11 May 2026: CUET 2026 subject-wise question papers available. Download Here
CUET UG 2026 Exam Pattern Changes Explained: All 50 Questions Now Compulsory + Marking Scheme
Content Curator | Updated On - Jun 11, 2026
What's New in CUET 2026?
CUET UG 2026 has dropped the optional question format entirely. Every candidate now has to answer all 50 questions in each paper, with no choose-any-40 flexibility left. At +5 for correct and -1 for wrong, a single careless attempt can reduce marks by 1.
- NTA officially announced the revised pattern on January 3, 2026, alongside the CUET UG 2026 information bulletin at cuet.nta.nic.in.
- Total subjects reduced from 63 to 37; dropped subjects like Entrepreneurship, Teaching Aptitude, and Legal Studies will now use General Aptitude Test (GAT) scores for admission
- Each paper carries 250 marks (50 questions x 5 marks each), with a fixed duration of 60 minutes per paper.
- Candidates can select a maximum of 5 subjects total, down from 6 in previous years, covering Languages, Domain subjects, and GAT.
Related Articles:
Key Summary
|
|---|
Changes in CUET Exam Pattern
NTA has introduced many changes in CUET Exam Pattern as listed below.
- CUET will be conducted in fully computer based test mode.
- The number of subjects has been reduced to 37.
- Students can choose a maximum of 5 subjects, unlike earlier, which allowed 6 or more.
- Access to optional questions is no longer available in CUET UG; all 50 questions are compulsory.
- Each paper has a fixed duration of 60 minutes.
CUET UG 2026 Exam Pattern: Section-Wise
This is the biggest structural shift in CUET since the exam launched in 2022. The old pattern gave candidates a buffer of 50 questions, attempting any 40. That buffer is gone.
| Section | Questions | Marks per Question | Total Marks | Duration | Key Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section I – Languages (13 languages) | 50 | +5 | 250 | 60 minutes | Reading, grammar, vocabulary; 13 languages available |
| Section II – Domain Subjects (23 subjects) | 50 | +5 | 250 | 60 minutes | Class 12 NCERT-based; all questions compulsory |
| Section III – General Aptitude Test (GAT) | 50 | +5 | 250 | 60 minutes | GK, reasoning, quantitative ability, current affairs |
Source: NTA CUET UG 2026 Official Information Bulletin, cuet.nta.nic.in
Candidates can select a maximum of 5 papers total 1 language, up to 3 domain subjects, and the GAT (if required by their target university). Selecting all 5 papers means a combined maximum of 1250 marks.
CUET Exam Pattern: Old vs New
Understanding the shift from the previous pattern is essential before planning any preparation strategy.
| Parameter | CUET UG (Old) | CUET UG 2026 (New) | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam mode | Hybrid (CBT + pen-paper, some centres) | CBT only | Fully online now |
| Questions per paper | 50 total | 50 total | No change in question count |
| Compulsory attempts | 40 out of 50 | All 50 | 10 more questions are now mandatory |
| Optional questions | 10 could be skipped | None | Full syllabus coverage required |
| Total subjects available | 63 | 37 | 26 subjects discontinued |
| Max subjects per candidate | 6 | 5 | One fewer paper allowed |
| Marking: Correct | +5 | +5 | No change |
| Marking: Wrong | -1 | -1 | No change |
| Marking: Unattempted | 0 | 0 | No change |
| Max marks per paper | 200 (250 for General Aptitude) | 250 | 50 marks change |
| Duration per paper | Varied | 60 minutes (uniform) | Standardised |
Source: NTA CUET UG 2026 Official Notification, cuet.nta.nic.in
The shift from 40 compulsory to 50 compulsory questions is not just a formatting change. It eliminates the exam-day triage candidates relied on, skipping difficult sections or weak chapters cold in the hall. Preparation now has to be comprehensive by design.
CUET UG 2026 Marking Scheme
For each question, you get +5 marks, and for each question, -1 mark will be deducted from the overall score. No negative marling is applicable for unattempted questions in CUET UG.
| Answer Type | Marks |
|---|---|
| Correct Answer | +5 |
| Incorrect Answer | -1 |
| Unattempted | 0 |
CUET UG Correct Attempts vs Marks
| Scenario | Marks Impact |
|---|---|
| All 50 correct, 0 wrong | +250 (maximum) |
| 45 correct, 5 wrong | +220 (225 - 5) |
| 40 correct, 10 wrong | +190 (200 - 10) |
| 35 correct, 15 wrong | +160 (175 - 15) |
| 30 correct, 20 wrong | +130 (150 - 20) |
| 25 correct, 25 wrong | +100 (125 - 25) |
| 50 attempted, all wrong | -50 |
Unattempted questions carry zero marks. Leaving a question blank does not penalise the candidate. This makes selective skipping on genuinely unfamiliar questions a mathematically correct strategy.
Source: NTA CUET UG 2026 Information Bulletin, cuet.nta.nic.in
CUET Exam Pattern FAQs
CUET UG 2026 Exam Pattern Changes FAQs
Ques. Are all 50 questions compulsory in CUET UG 2026?
Ans. Yes. NTA has removed the optional question format entirely for 2026. All 50 questions in every paper Language, Domain, and GAT are now compulsory. The earlier system of attempting 40 out of 50 no longer applies.
Ques. What is the marking scheme for CUET UG 2026?
Ans. The marking scheme is +5 marks for each correct answer and -1 mark for each wrong answer. Unattempted or marked-for-review questions carry zero marks. The maximum marks per paper is 250.
