Exam guide · CUET UG

CUET UG: your board syllabus, tested at speed

CUET UG fills seats at Delhi University, BHU, JNU, every central university and many state and private ones. Its domain tests follow the Class 12 NCERT syllabus, so board study and CUET study are mostly the same work.

By Anuj Arora · Last verified: 10 Nov 2026

The paper at a glance

CUET UG: up to five tests of equal lengthCUET UG lets you take up to five tests: usually one language, up to three domain subjects and the General Test. Each test has 50 compulsory questions in 60 minutes. 1 2 3 4 5 1 Language (reading comprehension)50 questions · 60 min 2 Domain subject 150 questions · 60 min 3 Domain subject 250 questions · 60 min 4 Domain subject 350 questions · 60 min 5 General Test50 questions · 60 min Choose tests by what your target course asks for, not by what looks easy.
Each test: 50 questions, all compulsory, 60 minutes, on a computer. Your university's course page lists which tests it needs.
Conducted byNational Testing Agency
2027 dateMay 2027 expected; registration usually January–February. Exam calendar
Marking+5 for a right answer, −1 for a wrong one
TestsUp to five; domain tests follow the Class 12 NCERT syllabus
Official syllabuscuet.nta.nic.in (subject-wise syllabus PDFs)

The 12-month plan

For most students this runs through Class 12. The first job is choosing subjects: check what your three target courses require.

CUET study plan in phasesTwelve-month plan: months 1 to 2 choose subjects and start reading practice, months 3 to 8 domain chapters with school, months 9 to 10 boards and General Test practice, months 11 to 12 timed mocks. Six-month plan: months 1 to 3 domain chapters and past questions, months 4 to 5 board exams, month 6 timed mocks. 12 months M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9 M10 M11 M12 Subjects Domain chapters with school Boards Timed mocks 6 months M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 Chapters + past questions Boards Mocks
Green: learning. Amber: exams and testing. The gap between boards and CUET is about six weeks; use it for timed practice only.
MonthsFocusDone when
1–2Shortlist three courses and the CUET subjects each needs; daily editorial reading for the language testFive tests chosen and written down
3–8Domain chapters with school, NCERT first; 20 MCQs per chapterEvery chapter has an MCQ score
9–10Board exams; General Test practice (reasoning, maths, current affairs) 30 minutes a dayBoards done
11–12Timed 60-minute mocks for each chosen test; past CUET papers50 questions finished with 5 minutes to spare

The six-month version

MonthsFocusDone when
1–3Remaining domain chapters; past CUET questions for eachNo chapter left untouched
4–5Board exams; 20 minutes of General Test practice dailyBoards done
6One timed mock per test every two daysSpeed of a question a minute

A day that works

Most CUET students are in Class 12, so the school-day timetable is the main one. A gap year looks different only in volume.

Daily routine for CUET UGClass 12 student: school 7:30 am to 2 pm, reading 6 to 7 am, domain study 4 to 6:30 pm, MCQ practice 7:30 to 9 pm. Gap year: domain subjects 7 to 10 am and 10:30 am to 1 pm, timed tests 2:30 to 4:30 pm, General Test 5:30 to 7 pm. Self-study Tests and practice papers School, meals, rest 5:00 7:00 9:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00 Class 12 student School Lunch Domain Play MCQs Sleep Gap year Domain A Domain B Lunch Tests GT Sleep Bars run from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm. Exact times are in the tables below.
Class 12 student: about 5.5 hours of self-study. Gap year: about 10.5 hours. Both keep 7 to 8 hours of sleep.

Class 12 student

TimeWhat to do
5:30 am – 6:00 amWake up, water, quick walk
6:00 am – 7:00 amNewspaper editorial; summarise in five lines
7:30 am – 2:00 pmSchool
2:00 pm – 4:00 pmLunch and rest
4:00 pm – 6:30 pmOne domain subject: NCERT chapter
6:30 pm – 7:30 pmExercise or outdoor play
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm20 MCQs on today's chapter, timed
9:00 pm – 9:30 pmGeneral Test: 10 reasoning questions
9:30 pm – 11:00 pmScreens off; sleep by 10:30 pm

Gap year

TimeWhat to do
6:30 am – 7:00 amWake up, water, short walk
7:00 am – 10:00 amDomain subject A
10:00 am – 10:30 amBreakfast
10:30 am – 1:00 pmDomain subject B or C
1:00 pm – 2:30 pmLunch and rest
2:30 pm – 4:30 pmTwo 60-minute timed tests
4:30 pm – 5:30 pmExercise outdoors
5:30 pm – 7:00 pmGeneral Test and current affairs
7:00 pm – 8:00 pmLanguage: editorial and vocabulary
8:00 pm – 9:00 pmDinner with family
9:00 pm – 9:30 pmError notebook
9:30 pm – 11:00 pmSleep by 10:30 pm

Sundays: one full mock test in the exam's time slot, then the rest of the day off. Log the week on the free Self Tracker.

Choose subjects backwards

Start from the course: B.Com (Hons) at Delhi University, for example, asks for specific subject combinations. A subject you studied in Class 12 is usually the safest choice. Check each university's CUET subject mapping before you register.

Three habits that move scores the most

  • NCERT exercises and in-text questions first; most domain questions sit close to them.
  • Practise every test at one question a minute.
  • Read one editorial a day; the language test is mostly reading comprehension.

Where CUET takes you

Central and state universities, state by state, and the courses after each stream.

Universities by stateAfter 12th

Sources

  1. CUET UG pattern: 50 questions, 60 minutes, +5/−1, up to five tests (Careers360)
  2. CUET UG 2027 not yet notified (FindMyCollege)
  3. Official: cuet.nta.nic.in, nta.ac.in