CUET Topper Tips: Stick to NCERT while preparing for the CUET entrance exam, says Chetna Rani who scored 800 in CUET and currently studying in Delhi University's Hindu College.
Born and brought up in Delhi, Chetna Rani, a CUET 2022 Topper, scored perfect marks to secure her dream course in one of the best Delhi University colleges, The Hindu College. She says "coaching isn't important for CUET because the exam is entirely based on NCERT which is already taught in the Class 12th CBSE board syllabus." Chetna started her CUET preparations after her board exams. She used to dedicate 7-8 hours regularly in the preparation for CUET 2022.
Also Read: NTA CUET UG 2026 exam
Q. When did you start preparing for CUET Exam? What all books did you refer to?
A. I started preparing after the board exams ended in April. I focused on the NCERT syllabus and tried formulating MCQ objective-type questions from that.
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Q. Tell us about your family and educational background?
A. I was born and brought up in Delhi but my native village is in Bihar. My mother is an insurance advisor and my father is a lawyer. I have an elder sibling. My alma mater is Presentation Convent Sr. Secondary School, Delhi. Currently, I am pursuing BA(Hons) in Political Science from Hindu College.
Commonly asked questions
The admission process for MCom at Delhi University up until 2021 was offered across two categories: Direct Admission and Through Entrance Test. Also, along with the entrance exam, interview rounds were also conducted for admission to Delhi University PG programmes.
There was no minimum age limit to take admission to the MSc programme offered by the university. However, DU PG admission 2022-23 was subject to a valid score in DUET as announced by the University. Starting 2023, the admission process of DU for its postgraduate courses, such as MA, MSc and MCom will be subject to the CUET-PG exam conducted by NTA.
After the results, qualified students will be required to appear for the seat allocation process conducted by the university for final seat allotment. While there is no information on direct admission on the official website of DU or its affiliated colleges students are advised to visit the admission office for more details on the same.
Candidates seeking admission to MCom at the University of Delhi are required to apply via CUET PG exam. Interested students can follow the steps given below to apply for CUET PG 2023.
- Visit the official website of CUET PG 2023 – cuet.nta.nic.in.
- Read the instructions and select the agreement checkbox followed by clicking on the tab ‘Click Here to Proceed’.
- Enter personal details such as name, parents’ name, date of birth, gender, nationality, identity type and number followed by present and permanent address.
- Choose a password and security question and enter the captcha.
- Once the application number and password is generated, log in with the credentials to complete the application process.
- Complete the CUET (PG) 2023 application form by adding the information around personal details, paper selection, exam cities, educational details and upload the photograph and signature.
- The photograph and signature should be in JPEG format. While the photograph size must be between 10 KB to 200 KB, the signature image size must be between 4 KB to 30 KB.
- The application fee has to be paid in online mode through credit/ debit card, net banking or UPI.
After registration, candidates must fill in the application form and pay the registration fee which is as follows:
| Category | Application Fee (in INR) (For upto three test papers) | Application Fee Outside India (in INR) (For upto three test papers) |
|---|---|---|
| General | 1,000 | 5,000 |
Gen-EWS/ OBC-NCL | 800 | |
SC / ST / Third Gender | 750 | |
| PwD | 700 |
For each additional paper, candidates will have to pay the following application fees.
| Category | Application Fee (in INR) | Application Fee Outside India (in INR) |
|---|---|---|
| General | 500 | 1,500 |
Gen-EWS/ OBC-NCL | 400 | |
SC / ST / Third Gender | 400 | |
| PwD | 40 |
DU admission is open. Admission in Delhi University is based on CUET-UG & CUET-PG scores. Below are the upcoming events for DU admission:
- University of Delhi (DU) has released the admission cutoff for 5-yr integrated BA LLB and BBA LLB courses through Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) scores.
- The CUET PG 2026 registration process for admission to PG courses is expected to begin in Jan 2026.
- DU CSAS-PG 2025 Spot Round 3 allocations have been released for admission to various PG courses based on the CUET-PG 2025 scores, and the last date for fee payment is Aug 20, 2025.
Candidates seeking admission to Jamia Millia Islamia for MBA can apply online on the official website. Admission to this course is offered based on the entrance exam conducted by the university, i.e. JMI Entrance Eest. Interested candidates must have a relevant bachelor’s degree with at least 50% aggregate in the subject concerned.
