CUET UG 2026: Exam Dates, Registration, Syllabus & Admit Card

The CUET UG exam does not give you a college seat. NTA does not run any counselling or rank list. CUET UG stands for Common University Entrance Test (Undergraduate). The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts it once a year and gives you a score for each subject. Each university then uses that score to make its own merit list.

NTA has not announced the CUET UG 2027 exam as of 20 October 2026. There is no CUET UG exam date 2027, bulletin, fee or pattern yet. So the facts below about the CUET UG exam come from the 2026 cycle, the latest official one. Each carries the year 2026. Anything shown for 2027 is marked expected, and it is only a guess from past years.

Students and parents can read this page from top to bottom, or jump to the part they need. Each part explains its terms once, in simple words. Open these pages when you need full detail. They are CUET UG 2027 exam date, CUET UG exam registration, CUET UG exam pattern and CUET UG exam syllabus.

The CUET UG exam is a national entrance test for admission to bachelor's degree courses. Undergraduate means the first degree after Class 12, such as B.A., B.Com., B.Sc. or BBA. One test now serves many universities. So you write the CUET UG exam once, not a separate test for each. NTA's Information Bulletin calls this a "single window opportunity".

NTA is an autonomous body under the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education. Its job in the CUET UG exam is limited. It registers candidates, conducts the test, publishes answer keys, handles challenges, declares the result and hosts the score card. It does not take admissions. The merit list is made by each participating university.

In 2026, 244 universities accepted the score of the CUET UG exam. The number was 241 in 2025. The list is "dynamic", which means it changes, so check the official list before you apply.

The website list shows 49 central universities. Appendix I of the bulletin names 48, as on 3 January 2026. The website adds IIT Dharwad. Use the website list, because NTA keeps it updated.

The CUET UG exam had more than 15% more registered candidates in 2026 than the 13,54,699 of 2025. So the exam grows each year. NTA has not said if the CUET UG 2027 exam will keep the 2026 rules.

Who conducts the CUET UG exam?

NTA conducts the CUET UG exam. The official website is cuet.nta.nic.in. The helpline numbers are 011-40759000 and 011-69227700, and the email is cuet-ug@nta.ac.in. NTA does not handle admission, counselling or court matters about admissions. For those, contact the university.

Is CUET UG compulsory for college admission?

The CUET UG exam is compulsory only if your chosen university takes admission through it. University of Delhi colleges admitted students only through CUET UG 2026 and the DU CSAS system in 2026-27. Each university decides which of its courses use the score. Check the admission page of each college you like. The official list of participating universities shows who accepts the score.

NTA has announced no CUET UG exam date 2027 yet. The latest official dates are from the 2026 cycle, shown below. Times are as printed in the bulletin and NTA notices.

The dates of the CUET UG exam can move. NTA postponed the papers of 28 May 2026 because the government changed a holiday for Id-ul-Zuha. Those papers were held on 31 May and on 6 and 7 June. On 30 May 2026, a technical problem hit Shift I. Out of 73,106 candidates present, 69,341 finished the paper. The other 3,765 got a one-time re-exam on 6 and 7 June.

NTA's documents also disagree on one count. The 10 May 2026 briefing spoke of a 21-day exam window. The result release and the 7 June release say the exam ran on 19 days, over 35 shifts. Use 19 days, as it is what actually happened.

What is the CUET UG exam date 2027?

NTA has not announced the CUET UG exam date 2027. Watch cuet.nta.nic.in for the new Information Bulletin. The last two years suggest that CUET UG registration 2027 may open between January and March 2027. They also suggest an exam in May 2027 and a result in June 2027. This is expected, not confirmed.

In 2025, applications ran from 1 to 24 March, and the exam ran from 13 May to 3 June 2025. In 2026, applications opened much earlier, on 3 January. So the start of CUET UG registration 2027 can differ by two months. See the CUET UG exam dates page for the full table.

The CUET UG exam is a computer-based test with 37 papers, and each paper has 50 questions in 60 minutes. The table shows the 2026 facts of the CUET UG exam, which are the latest official ones. NTA has announced nothing for 2027.

