CUET 2026: Dates, Eligibility, Registration, Syllabus, Pattern

CUET 2026: Common University Entrance Test (CUET) 2026 is scheduled to be conducted in May/June 2026 in Computer-based Test mode. The authority will release the CUET 2026 Application in the first week of March 2026. Candidates seeking admission to top universities, such as the University of Delhi, Banaras Hindu University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and other participating institutions, can appear for the CUET 2026. Before exercising CUET Application Process 2026, the candidate must ensure that they meet all the required eligibility criteria. The CUET 2026 Exam will comprise mainly three sections, namely, Languages, Domain-specific Subjects, and a General Test. The participating candidates will be allowed to choose up to five subjects during the CUET Registration 2026. Read the article further to know more about the CUET 2026 exam in detail.

CUET 2026 Highlights

Common University Entrance Test 2026 is a National-level Entrance Test and is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The authority conducts the CUET 2026 Exam for admission to the top central, state, government, private, and deemed universities. The CUET Exam is conducted only once a year by the authority across 200+ cities. Check out the following table for the key details of CUET 2026:

CUET 2026 Important Dates

CUET UG 2026 is tentatively scheduled to be held in May/June 2026. The candidate may refer to the table given below for the expected schedule of CUET 2026:

CUET 2026 Eligibility Criteria

The candidates who are going to appear for CUET 2026 must ensure that they possess all the required eligibility criteria. The candidates who meet all the criteria will be considered eligible for the CUET 2026. Check the following table for CUET 2026 Eligibility Criteria.

CUET 2026: Application Process

NTA will commence the CUET 2026 Application process most probably in the first week of March 2026. The authority will conduct the CUET application process on its official website, nta.ac.in or cuet.nta.nic.in. CUET 2026 Application Process comprises registration, document upload, and payment of the registration fee. To have a better understanding, the candidate may refer to the sub-sections below:

How to Apply for CUET 2026?

The candidates can unlock the CUET 2026 Application form by following the steps mentioned below:

• Visit the CUET official website (nta.ac.in or cuet.nta.nic.in).
• Click on ‘Register’ and read the instructions provided on the screen.
• Enter the required information and create a login credential for future use.
• Log in with the new login credentials.
• Fill out the application form with the required personal and academic information, and upload the required documents.
• Check all the entered details and then pay the registration fee.
• Submit and save the confirmation slip for future reference.

CUET 2026 Application: Documents Required

The following documents are required to be submitted by the candidate while filling out the CUET 2026 application form:

• Valid Email Address
• Valid Mobile Number
• Scanned Photograph
• Scanned Signature
• Category/PwD Certificate (if applicable)
• Credit Card/Debit Card/UPI Details

Here is the specification of documents that need to be submitted:

CUET 2026 Application Fee

After filling out the CUET 2026 Application form, the candidate is asked to make a payment of the application fee. The candidate can make the payment through various online methods like Netbanking, UPI, and Wallets.

The breakdown of the CUET 2026 application fee is as follows:

CUET 2026 Application Form Correction

After concluding the CUET 2026 Application, the National Testing Agency will provide an application correction facility. The candidates will be able to make changes in a limited field only through the application correction window.

How to Access the CUET 2026 Application Correction Window?

The candidates can follow the steps to unlock the application correction window:

• Visit the CUET official website (nta.ac.in or cuet.nta.nic.in).
• Navigate to the ‘Sign In’ tab.
• Enter the login credentials, i.e., application number, password, and captcha.
• Click on the ‘Application Correction’ tab.
• Enter the OTP sent to the registered Email address and mobile number.
• Edit the application form and submit.

CUET 2026 Application Editable Fields

The candidate will be allowed to make changes in the limited fields only. The editable fields are categorised into two categories: the first one is that the candidate will be allowed to make changes in any one of the fields, whereas the second one is that the candidate will be able to edit all the fields that are listed.

