CUET 2026 Exam Pattern: Section-wise Pattern, Marking Scheme & Number of Questions
Common University Entrance Test 2026 ( CUET )
Registration - 1 Mar '26 - 24 Mar '26
Common University Entrance Test (CUET) pattern 2026 consists of language test, domain-specific subject exams and a general test. CUET UG 2026 exam pattern mentions the 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.
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 each wrong answer, there will be a negative marking of one mark. Candidates can select up to five subjects. CUET 2026 exam will be scheduled tentatively in May/June 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
CUET UG 2026 exam will be conducted in a CBT mode only. The questions will be given in a multiple-choice question (MCQ) format. 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 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
The total marks of the CUET exam is 250 marks. 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.
Also Read:
Commonly asked questions
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:
Stream-wise Best UG courses options through CUET: Engineering, Science, Commerce, Arts
Commonly asked questions
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 UG 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
CUET UG 2026 Preparation
To crack the CUET UG 2026 exam, candidates must thoroughly prepare for the exam. The CUET preparation should be the same as that of the Class 12 Board exam. Apart from the domain subjects, you should also prepare separately for the language subjects and General Test (if opted for). Some of the key CUET UG 2026 preparation strategies are as follows:
- Go through the CUET syllabus thoroughly.
- Understand the CUET exam pattern and marking scheme and prepare accordingly.
- Get all the study material for CUET such as prep books and previous years' question papers to help better understand what to expect in the exam.
- Create a monthly timetable on how much material to cover daily.
- Solve question papers, sample papers, and mock tests.
Also Read:
Commonly asked questions
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
FAQs on CUET Exam Pattern
Check frequently asked questions on CUET exam pattern below:
Commonly asked questions
CUET Exam
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a week ago
No, Bapuji Academy of Management & Research (BAMR) is not under CUET. The academy accepts the scores of certain other entrance exams such as, MAT/PGCET/KMAT. Candidates who have passed graduation with a minimum of 50% aggregate (45% for reserved category) can apply for admission.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
My fellow junior I am vansh verma from Delhi University ( Central University ) I am also pursuing B.Com (h) from Shri ram College of commerce and I also studied just accountancy business economics and english and you don't need any maths for B.Com (h) in delhi university but for other Central Unive
V
Beginner-Level 1
Answered 2 weeks ago
Admission in JNU's B.A. (Hons.) in foreign languages through CUET depends on cut-off scores, category-wise merit list, and number of seats available. For OBC category, the cut-off is generally lower than General, but it still varies each year depending on applicants. With 247 marks, your chances wil
M
Beginner-Level 3
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes, with 98 percentile you have a very good chance to enter North Campus.
- Top colleges like SRCC, St. Stephen's, Hindu, Miranda House usually require 99+.
- Other North Campus colleges may accept students with 97–98+.
- Final admission depends on your category (General vs. reserved), course choice, and
N
Beginner-Level 1
Answered 2 weeks ago
No, Terna Global Business School is not under CUET. Rather the college accepts scores of various other entrance exams such as CAT, XAT, GMAT, MAT, MAH-CET, etc. Candidates are not required to appear for the CUET exam rather they must appear for any of these exams.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
No, Chandola Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital is not under CUET. Instead the college accepts the scores of the UPMT exam for admission to the BHMS course. This is the Uttaranchal Pre-Medical Test and is conducted by the State Government of Uttarakhand at different centres.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
Yes, candidatescan take admissions into the Marwadi University BCom courses without appearing for the CUET entrance exam. Candidates who wish togain admissions into the Marwadi University are required to clear their Class 12 board exams and apply for admissions. Candidates can apply for admissions a
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
Yes, candidates can get admissions to BA courses at AURO University without CUET UG scores. BA admissions at the university are not entrance based. They are merit-based. Applicants are awarded admissions based on merit obtained by them in the last qualifying examination. Apart from this, they also m
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
No, National Testing Agency does not announce the CUET dates for counselling. The role of NTA ends soon after the declaration of CUET UG results. To know the CUET counselling sates, candidates must visit the official website of university they desire to take admission in. Every CUET participating un
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 weeks ago
Of more than 3,000 full time M.Tech colleges in India you will find more than 2300 private colleges, 500+ government colleges, and the remaining public-private. For M Tech admission, exam scores like GATE, CEETA PG, and CUET PG are widely accepted by top colleges. Talking about CUET PG in particula
V
Contributor-Level 10
302 Institutes accepting CUET
Varanasi • Public
4.4Noida • Private
Hindu College, University of Delhi
North Campus, Delhi • Public
Hansraj College, University of Delhi
Malka Ganj, Delhi • Public
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Is Bapuji Academy of Management & Research (BAMR) under CUET?