Is the CUET UG exam online or offline?

The CUET UG exam is computer based. You sit at an exam centre and answer on a computer. NTA calls this CBT mode and has no pen-and-paper mode in the bulletin. In 2026, NTA used 868 centres in India and 15 cities outside India.

NTA's papers disagree on the number of international cities. The bulletin (Appendix III) and the 7 June 2026 release say 15. The 10 May 2026 briefing said 14, and the 23 June 2026 result release said 13. The bulletin figure of 15 is the one to trust.

You can write the CUET UG exam in 13 languages. These are English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. The paper shows English and your chosen language together. If the two versions differ, the English version prevails. Sanskrit is a subject paper and is not translated into any other language.

A candidate who passed Class 12, or is appearing in it in the year of the test, can sit the CUET UG exam under the CUET UG eligibility criteria. There is no age limit to write the CUET UG exam. NTA has not said if the CUET UG eligibility criteria will change for 2027. Mere appearance gives you no right to admission, because each university sets its own eligibility for each course.

Here are the qualifying examinations that the 2026 Information Bulletin accepts under the CUET UG eligibility criteria.

• Class 12 from CBSE, CISCE or any recognised State board.
• Intermediate or a two-year pre-university course.
• The two-year course of the National Defence Academy (NDA).
• Senior secondary from the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) with at least five subjects.
• A foreign or Indian board certificate that the AIU or UGC treats as equal to Class 12.
• Higher secondary vocational examination.
• An AICTE or state-board diploma of at least three years.
• GCE A-level, Cambridge High School Certificate or IB Diploma.

The bulletin has no nationality bar for the CUET UG exam. University rules are separate. For example, DU asks for an Indian citizen or an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) for its regular seats.

Is there an age limit for the CUET UG exam?

No. The bulletin says there is no age limit for appearing in the CUET UG exam. A university may have its own age rule at the time of admission. Check the CUET UG eligibility criteria of your target university too. DU has no minimum age bar, except for regulated programmes.

There is no limit on attempts. The bulletin states none for the CUET UG exam. If you passed Class 12 earlier and want a better score, choose "Passed" in the qualification field. A gap year is not a bar at DU. Remember that a score is valid only for the admission year, so an old score cannot be reused.

Can students living outside India write the CUET UG exam?

Yes. NTA holds the CUET UG exam in cities outside India, and the fee for those centres is higher. The 2026 fee for a centre outside India was ₹4,500 for up to three subjects. Some universities add their own conditions. DU asks for an Indian citizen or OCI for regular seats, and it has a separate route for foreign nationals.

CUET UG Eligibility: Frequently Asked Questions

CUET UG registration 2027 has not started, because NTA has not announced the 2027 cycle. The form for the CUET UG exam is online only on the NTA website. The form for the CUET UG 2027 exam will open only after NTA releases the new bulletin. NTA does not accept an application in any other mode.

What is the CUET UG registration last date 2027?

There is no CUET UG registration last date 2027 yet. It will come with the new bulletin and the CUET UG exam date 2027. For comparison, the 2026 form ran from 3 to 30 January 2026. The fee last date was 31 January 2026. The 2025 last date was extended from 22 March to 24 March 2025. The dates above are from the bulletin. We have not read an extension notice for 2026, so confirm on the NTA site.

Here is the CUET UG registration process, step by step, as it worked in 2026. Plan your documents and money before CUET UG registration 2027 opens.

1. Open cuet.nta.nic.in and register. Note the Application Number the system gives you.
2. Set a password of 8 to 13 characters. It needs one capital letter, one small letter, one digit and one special character. Choose a security question.
3. Fill your personal details, your education details, your university and programme choices, and your test papers.
4. Choose up to four exam cities within the state of your present or permanent address. NTA may allot another city.
5. Upload your documents. Details are in the next list.
6. Pay the fee online by Net Banking, credit card, debit card or UPI.
7. Download the Confirmation Page. It appears only after a successful payment.

Keep these file sizes ready before you start.

