How to Prepare for CUET General Test 2026? Preparation Strategy and Best Books
Common University Entrance Test 2026 ( CUET )
Exam On - 11 May '26 - 31 May '26
Candidates preparing for CUET 2026 general test exam can check out this article for preparation tips to score well in the exam. Also, find out the books to prepare for the exam. The National Testing Agency will conduct CUET General Test 2026 between May 11 and May 31.
CUET General Test Preparation Tips
Preparation Strategy for CUET General Aptitude Test: To appear for CUET UG exam, candidates have to select up to five CUET UG subjects in their online form. Although the general test is an optional subject, many CUET colleges offer undergraduate programmes that require GAT as a compulsory subject. The CUET General Test is one of the top CUET UG subjects opted by candidates. A good score in CUET in general test exam can help students secure a seat at some of the top CUET colleges. These include Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, Allahabad University, Aligarh Muslim University, and so on.
Candidates preparing for the Common University Entrance Test for the academic session 2026-2027 and planning to appear for the CUET General Aptitude Test can check out this article for preparation tips and books. Also, find the list of important topics and their weightage to know which topics to give more focus while preparing. CUET UG 2026 will be conducted between May 11 and May 31, 2026. The exact exam dates will be released by NTA. The Common University Entrance Test will be conducted in CBT mode.
Check Out: CUET 2026 Difficulty Level
- CUET UG General Test Exam Pattern 2026
- CUET General Test Syllabus 2026
- CUET General Test Important Topics
- CUET General Test Topic-Wise Weightage
- Preparation Tips for CUET General Test 2026
- CUET GAT Previous Year Question Paper PDF
- Recommended Books for CUET General Aptitude Test 2026
CUET UG General Test Exam Pattern 2026
According to NTA, there are 13 languages, 23 CUET domain subjects, and a general aptitude test in Common University Entrance Test. The CUET UG exam pattern for General Aptitude Test is as follows:
| Features |
Details |
|---|---|
| Status of General Test Syllabus |
Available |
| CUET conducting body |
National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Mode of examination |
Computer Based Test (CBT) |
| CUET medium of question paper |
13 languages - English, Hindi, Urdu, Assamese, Bengali, Odia, Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam |
| Number of questions in GAT paper |
50 questions |
| Number of questions compulsory |
All |
| Exam Duration |
60 minutes |
| Nature of Questions |
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| 250 per subject | |
| CUET Marking Scheme |
+5 for correct answer -1 for wrong answer |
| CUET General Test mapping for courses |
B.A (All specializations), BFA, Vocational subjects, B.Com., B.Des, etc |
Must Read:
CUET UG total marks is 250 Marks for each subject. Candidates can choose up to five CUET subjects. Each subject paper has 50 questions which will total to 250 marks for each subject. For every correct answer, candidate will get 5 marks. The CUET total marks will be uniform for all 37 subjects. The Total CUET subjects marks can vary depending on the number of subjects chosen by candidates.
- If three CUET subjects chosen: 750 total marks
- If four CUET subjects chosen: 1000 total marks
- If five CUET subjects chosen: 1250 total marks
Applicants must select CUET UG 2025 exam centre city from the dropdown, based on their permanent and contact address state/country. Candidates must not choose the state/country far from their permamnent address. Choose the CUET exam centre which is convenient to reach on time.
CUET General Test Syllabus 2026
The CUET General Test Question Paper 2026 will include questions from the given topics below:
- General Knowledge
- Current Affairs
- General Mental Ability
- Numerical ability
- Reasoning (simple application of basic mathematical concepts, quantitative arithmetic/ algebra geometry/ mensuration/ statistics)
- Logical and analytical reasoning
Also Read: CUET Preparation Tips
CUET General Test Important Topics
Below are some important topics for GAT that candidates must prioritize while preparing for the entrance exam.
| CUET General Test Important Topics | Sub-topics |
|---|---|
| General Knowledge & Current Affairs |
|
| General Science |
|
| Quantitative Aptitude |
|
| Logical Reasoning |
|
Also Read:
The difficulty level of the CUET exam varies between moderate and tough. Since the CUET UG exam is held for multiple subjects and slots, the difficulty level of the exam varies from subject to subject. Sometimes, the difficulty level may also vary for different slots. While for the well-prepared candidates, the difficulty level will be low, for the underprepared students, the level of difficulty will be on the higher side.
Yes, 700 is a good score in CUET. This score can help candidates place in top colleges of Delhi University, banaras Hindu University and Allahabad University. 700 score is considered to a CUET good score creating a percentile of 95+.
On analysing the CUET UG cut off for the academic year 2025-26, scoring above 700 marks can be considered a good score in CUET UG. Candidates scoring above 700 may fall in the category of 95+ percentile. Candidates can get admission to top central universities like University of Delhi, Banaras Hindu University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and other universities in the desired course. Given below is the range that is considered good for admission:
- Very Good Score: 700 and above
- Good Score: 650 and above
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CUET General Test Topic-Wise Weightage
Students preparing for General Test can check table below to know the expected number of questions in CUET UG question paper of General Aptitude Test.
| Topics |
Expected Number of Questions |
|---|---|
| Numerical ability |
20-25 |
| Calendar and direction |
- |
| General Awareness |
12-15 |
| History and science |
2-3 |
| Economics |
1-2 |
| Geography |
1-2 |
| Discovery and invention |
1-2 |
| Sports |
1-2 |
| Books and authors |
4-5 |
| Static GK |
1-2 |
| Logical reasoning |
10-12 |
Preparation Tips for CUET General Test 2026
Aspiring candidates seeking admission to CUET-participating universities/colleges must appear for the CUET exam; only then can they participate in the CUET admission process. The CUET General Aptitude Test assesses students' aptitude, reasoning skills, and general awareness. Check out the preparation tips for the General Aptitude Test:
1. The first step of preparing for the general test exam is to cover the CUET General Aptitude Test Syllabus. According to NTA, the general test syllabus for CUET includes Current Affairs, General Knowledge, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude. Here, GK & Current Affairs includes static GK, current events, and general knowledge questions on history and science.
