CUET vs Board Exams: Key Differences, Syllabus, and Preparation Tips
Common University Entrance Test 2026 ( CUET )
Registration - 3 Jan '26 - 30 Jan '26
The exam dates for both CUET UG and Board exams have been released. These exams are important for a student's academic journey, but they have different purposes. Explore key differences between CUET UG and Board Exams, including their syllabus, exam patterns and preparation strategies, here on this page. Also, find tips to balance both exams effectively.
CUET v/s Board Exams
CUET vs Board Exams: The Common University Entrance Test was introduced in 2022 to provide a common platform for an entrance exam for admission to undergraduate programmes across various central, state, private, deemed and government participating universities/colleges in India. Every year, the CUET UG exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency. CUET has become one of the most taken entrance exams by students after their Class 12 board exams. With a common entrance test for admission to participating universities, students from ICSE, CBSE and other state boards get an equal opportunity during UG admissions. As CUET exams are conducted a few days after the board exams are over, it becomes stressful to prepare for both exams.
The CUET UG exam and Board exams are similar, yet different from each other in many ways. Check out the article to know the key differences between board exam and CUET exam, and get preparation tips to balance both.
LATEST - CUET UG 2026 Registration LIVE Updates; Last Date for Online form
- CUET vs Board Exams: Purpose and Focus
- CUET and CBSE Boards Exam Pattern 2026
- CUET v/s Board Exam: Key Differences
- CUET v/s Boards - Difficulty Level
- CUET UG Syllabus and CBSE Syllabus
- Best Books for CUET and Board Exam Preparation
CUET vs Board Exams: Purpose and Focus
The Board Exams (Class 10th and 12th) are a major part of a student's academic life. These exams test how well students have gained the knowledge of the school syllabus. Class 12 marks are essential for a student to get a 10+2 certificate, which is a necessary document required during undergraduate admissions.
On the other hand, CUET is a unified national-level entrance exam for admission to central, state, and other CUET participating universities. CUET exams provide a single platform to apply to many universities.CUET exam papers are designed to test not just the memory power of a candidate, but also subject knowledge and reasoning skills. In 2025, over 13 lakh students appeared for the CUET exam, which shows how much this exam has gained popularity over the years.
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How to Balance CUET and Board Exam Preparation?
Balancing CUET and board exams simultaneously can be challenging for students. Even though the syllabus for both exams is almost the same and CUET question papers include NCERT concepts, their question paper format is different. While boards question paper includes both objective and subjective types of questions, the CUET test papers only have objective type questions. Check out the points below for some strategies to balance CUET and board exam preparation:
- Create a study plan for yourself. Give more time to the subjects that have a high difficulty level and more weightage in the exam.
- Start your preparation with the subjects that have a common syllabus in CUET as well as board exams.
- Practice CUET UG mock tests and CUET Previous Year Question Papers to work on your speed and accuracy.
- Solve sample board exam papers to improve your writing skills and time management.
Also Read: CUET UG Eligibility Criteria
CUET and CBSE Boards Exam Pattern 2026
There are a lot of differences between the exam pattern of CBSE Class 12 and the CUET UG exam. While preparing for these exams, candidates must first understand their exam pattern to know what to expect and how to strategize their preparations. CUET exam 2026 will be conducted between May 11 and May 31, 2026, in Computer-Based Test Mode. CBSE Class 12 board exams will be conducted between February 17 and April 10, 2026.
Check the table below for a brief comparison between CUET 2026 exam pattern and Class 12th CBSE exam pattern.
| CUET V/s CBSE Exam Pattern | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features |
CUET |
CBSE |
| Format |
Objective-type questions with MCQs |
|
| Duration |
60 minutes |
Three hours |
| Number of subjects |
Maximum five |
5-6 (as elected by the student) |
| Maximum marks |
250 per subject |
100 (theory + practical) per subject |
| Marking scheme |
+5 for correct answer -1 for wrong answer |
Marking is based on the type of question and No negative marking. |
| Passing marks |
N/A (each participating university has its own Cut Off) |
33% |
Also Read: CUET UG Total Marks
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CUET v/s Board Exam: Key Differences
In today's competitive world, CUET and board exams are both important for students. Candidates who wish to gain admission to UG courses through CUET need to score the minimum marks in Class 12 as required by their target university. In the same way, candidates who wish to gain admission on a merit basis, through their Class 12 marks only, will also have to get a good score to get admission at a non-CUET participating university.
Check out the points below to know the difference between the CUET exam and the Board exam:
| Basis | CUET Exam | Boards Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | CUET exam is a common entrance test for admission to undergraduate courses at participating universities across India. It is conducted by the National Testing Agency across multiple exam centres on an annual basis. | Board Exams are conducted to evaluate the overall performance of a student at the school level. Board exams are conducted by different education boards like ICSE, CBSE, etc., across different exam centres. |
| Subject Choice | To appear for CUET, candidates can choose up to 5 subjects based on their target university's subject requirements for their desired UG course. | For board exams, students can only choose between their streams (commerce, science, arts/humanities). However, they have an option in some subjects of these streams. Such as Commerce with or without Mathematics, or PCM with or without Biology. |
| Types of Questions | The CUET exam paper includes multiple-choice questions (MCQs). | Board exams include short-answer questions, long-answer questions, and multiple-choice questions. |
| Negative Marking | There is a negative marking in CUET UG exams of 1 mark for every incorrect answer. | Board exams do not have negative marking. Students get 0 for every incorrect answer. |
| Difficulty Level | The difficulty level of the CUET exam is usually moderate to high, and varies depending on the subject opted. | Though board exams are challenging, they can be easily managed with proper preparation throughout the year. |
| Syllabus | CUET UG Syllabus aligns with the NCERT curriculum. Students studying from NCERT books in Class 12 have an upper hand on their CUET preparation. | Board exam syllabi for each board are different, and these exams evaluate students on a wide range of subjects. |
Also Read: What is a Good Score in CUET?
