
CUET exam pattern 2026 consists of language test, domain-specific subject exams and a general test. CUET UG 2026 exam pattern details information about number of sections, exam duration, mode of examination and format of question paper. The number of questions in each subject is uniform, i.e., 50 questions for 5 marks each. Candidates preparing for the CUET UG must be aware of the exam pattern.
CUET 2026 question paper will carry objective-type multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The medium of the CUET question paper will be English and the languages chosen by candidates among 12 regional languages. Each question will carry five marks, and for every incorrect answer, a one mark will be deducted. Candidates can select up to five subjects. CUET UG 2026 will be scheduled between May 11 and May 31, 2026.
- CUET 2026 Exam Pattern - Highlights
- CUET 2026 Exam Pattern- Section Wise
- CUET Subjects & Language Mapping: Important Guidelines
- CUET UG Syllabus 2026
- CUET UG 2026 Preparation
- CUET UG Question Papers
- FAQs on CUET Exam Pattern
CUET 2026 Exam Pattern - Highlights
The following table brings the highlights of the CUET exam pattern 2026:
| Particulars |
Details |
|---|---|
| Mode of the examination |
Computer-Based Test |
| Number of Slots |
Three to four |
| Exam timing |
Mentioned in CUET 2026 date-sheet |
| Type of questions |
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| CUET UG sections |
Section 1 - Language Section 2 - Domain Subject Section 3 - General Aptitude Test |
| Total number of Questions |
50 across all subjects |
| Negative marking |
Yes |
| Marking Scheme |
+5 for each correct answer -1 for each incorrect answer |
| Medium of CUET exam |
13 languages - English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu |
| Number of domain subjects |
23 |
Also Read: What type of questions are asked in CUET?
Commonly asked questions
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
CUET 2026 will be held in two slots. The timing for the same is released with release of CUET 2026 admit card. Candidates can know the exam centre and timing along with the release of CUET 2026 admit card. NTA is expceted not to release the official CUET 2026 date sheet. Candidates can check their subject-wise CUET exam date and slot timings on CUET intimation slips and admit card.
Candidates can see the table showing the latest CUET UG exam pattern 2026 below -
Section | Number of Questions | Duration |
|---|---|---|
Language | 50 | 60 Minutes |
Domain Specific | 50 | |
General Test | 50 |
Note: The exam pattern is taken from official website of the conducting body and can be changed if instructed by it.
Hope this helps your query! All the best!
CUET 2026 Exam Pattern- Section Wise
The table below brings the broad structure of CUET UG in terms of the number of questions in each section along with the duration.
| CUET Exam Structure |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Section |
Number of Questions |
Duration |
Question Types |
| Section IA- Language |
50 Questions |
60 minutes for all subjects |
Language to be tested through Reading Comprehension based on different types of passages–Factual, Literary and Narrative, (Literary Aptitude and Vocabulary) |
| Section II- Domain Specific |
50 Questions |
|
|
| Section III- General Test |
50 Questions |
|
|
CUET UG Marking Scheme
CUET total marks are 250. The marking scheme as per NTA is given below.
- Correct answer or the most appropriate answer: Five marks (+5)
- Any incorrect option marked will be given a minus one mark (-1).
- Unanswered/Marked for Review will be given no mark (0).
- If more than one option is found to be correct, then five marks (+5) will be awarded to only those who have marked any of the correct options.
- If all options are found to be correct, then five marks (+5) will be awarded to all those who have attempted the question.
- If none of the options is found correct or a question is found to be wrong or a question is dropped, then all candidates who have attempted the dropped question will be given five marks (+5) marks.
Also Read:
CUET Syllabus 2026 for Commerce Students
CUET Syllabus 2026 for Science Students
CUET Syllabus 2026 for Arts Students
CUET Exam Pattern 2026: Section-wise Details
Check below to know the detailed CUET 2026 exam pattern:
Section 2- Domain-Specific Subjects
Candidates, while choosing the domain-specific subjects, can choose the CUET subjects irrespective of subjects studied in class 12th. Candidates are advised to review the university's brochure to select domain-specific subjects. As per CUET exam pattern 2026, domain-specific subjects are as follows:
- Accountancy/ Book Keeping
- Agriculture
- Anthropology
- Biology
- Business Studies
- Chemistry
- Computer Science/ Informatics Practices
- Economics/ Business Economics
- Fine Arts/ Visual Arts (Sculpture/ Painting)/Commercial Arts
- Geography/Geology
- Home Science
- History
- Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India
- Environmental Science
- Mathematics
- Physical Education/ NCC /Yoga
- Physics
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Mass Media/ Mass Communication
- Performing Arts
- Sanskrit
Section 3- General Aptitude Test
This section can be opted by candidates for discontinued subjects, Vocational/Open Eligibility/Cross Stream/any other as applicable UG courses. It is an optional section that the candidate can choose as per the requirement of the participating CUET university.
