CUET Syllabus: UG Tests, PG Papers and Marking Scheme

Two exams under one name

CUET stands for Common University Entrance Test. The undergraduate version is taken after class 12 for BA, BSc, BCom and similar programmes; the postgraduate version is taken after a bachelor's degree for MA, MSc, MCom, MBA, MCA and other master's courses. They share a name and a conducting body, but their papers, timing and marking are different, so preparation for one says little about the other.

Neither version has a pass mark. You get a score, and each university decides how to use it.

CUET marking scheme at a glance

The penalty is mild compared with the reward. In CUET UG a pure guess between four choices works out, on average, to plus half a mark (one chance in four of gaining 5 against three chances of losing 1), and in CUET PG to plus a quarter. Averages hide bad luck, though, so guess more freely only when you have cut at least one option.

CUET UG: the three kinds of tests

Language tests

Thirteen languages are offered, including English, Hindi and major regional languages. The CUET English syllabus, like that of every other language test, is built on reading comprehension of factual, literary and narrative passages, with questions on vocabulary, word usage and literary aptitude. The CUET Hindi syllabus follows the same plan, set in Hindi.

Domain subjects

Twenty three subjects across science, commerce and humanities, each examined on its class 12 NCERT syllabus. Recent cycles let you choose a subject you did not study in class 12, though the course you want may still insist on certain subjects.

General Aptitude Test

GK and current events, mental ability, number work and quantitative reasoning pitched near class 8 maths, plus logical and analytical reasoning. Some programmes need it; many do not.

Full lists and chapter level advice are on the CUET UG syllabus and CUET GAT syllabus pages.

Popular domain subjects and where to read more

• Science stream: the physical and life sciences plus Mathematics or Applied Mathematics. Our pages for maths, physics, chemistry and biology list the chapters.
• Commerce stream: the three commerce papers, taken together on the CUET commerce syllabus page.
• Humanities: a broad set from History and Sociology to Psychology and Geography, each tied to its class 12 NCERT book.

A domain test usually draws from every chapter in the NCERT textbook, including the in text boxes and examples, so treat the book itself as the syllabus document for that subject.

CUET PG: paper wise syllabus

CUET PG offers well over a hundred papers, each carrying its own code and syllabus at the level of a three year bachelor's degree. Discipline papers check the heart of a subject; professional papers for MBA and MCA mix aptitude with basics; and some general papers serve programmes open to any graduate. Universities name the paper they accept for each course, so check the prospectus before you register.

Start with the CUET PG syllabus overview, and if you are applying for management or computer applications, see the MBA paper and MCA paper pages.

Choosing your tests the smart way

1. List three to five courses and universities you want.
2. Open each university's admission page and note the CUET subject combination required for each course.
3. Pick tests that cover all of them with the fewest papers, leaving room for one backup subject.
4. Prefer subjects you studied in class 12 unless a course clearly demands another.

Study plan built on the CUET syllabus

For CUET UG, most of your domain preparation happens during class 12 itself. From January, after your pre boards, switch from board style long answers to timed objective practice: 50 questions in 60 minutes per subject, at least twice a week. Give English 30 minutes daily with one passage of each type. If you need GAT, add 20 minutes of reasoning and arithmetic every day from the start of class 12.

For CUET PG, give the first month to units your college did not teach in depth, then revise the rest with past papers from our CUET previous papers guide. When you are close, see how a score turns into a seat in our CUET cut off explainer.