CUET Performing Arts Syllabus 2026: Get Important Topics, Exam Pattern
Common University Entrance Test 2026 ( CUET )
The CUET 2026 will be held in May and June 2026. Candidates willing to appear for the CUET 2026 Performing Arts exam can check the CUET Performing Arts Syllabus here. It will help students get an idea about the topics from which the questions are asked in the exam. Learn about the CUET Performing Arts syllabus, exam pattern, and more.
CUET Performing Arts Syllabus
CUET Performing Arts Syllabus: NTA released the official CUET Performing Arts Syllabus 2026 at cuet.nta.nic.in. Candidates preparing for the CUET Performing Arts exam must download and cover the entire topics included in the CUET Performing Arts Syllabus 2026. The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) are conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) to offer admission to various UG-level courses in all the central/private/deemed/state universities and other participating institutes in India. NTA is likely to hold the CUET UG 2026 in May and June 2026. While filling the CUET Application forms, candidates must select Performing Arts as a domain subject to take the subject test. Candidates who desire to enrol in Performing Arts courses through the CUET exam 2026 must check the CUET Performing Arts Syllabus and prepare accordingly.
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NTA will soon come up with an official CUET date sheet. For better preparation for the CUET UG Performing Arts exam, candidates should also refer to the previous years’ Performing Arts question papers, as it will help them know the total marks, chapter-wise weightage, topics, and types of questions asked in the exam.
CUET UG offers a total of 37 domain subjects. On this page, the candidates can find the complete CUET UG Performing Arts syllabus. The CUET UG syllabus for all subjects will be announced along with the CUET 2026 information brochure soon. However, it is expected that the CUET 2026 syllabus for Performing Arts will remain the same as last year.
- CUET Performing Arts Syllabus
- CUET 2026 Exam Pattern
- Download the CUET Domain Wise Question Paper and Syllabus
CUET Performing Arts Syllabus
In the Performing Arts Subject, there are a total of four sections which are Dance, Drama-Theatre, and Music. Candidates can check the detailed CUET Performing Arts Syllabus 2026 in the table below:
| Section |
Unit |
Details / Topics Covered |
|---|---|---|
| Music (Section A) |
Unit I |
Definitions: Sangeet, Nad, Shruti, Swara (Shuddha, Komal, Teevra), Pitch, Intensity, Timbre, Gram, Murcchana, Varna, Alankar, Raga, Alap, Tana, Gamak, Meend, Kan |
| Unit II |
Vadi, Samvadi, Anuvadi, Vivadi, Uttarang, Puravang, Aroh, Avroh, Pakad, Thata (Mela), Jati – Audav, Shadav, Sampurna and varieties |
|
| Unit III |
Laya (Vilambit, Madhya, Drut), Layakari (Dagun, Tigun, Chaugun, Chegun), Tala terms (Tala, Matra, Tali, Khali, Sam, Vibhag, Avartan), Talas: Teental, Ektala, Dadra, Keharwa, Jhaptala, Rupak, Adi, Saptala, Chaputala, Rupakam |
|
| Unit IV |
Musical forms: Prabandh, Dhrupad, Khayal, Thumri, Tarana, Maseetkhani & Razakhani Gat, Kriti, Pallavi, Padam, Tillana |
|
| Unit V |
Contributions of musicians: V.N. Bhatkhande, Omkar Nath Thakur, Allauddin Khan, Mushtaq Ali Khan, Tyagaraja, Purandaradasa, Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam |
|
| Unit VI |
Musical instruments & classification: String (Sitar, Tanpura, Veena, Sarod, Sarangi), Percussion (Tabla, Pakhawaj, Mridangam, Khatam, Khanjira, Dholak), Wind (Flute, Shehnai, Nagaswaram, Harmonium), Metallic (Chimta, Cymbal, Ghungroo, Khadtala, Chipla, Morchung) |
|
| Unit VII |
Salient features of ragas: Yaman/Kalyani, Bhairav/Mayamalavagowla, Alhaiya Bilawal/Shankarabharanam, Malkauns/Hindolam, Bageshree/Shri Ranjani, Bhupali/Mohanam |