CUET Exam Pattern Subject-wise
Check the table below to read more on CUET exam pattern 2026 subject wise:
| CUET Subjects | CUET Exam Pattern |
|---|---|
| CUET Biology | CUET Biology Exam Pattern |
| CUET English | CUET English Exam Pattern |
| CUET General Test | CUET General Test Exam Pattern |
Commonly asked questions
Go on the official website of university/organaisation. Check the courses offered and eligibility test that they should appear in for admission to desired course. The choice of language/domain subject and General test will depend upon the course and university. Candidates will be able to opt for one or more tests as per the requirement of the course and university from the following sections:
- Section I - 13 Languages
- Section II - 23 Domain Specific Subjects
- Section III - General Test
CUET UG langauge section will now consist of 13 languages instead of 33 languages. The 13 langauges of CUET UG 2026 are: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Whereas, the languages which have been deleted are: Arabic, Bodo, Chinese, Dogri, French, German, Italian, Janpanese, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Manipuri, Nepali, Persian, Russian, Santhali, Sindhi, Spanish, Tibetan, Sanskrit.
CUET UG exam is conducted in Computer-Based Test Mode. The examination is scheduled in multiple slots depending on the number of registrations for CUET. In this mode of examination, candidates are required to appear for exam online and answer the questions on deskptop with the help of mouse.
CUET Subjects & Language Mapping: Important Guidelines
Candidates willing to appear for CUET UG, must check the important guidelines about CUET examination.
- The medium of the CUET will be in English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. Refer the table below to know the language-wise exam centres:
| Language | Examination Centre |
|---|---|
| English | All examination centres |
| English and Hindi | All examination centres |
| English and Assamese | Examination centres in Assam |
| English and Bengali | Examination Centres in West Bengal, Tripura, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
| English and Gujarati | Examination Centres in Gujarat, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli |
| English and Kannada | Examination Centres in Karnataka |
| English and Malayalam | Examination Centres in Kerala and Lakshadweep |
| English and Marathi | Examination Centres in Maharashtra |
| English and Odia | Examination Centres in Odisha |
| English and Punjabi | Examination Centres in Punjab, Chandigarh, and Delhi/New Delhi (including Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Meerut, Noida/Greater Noida) |
| English and Tamil | Examination Centres in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
| English and Telugu | Examination Centres in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana |
| English and Urdu | All Examination Centres in India |
- Candidates will be able to exercise the option of selecting the language while filling the application form.
-
Flexibility is provided to help a candidate apply for many Universities depending on their eligibility conditions. Candidates can choose a maximum of five CUET subjects.
- The examination will be held on multiple days in three shifts, depending upon the number of candidates registering for CUET 2026 and subject choices.
Also Read:
Commonly asked questions
As per CUET exam pattern, the subjects are divided into three sections as:
Section I- Languages
Section II- Domain Subject
Section III- General Test
Candidates will get 60 minutes for each subject. Candidates will not be given extra time.
NTA prescribes the CUET UG marking scheme. Check below to know the CUET UG marking scheme 2026:
- Correct answer or the most appropriate answer: Five marks (+5)
- Any incorrect option marked will be given minus one mark (-1).
- Unanswered/Marked for Review will be given no mark (0).
- If more than one option is found to be correct then Five marks (+5) will be awarded to only those who have marked any of the correct options.
- If all options are found to be correct then Five marks (+5) will be awarded to all those who have attempted the question.
- If none of the options is found correct or a question is found to be wrong or a question is dropped, then all candidates who have attempted the dropped question will be given five marks (+5) marks.
CUET language exam is conducted for 13 langauges. This section includes 50 multiple-choice questions in which no optional questions are provided. Candidates can check below to know the expected weightage of CUET language important topics:
Topics | Expected number of questions |
|---|---|
Comprehension | 15 |
Parts of speech | 3-4 |
Para jumbles | 3-4 |
Synonyms and antonyms | 2-3 |
Active/passive voice | 3-4 |
Fill in the blanks | 3-4 |
Incorrect/correct statement | 3-4 |
Phrases and meaning | 5-6 |
CUET UG Syllabus 2026
NTA releases the CUET UG syllabus on the official website. One of the main differences between the CUET syllabus 2026 with other entrance exams such as JEE Main and NEET is that, while the former is only a Class 12 syllabus, the other two exams test candidates' knowledge of both Class 11 and Class 12 chapters and topics. CUET UG syllabus 2026 varies from subject to subject. Before starting the preparation, candidates must have downloaded the subject-wise CUET syllabus PDFs. The number of units or chapters and topics varies from subject to subject. Hence, candidates must prepare according to the subjects opted by them.
