CUET PG Vs GATE: Major Difference, Participating Institutes Name, Counselling Process
Central University Entrance Test Postgraduate 2026 ( CUET-PG )
CUET PG 2026 Result
24 Apr '26 - 24 May '26
Admission to the postgraduate degree in India is based on an entrance test or merit. Admission to the institutes or universities offering PG programs is based on CUET PG or GATE. Here, we will about the universities or colleges that offer admission based on CUET PG or M.Tech. Detailed information on CUET PG and GATE is also mentioned here.
Common University Entrance Test (CUET) PG and Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) are two national-level entrance tests. Both exams are conducted for admission to the postgraduate course in universities in India. CUET PG exam is a gateway to Central, State, Government Institutions / Fully funded, Deemed Universities / Private Universities. GATE provide you access to the top engineering colleges in India for M.Tech admission. Many PSUs accept the GATE score for recruitment.
- CUET PG Vs GATE: Major Difference
- CUET PG Vs GATE: Mode of Exam
- College Accepting CUET PG
- College Accepting GATE
- CUET PG Vs GATE: Counselling Process
CUET PG Vs GATE: Major Difference
Let us know about these two exams in detail.
What is CUET PG?
Common University Entrance Test PG is a national-level entrance examination. The National Testing Agency conducts the CUET PG exam once a year. Students who wish to get admission to the PG degree courses need to appear for the test. Admission to science, M.Tech, Language, Humanities, Common, and Acharya domains are based on CUET PG. Students who qualify the entrance test are eligible for admission to the Central, State, Government Institutions / Fully funded, Deemed Universities / Private Universities.
What is GATE?
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering is national level exam. GATE is conducted by IISc and all IITs on behalf of the National Coordination Board, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India. Students who qualify the entrance exam get admission to IITs, NITs, IIEST Shibpur, IIITs and CFTIs.
Commonly asked questions
The GATE 2026 exam will be held on February 7,8, 14, and 15 in two shifts. The GATE 2026 official website is launched - gate2026.iitg.ac.in. The information brochure is available on the website. The GATE MTech entrance exam 2026 will be held on different dates in two shifts- forenoon and afternoon. Registrations for GATE 2026 started on August 28.
Yes, any candidate who meets the GATE 2026 eligibility will be able to appear for the exam. The criteria include the following -
- Any undergraduate student in 3rd year or higher years of any government approved programme in any of the following disciplines, such as engineering/technology/architecture/science/commerce/arts/humanities are eligible for the GATE.
- Apart from that, the candidate must hold Indian citizenship.
- There is no age-limit or pass percentage to appear for the examination.
- Candidates from Nepal, Bangladesh, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates can apply for GATE 2026.
Candidates can check GATE 2026 exam pattern below -
| Mode | Computer-based test |
| Language of question paper | English |
| Time duration | 3 hours |
| Total number of branches | 30 |
| Sections | General Aptitude and Selected Subject |
| Total marks | 100 |
| Negative marking | Applicable only for MCQs |
CUET UG 2026 notification was released on January 03. National Testing Agency released the CUET detailed official notification at official website- cuet.nta.nic.in. Candidates preparing for the exam can check the following details on CUET notification PDF:
- Exam dates
- eligibility criteria
- steps to apply for exam
- syllabus
- pattern
- CUET subjects
- score calculation
- normalisation process
- exam centres
- number of univeristies participating
CUET PG Vs GATE: Mode of Exam
CUET PG and GATE are conducted as computer based test across various test cities in India. The exam duration of CUET PG is 90 minutes, and for GATE it is 3 hours. Both of them are conducted in multiple phases.
College Accepting CUET PG
Students can check the name of the CUET PG participating institutes on the website, exams.nta.nic.in/cuet-pg/. Here we have mentioned the top 10 university names.
- Assam Down Town University
- Assam Women's University
- Baba Gulam Shah Badshah University
- Barkatullah University
- Centre for Development Studies
- Cluster University of Jammu
- Cluster University of Srinagar
- Delhi Teachers University
- Delhi Technological University
- Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya
Also Read: CUET PG 2026 Participating Institutes
Commonly asked questions
CUET PG application form 2026 was released on December 14, 2025, to provide admissions to postgraduate degree programs like MA, MSc, MCom, MTech, MFA, and other professional degrees like MBA, BEd, LLB, and LLM courses. The last date was January 23, 2026.
Only one application had to be submitted by a candidate. Under no circumstances will candidates be allowed to fill more than one Application Form.
CUET PG 2026 Result has been announced on the official website. The CUET PG 2026 answer key PDFs (final) are also released after the declaration of result. The exam was conducted till March 27.
Students need to follow the process given below to check the CUET PG result.