• Live photograph: taken while you fill the form, by webcam or by mobile through a QR code.
• Scanned passport-size photograph: recent, in colour, with a white background, JPG or JPEG, 10 kb to 200 kb.
• Signature: JPG or JPEG, 10 kb to 50 kb.
• Disability or UDID certificate, if needed: PDF, 50 kb to 300 kb.
• Identity proof, if you do not verify by Aadhaar or DigiLocker: JPG or JPEG, 10 kb to 200 kb.

Use one mobile number and one email for one application. NTA warns that more than one application can lead to cancellation of the result.

How much is the CUET UG exam fee?

The CUET UG exam fee in 2026 started at ₹1,000 for General candidates, for up to three subjects. Each extra subject cost more. NTA kept the same fees in 2025 and has announced no 2027 fee.

Here is the maths for five subjects. A General candidate pays ₹1,000 for three subjects plus 2 x ₹400 for the other two, which is ₹1,800. An OBC-NCL or EWS candidate pays ₹900 + 2 x ₹375 = ₹1,650. An SC, ST or PwBD candidate pays ₹800 + 2 x ₹350 = ₹1,500. Bank or gateway charges and GST are extra. NTA does not refund the fee once paid.

Is the CUET UG application form the same as the college application form?

No. The NTA form only registers you for the CUET UG exam. After the result, you apply to each university on its own portal. DU uses a separate system called CSAS (Common Seat Allocation System). BHU uses its own portals. Read the CUET UG counselling page to see how DU admission works.

CUET UG Registration: Frequently Asked Questions

The CUET UG 2027 admit card is not out, because the exam is not announced. Admit cards depend on the CUET UG exam date 2027, which NTA has not given. In 2026, NTA released admit cards in batches before the papers of the CUET UG exam. For example, it released cards on 27 May 2026 for the 31 May papers. It released more on 1 June 2026 for the 6 and 7 June papers.

Follow these steps, step by step, as they worked in 2026.

1. Open cuet.nta.nic.in.
2. Click the link named "Admit Card for CUET(UG) - 2026". The 2027 link will carry the new year.
3. Log in with your Application Number and Password.
4. Download the card and print it on A4 paper.
5. Fill the Self Declaration (Undertaking) on it and carry it to the centre.

NTA does not post admit cards. It does not give a duplicate card at the centre. The card shows your subject or subjects, date, shift and centre. You can write a paper only on the date and shift printed on it. If your name, photo or signature is wrong, call 011-40759000 between 10 AM and 5 PM. Still appear with the card.

NTA tells you your city for the CUET UG exam before the admit card. In 2026, 96.6% of candidates got a preferred city and 79% got their first choice. The other 3.4% got a window to choose another city on a first-come, first-served basis.

Carry one original photo ID that is valid and not expired. These are accepted:

• School ID card.
• PAN card.
• Passport.
• Aadhaar card with photo, or e-Aadhaar with photo.
• Class 12 Board admit card with photo.
• Bank passbook with photo.

Report two hours before the CUET UG exam starts. Late entry after the gate closes is not allowed. NTA does not allow textbooks, calculators, mobile phones, watches, earphones, Bluetooth devices, wallets, handbags, belts or caps. Metal-detector frisking is compulsory, and there are no lockers at centres.

NTA's own papers differ on some items for the CUET UG exam day, as the table shows. The bulletin is the document of record. The briefing of 10 May 2026 cites a public notice of 7 May 2026, which we have not read. Follow your admit card and the latest NTA notice.

The bulletin lists "pen" among barred items, yet it also asks you to carry "a simple transparent ball point pen". Carry the transparent ball-point pen. The CUET UG admit card page has the full list.

Each CUET UG exam paper has 50 questions, all compulsory, and it lasts 60 minutes. Every question in the CUET UG exam is a multiple choice question (MCQ). NTA has announced no pattern for the CUET UG 2027 exam. The 2025 and 2026 bulletins give the same CUET UG exam pattern.

Marking in the CUET UG exam is easy to follow. You get 5 marks for a right answer and lose 1 mark for a wrong answer. You get 0 for a question you leave. Here is a made-up example. Suppose you answer 40 questions right, 6 wrong, and leave 4. Your marks are 40 x 5 = 200, minus 6 x 1 = 6, which gives 194 out of 250.

