CUET Anthropology Syllabus 2025 has been officially announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on its official website. The CUET UG 2025 entrance exam is scheduled to take place from May 13 to June 3, 2025. Candidates aiming for Anthropology should focus their preparation on the NCERT Class 12 Anthropology syllabus. Recent trends indicate that topics from biological, socio-cultural, and archaeological anthropology are likely to carry the most weight in the exam.
CUET Anthropology Syllabus 2025: Detailed Topic-wise Breakdown
To secure admission to top universities offering anthropology through CUET, students must ensure complete and thorough command over the CUET 2025 Syllabus. Anthropology focuses on human development, society, culture and biological diversity. The syllabus will be based on five central units:
| Unit | Chapter | Topics |
|---|---|---|
| Unit-1 | Physical Anthropology | Preliminary knowledge of Human genetics. Mendel’s Laws of Heredity Monohybrid and Dihybrid ratio. Definition of Race and Racial criteria, the significance of skin color, Eye form and color, Head form, and ABa blood groups as racial criteria. Racial classification, distinctive physical features, and geographical distribution of the major racial groups of men: Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Negroid, and Australoid. |
| Unit-2 | Prehistoric Archaeology | Tool Making: Techniques of manufacturing core and flake tools, primary and secondary flaking, pressure flaking, grinding, and polishing. Materials used in making prehistoric tools. Tool families: Pebble tools, Handaxe, Cleaver, Scrapers, Microliths, Points, Blades, Awl, Graver, Celts, Sickles, Spearhead, Arrow-head, and Bone tools. Prehistoric Cultures: A brief outline of the following prehistoric cultures of the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods- A comparative study of the salient features of Paleolithic and Neolithic cultures. |
| Unit-3 | Material culture and economic Anthropology | Economic life: meaning and aspects, characteristic features of the primitive or simple economic system. Subsistence economy: domestication of animals-pastoralism, agriculture-shifting cultivation, horticulture, terrace cultivation, and plough cultivation. A brief outline of the methods of hunting, fishing, and agriculture with reference to Various communities of North East India as far as practicable. |
| Unit-4 | Social Anthropology and Ethnography | A: Social Anthropology : Family: Definition, forms, and types: nuclear family, joint family, a family of orientation, family of procreation, monogamous and polygamous (polygynous and polyandrous). Clustered relationship in a nuclear family. Rules of residence: Patrilocal, matrilocal, neolocal, avancolocal, bi - local, matripatri local.Rules of descent: Patrilineal and matrilineal descent. Functions of family, social nature of family. B: Ethnography : A brief outline of the land and people of North-East India. Study of material culture and economic life of the following communities The Garo: Shifting or Jhum cultivation. The Mishing: Plough cultivation A study of the social organization of the Ao Naga and the Apatani. |
| Unit-5 | Ecology | Meaning and definition of ecology and environment. Elements of the environment: Solid, liquid, and gas. Physical or abiotic environment, biological or biotic environment, and socio-cultural environment. Man is the main agent to disturb the ecological balance. |
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CUET 2025 Syllabus For Arts Students
CUET Anthropology Syllabus 2025: High-Weightage Topics
Before kick-starting the preparation for CUET UG 2025 Anthropology, it is important to know the high-weightage topics. The unit Physical Anthropology is expected to carry 30% of the total paper. Check out the CUET UG 2025 Anthropology Expected Unit-wise Weightage in the table below:
| CUET Anthropology Units | Expected Questions | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1: Physical Anthropology | 10–12 | 30% |
| Unit 2: Prehistoric Archaeology |
6–7 | 20% |
| Unit 3: Material Culture & Economic Anthropology |
8–9 | 25% |
| Unit 4: Social Anthropology & Ethnography |
5–6 | 15% |
| Unit 5: Ecology | 3–4 | 10% |
CUET Anthropology Exam Pattern 2025
NTA has released the CUET Exam Pattern 2025 for the Anthropology subject. The CUET entrance exam focuses on conceptual and analytical analysis. The exam will last for 60 minutes, during which students must answer 50 questions. Given below are the details of the exam pattern for Anthropology in CUET 2025:
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Duration | 60 minutes |
| Total Questions | 50 |
| Questions to be Attempted | 50 |
| Question Type | Objective-type Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Medium of Exam | 13 Languages (English, Hindi, etc.) |
| Marking Scheme | +5 for correct answer, -1 for incorrect answer |
CUET Preparation Tips 2025 for Anthropology
To secure good marks in the CUET 2025 Anthropology exam, students should follow a strategic preparation method with the help of the updated syllabus and exam pattern. A well-structured study plan, consistent practice, and a focus on high-weightage topics can significantly boost performance. Here are some successful CUET Preparation Tips 2025 for work:
- Focus on the NCERT Anthropology books of Class 11 and 12.
- Prioritise high-weightage topics like Human Evolution, Genetics, and Social Institutions..
- Solve last year's CUET papers and practice online mock tests regularly.
- Make concise notes for last-minute revision.
- Revise diagrams, terminologies, and definitions thoroughly.
Also Read: Last Week's Strategy for CUET 2025: Preparation Tricks and Tips
CUET Books Recommendation for Anthropology
Following the recommended books for CUET Anthropology helps in thorough and efficient preparation, ensuring that students understand core concepts and get ample practice with objective-type questions. Mentioned below are some of the CUET Books 2025 that students can use as a guide when preparing for the CUET Anthropology exam:
| Book Title | Author / Publisher |
|---|---|
| NCERT Anthropology Class 12 | NCERT |
| Anthropology Simplified | Vivek Bhasme |
| Trueman’s Anthropology | A. K. Pandey |
| General Anthropology | Ember & Ember |
| Objective Anthropology for Competitive Exams | R. N. Sharma |