Check More on Subject Wise Syllabus:
Commonly asked questions
No, class 11th subject syllabus is not included in CUET UG exam. Students who are preparing for CUET 2026 exam must focus on class 12th NCERT curriculum. NTA prescribes the CUET UG syllabus on its official website. Candidates must be familar the detailed syllabus mentioned on the NTA CUET official website- cuet.nta.nic.in. However, for better concepts clarity, candidates may refer to the class 11th resources.
NTA CUET 2026 exam will be scheduled in May/June 2026 tentatively. Candidates preparing for board examinations must prepare well for the CUET exam along.
No, CUET syllabus is not based on CBSE syllabus as claimed by Education Ministry in Rajya Sabha. The CUET exam is designed to assess the general understandig of the candidate in subjects he/she has opted for. CUET UG is on of the biggest UG entrance exam carnival conducted for admission in cebtral, state, private and deemed universities.
Candidates preparing for CUET UG exam must check the detailed CUET syllabus and CUET question paper to become familiar with the important topics and type of questions asked in the exam.
CUET UG 2026 Preparation
To pass CUET UG 2026 exam, candidates must prepare for exam carefully. CUET preparation is same as that of the Class 12 Board exam. Some of important CUET UG 2026 preparation strategies are as follows:
- Stay updated with CUET syllabus completely.
- Understand CUET pattern and marking scheme and prepare accordingly.
- Get all study books or resources such as prep books and CUET last year question papers to understand what to expect in exam.
- Create a timetable on how much syllabus to cover daily.
- Solve question papers, sample papers, and mocks.
Also Read:
Commonly asked questions
Common University Entrance Test (CUET) sample papers are released by the conducting body, National Testing Agency (NTA). To download the CUET question papers follow the steps below:
- Go to- CUET Question Paper
- Select CUET subject to download the question paper for
- Click on the tab download
- Create the login details for new registrations
- Link to download the CUET question paper will be sent on the registered email ID
- Click on the link provided and save the PDF.
The CUET questions are objective in nature and carries four options also known as MCQs. Candidates will have to choose the correct answer option and click on it with the help of mouse. Since CUET UG 2026 exam will be conducted in a CBT mode, test-takers will be able to mark only one answer option. In case it is the correct option, students will get +5 marks and in case of wrong answer, negative marking scheme will be applied. Hence, candidates must ensure the accuracy of the answer before selecting the answer.
To prepare well for the CUET UG and board examinations, candidates must:
- Start their preparations for CUET UG along with class 12th board examination. This will help students to cover the maximum syllabus for CUET.
- Candidates must make sure to be familiar with the CUET exam pattern and syllabus for the subjects they are planning to opt for.
- Candidates must know weak and strong topics by solving CUET mock tests or previous year question papers.
- Students must make sure to download the CUET question papers and analyse difficulty level of the exam
- Aspirants must select the best books for CUET UG preparation.
CUET UG Question Papers
CUET UG question papers are released by NTA. Candidates can download the last year's CUET previous year question paper PDFs and solve those to get a thorough idea about the question types, difficulty level, topics, etc. You may also download and practice from the previous years' CUET question papers when the exam was named CUCET. Even though the pattern or structure would be different, the question papers of CUET will serve the purpose of giving an overview of the domain-specific subjects. The CUET question papers must be solved in a proctored environment within the stipulated duration and without break to get the best result.
Check Subject Wise CUET Question Papers:
| Subjects |
CUET Question Paper PDFs |
|---|---|
| English |
|
| Biology |
|
| Accountancy/ Book Keeping |
|
| Business Studies |
|
| Chemistry |
|
| Computer Science/ Informatics Practices |
|
| Economics/ Business Economics |
|
| Geography/Geology |
|
| Home Science |
|
| Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India |
CUET Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India Question Paper PDF |
| Legal Studies |
|
| Environmental Science |
|
| Mathematics |
|
| Physical Education/ NCC /Yoga |
|
| Physics |
|
| Political Science |
|
| Psychology |
|
| Sociology |
CUET Mock Test
NTA is likely to release CUET UG 2026 mock tests for practice purposes. Along with the question papers, mock tests are also important tools of preparation. To take CUET UG mock tests, you can enroll into the tests offered by different coaching institutes. Along with taking the tests, you should also get those analysed regularly by your mentors or teachers. Based on the analysis, you will get a thorough idea about your preparation level and the areas to improve. Taking regular CUET mock tests will also help you build a proper exam day strategy, which will help you decide the order of the sections to attempt, time management, strategy to select backup questions, etc.
Read More:
Commonly asked questions
As per CUET exam pattern, the subjects are divided into three sections as:
Section I- Languages
Section II- Domain Subject
Section III- General Test
Candidates will get 60 minutes for each subject. Candidates will not be given extra time.
Practicing with CUET UG (Common University Entrance Test) question papers from previous years offers following benefits:
Helps in knowing format, structure, and types of questions.