The 250 marks in the CUET UG exam is a raw score. The result shows a different number called the NTA Score, which comes after normalisation. The result section below explains it.

Does the CUET UG exam have negative marking?

Yes. The CUET UG exam has negative marking of 1 mark for every wrong answer. One right answer gives 5 marks, so it cancels five wrong answers. Questions you do not attempt carry no penalty.

There is no single total marks figure for the whole CUET UG exam, because you pick your own papers. Each paper is out of 250 raw marks. If you take five papers, the highest raw total is 5 x 250 = 1,250. In 2026, the top aggregate NTA Score over five subjects was 1232.19. The CUET UG exam pattern page explains marks and time in more detail.

The CUET UG exam has 37 test papers, and you can take up to five of them. There are 13 language papers, 23 domain subject papers and 1 General Aptitude Test. A language paper tests reading and word skills. A domain paper tests one Class 12 subject, such as Physics or Accountancy. The General Aptitude Test (GAT) tests general knowledge, current affairs, mental ability, numerical ability and reasoning. CUET UG question papers help candidates understand the exam pattern, question types and difficulty level for effective preparation.

How many subjects can I take in the CUET UG exam?

You can take up to five papers in the CUET UG exam. These CUET UG subjects can be languages, domain subjects and the GAT, in any mix. NTA allows this irrespective of the subjects you opted in Class 12. In the CUET UG exam of 2026, a candidate took 4.31 papers on average. You can check this: 67,56,327 papers were registered by 15,68,867 candidates, and 67,56,327 divided by 15,68,867 is about 4.31.

Which CUET UG subjects should I choose?

Choose the CUET UG subjects that your target programme asks for before you register for the CUET UG exam. Each university lists these on its own site. DU gives clear examples for 2026.

• B.A. (Hons.) Economics: one language, Mathematics or Applied Mathematics, and two more allowed subjects.
• B.Com. (Hons.): one language, Mathematics or Applied Mathematics (or Accountancy), and two more allowed subjects.
• B.Com. and B.A. (Hons.) Geography: a language and any three allowed subjects, or two languages and two allowed subjects.

DU takes the best score from any valid combination. Pick your CUET UG subjects only after you read the programme rules of your top three universities. A wrong choice may not be fixable once the correction window closes.

NTA has released no CUET UG syllabus 2027. The latest is the 2026 syllabus, which has one PDF for each of the 37 papers. NTA has not said if the CUET UG 2027 exam syllabus will change. NTA published it in December 2025. The official syllabus page has all the PDFs.

The domain syllabi of the CUET UG exam follow the NCERT syllabus. NTA's FAQ says the question level is "benchmarked at the level of NCERT Syllabus". This means a student who knows the Class 12 NCERT books well can attempt the paper.

Every language paper of the CUET UG exam has two parts: Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability. Ten languages have three passage types: factual, narrative and literary. Each passage has at most 300 words. Kannada, Malayalam and Punjabi have two passage types in the 2026 PDFs: one factual or narrative, and one literary. Their passages have a maximum of 250 to 300 words. Verbal Ability covers rearranging the parts of a sentence, matching, choosing the correct word, and synonyms and antonyms.

The General Aptitude Test covers General Knowledge, Current Affairs and General Mental Ability. It also covers Numerical Ability, Reasoning, Logical and Analytical Reasoning, and General Science and Environment Literacy. The bulletin summary leaves out the last topic, but the syllabus PDF includes it. Follow the PDF.

Here are some unit counts from the 2026 PDFs, so you can see the size of each subject.

• Physics has 9 units, from Electrostatics to Electronic Devices.
• Chemistry has 10 units, from Solutions to Biomolecules.
• Business Studies has 12 units, from Nature and Significance of Management to Consumer Protection.
• Psychology has 7 units, from Variations in Psychological Attributes to Social Influence and Group Processes.
• Biology has 5 units, numbered VI to X in 2026.

Is the CUET UG syllabus the same as the NCERT syllabus?

