CUET (UG)
Which subjects can I take in CUET (UG), how is each paper marked, and who decides admission?
CUET (UG) is the Common University Entrance Test that the National Testing Agency (NTA) runs for undergraduate admission to all Central Universities and to the other universities that take part. You pick up to five tests from 37: 13 languages, 23 domain subjects and a General Aptitude Test, whatever subjects you took in Class 12. Each test is a 60-minute computer-based paper of 50 questions. NTA only sets the paper and publishes scores. Each university makes its own merit list under its own subject and eligibility rules. The details below are from NTA's CUET (UG) 2026 Information Bulletin.
This page may be out of date. It was due for a re-check on 31 January 2027. Confirm every rule with the official source before acting on it.
The 2026 test window was May 2026 and that cycle is over. NTA published the 2026 bulletin in early January 2026. We could not reach cuet.nta.nic.in on 2 October 2026 to check for a 2027 bulletin. The rules above are from 2026 and may change for 2027.
Exam at a glance
- Conducted by
- National Testing Agency (NTA)[1]
- Mode
- Computer Based Test (CBT), in multiple shifts[1]
- Tests you can take
- Up to 5, counting languages and the General Aptitude Test[1]
- Each test
- 50 compulsory MCQs in 60 minutes (20 minutes extra per hour for PwBD candidates)[1]
- Marking
- +5 for a correct answer, −1 for a wrong one, 0 if left blank[1]
- Age limit
- None for the test. A university may set its own.[1]
- 2026 exam window
- 11 to 31 May 2026 (tentative in the bulletin)[1]
The 37 tests, by group
Fee for up to 3 tests, centre in India (2026)
| Group | Tests |
|---|---|
| Languages (13) | 101 English, 102 Hindi, 103 Assamese, 104 Bengali, 105 Gujarati, 106 Kannada, 107 Malayalam, 108 Marathi, 109 Odia, 110 Punjabi, 111 Tamil, 112 Telugu, 113 Urdu |
| Domain subjects (23) | 301 Accountancy/Book Keeping, 302 Agriculture, 303 Anthropology, 304 Biology/Biological Science/Biotechnology/Biochemistry, 305 Business Studies, 306 Chemistry, 307 Environmental Science, 308 Computer Science/Information Practices, 309 Economics/Business Economics, 312 Fine Arts/Visual Arts/Commercial Arts, 313 Geography/Geology, 314 History, 315 Home Science, 316 Knowledge Tradition: Practices in India, 318 Mass Media/Mass Communication, 319 Mathematics/Applied Mathematics, 320 Performing Arts, 321 Physical Education, 322 Physics, 323 Political Science, 324 Psychology, 325 Sanskrit, 326 Sociology |
| General Aptitude Test (1) | 501 General Aptitude Test |
Language tests check reading comprehension, literary aptitude and vocabulary. Domain tests follow the NCERT syllabus. The General Aptitude Test covers general knowledge, current affairs, mental ability, numerical ability, basic quantitative reasoning and logical reasoning. Sanskrit is not translated into other languages.[1]
| Response | Marks |
|---|---|
| Correct answer | +5 |
| Wrong answer | −1 |
| Unanswered | 0 |
| Question with more than one correct option | +5 to anyone who marked one of the correct options |
| Question dropped, wrong, or with no correct option | +5 to every candidate who sat that paper |
Where a paper runs in more than one shift, raw marks are converted to NTA scores. There is no re-evaluation or re-checking after the result.[1]
| Category | Up to 3 tests | Each extra test |
|---|---|---|
| General (UR) | ₹1,000 | ₹400 |
| OBC-NCL, EWS | ₹900 | ₹375 |
| SC, ST, PwD/PwBD, third gender | ₹800 | ₹350 |
| Centre outside India | ₹4,500 | ₹1,800 |
The 2026 fee, paid online only; bank or gateway charges and GST are extra. State-list OBC candidates who are not on the central OBC-NCL list pay as General. NTA sets a new fee each year.[1]
There is no age limit for the test. You can sit it if you have passed Class 12 or an equivalent, or if you are appearing for it in the exam year. Which passing years a university accepts is that university's own rule, so check its admission page before you apply.
Sitting CUET does not by itself make you eligible for a programme. Each university applies its own rules on subject combinations, minimum Class 12 marks, quotas and reservation.[1]
If your Class 12 is from outside India or from a board not listed, you need a UGC certificate that it is equal to Class 12. If your Class 12 was not a public exam, you must have passed at least one public board or Pre-University exam before it.
- The final 10+2 exam of a recognised Central or State board, such as CBSE or CISCE
- An Intermediate or two-year Pre-University exam of a recognised board or university
- The final exam of the two-year Joint Services Wing course at the National Defence Academy
- The NIOS Senior Secondary exam with at least five subjects
- A school, board or university exam in India or abroad that AIU, UGC or an agency notified by the Ministry of Education treats as equal to 10+2
- The Higher Secondary Certificate Vocational exam
- A diploma of at least three years recognised by AICTE or a State board of technical education
- GCE A-level (London, Cambridge or Sri Lanka)
- The Cambridge High School Certificate or the International Baccalaureate Diploma
Source[1]
You do not have to match your Class 12 subjects. NTA says to pick tests by what each programme at your chosen university asks for. Read the prospectus of every university you want first, then pick the tests that cover all of them, inside the limit of five.
