CUET UG 2026: Registration, Exam Date, Syllabus, Eligibility, Pattern, and Result

CUET UG 2026 is one of the most important and standardised exams in India, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for students who wish to pursue an undergraduate program at India’s top institutions. NTA conducted this exam by providing an equal opportunity for all students and promoting merit-based admission. If you are in Class 12 or planning to appear in CUET UG, it will be your ticket to studying at India’s top universities.

More than 250 universities are expected to accept CUET ( Common University Entrance Test) scores for student admission. This includes top names like Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, Teerthankar Mahaveer University, and Jawaharlal Nehru University, along with many others.

CUET UG 2026 Overview:

CUET UG 2026 Registration Process

The registration process for CUET UG 2026 is simple and completely online. As per the official schedule released by the National Testing Agency (NTA), the CUET UG 2026 application process started on January 3, 2026, and eligible candidates can apply through the official website. All important announcements related to the examination, including admit cards, exam city details, and results, will be published on the official CUET portal.

Candidates are advised to regularly visit the official CUET website to stay updated and ensure they do not miss any deadlines. Below is a step-by-step guide to help candidates complete the registration process smoothly.

Step-by-Step CUET UG 2026 Registration Process

1. Visit the official CUET website: cuet.nta.nic.in
2. Click on New Registration and create an account by entering basic personal details.
3. Log in using the generated credentials and fill in the application form carefully.
4. Upload scanned copies of the required documents, including a photograph and signature.
5. Select the subjects you wish to appear for and choose your preferred exam cities.
6. Pay the application fee online using a debit card, credit card, net banking, or UPI.
7. Submit the form and download the confirmation page for future reference.

Documents Required for CUET UG 2026

Candidates must upload the following documents in the prescribed format during registration:

• Recent passport-size photograph (10 KB – 200 KB, JPG/JPEG format)
• Scanned signature (14 KB – 30 KB, JPG/JPEG format)
• Category certificate, if applicable (50 KB – 300 KB, PDF format)
• Educational mark sheets (50 KB – 300 KB, PDF format)

Key Dates of CUET UG 2026

The CUET UG 2026 examination will be conducted between 11 May and 31 May 2026 (tentative). Candidates should keep checking the official NTA website for the latest updates related to admit cards, exam city slips, and results.

CUET UG 2026 Expected Timeline (As per Official Notice)

• Application Window: 03 – 30 January 2026
• Last Date for Fee Payment: 31 January 2026
• Correction Window: 02 – 04 February 2026
• Admit Card Release: Early May 2026
• Exam Dates: 11 – 31 May 2026 (Tentative)
• Answer Key & Response Sheet: To be announced
• Result Declaration: To be announced

CUET UG 2026 Exam Shift System

The CUET UG 2026 exam will be conducted in multiple shifts, depending on the number of candidates and subjects. The exact reporting time and shift details will be mentioned on the candidate’s admit card. Based on previous years, candidates can expect the following shift pattern:

• Shift 1: Approximately 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon

Shift 2: Approximately 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Eligibility Criteria

Before applying for the CUET 2026 exam, you need to meet the following eligibility criteria:

Educational Qualification

• To meet the eligibility criteria, you must have passed Class 12 or the equivalent from a recognised board.
• Students who are appearing for Class 12 exams in 2026 are also eligible to apply.
• The minimum percentage of the general category is at least 50% in Class 12 or equivalent, for the SC/ST Category: At least 45% in Class 12 or equivalent.

Nationality

• Only Indian nationals are eligible to apply for the exam.
• Eligibility for international students depends on the university.

Age Limit

• There is no age limit to apply for this exam
• However, individual universities may have their own age criteria for specific courses.

Reservation Policy

• The reserve seats are for Scheduled Castes (SC) at 15%, Scheduled Tribes (ST) at 7.5%, Other Backward Classes (OBC-NCL) at 27%, Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) at 10%, and Persons with Disabilities (PwD) at 5%.
• Candidates must ensure to submit valid, government-issued certificates during the admission process

Exam Pattern

If you want to apply for the CUET UG 2026 ( Common University Entrance Test) UG Test, you must have to check the exam pattern. Here we’ve mentioned a detailed breakdown of the exam pattern. Let’s have a look:

Exam Structure and Sections

1. Section 1 (Language Test): The Language section offers 13 different Indian languages, including reading comprehension. The duration of this section is 60 minutes.
2. Section 2 (Domain Subjects): This section 2 covers 23 domain subjects aligned with the NCERT Class 12 syllabus. The duration of this section is 60 minutes.
3. Section 3 (General Test): This section covers general knowledge, current affairs, logical reasoning, and basic numerical ability. Basically, it is a general awareness test. The duration of this section is 60 minutes.