For domain subjects, yes, the CUET UG syllabus follows NCERT. The language and GAT papers have their own topic lists in the PDFs. The CUET UG syllabus 2027 may keep the same base, but NTA has not confirmed it. NTA publishes no unit-wise weightage for any subject. So no topic is officially marked as more important than another.

Some things changed in the syllabus from 2025 to 2026. The language and General Aptitude Test topic lists stayed the same. Biology keeps the same five blocks. The 2025 PDF numbered them I to V. The 2026 PDF numbers them VI to X. Economics unit titles were reworded. Chemistry kept its ten unit names with longer topic text. For the CUET UG syllabus 2027, check the new PDFs once NTA releases them. The CUET UG syllabus page lists the subjects in detail.

The result of the CUET UG exam gives you a score for each subject, called the NTA Score. NTA gives no overall rank and no percentile list. In 2026, NTA declared the CUET UG exam result on 23 June 2026 on cuet.nta.nic.in. That was 16 days after the exam ended, and 14 days faster than the previous cycle. The 2027 result date will depend on the CUET UG exam date 2027.

You download the score card of the CUET UG exam from the NTA site. Log in with your Application Number and Password. NTA does not post it. NTA shares the results with universities, but you must still follow each university's own process. The CUET UG results page has the latest steps.

Is there a CUET UG rank list?

No. NTA does not prepare a merit list or a rank list for CUET UG. The bulletin says NTA has no role in the merit list of the CUET UG exam. Each university prepares its own. NTA also gives no tie-break rule. DU has one, and it is explained on the counselling page.

How is the CUET UG normalised score calculated?

CUET UG normalisation converts your raw marks into the NTA Score. It uses a method called equi-percentile normalisation. It works separately for each subject that is held in more than one shift. The reason is simple. Think of two class tests on the same chapter. One test is harder than the other. A fair teacher compares each child with the children who wrote the same test first. NTA does the same for shifts.

A committee set the method for CUET UG normalisation. A senior professor from ISI Delhi headed it, with senior professors from IIT Delhi and University of Delhi. Here is how CUET UG normalisation works, step by step.

1. NTA finds your percentile in your own shift. The formula is P = (m / N) x 100. N is the number of candidates in your shift. The letter m is the number of candidates whose raw score is equal to or less than yours.
2. NTA lines up all candidates of all shifts by percentile. Missing entries are filled by a straight-line estimate, called linear interpolation.
3. Your normalised score at a percentile is the average of the raw scores at that percentile across the shifts.

The highest raw score in each shift gets the 100 percentile. The bulletin (Appendix VI) gives a full worked example with four sessions. Read that example. Do not trust an unofficial calculator for CUET UG normalisation. The NTA Score goes up to 250 per subject. The highest NTA Score in Accountancy, History and Psychology in 2026 was 250.00.

A CUET UG score is valid for one admission year. The 2026 NTA Score is valid for admission in 2026-27 only. NTA allows no re-evaluation or re-checking of the CUET UG exam result. A grievance about the result must be raised within 30 days. The result of the CUET UG 2027 exam will carry its own validity.

What is a good CUET UG score?

NTA does not define a good score for the CUET UG exam. A good score after CUET UG normalisation is above the minimum allocation score of your college and course. For example, DU's 2026 Round 1 score for B.Com. (Hons.) at Shri Ram College of Commerce was 924.3009. At Acharya Narendra Dev College it was 718.5747. The next section explains these numbers.

CUET UG Result: Frequently Asked Questions

NTA publishes no CUET UG cutoff, no minimum qualifying score and no rank list. For students of the CUET UG exam, a cutoff means a minimum score. A university or college sets it in its own merit list. DU calls it the Minimum Allocation Score. DU publishes it for each round, college, programme and category.

DU's scores are totals of programme-specific CUET scores. DU's files print no maximum. A four-paper programme has a ceiling of 4 x 250 = 1,000, which is our arithmetic. For example, a score of 924.3009 out of 1,000 is about 92.4%.

The table shows 2026 Round 1 and Round 2 scores for the General (UR) category. They are read from DU's own cutoff files.

