | Voice (3 questions) Naration (No questions) Fillers (3-4 questions) Choose the incorrect sentence Choose the correct sentence |
| Sentence Re-arrangement | 5-6 questions |
| May 19, Shift 1 | |
| Reading comprehension | 2 passages |
| Figure of speech | 1 question on match the following (simile, hyperbole, pun and personification) |
| Sentence re-arrangement | 4-5 questions (easy) |
| Grammar | preposition (match the following), article (matching), tenses, voice (2 questions), Idioms (difficult) |
| Synonyms/Antonyms | tumultuous, Incorrigible, truculent, pugnacious, bellignant, taciturn, laconic, scrawny |
| May 15, Shift 1 |
|
| Reading Comprehension | 10 questions Cricket Related Narrative (Indirect Questions) |
| Rearrangement (Easy) | - |
| Spelling Errors | 4-5 questions |
| Direct Indirect | 1 question |
| Active Passive | 1 question |
| Preposition | 1 question (Match) |
| Vocabulary (Maximum Match the Column) (Few Fill in the Blanks) | Stoic Umbrage Vindicate Vitiate Innocuous |
| idioms & Phrases | Fill in the Blanks |
| One-word Substitution | Stoic |
| Phrasal Verbs | call, cast-off, cut, pull |
| May 14, Shift 1 | |
| Reading Comprehension | Writers opinions Tea in Assam |
| Rearrangement | 4 Questions |
| Grammar | narration, active/passive voice |
| Verbs |
fill the correct form |
| Vocabulary |
|
| Conjunction |
No sooner, hardly |
| Adjective |
degree |
| Spelling error |
fill in the blank |
| Homophones |
accept, except (fill in the blanks) |
| Synonym/ antonym |
2-3 questions |
| May 13, Shift 1 | |
| RC Passage |
2
|
| Vocabulary |
|
| Active/Passive | 1-2 questions |
| Narration | 1-2 questions |
| Figure of Speech | 2-3 questions (Metonymy) |
| Homophones | Bear, Boar, Beer |
| Rearrangement | 4-5 questions |
| Adjective | few, lesser, less |
| One-word Substitution | Plutocracy |
| Tenses | My dog died 5 years ago. Whenever I __________ (missing/missed) |
| Phrasal Verb | Call, Look, Drop |
| May 13 Shift 2 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 2 |
| Rearrangement | 5-6 questions |
| Vocabulary (Synonym, Antonym) | 5-6 questions:
|
| Voice | 1 question |
| Grammar | 5-6 questions
|
| Phrasal Verb | Call, Look, Drop, Take, Break, Cut |
| May 12 Shift 1 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 10 questions |
| Vocabulary | - |
| Match the following | |
| Phrasal verbs- get, cut, crop | |
| Figure of Speech | 3 questions |
| Rearragenement | 4 questions |
| Tenses | 1 question |
| Spelling error | 1 question |
| Active/Passive | 2 questions |
| May 11 Shift 1 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 3 passages (maximum 4 questions in each passage) |
| Fill in the blanks for tenses/verbs |
- |
| Match the following |
- |
| Rearragnement |
- |
| Figure of Speech (Simile, Metaphor, Personification) |
- |
| May 11 Shift 2 |
|
| Reading Comprehension (Boy and grandma narrative) |
2 passages |
| Rearrangement |
- |
| Verbs forms- single filler |
- |
| Active & Passive voice |
5 questions |
| Figure of speech- Matching (simile, metaphor, anecdote, personification) |
- |
| Idioms (Match the following) |
- |
| One word (Match the following) |
- |
| Phrasal verb |
- |
| Vocabulary (Perfunctory, hedonist, Hysteria, griseous ) |
- |
Check Here: Top 10 Important Topics in CUET English 2026
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CUET UG 2026 English Exam Analysis
NTA is conducting the CUET exam for English across multiple shifts. The complete exam analysis, including passage difficulty, grammar questions, and vocabulary level, has been updated here after each shift.
Commonly asked questions
The CUET questions are objective in nature and carries four options also known as MCQs. Candidates will have to choose the correct answer option and click on it with the help of mouse. Since CUET UG 2026 exam will be conducted in a CBT mode, test-takers will be able to mark only one answer option. In case it is the correct option, students will get +5 marks and in case of wrong answer, negative marking scheme will be applied. Hence, candidates must ensure the accuracy of the answer before selecting the answer.
To download the CUET UG previous year question papers for all subjects, candidates must visit the link provided below:
Candidates can access the subject-wise CUET UG question papers for past four years.
UGC has announced the deletion of 26 subjects from CUET UG 2025 onwards. CUET UG 20 foreign languages and six domain subjects have been removed. Check the list below to know the name of the subjects:
- Foreign Languages (French, Spanish, German, Nepali, Persian, Italian, Arabic, Sindhi, Kashmiri, Konkani, Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Santhali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Japanese, Russian, Chinese)
- Domain Subjetcs (Entrepreneurship, Teaching Aptitude, Fashion Studies, Tourism, Legal Studies, Engineering Graphics)
NTA prescribes the CUET UG marking scheme. Check below to know the CUET UG marking scheme 2026:
- Correct answer or the most appropriate answer: Five marks (+5)
- Any incorrect option marked will be given minus one mark (-1).
- Unanswered/Marked for Review will be given no mark (0).
- If more than one option is found to be correct then Five marks (+5) will be awarded to only those who have marked any of the correct options.
