CUET Maths Syllabus for Core and Applied Students

How the maths test is laid out

So your paper has 50 questions to finish in 60 minutes, all compulsory, worth 250 marks. A right answer adds 5, a wrong one takes away 1 and a blank stays at nought. The reward is five times the penalty, so narrowing a question to two options and then choosing is a fair bet.

Section A: the common core

These 15 questions test the topics that the two class 12 courses share, so both groups prepare them the same way:

• Algebra: types of matrices, matrix operations, determinants, inverse of a matrix and solving simultaneous equations with it
• Calculus: derivatives beyond the first, monotonic intervals, and local or absolute extreme values
• Integration: indefinite and definite integrals of standard forms and area under simple curves
• Differential equations: order, degree, formation and the variable separable method
• Linear programming: formulating a problem and solving two variable problems by the graphical method

Some versions of the official file also list basic probability distributions here, so tick the list against the bulletin you are given.

Section B1: core mathematics topics

B1 follows the class 12 NCERT mathematics book closely, chapter by chapter:

• Relations and functions: equivalence relations and their three conditions, injective and surjective maps, principal values and graphs of inverse trig functions
• Algebra: 3 by 3 determinants, cofactor expansion, the adjoint method for an inverse, checking whether a linear system has a solution
• Continuity and differentiability: differentiating composite, implicit and parametric functions, log and exponential derivatives, and second derivatives
• Uses of derivatives: rates, rising and falling intervals, optimisation word problems
• Integrals: methods by substitution, by parts and by splitting into partial fractions, properties of definite integrals, area bounded by a curve and an axis
• Differential equations: variable separable, homogeneous and linear first order equations
• Vectors and three dimensional geometry: dot and cross products, direction cosines, lines in space, angle between lines, shortest distance between skew lines
• Linear programming and probability: conditional chances, independence, the law of total probability and Bayes' theorem

Section B2: applied mathematics topics

B2 matches the class 12 applied mathematics course, which leans towards commerce and economics use:

• Numbers and quantification: modular arithmetic, alligation and mixtures, boats and streams, pipes and cisterns, races and games, numerical inequalities
• Algebra: matrices, determinants and inverses, solving systems in up to three variables
• Calculus: higher derivatives, marginal cost and marginal revenue, maxima and minima in business settings
• Probability distributions: binomial, Poisson and normal distributions with mean and variance
• Index numbers and time series: components of a time series, trend by moving averages
• Inferential statistics: population and sample, parameter and statistic, the t test in its basic form
• Financial mathematics: perpetuity, sinking fund, EMI, compound annual growth rate, linear depreciation, bond valuation
• Linear programming with the graphical method

Core or applied: which B section is yours

Pick the section that matches the maths course you studied in class 12. A science student with PCM writes B1; a commerce student who took applied mathematics writes B2. The two are scored identically, but the topics barely overlap beyond algebra and calculus, so switching streams late means learning a new course.

Also check what your target programme accepts. Many BCom, economics and BBA courses accept either paper, while maths honours and some BSc programmes may ask for core mathematics. Each university publishes its subject rules for every course, and those rules decide your choice more than difficulty does.

What to focus on in the CUET maths syllabus

NTA gives no official chapter weightage, so be wary of any precise percentage you see. What the syllabus itself tells you is useful enough: calculus appears in both Section A and your B section, so derivatives, integrals and differential equations carry the most questions for nearly everyone. Matrices and determinants also sit in both parts. Linear programming is short and formula light, which makes it quick marks.

Accuracy matters with a minus one penalty. Students who score well usually attempt about 45 questions they are fairly sure of rather than all 50 by guesswork.

Study material and practice

The class 12 NCERT mathematics textbook and its exemplar problems cover all of B1 and most of Section A. Applied maths students should use the textbook for their course and the CBSE curriculum document, which lists every unit in B2. Compare the CUET list with the CBSE class 12 maths syllabus to see where your board preparation already covers you.

For timed work, use the mock tests NTA posts and the question styles we describe in the CUET UG previous papers guide. If you are also writing chemistry, the CUET chemistry syllabus page helps you plan both subjects together, and every other domain subject is listed in our CUET UG syllabus guide.