Student can know repeated question types.
Help students know weak and strong sections
Helps in developing important skills.
Regularly solving CUET question papers improves problem-solving skills and speed.
As per the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment guidelines, PwD candidates will be provided with following facilities:
- Scribe facility: In case the candidate has physical limitation and required a scribe for writing the exam, he/she must be certified in the format provided by CMO/Civil Surgeon/ Medical Superintendent of a Government Health Care Institution.
- Extra time: PwD candidates will get extra time of one hour whether such candidates use scribe facilities or not.
FAQs on CUET Exam Pattern
Check frequently asked questions on CUET exam pattern below:
Commonly asked questions
As per the CUET UG 2026 exam pattern -
The question paper will include 50 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The CUET UG 2026 exam will be conducted for 13 languages, 23 domain subjects, and general test. Each subject will consist of 50 MCQs and there will no optional questions. All questions are mandatory to attempt. For every wrong answer negative marking of one mark will be attracted.
National Testing Agency conducts CUET UG in online mode. Earlier, NTA codncuted CUET UG 2024 in hybrid mode i.e, online and offline. CUET UG 2025 onwards, NTA is coducting CUET UG in computer based mode. Candidates will get the CUET question paper online and they will be able to mark the correct option with the help of mouse only.
CUET UG is conducted for admission to more than 260 universities across India. List of programs offered through CUET UG are:
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A)
- B.A (Hons.)
- Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)
- Bachelor of Sience (B.Sc.) (Hons.)
- Bachelor of Vocational studies
- B.Sc-M.Sc. Integrated program
- Integrated M. Optometry
- Integrated M.A
- Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.)
- Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) (Hons.)
- Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS)
- Bachelor of Business Administration (Financial Investment Analysis) [BBA (FIA)]
- Bachelor of Business Economics (BBE)
- Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed.)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
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)
CUET Exam
Student Forum
Answered 12 hours ago
To apply for CUET accepting colleges, candidates must first register for CUET UG and obtain score in examination after fulfilling the criteria. Candidates must visit the official website of colleges accepting CUET scores and apply for CUET counselling process. The CUET college admission 2026 process
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 12 hours ago
For CUET UG 2026 it is expected that more than 14 Lacs candidates have applied for the exam. The official notification from NTA is yet to be issued. Recently, NTA has reopened the CUET UG 2206 registration window from February 23 to February 26, 2026. NTA is expected to announce the total unique re
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 14 hours ago
The students who want to apply through CUET exam at IMS Noida for the MBA course, must follow these steps:
· Go to NTA official website
· Click on CUET tab
· Register on the given link
· Make an account and fill the necessary information
· Make the application fee payment
·
C
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 15 hours ago
Yes, National Testing Agency has reopened the CUET UG 2026 registration window. Candidates who have missed applying for CUET 2026 exam earlier, can now apply online till February 26, 2026 (11.50 PM). Candidates have the last opprtunity to apply for exam online.
D
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 16 hours ago
The IMS Noida MBA CUET PG 2026 exam will be held in the month of March. The students who have completed the application process are eligible to appear for the MBA CUET exam with other accepted exams. After giving the entrance, the students need to clear the interview and discussion rounds to confirm
C
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
CUET UG cutoff 2026 for Jawaharlal Nehru University will be released soon after the declaration of results. JNU will release the CUET cutoff 2026 based on the number of registrations, number of seats and candidate's CUET score. Candidates can check the CUET JNU cutoff online when released.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
Jamia Milia Islamia releases the CUET merit list instead of CUET cutoff list. Candidates who will be shortlisted can check their names on the merit list when released. JMI releases the CUET merit list soon after the declaration of CUET results.
K
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
To appear for CUET UG counselling, candidates must have the following documents or information:
- CUET application number
- CUET hall ticket number
- CUET scorecard
- Class 10th and Class 12th marksheet
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
CUET cutoff vary from college to college. However if a candidate is seeking admission to top central universities in India they must score aboe 750 marks to get admission in top courses like B.Com Hons., B.A Eco Hons. B.Sc and so forth. For admission to good colleges, candidate must score above 650
Answered Yesterday
Yes, candidate will have to participate in CUET UG counselling process even if they are class 12th topper. Candidates cannnot get direct admission to central universities without CUET. Class 12th marks are generally used for tie breaking criteria only.
N
Contributor-Level 6
107 Institutes accepting CUET
Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, University of ...
North Campus, Delhi • Public
- 3 years
- |
- Full Time
Mata Sundri College for Women, University of Delhi
Mata Sundari Lane, Delhi • Public
Janki Devi Memorial College, University of Delhi
Rajendra Nagar, Delhi • Public
Lakshmibai College, University of Delhi
Ashok Vihar, Delhi • Public
Registration - 23 Feb '26 - 26 Feb '26
Where can I select CUET colleges?