- Go to the website of CUET PG
- Click on the link indicating the CUET PG scorecard
- Log in with your CUET PG Application Number, password and date of Birth
- Enter the Security Pin and click on Submit
- Now you can download the CUET PG scorecard
The CUET PG scorecard has to be preserved till the admission or counselling process is over. The validity of the CUET PG result is one year.
The counselling process for CUET PG 2026 will be held separately for different participating universities under the CUET PG 2026 Examination. Therefore, the CUET PG 2026 Counselling Rounds are not specific to any number. Depending on the availability of vacant seats at that particular university of any course, the CUET PG counselling rounds will vary.
But as per the previous year trend, candidates can expect at least two rounds of counselling for any course at one of the participating universities.
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College Accepting GATE
GATE score is accepted by IITs, NITs, IISc, GFTIs and many government and private universities.
| List of IITs Accepting GATE Scores |
List of NITs Accepting GATE Scores |
List of IIITs Accepting GATE Scores |
| National Institute of Technology Tiruchirapalli | IIIT Hyderabad | |
| National Institute of Technology Rourkela | IIIT Bangalore | |
| National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Suratkal | IIIT Delhi | |
| Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur | National Institute of Technology Calicut | IIIT Allahabad |
| Indian Institutes of Technology Kharagpur | National Institute of Technology Warangal | |
| National Institute of Technology Durgapur | ||
| National Institute of Technology Silchar | ||
| National Institute of Technology Delhi | ||
| National Institute of Technology Agartala | ||
| IIT ISM Dhanbad | National Institute of Technology Hamirpur |
Also Read: GATE 2026 Participating Institutes
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CUET PG Vs GATE: Counselling Process
The counselling of CUET PG and GATE takes place in May / June. It is conducted online. Students who qualify in the examination can participate in the online counselling process for admission to the participating institutes. Students are allotted courses and colleges based on their rank in the respective exam. Students have to confirm their admission by paying the seat acceptance fees after the allotment.
M.Tech admission counselling for IITs is done through the COAP portal, and for NITs, IIEST Shibpur and some IIITs, GFTIS M.Tech / M.Arch / M.Plan program admission is done through CCMT. There is no centralised counselling portal for admission to the colleges accepting CUET PG score. Check the exam website for detailed information.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 days ago
Hi,
To get the admission in the participating universities, you will be required to fill the admission form of the desired institution/university. If your marks breach their cutoff, you will get the admission. You can predict the college based on your marks here - https://www.shiksha.com/science/cue
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) accepts CUET PG scores for MCA admissions starting from the 2023 cycle onward. For the 2026–27 session, MCA admissions at JMI are routed through CUET PG conducted by NTA, and candidates must apply via the university's admission portal after appearing for CUET PG.
Adm
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
With a CUET PG MCA score of 118, admission to top central universities like DU, JNU, BHU, or premier NITs/IITs is unlikely, as their MCA cutoffs generally range between 170–200+ for the General category. However, you still have realistic chances in newer central universities, state universities, and
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes, with a B.Sc. in Chemistry & Physics, you are eligible for M.Sc. Biochemistry at most Central Universities through CUET PG, provided you meet their subject requirements.
Eligibility Criteria (Typical for Central Universities)
Academic Background
B.Sc. degree in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Bioche
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
| University | OBC Cutoff (Expected) | Your Score (105) | Admission Chance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Univ. of Karnataka (CUK) | ~220–235 marks | 105 | ❌ Not possible |
| Central Univ. of Kerala (CUKrl) | ~179–220 marks | 105 | ❌ Not possible |
| BHU (FMS) | ~220–235 marks | 105 | ❌ Not possible |
| DU / JNU | ~220–240 marks | 105 | ❌ Not possible |
| Pondicherry Univ. | ~180–200 marks | 105 | ❌ Not possible |
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
The National Testing Agency will release the CUET PG 2026 final answer key soon after the declaration of CUET PG result. The candidates should note that the final answer key will be released openly under the public domain.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 weeks ago
The CUET PG 2026 result has been released at https://exams.nta.nic.in/cuet-pg/. The National Testing Agency released the candidates' scorecard and final answer keys with the result.
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 weeks ago
MBA students who wish to apply for Goel Group of Institutions scholarships through CUET-PG scores will need to secure a rank of 5000 at best.
After 5,000, candidates will witness an increase of scholarship if they score either 2,100 or above in CUET-PG.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
With a CUET PG score of 110, admission to M.Sc. Mathematics at Delhi University is very unlikely. DU's CUET PG cutoffs for Science courses, including Mathematics, generally range much higher—often above 200–250 marks out of 300 for the General category.
Why 110 Is Not Enough
- CUET PG is scored out of
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
With 59 marks out of 300 in CUET PG 2026 as a General Category student, securing a seat for MA English in top-tier Central Universities like DU, JNU, or BHU is highly unlikely.
For a General category student, 180+ is considered a "Good Score" for MA English, while below 100 typically limits options
S
Contributor-Level 10