2. Give at least one hour daily to learn about current events happening across the world and static GK. According to the previous years' exam analysis, students usually face problems in answering the GK section of the General Aptitude Test.
3. Logical Reasoning consists of topics such as seating arrangement, clocks, blood relations, number series, calendar, Venn diagram, mirror image, time, speed, and distance, and other topics. Make sure to practice questions on these topics every day. This can help you solve the questions during the exam quickly and accurately.
4. Quantitative Aptitude consists of topics such as mensuration, algebra, advanced mathematics, time work, distance, profit/loss, probability, height/distance, coordinate geometry, and other topics. Although students must have studied these topics in Class 12, they should not stop practicing these topics.
5. Work on your speed as the CUET General Test question paper includes many calculation-based questions in Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning.
6. Take as many CUET mock tests as you can and practice from CUET Previous years’ papers to understand question types in exam.
7. Ensure you learn all formulas and short tricks to solve questions without wasting time.
8. Spare time for revision in your timetable to ensure you remember all the important concepts during the exam.
CUET GAT Previous Year Question Paper PDF
Download previous years' CUET General Test questions papers to practice and prepare well for exam:
| CUET General Aptitude Test Question Paper PDFs |
|---|
| CUET General Test 2022 |
| CUET General Test 2023 |
| CUET General Test 2024 |
| CUET General Test 2025 |
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Recommended Books for CUET General Aptitude Test 2026
Below is a list of recommended books for CUET General Aptitude Test to help you prepare for Common University Entrance Test.
| Books for CUET GAT Exam | |
|---|---|
| Lucent’s General Knowledge | A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S. Aggarwal |
| Pratiyogita Darpan | Logical Reasoning by Arun Sharma |
| Objective General Knowledge by Arihant Experts | Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by R.S. Aggarwal |
| Vision IAS Monthly Current Affairs | Analytical Reasoning by M.K. Pandey |
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
CUET UG 2026 exam city will be alloted based on candidate's permanent or present address mentioned on Aadhar card. Once the official CUET UG intimation slip is released, candidates cannot request for change in exam city or centre.
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
CUET UG 2026 exam duration for each subject is 60 minutes. National Testing Agency will announce the CUET slot timings soon. NTA decides the number of slots and timings based on number of candidates applied for the exam. It is expected that CUET exam will be held in three slots on each day.
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
To know the alloted CUET exam centre, candidates must download the CUET advance intimation slip and admit card. NTA will issue the CUET advance city slip in last week of April 2026 and hall tickets will be released 2-3 days before the exam date.
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
CUET UG 2026 examination will be held across 306 cities in India and 15 cities outside India. The examination will be held in computer based mode between May 11 and May 31, 2026. Candidates could select the CUET exam city preference while filling the CUET application form. The examination centre wi
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
For Delhi University admission through CUET UG, candidates must select the subjects studied in class 12th and those that meet the preferred DU UG course requirements. CUET subject mapping is an important criterion for admission to Delhi University. The key requirements for CUET subjects vary by cour
D
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
Common University Entrance Test syllabus is released by National Testing Agency, the conducting body. NTA issues the CUET UG syllabus with the release of official examination notification. Candidates preparing for CUET UG exam can download the subject-wise CUET syllabus PDF. NTA has released the CUE
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
CUET English question paper focuses on reading comprehension, gramar and vocabulary. Based on previous year question paper analysis of CUET English, candidates can check the list of top 10 important topics for English language section in CUET UG:
- Reading Comprehension
- Synonyms and Antonyms
- Idioms & Phr
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
Common University Entrance Test syllabus for Delhi University consists of three sections- Language, Domain subjects and General Aptitude Test. The syllabus for CUET domain subjects is entirely based on NCERT curriculum. Candidates can check the subject-wise CUET UG syllabus at cuet.nta.nic.in. NTA h
K
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 days ago
No, there is no set criteria of marks obtained in the CUET exam. The students must appear and clear the exam as part of eligibility for IMS Noida MCA course. They must meet the minimum eligibility criteria to get admission in the MCA course.
C
Contributor-Level 10
Since the CUET UG 2025 syllabus is in line with the Class 12 Board exam syllabus, it can be safely assumed that the NCERT books are enough to clear CUET UG 2025 exam. Candidates must note that, CUET exam tests students' understanding of the concepts and ability to apply them in various situations. Therefore, to prepare well and get a good score, it is advised that students refer to other study materials and books designed for national level competitive entrance exams. The CUET UG syllabus is in tune with the Class 12 Board exam syllabus. The chapters and topics are similar to Class 12 syllabus. Unlike other UG entrance exams, CUET UG syllabus does not include Class 11 syllabus.