The score differs a lot by category. Take B.Com. (Hons.) at Shri Ram College of Commerce. The Round 1 scores in 2026 were 924.3009 for UR and 849.1369 for OBC-NCL. They were 796.3987 for SC, 723.6367 for ST and 887.9131 for EWS. In every row above, the UR score in Round 2 was lower than in Round 1.

What is a minimum allocation score?

A minimum allocation score is the lowest CUET score at which DU allotted a seat in that round. It is not a pass mark. DU says allocation depends on programme-specific eligibility, merit, social category, seat availability and tie-breaking rules. The Spot Round score is independent of all earlier rounds.

Is there a CUET UG cutoff for DU 2027?

No, DU has published no CUET UG cutoff for 2027. NTA has not announced the CUET UG 2027 exam. The 2026 files are the latest. Other universities, such as BHU, publish their own scores on their own portals, and this page does not list them. See the CUET UG cutoff page for more.

The CUET UG selection process has no single common path. Each university selects its own students from the score of the CUET UG exam. NTA's role in the CUET UG 2027 exam ends at the score card. Think of the score as a ticket to join each university's queue. The university decides who gets the seat. The list below shows the usual order, step by step.

1. Write the CUET UG exam in the papers your target course needs.
2. Download your score card after the result.
3. Apply on the portal of each university you like.
4. The university makes a merit list from your score.
5. You get a seat, verify documents and pay the admission fee.

DU shows the process clearly through CSAS, after the CUET UG exam. It has three phases. In Phase I, you apply to the University of Delhi. In Phase II, you choose programme and college combinations in your order of preference. In Phase III, DU allots a seat and you accept it, verify documents and pay the fee.

The CSAS application fee in 2026 was ₹250 for UR, OBC-NCL and EWS, and ₹100 for SC, ST and PwBD. It is not refundable. In 2026, Phase I opened on 26 June. The Round 1 list came on 16 July, and classes began on 28 July 2026. The last date of admission was 31 August 2026.

In Round 1, 2,08,043 candidates had completed Phase II, and DU offered seats to 93,033 of them. BHU ran its own registration from 9 to 25 July 2026 at admission.bhu.ac.in. Read the CUET UG counselling page for rounds, upgrade and freeze, and spot rounds.

DU numbers differ from document to document, because each one counts something different. The CSAS rules mention 73 UG programmes in 69 colleges. The schedule notice says 73 bachelor's programmes and 150 B.A. programme combinations. The Round 1 press release says seats in 221 programmes in 67 colleges. DU's Bulletin of Information says DU has 91 colleges in all. That count is for colleges, not for UG seats through CSAS.

The CUET UG exam has no interview or group discussion. The NTA process stops at the score. Check your university's rules for any extra step, such as a sports or arts quota certificate. The CUET UG colleges page lists participating universities and DU colleges.

NTA does not host previous year question papers for the CUET UG exam on its website. We checked the home page, the 2025 archive, the syllabus, helpdesk, payment and score card sections on 20 October 2026. None had question papers.

NTA does host the final answer keys of the CUET UG exam with question IDs. The 2026 key file has 334 pages, arranged by exam date, shift and subject. It does not carry the question text. Candidates saw their own question paper with recorded responses only during the 2 to 3 day challenge window.

NTA says a sample or mock test is available on nta.ac.in for practice. It has not named a mock test for the CUET UG 2027 exam yet. Use the syllabus PDFs and NCERT books along with these tests for the CUET UG exam. Any paper on another site was not published by NTA.

Where can I find CUET UG previous year question papers?

NTA has published none, so there is no official source for them. Use the official syllabus PDFs, the NTA mock test and your NCERT books. The CUET UG exam question papers page shows what is officially available.

The CUET UG answer key works in two steps. For the CUET UG exam, NTA first releases a provisional answer key with your recorded responses. In 2026, the provisional key came on 9 June, and challenges ran from 9 to 11 June. Each challenge costs ₹200 per question, and the fee is not refundable. Experts review the challenges, and the final key of the CUET UG exam comes with the result. See the CUET UG answer key page for the steps.