CUET-UGCommon University Entrance Test (Undergraduate)

CUET-UG is the common national gateway to undergraduate admission in central universities and participating institutions, conducted by the National Testing Agency since its launch for the 2022 admission cycle. Its stated purpose is to provide a single, level platform for candidates across the country — replacing the board-mark cut-off race that previously governed admissions at places like Delhi University. For arts aspirants it is now the decisive exam: BA programmes at DU, BHU, Jamia and other central universities admit exclusively through CUET-UG scores fed into each university’s own counselling (DU’s CSAS being the largest).

The exam is fully computer-based and modular: candidates pick up to five subjects from three baskets — languages (13 offered), domain subjects aligned to the Class 12 syllabus (23 offered), and a General Aptitude Test. From the 2025 cycle onward each subject paper carries 50 compulsory multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, marked +5 for a correct answer and −1 for an incorrect one, for 250 marks per paper; the earlier optional-question format and the longer subject list were dropped when the UGC and NTA rationalized the exam. A further flexibility introduced at the same time lets candidates take a domain subject in CUET even if they did not study it in Class 12.

Because the pattern and subject list have been revised more than once since the exam began, candidates should treat the current NTA information bulletin on cuet.nta.nic.in as the sole authority for the year they appear. University-wise programme eligibility (which CUET subjects a given BA programme counts, and with what weight) is published by each admitting university, not by the NTA — reading both documents together is essential when picking your five subjects.