|
| Dance (Section B) |
Unit I |
Classical dances of India (Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Manipuri, Kathakali, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam, Sattriya): History, repertoire, music, costume & makeup |
| Unit II |
Life sketches of chief exponents and contributors (past & present) |
|
| Unit III |
Terms: Sangeet, Natya, Nritta, Nritya, Tandav, Lasya, Lokdharmi, Natyadharmi |
|
| Unit IV |
Texts: Abhinaya Darpan, Natya Shastra, Abhinaya Chandrika, Hasta Lakshana Deepika; Major folk dances of India |
|
| Unit V |
Abhinaya & Rasa theory: Aangika, Vachika, Aaharya, Satwika; Navrasa & Sthayi Bhava; Bhava, Vibhava, Anubhava, Sanchari |
|
| Unit VI |
Survey of classical dance practice: Gharanas, institutions, university departments; Major dance festivals |
|
| Percussion Music (Section C) |
Unit I |
Structure of Tabla, Pakhawaj and Mridangam |
| Unit II |
Varnas of Tabla, Pakhawaj and Mridangam |
|
| Unit III |
Tala terminology, compositions (Theka, Kayada, Rela, Tukda, Paran, etc.), Carnatic forms (Korvai, Mohra, Muktayipu), Laya, Layakari, Jati |
|
| Unit IV |
Bhatkhande Tala Notation System & Carnatic Tala Notation System |
|
| Unit V |
Origin of Tabla, Pakhawaj, Mridangam; Gharanas of Tabla & Pakhawaj |
|
| Unit VI |
Prescribed Talas: Teental, Jhaptala, Ektala, Rupak, Keharwa, Dadra, Chautala, Dhamar, Sooltala, Khemta, Carnatic Talas (Dhruva, Matya, Jhampa, Triputa, Ata, Eka) |
|
| Unit VII |
Biographies: Pt. Kishan Maharaj, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Raja Chatrapati Singh, Guru Purushottam Das, Palani Subramania Pillai, Palghat Mani Iyer |
|
| Drama & Theatre (Section D) |
Unit I |
Indian classical & traditional theatre: Sanskrit playwrights (Bhasa, Kalidasa, Sudraka, Bhavabhuti), major traditional forms |
| Unit II |
Modern Indian theatre: Tagore, Bhartendu, Tendulkar, Mohan Rakesh, Girish Karnad etc.; Theatre practitioners |
|
| Unit III |
Western classical & medieval drama: Greek playwrights (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides), Shakespeare |
|
| Unit IV |
Modern Western theatre: Chekhov, Ibsen, Shaw, Beckett, Brecht etc.; Theatre practitioners |
|
| Unit V |
Theatre production & design: Types of theatres; Set, light, costume, makeup, sound & music |
|
| Unit VI |
Indian theatre organisations (NSD, SNA, ZCCs); Research project development & documentation |
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)
The latest CUET UG exam pattern 2026 is updated in table below:
Section | Number of Questions | Duration |
|---|---|---|
Language | 50 | 60 Minutes |
Domain Specific | 50 | |
General Test | 50 |
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CUET 2026 Exam Pattern
For better preparation of exams, the students should also check the CUET exam pattern. It will help them become aware of type of questions asked in the exam, total number of questions asked, the marking scheme, and more. Candidates can check the detailed CUET 2026 exam pattern below.
| Section |
Number of Questions |
Question Types |
|---|---|---|
| Section IA (Language) |
40 questions to be attempted out of 50 |
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 Performing Arts Mapping for Courses |
Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA), Bachelor in Performing Arts in Music Production (B.P.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.
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.
Also Read:
Download the CUET Domain Wise Question Paper and Syllabus
Candidates can access the CUET 2026 syllabus and CUET previous year's question papers for all the subjects in the table below:
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NTA prescribes the CUET UG marking scheme. Check below to know the CUET UG marking scheme 2026: