CUET Anthropology Syllabus 2026: Get Important Topics, Exam Pattern

Common University Entrance Test 2026 ( CUET )

DeskCalelnderRegistration - 3 Jan '26 - 4 Feb '26

Md
Md Shahzad
Senior Executive - Content
Updated on Jan 9, 2026 14:34 IST
Candidates preparing for the CUET 2026 exam can download the CUET Anthropology syllabus here. Along with the CUET Syllabus, the candidates can also check the exam pattern for the Anthropology subject here. Read on to learn about the CUET Anthropology Syllabus in detail.

Candidates preparing for the CUET 2026 exam can download the CUET Anthropology syllabus here. Along with the CUET Syllabus, the candidates can also check the exam pattern for the Anthropology subject here. Read on to learn about the CUET Anthropology Syllabus in detail.

CUET Anthropology Syllabus

CUET Anthropology Syllabus 2026: The National Testing Agency (NTA) released the CUET Anthropology syllabus 2026. The candidates can access the same online at cuet.nta.nic.in. We have also provided the CUET syllabus 2026 for Anthropology in PDF and in table format on this page. NTA has made a few changes in the CUET Anthropology syllabus 2026 as compared to last year's. The students must remember that the topics included in the CUET Anthropology Syllabus are taught in class 12. To gather more insights for the CUET 2026, candidates must refer to the previous years’ question papers to know the chapter-wise weightage, topics, and question types. 

NTA conducts the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) to offer admission to various UG-level courses in all central universities and other participating institutes in India. Students seeking admission through the CUET UG 2026 exam must be well-prepared for the exam. For better preparation for the Anthropology exam, the students must go through the entire CUET Anthropology Syllabus and cover the entire topics included in it. CUET UG 2026 exams will be held between May 11 and May 31, 2026, in CBT mode. Candidates who will fill CUET application form 2026 by January 30, 2026, will be eligible to appear for the exam. A detailed CUET date sheet will be announced soon for the 2026 exams. There will be no fixed dates for all subjects; each subject exam will be held in multiple slots and dates. 

CUET UG offers 36 domain subjects. This page brings the complete syllabus for CUET Anthropology. The CUET UG syllabus for all subjects are announced along with the CUET 2026 information brochure soon.

Table of contents
  • CUET 2026 Anthropology Syllabus: Highlights
  • CUET Anthropology Syllabus
  • CUET Anthropology Syllabus PDF Download
  • CUET 2026 Exam Pattern
  • Download the CUET Domain Wise Question Paper and Syllabus

CUET 2026 Anthropology Syllabus: Highlights

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Candidates can refer to the table below to know the important details related to the CUET Anthropology Syllabus:

Particulars

Details

CUET Exam Conducting Body

National Testing Agency

Mode of the examination

Computer-Based Test Mode

Name of the syllabus

CUET Anthropology Syllabus 2026

Language of exam

13 languages - English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu

Type of questions

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Total number of Questions

50 questions (all compulsory)

Duration of Exam

60 minutes

Maximum Marks

250 per subject

Negative marking

Yes

Marking Scheme

+5 for each correct answer

-1 for each incorrect answer

CUET Anthropology Syllabus

Q:   What is the CUET marking scheme?
A:

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.
Q:   Which subjects have been removed in CUET UG?
A:

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)
Q:   What is the latest pattern for CUET UG exam?
A:

Candidates can see table showing the latest CUET UG exam pattern 2026 below -

Section

Number of Questions

Duration

Language

50

 60 Minutes

Domain Specific

50

General Test

50

Note: The exam pattern is taken from official website of the conducting body and can be changed if instructed by it.

Hope this helps your query! All the best!

Candidates preparing for the CUET 2026 exam can check the updated chapter-wise CUET Anthropology Syllabus in the table below:

Unit No.

Unit Title

Detailed Topics

Unit 1

Physical / Biological Anthropology

Human evolution theories (Darwinism, Lamarckism, Neo-Darwinism, Neo-Lamarckism); Living primates; Hominid evolution (Australopithecus, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, Homo sapiens); Human variation (body size, shape, skin colour, genetic traits); Human genetics (Mendelian inheritance, dominant/recessive/sex-linked traits, monogenic, polygenic & multifactorial inheritance); Chromosomes & aberrations; Forces of evolution (mutation, genetic drift, natural selection, gene flow); Genetic markers (ABO, MN, Rh blood groups, DNA markers)

Unit 2

Archaeological Anthropology

Stone Age cultures (Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic); Tool typology & technology (choppers, hand axes, scrapers, blade tools, microliths, celts, pottery); Metal Age (bronze & iron); Stratigraphy; Archaeological dating methods (relative & absolute dating – Carbon-14, Potassium-Argon); Important archaeological sites (Sohan, Burzahom, Nevasa); Indus Valley Civilization

Unit 3

Socio-Cultural Anthropology

Family types (nuclear, joint, extended) and functions; Marriage forms (monogamy, polygamy); Kinship & descent systems (patrilineal, matrilineal); Culture concepts (cultural relativism, ethnocentrism); Socialization & cultural change (diffusion, acculturation); Religion in society; Belief systems (totemism, animism, animatism, magic, shamanism); Subsistence strategies (hunting, gathering, agriculture); Traditional political systems (bands, tribes, chiefdoms); Power, authority & social control

Unit 4

Linguistic & Tribal Anthropology

Language as a social and cultural phenomenon; Linguistic & cultural diversity in India (festivals, housing, rituals, food habits); Distribution & characteristics of Indian tribes; Economic, social & political organization of tribes; Major tribes (Santhals, Bhils, Gonds, etc.); Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs); Social movements (ecological, class-based, caste-based & tribal movements)

Unit 5

Social Change & Applied Anthropology

Caste system & social stratification in India; Impact of colonialism; Modernization & globalization; Anthropology and development; Tribal development; Role of anthropology in public health; Personal identification (skeletal material, blood groups, fingerprints); Change & development in industrial society; Challenges of cultural diversity

Also Read: CUET Eligibility 2026

CUET Anthropology Syllabus PDF Download

Students preparing for the CUET Anthropology exam can download the CUET UG Anthropology syllabus PDF from the direct link given below.

Download Official CUET UG Anthropology Syllabus 2026 PDF

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Q:   What are the latest changes in CUET UG exam?
A:

National Testing Agency has not introduced any specific changes for CUET UG 2026. However, in CUET 2025, NTA introduced major changes like

  • Reduction of CUET subjects from 63 to 37
  • GAT scores will be used for dropped subjects
  • Exma to be held CBT mode only
  • Compulsory 50 questions in each subject, no optional questions
  • Maximum five CUET subjects can be chosen 

The above changes are to continued for CUET UG 2026 exam.

Q:   What are the changes in CUET 2026?
A:

National Testing Agency has informed that there are no significant changes in CUET UG 2026. The pattern and syllabus shall remain same. The CUET UG 2026 exam consists of 37subjects- 13 langauges, 23 domain subjects and General Aptitude Test. As per the recent notification, candidates must make sure to update their Aadhar card and UDID cards. It is expected that CUET exam centre 2026 will be alloted based on candidate's updated address.

CUET 2026 Exam Pattern

For better preparation for CUET 2026, the students must be aware of the CUET exam pattern. It will help students know the type of questions asked, the level of questions, total number of questions, the marking scheme, and more. In the first section, the Language Skills of candidates will be tested through Reading Comprehension passage questions. In the second section, the questions will be asked based on the subject opted for, and the third section is GK, Current Affairs, Mathematics, and Logical and Analytical Reasoning. Candidates can check the CUET 2026 exam pattern below.

