CUET UG, explained from form to result.

The Common University Entrance Test (CUET UG) is the national entrance exam for admission to undergraduate programmes at all Central Universities and the other participating universities across India: state, deemed and private universities and a few government institutes. It is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in 13 mediums, in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode only.

NTA was set up in November 2017 to run India's major entrance examinations, including JEE Main, NEET UG, UGC NET and CUET. CUET UG was first held in 2022, and since then it has become the main route into undergraduate courses at DU, JNU, BHU and many other universities. For most Class 12 students, it now matters as much as the boards.

Everything on this page is as per the NTA information bulletin for CUET (UG) 2026. NTA releases a fresh bulletin every year and details can change, so always confirm on the official NTA website, cuet.nta.nic.in.

The CUET (UG) 2026 schedule from the NTA information bulletin, for the academic year 2026–27. Dates for CUET UG 2027 will come with the next bulletin.

• Mode of the testComputer Based Test (CBT) only. No pen-and-paper option.
• Question typeObjective, multiple choice questions (MCQs).
• Medium13 languages: Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.
• Choice of test papersUp to 5 subjects in all, including languages and the General Aptitude Test, whatever subjects you studied in Class 12.
• Total subjects37: 13 languages, 23 domain-specific subjects and 1 General Aptitude Test.
• RegistrationOnline only, on the official CUET website. No offline forms.

CUET UG is the entrance test; eligibility for a course is set by each university. The bulletin is clear on a few points that every student and parent should know before filling the form.

• You can choose CUET subjects irrespective of the subjects you studied in Class 12. Whether a university then accepts that combination for a programme is the university's call.
• Each university has different requirements for each course. Read them carefully before you apply. If you choose a programme you are not eligible for, the responsibility is yours.
• Reservation follows Government of India rules or the policy of the participating university. The full details are on the official website.
• OBC means OBC-NCL as per the central list. State-list OBC candidates who are not in the central list must choose General / Unreserved.

Applications are accepted online only. Keep these ready before you start:

• A mobile number and email of your ownAll SMS and email updates from NTA go here, right up to the result.
• A clear photo and signatureScanned in good quality. The official website explains the exact format.
• Class 10 and 12 detailsBoard, school, passing year and marks or percentage.
• Your university and course planShortlist programmes first and check their eligibility.

How to fill the CUET UG application form

1. 1Register on the official websiteClick ‘Register’ and fill in your personal details, present and permanent address, then choose a password and security PIN.
2. 2Fill in the application formPersonal details: Fill this accurately and completely.Education details: Class 10 and Class 12 (or equivalent): board, school, passing year and marks.Exam centre: Choose your preferred exam cities. Only two cities can be selected.University and programme: Pick the universities and courses you want, after checking each one's criteria.Test papers: Choose your subjects: languages, domain subjects and the General Test, up to 5 in all.
3. 3Upload documentsPhoto 10 KB to 200 KB and signature 4 KB to 30 KB. Where they apply, certificates as PDFs of 50 KB to 300 KB: category (other than General), BPL, Kashmiri Migrant, Ward of Defence Personnel / Ex-Servicemen, and PwBD (benchmark disability of 40% or more).
4. 4Preview and editCheck the preview. Use ‘Edit Application’ to correct anything before you pay.
5. 5Pay the feeOnline, by credit card, debit card, net banking or UPI. Your fee status (paid / unpaid) shows on the form.
6. 6Save the confirmationSave and print the confirmation page for your records. You will need your application number later.

Choose the language of your question paper carefully. It is fixed when you fill the form and cannot be changed later.

For CUET (UG) 2026 the fee depends on how many subjects you choose:

OBC-NCL is as per the central list on the National Commission for Backward Classes website (ncbc.nic.in). EWS reservation follows the Government of India orders of 17 January 2019 for admission to Central Educational Institutions.

All 50 questions in a paper are compulsory, so each paper is marked out of 250. Say you attempt 44 questions in Economics and get 38 right and 6 wrong: your score is 38 × 5 − 6 = 184 out of 250. Every wrong answer costs a mark, so attempt with care.

• PwBD candidates who are eligible for a scribe get 20 minutes of compensatory time for every hour of the exam, as per Government guidelines, whether or not they use the scribe. The extra time is given paper by paper.
• If there is any difference between the English and another language version of a question, the English version is taken as final.

Every paper is available in English. The second language on offer depends on where your exam centre is:

CUET UG has 37 subjects: 13 languages, 23 domain-specific subjects and the General Aptitude Test. You can take up to 5 of them. Pick the ones your target universities ask for in the programmes you want.

The bulletin's subject appendix also lists Engineering Graphics (310), Entrepreneurship (311) and Legal Studies (317), marked confirm above, which would make 26 domain subjects against its own count of 23. Check the final list on the official NTA website before you choose.

• The exam is held over several days, in two or three shifts a day, depending on the number of candidates and their subject combinations.
• Each test in each shift is separate and independent. You choose your subjects; NTA allots shifts based on those choices and on technical and administrative needs.
• Admit cards are issued for each shift based on the subjects you opted for. Requests to change the date or shift are not entertained.
• Every shift starts at a fixed time. Report as per the time printed on your admit card.

After the form closes, NTA releases everything on the official website, one step at a time. Dates for each are announced by NTA.

1. 1Exam cityNTA announces the city of your exam, so you can plan travel early.
2. 2Admit cardDownload it from the CUET website. It shows your centre, date, shift and reporting time.
3. 3The examPapers on the computer, shift by shift, across the exam window.
4. 4Responses & answer keysNTA displays your recorded responses with the answer keys, so you can check your attempt.
5. 5ResultNTA declares the result and scorecards on the official website.
6. 6University admissionApply on each university's own portal (CSAS for DU) using your CUET score.

Want a rough idea before the result? Our CUET score calculator works it out from your answers and the key.

All Central Universities admit undergraduates through CUET, and so do many state, deemed and private universities. Our directory lists 205 universities and institutions from the CUET (UG) 2026 participating list.

Applying to Delhi University? Our free DU preference sheet generator shows every programme you are eligible for with your CUET subjects.

1. 01Finish the NCERT booksCUET domain papers are strictly based on the NCERT Class 12 syllabus. Read every chapter, including the examples.
2. 02Test every chapterAfter each chapter, take chapter-wise tests while the concepts are fresh.
3. 03Move to full mocksFull-length papers on the NTA screen build speed and exam temperament.
4. 04Solve previous-year papersEvery CUET paper since 2022 shows you the real level and question style.
5. 05Take All India TestsSee your rank among thousands of students, then revise the chapters your analysis flags.
6. 06Revise, don't just practiseGo back to the solutions of every mock. That is where most of the marks are won.