- If all options are found to be correct then 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 a question is dropped, then all candidates who have attempted the dropped question will be given five marks (+5) marks.
| Exam Date and Shift | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|
| May 26, Shift 1 and 2 | Easy |
| May 22, Shift 1 | Easy |
| May 21, Shift 1 | Moderate |
| May 20, Shift 1 | Easy |
| May 19, Shift 1 | Easy to Moderate |
| May 15, Shift 1 | Moderate |
| May 14, Shift 2 | Moderate |
| May 12 Shift 1 | Moderate |
| May 12 Shift 2 | To be updated |
| May 11 Shift 1 | Moderate |
| May 11 Shift 2 | Difficult |
The CUET English paper will include reading comprehension passages, para jumbles, synonyms and antonyms, grammar correction, vocabulary, and verbal ability questions.
CUET 2026 English Exam Pattern Highlights:
- Mode of Exam: CBT
- Question Type: MCQs
- Duration: 60 Minutes
- Total Questions: 50
- Negative Marking: 1 mark deduction for wrong answer
Candidates can check the shift-wise English paper analysis and good attempts after the exam.
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Commonly asked questions
Practicing with CUET UG (Common University Entrance Test) question papers from previous years offers following benefits:
Helps in knowing format, structure, and types of questions.
Student can know repeated question types.
Help students know weak and strong sections
Helps in developing important skills.
Regularly solving CUET question papers improves problem-solving skills and speed.
CUET UG question paper for each subject will consist of 50 questions. Candidates will be required to attempt all questions and no optional questions will be provided. In CUET UG 2026 there are 37 subjects- 13 languages, 23 domain subjects and general tests. While filling the CUET application form, candidates can select upto five CUET subjects aligning with the subjects studied in class 12th and course requirement.
Candidates must attempt all the questions of the subjects selected. However, candidates must keep in mind the negative marking and select the options carefully.
Common University Entrance Test UG 2025 question papers can be download at - CUET UG 2025 Question Papers. Candidates can visit the provided link and download subject wise CUET question paper 2025 PDF online for free. CUET PYQs are important for exam preparation.
Common University Entrance Test (CUET) sample papers are released by the conducting body, National Testing Agency (NTA). To download the CUET question papers follow the steps below:
- Go to- CUET Question Paper
- Select CUET subject to download the question paper for
- Click on the tab download
- Create the login details for new registrations
- Link to download the CUET question paper will be sent on the registered email ID
- Click on the link provided and save the PDF.
Also Read: CUET English Syllabus 2026
CUET English 2026 Important Topics & Expected Questions
Candidates appearing for CUET UG 2026 English exma can check the table below to know the CUET English important topics and expected number of questions:
| Topics |
Expected number of questions |
|---|---|
| Comprehension |
15 |
| Parts of speech |
3-4 |
| Para jumbles |
3-4 |
| Synonyms and antonyms |
2-3 |
| Active/passive voice |
3-4 |
| Fill in the blanks |
3-4 |
| Incorrect/correct statement |
3-4 |
| Phrases and meaning |
5-6 |
CUET English 2026 Difficulty Level
According to previous year trends, the CUET English paper is expected to be easy to moderate in difficulty level. Reading comprehension passages may be slightly lengthy, while grammar and vocabulary questions are likely to be direct. The detailed exam analysis for all shifts will be updated after the exam.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
No, CUET-UG counselling is yet to begin for academic year 2026. Results for this year's exam are scheduled to release by July. Counselling rounds will begin only after results have been declared. Candidates can track counselling dates from website of TISS, Mumbai for BSc admission.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
No, candidates cannot get admission into BA at Tata Institute of Social Sciences without appearing for CUET-UG. Candidates will be selected during CUET-UG counselling for which, appearing in its entrance exam is a mandatory requirement.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
Yes, CUET-UG is a mandatory entrance exam for admission into Tata Institute of Social Sciences BA course. No other entrance exams are accepted for admission into this course and candidates cannot apply directly.
CUET-UG registrations also affect admission schedule if TISS, Mumbai.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
With your score, you can apply in colleges like
· Central University of Jharkhand
· Amity University, Ranchi
· Jharkhand Rai University
· Sarala Birla University
These colleges offer hostel facilities.
S
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 6 days ago
No, CUET is not compulsory to take admission in MIT School of Business and Computer Applications, MIT-ADT University. Admission is generally merit-based. The college also considers specific entrance exams scores such as BBA/BCA CET exam conducted by the university.
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
No, you cannot get admission to the Indian Institute of Technology IIT Delhi with CUET scores. IIT Delhi admits students on the basis of national-level engineering entrance exams. The institute considers JEE Main, JEE advanced and UCEED for UG courses. Whereas, GATE/ IIT JAM/ CEED and others are con
G
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Yes, it is possible to get in DU without CUET. However, this is not applicable for traditional regular UG courses. For most programmes, the university asks for CUET UG or CUET PG score. For courses, such as MBA and Law programmes, the university also considers other exams. Students can also join DU
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
SRM Institute of Science and Technology does offer scholarship based on CUET score. This scholarship is open for all UG courses of Faculty of Science and Technology and BBA. Below is the criteria:
| Percentile | Scholarship % |
|---|---|
| 95 percentile & above | 100% tuition fee waiver |
| 90 percentile to 94.99 percentile | 75% tuition fee waiver |
| 85 percentile to 89.99 percentile | 50% tuition fee waiver |
| 80 percentile to 84.99 percentile | 25% tuition fee waiver |
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered a week ago
Mostly all central university take admission on the basics of CUET score but North Eastern hill university's like Assam University, Manipur University, mizoram university, Nagaland University offers admission without CUET.
R
Beginner-Level 1
Answered a week ago
The overall difficulty level of CUET UG 2026 exam is moderate. As per the student review, the domain subject question paper is mostly based on NCERT books and previous year questions.
Contributor-Level 10
Shruti Garg is a graduate in English and Education with over 7 years of experience in content writing/editing and education journalism. At Shiksha.com, Shruti covers UG and PG entrance exams like MBA entrance exams,
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