CUET v/s Boards - Difficulty Level
Both CUET UG and Boards exams are challenging for students. On one hand, Boards exam tests students on their foundational understanding of concepts. On the other hand, Common University Entrance Test evaluates a candidate's application based knowledge. Before preparing for both exams, a candidate must first understand the difficulty level of their question papers.
As per CUET difficulty level, the UG question papers have easy to moderate level questions, with some subjects like Mathematics, Physics & Chemistry having more difficulty level, due to application based questions. The difficulty level of the board exam is also moderate. The actual difficulty level of an exam for each candidate is different according to their preparation level. So, candidates are advised to prepare properly for their exams.
CUET UG Syllabus and CBSE Syllabus
Candidates preparing for the board and CUET UG examination can check and compare the subject-wise CUET 2026 Syllabus and CBSE 12th Boards Syllabus in the table below:
Also Read:
Best Books for CUET and Board Exam Preparation
Candidates can easily refer to their schoolbooks, either provided/suggested by the schools, or use NCERT books (If applicable) to prepare for board exams.
Candidates can refer to the same board books to prepare for CUET domain subjects. However, it is advised to use preparation guides and sample test books for General Aptitude and to understand the exam pattern.
Check out the space below for preparation books for CUET and boards for some important subjects:
- Mathematics by RD Sharma
- Physics by HC Verma
- Physics by SL Arora
- Physical chemistry by OP Tondon
- Pradeep’s organic chemistry
- Accountancy by TS Grewal
- Business Studies by Dhanpat Rai Publication
Read More:
Nupur Jain started with a passion for educational content writing, which soon grew into a meaningful journey of helping students through reliable guidance. A commerce graduate from Delhi University, she has spent ov
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 4 days ago
National Testing Agency commenced CUET UG 2026 registrations on January 03, 2026. The registration window is open. Candidates who are desireous of appearing for CUET and admission to undergraduate programme must stay updated with the upcoming important CUET 2026 UG dates below:
- Last date to apply fo
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 4 days ago
CUET UG 2026 application fee varies on number of subjects chosen and category of student. NTA has defined the CUET 2026 fe structure for General, SC, ST, EWS, PwBD and OBC candidates. Check the table below to know CUET application fee for 5 subjects:
| Category | CUET Fee for 5 Subjects |
|---|---|
| General | INR 1800 |
| OBC-NCL/EWS | INR 1650 |
| SC/ST/PwBD/Third Gender | INR 1500 |
| Centres outside India | INR 8100 |
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 4 days ago
If a candidate has made a mistake in CUET UG 2026 application form, he/she can edit the details in online form once the correction window is open. NTA will open CUET 2026 correction window from February 02 to February 04. During this period, candidates can correct the details in the application, if
K
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 4 days ago
No, National Testing Agency has not yet issued the official notification for the extension of CUET UG 2026 registration last date. CUET UG 2026 application window is scheduled to close on January 30. Like every year, NTA is expected to extend the last date for candidates. Check below to know CUET ap
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 4 days ago
Total 30 seats are available for admission in JUIT BBA programme as per official admission disclosure. Out of these 30 seats for JUIT BBA, 50% are filled through direct admission based on class 10+2 merit, and rest 50% are filled based on CUET (UG) Score.
J
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
No, CUET is not required for Nalanda Open University admissions. The university is an Open University and offers courses through online and distance learning mode. Hence, no selection rounds are conducted. Students can apply simply by completing the Class 12/ Graduation as per the course.
U
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
USWL, Karnavati University accepts CUET scores for admission to BA LLB (Hons) and BBA LLB (Hons) courses. However, it is not mandatory. Aspirants with CLAT score can also apply. Candidates can also appear for KUAT conducted by Karnavati University for admission to UG Law courses.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered a week ago
Yes, admissions are possible without CUET at CCSU. The other accepted entrance examinations are UPTAC, JEE Main, and others. Chaudhary Charan Singh University Meerut admission is held online. Chaudhary Charan Singh University Meerut admissions are done both merit & entrance-based. Interested studen
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
No, the CUET-UG is not a mandatory entrance exam for BBA admissions at IIM Bangalore. Aside from the CUET-UG, candidates can also apply through the scores obtained in the JEE Mains. If the candidate has failed to appear for either of the aforementioned exam, they can still apply through the IIMB DBE
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
No, NIF Global Jaipur does not accept CUET scores for enrollment into BBA course. The college accepts the scores of Class 12 for admission to this course. Students should complete their Class 12 from any recognised board in any stream with decent scores. After evaluating applicants' scores, the coll
V
Contributor-Level 10
The best CUET course depends on candidate's interest, stream, subjects studied in class 12th. Some of the top CUET UG courses with best career options are B.Sc (Chemistry, Physics, CS), B.Com (Pass, Hons.), BBA/BMS/BFIA, BA (Economics, English, History), BCA and integrated programs. Candidates must make sure to align the CUET courses with the university requirement, subjects studied in class 12th and CUET subjects.