Section

Number of Questions

Question Types

Section IA (Language)

40 questions to be attempted out of 50 in each language

Language to be tested through Reading Comprehension based on different types of passages–Factual, Literary and Narrative, (Literary Aptitude and Vocabulary)

Section IB

Section II (Domain Subject)

35/40 Questions to be attempted out of 45/50

Input text can be used for MCQ Based Questions

MCQs based on NCERT Class 12 syllabus only

Section III (General Test)

50 Questions to be attempted out of 60

Input text can be used for MCQ Based Questions

General Knowledge, Current Affairs, General Mental Ability, Numerical Ability, Quantitative Reasoning (Simple application of basic mathematical concepts arithmetic/algebra geometry/mensuration/s tat taught till Grade 8), Logical and Analytical Reasoning

CUET Anthropology Mapping for Courses

Bachelor of Science B.Sc. (Biology) (Anthropology), Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Anthropology (Honours / Research), BA (Hons) in Anthropology, Integrated B.A. and M.A. in Anthropology

Also Read: CUET Question Papers 2026

Download the CUET Domain Wise Question Paper and Syllabus

Candidates who are willing to participate in the CUET exam must download the CUET 2026 syllabus and CUET question papers for all the subjects from the table below:

Download the CUET Syllabus and CUET Question Paper PDF
UG Subjects CUET Syllabus CUET Question Paper
English CUET English Syllabus CUET English Question Paper
Biology CUET Biology Syllabus CUET Biology Question Paper
Accountancy/ Book Keeping CUET Accountancy Syllabus CUET Accountancy Question Paper
Business Studies CUET Business Studies Syllabus CUET Business Studies Question Paper
Chemistry CUET Chemistry Syllabus CUET Chemistry Question Paper
Computer Science/ Informatics Practices CUET Computer Science Syllabus CUET Computer Science Question Paper
Economics/ Business Economics CUET Economics Syllabus CUET Economics Question Paper
Engineering Graphics CUET Engineering Graphics Syllabus CUET Engineering Graphics Question Paper
Entrepreneurship (Scrapped) CUET Entrepreneurship Syllabus CUET Entrepreneurship Question Paper
Fashion Design CUET Fashion Design Syllabus CUET Fashion Design Question Paper
Geography/Geology CUET Geography Syllabus CUET Geography Question Paper
Home Science CUET Home Science Syllabus CUET Home Science Question Paper
Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India CUET Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India Syllabus CUET Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India Question Paper
Legal Studies (Scrapped) CUET Legal Studies Syllabus CUET Legal Studies Question Paper
Environmental Science CUET Environmental Science Syllabus CUET Environmental Science Question Paper
Mathematics CUET Mathematics Syllabus CUET Mathematics Question Paper
Physical Education/ NCC /Yoga CUET Physical Education Syllabus CUET Physical Education Paper
Physics CUET Physics Syllabus CUET Physics Question Paper
Political Science CUET Political Science Syllabus CUET Political Science Question Paper
Psychology CUET Psychology Syllabus CUET Psychology Question Paper
Sociology CUET Sociology Syllabus CUET Sociology Question Paper
Tourism CUET Tourism Syllabus CUET Tourism Question Paper
Teaching Aptitude (Scrapped) CUET Teaching Aptitude Syllabus CUET Teaching Aptitude Question Paper
Agriculture CUET Agriculture Syllabus CUET Agriculture Question Paper
Mass Media/ Mass Communication CUET Mass Media/ Mass Communication Syllabus CUET Mass Media/ Mass Communication Question Paper
Anthropology CUET Anthropology Syllabus CUET Anthropology Question Paper
Fine Arts/ Visual Arts (Sculpture/ Painting)/Commercial Arts CUET Fine Arts Syllabus CUET Fine Arts Question Paper
Performing Arts CUET Performing Arts Syllabus CUET Performing Arts Question Paper
History CUET History Syllabus CUET History Question Paper
General Test CUET General Test Syllabus CUET General Test Question Paper
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