Each test past three adds to the fee. You cannot change your medium after you submit the form. The paper comes in English and in the language you chose, and the English version wins if they differ.[1]
NTA publishes the answer keys, takes challenges and then declares the result. You download your score card from cuet.nta.nic.in, because NTA does not post it. NTA has no role in merit lists.
Each Central University and participating university then announces its own counselling or admission schedule and merit list, using your CUET score and its other criteria. Questions about admission go to the university, not to NTA. A CUET (UG) 2026 score is valid only for admission in the 2026-27 academic year.[1]
Tips and tricks
- List every programme you want at every university first, then pick the tests that cover all of them inside the limit of five.[1]
- Each test after the third adds to the fee, so drop any test that none of your programmes asks for.[1]
- Check each university's own rules on passing year and subject combination. CUET doesn't decide them.[1]
- NTA doesn't post the score card. Download it from cuet.nta.nic.in and keep a PDF and a printout for each university's admission round.[1]
- A score is valid only for that year's admissions. If you take a gap year, you sit CUET again.[1]
Questions people ask
How many subjects can I choose in CUET (UG)?
Up to five, and that count includes languages and the General Aptitude Test. The 2026 fee covered three tests, with a charge for each extra one.[1]
Do my CUET subjects have to match my Class 12 subjects?
No. The bulletin lets you choose any tests, whatever you studied in Class 12. What matters is what the programme at your chosen university asks for, so check its prospectus first.[1]
Is there negative marking in CUET (UG)?
Yes. A correct answer earns five marks and a wrong one loses one. A question you leave blank scores zero.[1]
Is there an age limit for CUET (UG)?
Not for the test. The university you apply to may have its own age rule, and that rule applies to your admission.[1]
Can I use my CUET score next year?
No. The bulletin says a CUET (UG) 2026 score counts only for admission in the 2026-27 academic year.[1]
Can I get my CUET result re-checked?
No. NTA lets you challenge the provisional answer keys before the result. After the result there is no re-evaluation or re-checking.[1]
Who makes the CUET merit list?
Not NTA. Each Central University and participating university announces its own counselling or admission schedule and merit list, using your CUET score and its own criteria.[1]
Connected pages
- Part of pathway · PathwayAfter Class 12 Arts (Humanities)What Class 12 Arts (Humanities) opens up: BA through CUET (UG), five-year law through CLAT, CA Foundation from any stream, and B.Planning if you have Maths.
- Part of pathway · PathwayAfter Class 12 CommerceAfter Class 12 Commerce: CA Foundation and its four-month rule, B.Com and BBA through CUET (UG), law through CLAT, and B.Planning with Maths.
- Part of pathway · PathwayAfter Class 12 Science (PCB)What Physics, Chemistry and Biology in Class 12 open up: MBBS, BDS and AYUSH via NEET (UG), nursing and veterinary seats that use NEET, and B.Sc via CUET (UG).
- Part of pathway · PathwayAfter Class 12 Science (PCM)What Physics, Chemistry and Maths in Class 12 open up: B.Tech, B.Arch and B.Planning through JEE Main, B.Sc through CUET (UG), and the rules for each.
- Related · ExamNEET (UG)NEET (UG) paper pattern, marking, age rule, qualifying exam codes, the 50th/40th percentile cut-off and tie-break order, from NTA's 2026 bulletin.
- Related · ExamJEE MainJEE Main paper pattern, marking scheme, age and year-of-passing rules and NIT admission criteria, taken from NTA's official Information Bulletin.
- Related · PathwayLaw after Class 12How to study law after Class 12 in India: five-year LL.B. through CLAT or AILET, the marks rules, the three-year LL.B. after a degree, and the bar exam.
- Entrance exam for · DegreeBA (Bachelor of Arts)How long a BA takes, the honours and research year, majors and minors, the CUET tests that get you in, and the MA through CUET (PG). From UGC and NTA.
- Entrance exam for · DegreeBBA (Bachelor of Business Administration)How long a BBA takes, the honours year, the CUET tests that get you in, what became of BBM and BBS, and the MBA after it. From UGC and NTA.
- Entrance exam for · DegreeBCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications)Who can join a BCA, how long it runs (3 or 4 years under AICTE), whether you need Maths, and the route to MCA and government posts. Sourced from AICTE and UGC.
- Entrance exam for · DegreeB.Com (Bachelor of Commerce)How long a B.Com takes, the 4-year honours option, how central universities admit, and the CA, CS and SSC routes after it. From UGC, ICAI, ICSI and NTA.
- Entrance exam for · DegreeB.Sc (Bachelor of Science)How long a B.Sc takes, the honours and research year, the CUET tests that get you in, and M.Sc at IITs through JAM. From UGC and NTA.
- Related · ExamCLATCLAT 2027 (UG) is on paper on 6 December 2026. See who could apply, the ₹4,000 fee, the 120-question pattern, what locked after payment and what to do now.
Official and partner links
- Official bodyCUET (UG) official website (NTA)
Sources
- CUET (UG) 2026 Information Bulletin, National Testing Agency. Dates, fee and features at a glance (pp. 6-7); 1.3; Chapter 2 (scheme, p. 15); Chapter 3 (eligibility, pp. 16-17); Chapter 12 (marking, NTA score, admissions, pp. 31-32); Appendix II (subjects, pp. 37-38). Accessed 2 October 2026.
Found an error or a newer rule? Tell us through the corrections page. Updated 8 October 2026.