Here is the list of fields that the candidate can edit in any one of them:

• Candidate Name
• Father’s Name
• Mother’s Name
• Photograph
• Signature
• Date of Birth
• Gender
• Category
• PwD

Here is the list of fields that the candidate can edit in all the fields:

• Class 10 Details
• Class 12 Details
• Subject Paper Code
• Exam City Selection
• Medium of Question Paper
• University/Programme Selection

CUET 2026 Exam Pattern

CUET 2026 Exam consists of three sections, namely Language, Domain-Specific Subject, and a General Test. The authority will conduct the CUET 2026 Exam in 13 different languages, i.e., English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. CUET 2026 Exam Pattern is given below:

Also Read: CUET 2026 Exam Pattern

CUET 2026 Marking Scheme

NTA follows a prescribed format of a marking scheme while evaluating the CUET Scores. Here is the CUET 2026 Marking Scheme:

• For each correct answer, +5 marks will be awarded.
• For each incorrect answer, a penalty of 1 mark will be imposed.
• For unanswered/marked for review questions, zero marks will be given.
• If more than one option is correct, +5 marks will be awarded to those who attempt the question.
• If all options are correct, then +5 marks will be awarded to those who attempt the question.
• If no options are found to be correct or the question is wrong or dropped, the candidate who attempts the question will be awarded +5 marks.

CUET 2026 Syllabus

NTA has been following a prescribed format of CUET 2026 Syllabus for the exam. The CUET 2026 Exam will consist of three sections: language, domain-specific subject, and a general test. NTA has made changes to its syllabus for CUET 2026. The authority has removed subjects and languages, reducing the number to 36, and started focusing more on subjects like Business Studies, Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Here is the detailed breakdown of the CUET 2026 Syllabus:

Section 1: Language

Section 1 of the CUET 2026 Exam is Language. The authority is offering 13 different languages for the CUET 2026 Exam, such as English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.

The Section 1 paper will have questions based on the Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability. The breakdown of the Section 1 Syllabus is as follows:

Section 2: Domain-Specific Subject

The other section of the CUET 2026 Exam is the Domain-Specific Subject. The candidates will be allowed to choose up to 5 subjects as per the university. The breakdown of the Section 2 Syllabus is as follows:

Section 3: General Test

The last section of the CUET 2026 Exam is the General Test, and this section covers general knowledge, basic science questions, logical reasoning, current affairs, and basic mathematics. The breakdown of the Section 3 Syllabus is as follows:

CUET 2026 Preparations

The candidates who are aiming for the CUET 2026 Exam must have set their preparation goals. The candidate who still not yet started their preparation and is confused about where to start can refer to the points listed below for their clarification:

• Firstly candidate must look over the syllabus prescribed by the NTA.
• Understand the exam pattern, marking scheme, and create a rough idea of preparation.
• Refer to the recommended books for the particular subjects.
• After preparation, start solving sample papers and previous year question papers, and take CUET mock tests.

Recommended Books

The candidate may refer to the listed books for their preparation:

CUET 2026 Admit Card

NTA will release the CUET Admit Card for the year 2026 on its official website, nta.ac.in or cuet.nta.nic.in. After downloading the CUET 2026 Admit Card, the candidates must check all the information printed on it. The candidate must carry the CUET 2026 Admit Card along with a Valid ID Proof (Aadhaar Card/PAN Card/Driving License/Passport) on the examination day.

How to Download CUET 2026 Admit Card?

The candidate can access the CUET 2026 Admit Card by following the steps mentioned below:

• Visit the official website (nta.ac.in or cuet.nta.nic.in).
• Click on the tab named ‘CUET 2026 Admit Card’.
• Enter the login details and submit.
• CUET 2026 Admit Card will be displayed on the screen.
• Download it and save it for future reference.

Details Mentioned On The CUET 2026 Admit Card

The following details will be present on the CUET 2026 Admit Card:

• Candidate’s Name
• Candidate’s Photograph
• Candidate’s Signature
• CUET 2026 Application Number
• CUET 2026 Roll Number
• Exam Paper
• Exam Code
• Medium of Exam
• Exam Date
• Exam Slot
• CUET Exam Centre Details
• Guidelines

In case candidates find any errors in their admit card, they must immediately report it to the authority for rectification.