Marking Scheme

• For every correct answer, you will get +5 marks
• For every Incorrect Answer, you will get −1 mark
• For Unanswered, you will get 0 marks
• For every dropped or cancelled question by NTA, you will get +5 marks

CUET UG 2026 Exam Syllabus

Exam Syllabus Structure

Section 1 (Language Test)

Description: Section one mainly focuses on the language test. The test will be based on comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and verbal ability based on the Class 12 level.
Example: English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi and more.

Section 2 (Domain Subjects)

Description: Section two is based on the NCERT Class 12 curriculum for various subjects.
Example: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, Accountancy, History, Economics, etc.

Section 3 (General Test)

Description: Section three tests student’s general awareness and aptitude
Example: General knowledge, current affairs, logical reasoning, and basic numerical ability.

CUET UG 2026 Admit Card

The admit card is the most important thing for your exam. Without an admit card, you will not be allowed to appear for the test. The admit card is mostly released two or three weeks before the exam. You can check it on the NTA CUET website.

How to Download the Admit Card

• To download the admit card, you need to go to the official CUET website.
• Look for the log-in tab and enter your username and password.
• On the home page, click on the link to download your admit card.
• You can download the PDF or print the admit card.

Details Mentioned on Admit Card

• Your Name
• Registration Number
• Exam Date
• Time
• Exam Centre Name And Address
• Instructions Related To The Exam

Instructions for the Exam Day

• Reach the exam centre at least 1 hour early
• Carry a valid photo ID (Aadhar, Passport, or Driving License)
• Do not carry mobile phones, calculators, or electronic gadgets

CUET UG 2026 Result

How to Download the Result

• Results will be declared in one month after the exam, most likely in July 2026.
• You are advised to check the results on the official CUET portal.
• Log in with your application number and password.
• You can download the scorecard for counselling and admission processes.

CUET UG 2026 Normalisation Process

• As the exam is conducted in multiple shifts, there is a normalisation or percentile-based method to ensure no student is disadvantaged due to different sessions
• Through this method, the scores will be balanced across shifts.
• The final scorecards are based on the normalised percentiles.

CUET UG 2026 Counselling Process

After the result declaration, the next major step is the counselling process. Each participating university or college released the cut-off lists for admission based on CUET scores. However, some universities conduct centralised counselling, and some follow individual counselling methods.

Documents Required for Counselling

After checking the results and cut-off marks, you need to go for the counselling process to get admission. These are the required documents for counselling:

• Transfer and migration certificate from school.
• Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC/EWS, if applicable).
• PwD certificate (if applicable).
• Passport-size photographs and valid ID proof.
• Result or scorecard of the CUET UG exam
• Admit card
• Class 10 r 12 marksheet

CUET UG 2026 Participating Universities

For CUET UG 2026, there are many participating universities:

Central Universities :

1. University of Delhi
2. Banaras Hindu University
3. Jawaharlal Nehru University
4. Jamia Millia Islamia
5. Aligarh Muslim University
6. University of Allahabad
7. University of Hyderabad
8. Central University of Rajasthan
9. And many others, including state-level central universities

Other Universities :

1. State Universities
2. Deemed Universities
3. Private Universities
4. Government Institutions

Conclusion

CUET UG provides fairness and a standardised platform for students from all backgrounds. Through this exam, every student can get an opportunity to study at India’s top institution. The exam is conducted in multiple languages and subjects so that every student can study at a top-ranked university. The exam helps students to exemplify their knowledge and skills and get into good colleges even if their board marks are not exceptionally high.

FAQs

Q1: When to register for CUET 2026?
Ans: You can apply for the CUET UG 2026 exam around February or March 2026. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will release the official exam dates on the CUET official website.

Q2: What is the exam pattern for CUET 2026?
Ans: The CUET 2026 UG exam pattern includes three sections: Section 1 (Languages), Section 2 (Domain Subjects), and Section 3 (General Test). Each section consists of 50 multiple-choice questions.

Q3:  What are the changes in CUET 2026?
Ans: For CUET 2026, here are the possible changes and updates: NTA has reduced the number of domain subjects from 27 to 23, the exam will be conducted entirely in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode, and candidates will be allowed to choose up to five subjects.

Q4:  What is the fee for CUET 2026?
Ans: The CUET 2026 application fees are expected to be around ₹1000 for General, ₹900 for OBC-NCL/EWS and ₹800 for SC/ST/PwBD/Third Gender. 

Q5. Is 800 a good score in CUET?
Ans: Yes, an 800 score is an excellent score in CUET.