Q. How much time did you devote to self-study? What do you feel is better, coaching or self-study?
A. I studied for almost 7-8 hours, when CUET Exam 2023 got closer, a bit more. Self-study has always worked best for me. Coaching isn't important for CUET because the exam is entirely based on NCERT which is already taught in the Class 12th CBSE board syllabus.
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Also Read: CUET 2022 Topper Tips: Know How Elimination Method Helped Prisha Khandelwal Get Into SRCC
Q. How did you prepare for CUET UG, just a month before the exam?
A. I formed possible questions from NCERT books and referred them to Oswal, Arihant, and other publications. These books boost your confidence when you practice the sample papers given in them but are not always accurate.
Q. Which subject is your strong one and which is the weakest? Are NCERT books sufficient for preparations?
A. I feel the most confident about political science and the least about economics, which is why I didn't choose it as one of my domains even though I studied it in my 12th CBSE syllabus as a subject. Yes, NCERT books are sufficient for CUET.
Q. When it came to exam day, what was your strategy? According to you, what was the toughest and easiest section?
A. My exam strategy was to mindfully choose the 40/50 questions to attempt, questions I felt confident about. I was careful about the time limit.
Q. Which all universities did you apply for? What was your dream college?
A. I applied to Ambedkar University, Jamia Millia Islamia and Delhi University. My dream was to get into Hindu College.
Q. To whom do you attribute your successful CUET topper journey? What would you suggest to future CUET aspirants in terms of preparation, attitude etc?
A. I attribute my CUET journey to my sister, she has always been my constant support and source of comfort and joy. Stick to NCERT. When you read a particular paragraph( in theoretical subjects), try to formulate your own set of MCQs that could possibly be asked from that paragraph. Assertion Reasonings can be tricky as opposed to straightforward questions, so try to get your hand on as many of those as you can.
Do not panic if you are unable to find sample papers, NTA releases the official sample papers sometime before exams. Do not trust the judgment and news shared by YouTubers. Only rely on official NTA notifications for official updates.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 3 days ago
For CUET General Test preparation regular practice is important because it helps you get used to different types of questions and manage your time better. If you're looking to practise a CUET General Test Mock online CUET Mock is worth trying. It can help you check your preparation work on weak area
V
Beginner-Level 1
Answered 4 days ago
After the CUET PG 2027 result is declared, the Participating Universities will separately release their merit list or shortlisted candidates' list who are selected to participate in the counselling process for that college. Candidates will then have to register and pay the requiste or asked registra
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 5 days ago
To calculate CUET UG 2027 probable score, candidates will need the official provisional answer key and their response sheet. Candidates will have to follow the CUET marking scheme to calculate their scores.
Note: The final scores will be calculates based on CUET final answer key.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 5 days ago
The National Testing Agency may or may not release the official CUET UG datesheet 2027 on its official website. However, students who registers for the exam will be able to check their subject-wise exam dates and timings.
Y
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 5 days ago
The National Testing Agency will likely conduct the Common University Entrance Test (UG) 2027 in May-June 2027, in Computer Based Test mode. The exam will be administered across multiple exam centres in India and abroad. NTA will release the CUET 2027 exam dates in its information bulletin.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 5 days ago
NTA is expected to release the CUET 2027 application forms in the first week of January 2027. Once released, candidates will be able to register online at NTA CUET UG official website.
Y
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 5 days ago
The National Testing Agency will release CUET UG 2027 admit card, at least a week before the exam date. Candidates will be able to downlaod the admit card until exam day.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 5 days ago
No, students cannot get admission to regular undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) programs at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) without taking the CUET exam. JNU admissions are based on the score of CUET exams.
P
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a week ago
With your mentioned CUET UG scores, you can get admission to central/private universities. Admission to top-tier central universities like DU or BHU for the mainstream science programs will be very difficult.
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Yes, Galgotias University accepts JEE Main and CUET scores for B.Tech admissions. Students with JEE Main/JEE Advanced/CUET/SAT scores are given preference in the merit list, subject to meeting the Class 12 eligibility requirements. For B.Tech CSE, the current requirement is at least 60% in the speci
S
Beginner-Level 5
She has over 10 years of experience in the education and publishing sectors. She specialises in exam coverage and content creation. At Shiksha, she writes, analyses, and presents information for students preparing f
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