CUET 2026 Answer Key

NTA will release the CUET Answer Key 2026 before the release of the result. The authority will publish the answer key in two types: provisional and final answer key. Firstly, the authority will issue the provisional answer key and will collect the objections of the candidates against their provisional answer key. Then, after resolving all the objections raised by the candidate based on the provisional answer key, the authority will soon release the CUET 2026 Final Answer Key.

How to Access the CUET 2026 Answer Key?

The candidate can check the CUET 2026 Answer Key by following the steps mentioned below:

• Visit the official website (nta.ac.in or cuet.nta.nic.in).
• Click on the ‘CUET 2026 Answer Key’.
• The CUET 2026 Answer Key will be displayed on the screen.
• Download and save it for future use.

How to Challenge the CUET 2026 Provisional Answer Key?

The candidate is required to make a payment of the fee of INR 200 per question to object to the answer key. The candidate can object or challenge the CUET 2026 Provisional Answer Key by following the instructions below:

• Visit the official website (nta.ac.in or cuet.nta.nic.in).
• Log in with the credentials.
• Click on the ‘View/Challenge Answer Key’ link.
• The answer key will be displayed on the screen.
• If the candidate wishes to object to the answer key, then select one or more option IDs.
• Upload the supporting documents and click on ‘Save Your Claim’.
• Pay the fee and submit.

CUET 2026 Results

NTA will release the CUET 2026 Results on its official website after addressing the objections raised by the candidates. The candidates can check and download their CUET 2026 Results through the website using their login credentials, i.e., Application Number and Date of Birth. Along with the results, NTA will release the list of qualified candidates and topper candidates on its website.

How to Check the CUET 2026 Results?

The candidates will be able to unlock and download their CUET 2026 Results by following the steps mentioned below:

• Visit the official website (nta.ac.in or cuet.nta.nic.in).
• Click on the ‘CUET 2026 Result’.
• Enter the CUET login credentials, i.e., CUET Application Number and Date of Birth, and submit.
• The CUET 2026 Results will be displayed on the screen.
• Download and save it for future use.

Key Details Printed On The CUET 2026 Results

After downloading the CUET 2026 Results, the candidate must review the details mentioned on it and ensure that every detail is correct. The list of information printed on the CUET 2026 Results is as follows:

• Candidate’s Name
• Candidate’s Roll Number
• Candidate’s Application Number
• Candidate’s Photograph
• Candidate’s Signature
• Category
• Subject Code
• Section-wise Score
• Overall Score
• Overall Percentile

CUET 2026 Cutoff

The authority will release the CUET 2026 Cutoff along with the CUET 2026 Results on its website. CUET 2026 Cutoff list shows the minimum percentage of marks or minimum percentile required for admission to the top colleges.

CUET 2026 Cutoff is determined based on the difficulty level of the exam, the number of candidates who appeared in the exam, and past year trends. Here is the cutoff of top universities for CUET 2025:

CUET 2026 Counselling

Each university will conduct its own counselling process after the declaration of the CUET 2026 Results. The candidate can apply for the CUET 2026 Counselling through the respective university’s official website. Each university will release its own notification with the schedule and process for CUET counselling.

CUET 2026 Counselling Documents Required

The candidate must arrange the following documents that are required during the CUET 2026 Counselling:

• Valid ID (Aadhar Card/PAN Card/Driving License/Passport)
• Class 10th Mark Sheet
• Class 12th or equivalent Mark Sheet
• Passport-size Photograph
• Category Certificate (if applicable)
• Migration Certificate

CUET 2026 Participating Universities

CUET 2026 Exam will play a role as a gateway to various universities that accept CUET 2026 as their admission criteria. Several Government, Private, Central, State, and Deemed Universities participate in the CUET 2026. Candidates can get admission to more than 250+ participating colleges with the help of CUET 2026. The list of participating colleges is listed below:

Central Universities

The following list of central universities will accept CUET 2026 for admission to various courses:

State Universities

The following list of state universities will accept CUET 2026 for admission to various courses:

Government Universities

The following list of government universities will accept CUET 2026 for admission to various courses:

Deemed Universities

Here is the list of top deemed universities that will accept CUET 2026:

Private Universities

A candidate can also get admission to the top private universities through the CUET 2026:

CUET 2026 FAQs