Table of Contents
Introduction
CUET UG 2026 Overview
Registration Process
Required Documents
Key Dates of the exam
Expected/Anticipated Timelines of the Exam
Expected Shift System
Eligibility Criteria
Exam Pattern
Reservation Policy
Marking System
Admit Card
Counselling Process
Conclusion
FAQs
Introduction:
CUET UG 2026 is the most significant entrance exams in India, organized by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for students aspiring to pursue undergraduate programs at the country’s best renowned institutions. The NTA manages this exam to ensure equal opportunities for all students and to promote merit-based admissions. If you are currently in Class 12th or planning to take the CUET UG, this exam serves as your gateway to some of India’s top universities.
Over 250 universities are expected to accept CUET (Common University Entrance Test) scores for admissions, including renowned institutions such as Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, GL Bajaj Institute of Technology & Management Greater Noida, and Jawaharlal Nehru University, among many others.
CUET UG 2026 Overview:
Exam Full Form/Name: CUET-Common University Entrance Test
Conducting Body: National Testing Agency (NTA)
Exam Level: Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG)
Exam Purpose: Single platform for UG and PG admission in state, central, private, and deemed universities
Time Duration: Slot I: 9 AM – 11 AM Slot II: 12:30 PM – 2 PM Slot III: 4 PM – 5:30 PM
Marking Scheme: +5 for each correct answer -1 for each incorrect answer
Eligibility: Minimum score in the 12th class examination
Exam Frequency: Once a year
Mode of Examination: Computer-Based Test
Application Window: First week of March 2026
Medium of Examination: 13 languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Urdu
Registration Official Website: cuet.nta.nic.inexaminationservices.nic.innta.ac.in
Contact Details: Phone: 011-69227700, 011-40759000 Email: [email protected]
CUET UG 2026 Registration Process:
The registration process for CUET UG 2026 is easy to follow. The application window is expected to open around February or March 2026.
During this period, the National Testing Agency (NTA) will release all required details about the exam on its official website.
It’s very important to regularly check the official CUET website (cuet.nta.nic.in) to stay up to date and avoid missing the registration deadline.
Here are the steps to help you with the registration process:
- Visit the Official Website: Go to cuet.nta.nic.in.
- Create a New Account: Click on “New Registration” and fill in your personal details to create your account.
- Upload Documents: Upload the required scanned documents, including your passport-size photograph and signature.
- Select Exam Preferences: Choose the subjects you want to appear for and select your preferred exam city.
- Pay the Application Fee: Finish the process by paying the application fee online via debit/credit card, UPI, or net banking.
Required Documents:
All required documents listed here:
- A latest passport-size photograph of 10 KB – 200 KB, JPG/JPEG format
- Signature scanned in the mentioned format in 14 KB – 30 KB, JPG/JPEG format
- Category Certificates 50 KB – 300 KB, PDF format
- Educational mark sheets in 50 KB – 300 KB, PDF format
Key Dates of the exam:
The CUET UG Common University Entrance Test 2026 is expected to be booked between May and June 2026. You are suggested to check the important dates at the National Testing Agency (NTA) official website, cuet.nta.nic.in. so that you will also be updated.
Expected/Anticipated Timelines of the Exam
- Notification Release: February/March 2026
- Registration Window: March–April 2026
- Correction Window: Mid-April 2026
- Admit Card Release: May 2026
- Exam Date: May–June 2026
- Answer Key & Objection Window: June 2026
- Results Declaration: July 2026
Expected Shift System:
The CUET UG 2026 exam is generally organised in two or three shifts. You can expect the shift system to be similar to previous years. While the real time will be mentioned on the admit card but generally, there will be two main slots:
Shift 1: Approximately 9 AM to 12 PM
Shift 2: Approximately 3 PM to 6 PM
Eligibility Criteria:
- You must have cleared Class 12th or the equivalent from a recognised board.
- Students who are appearing for Class 12th 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. Some universities require a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in graduation
Nationality:
- Only Indians are eligible to apply for the exam.
- Eligibility for international students completely depends on the university.
Age Limit:
- No age limit to apply for this exam
- Individual/ Separate universities might have their own age criteria for specific courses.
Exam Pattern:
- If an individual wants to apply for the CUET UG 2026 Test, they must check the exam pattern.
- Let’s have a look at the exam Pattern:
- Exam Structure and Sections;
- Section 1 (Language Test): This section offers 13 different Indian languages, including reading comprehension. The duration is 60 minutes.
- Section 2 (Domain Subjects): This section covers 23 domain subjects aligned with the NCERT Class 12 syllabus. The duration is 60 minutes.
- Section 3 (General Test): This section covers general knowledge, current affairs, logical reasoning, and basic numerical ability. It is a general awareness test. The duration is 60 minutes.
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%.
Students should ensure to submit valid, government-issued certificates during the admission time.
Marking System:
- For each correct answer, you get +5 marks.
- For each Incorrect Answer, you get −1 mark.
- For Unanswered, you get 0 marks.
- For each dropped or cancelled question by NTA, you get +5 marks.
CUET UG 2026 Admit Card:
An admit card is the most important thing for your exam. Without this card, an individual cannot be allowed to appear for the test. This card is mostly released two or three weeks before the exam. It can be checked 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 Normalisation Process:
As the exam is organised in multiple shifts, there is a normalisation/percentile-based method to guarantee no student is disadvantaged due to different sessions.
With this method, the scores will be balanced across shifts.
The final scores are based on the normalised percentiles.
CUET UG 2026 Counselling Process:
After the result, the next step is the counselling process. All participating universities released the cut-off lists for admission as per your CUET scores.
In which some universities organise centralised counselling and some follow individual counselling methods.
Documents Required:
After the results and cut-off marks, a candidate needs to go for the counselling process to get admission. Here are the documents required:
- Admit card
- Class 10th & 12th marksheet
- Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC/EWS, if applicable).
- PWD certificate (if applicable).
- Transfer & migration certificate from school.
- Passport-size photographs and valid ID proof.
- Result or scorecard of the CUET UG exam.
Conclusion:
CUET UG offers a standardized platform for candidates/students from different backgrounds. It gives equal opportunities for all students to guarantee admission to India’s top institutes. Organised in multiple languages and subjects, the exam allows students from every region to pursue higher education at leading universities. CUET UG enables students to showcase their knowledge and abilities, helping them gain admission to reputed colleges even if their board exam scores are not exceptionally high.
FAQs:
Que. 1: What is the fee for CUET 2026?
Ans: The CUET 2026 application fee is approximately INR 1000 for General category candidates, INR 900 for OBC-NCL and EWS candidates, and ₹INR 800 for SC, ST, PWBD.
Que. 2: Correct time to register for CUET 2026?
Ans: Registration time for CUET 2026 exam is around February or March 2026.
The National Testing Agency will confirm the exam dates on the CUET official website.
Que. 3: What are the documents required?
Ans: Generally, these are the basic documents required like Passport size photo, category certificates, mark sheets and scanned signatures.
Que. 4: Is there any age limit for this CUET exam?
Ans: No, generally there is no age limit for the CUET exam.