Ques. How many subjects can a candidate choose in CUET UG 2026?
Ans. Candidates can choose a maximum of 5 subjects in total, combining one language from Section I, up to three or four domain subjects from Section II, and the General Aptitude Test from Section III. This is reduced from 6 subjects permitted in previous years.
Ques. What if a student guesses all the questions on which he/she is unsure in CUET UG 2026?
Ans. Random guessing is a poor strategy in CUET UG 2026 because for each incorrect answer, a student loses 1 mark. If a student gets 5 questions incorrect, he/she would need 1 more correct answer just to make up for these marks. A student can leave a question blank because it is still 0 marks.
Ques. Is the General Test renamed in CUET UG 2026?
Ans. Yes. The General Test is now officially called the General Aptitude Test (GAT) in CUET UG 2026. The format remains 50 questions, 250 marks, 60 minutes, but the syllabus has been restructured with greater emphasis on general science, environmental literacy, and current affairs.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.
Ask your question
Answered Questions
a
M
Normalised score or normalization of score in CUET refers to a technique to compare applicant scores uniformly across test sessions. This process is necessary to keep CUET(conducted over multiple days and sessions with various sets of questions) fair to all test-takers.
For this purpose, CUET scores are given in percentiles rather than raw scores. A percentile score of 95, for instance, means that 95% of the applicants performed at a level that was lower or equal to that of the candidate.
Also note that CUET UG Retest 2024 was held on July 19, for the candidates who have been affected by the CBT mode issue and lodged a complaint within July 9. You can expect that the final percentiles and results will be normalised to ensure fairness.
...Show More
a
S
Parth, Student at Christ University
Yes, Christ University accepts CUET scores for UG admission into all its campuses in India. The eligibility criteria for CUET UG is that the candidates must pass their 12th in any stream from a recognized board in India or Abroad. The CUET 2024 exam was conducted by NTA from May 15 to May 24 2024, in hybrid mode.
...Show More
a
BP
Priya, student at Fergusson College
No, Fergusson College does not accept CUET scores for admissions. Fergusson College offers various UG, PG, and Doctoral courses in Arts and Science streams like- BA, BSc, BVoc, MA, MSc, and PhD.
The Fergusson College UG admission 2024 was based on merit, and it was completely online. The UG admission 2024 in Fergusson College was based on the academic scores of candidates in class 12th.
Candidates who are willing to take admission must apply online through the official website of Fergusson College. PG admission in Fergusson is based on the results of the entrance test conducted by the college.
Here are the important dates for admission 2024 to various UG courses at Fergusson College-
| Particulars | Important Dates (Admissions Closed) |
|---|---|
| Availability of Online Application Form | May 21, 2024 |
| Last day of Filling Application Form | May 30, 2024 |
| Display of Provisional Merit List | June 1, 2024 |
| Display of Final Merit List | June 4, 2024 |
| Admission dates for Arts subjects | June 7 - June 8, 2024 |
| Admission dates for Science & B.Voc subjects | June 7, 2024 |
*The 2024 UG admissions at Fergusson College have already closed.
The UG admissions 2024 are already closed, but I hope this answer will give you a basic idea of the general UG admission dates and requirements at Fergusson College.
...Show More
a
SS
Dhruv, student at DU
Candidates must check the CUET UG courses list, which is available in PDF form at https://exams.nta.ac.in/CUET-UG/images/public-notice-for-cuet-ug-2024.pdf before applying for this exam. Candidates should also check the CUET eligibility criteria according to each course. After deciding upon their desired course, the candidates can practice for the CUET exam accordingly. The CUET 2024 exam was conducted for various UG courses in Humanities, Science, Engineering, and Commerce.
The CUET 2024 course list is given below:
| Arts | Science & Technology | Commerce | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.A. in Humanities & Social Sciences | BSc in Physics/ Chemistry/ Maths/ Biology | BCom (Honors) | BBA LLB |
| B.A. in Arts (Fine/ Visual/ Performing) | BCA in Computer Science and Technology | BCom (General) | BHM in Hospitality & Travel |
| Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) | BTech CSE/ Mechanical/ Electrical/ Civil | BCom Business Administration. | BCA (IT and Software) |
| BA LLB | BE in ECE/ Electrical/ Mechanical/ Electronics Engineering | BCom Accounting and Taxation/ Statistics/ Management Accounting | BSc in Hospitality & Travel |
| BA in Hospitality & Travel | BCom in International Finance/ Accounting/ Applied Economics/ Banking & Finance | Diploma in Education (DEd) | |
| BA in Animation | BCom Marketing | BDes in Animation | |
| BCom Tourism & Travel Management | BDes in Design | ||
| BSc in Design | |||
| Bachelor of Journalism & Mass Communication (BJMC) | |||
| Bachelor of Journalism (BJ) | |||
| Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM) | |||
| BBA/BMS |
...Show More
a
SC
Bhawna, student at University of Delhi
You can check the CUET cutoff on the official website of each participating college. After the declaration of the CUET result (which was declared on 30th June 2024 for this session), the participating colleges also released their respective CUET cutoff lists online.
The cutoffs of the participating colleges are based on the performance of the students and various other factors. So, you must check the cutoff list 2024 of the participating colleges online. After doing so, you will know the colleges to which you can seek admission.
...Show More
Upcoming exams
top courses
Netaji Subhas University of Technology - [NSUT]
New Delhi, Delhi NCRDelhi Technological University - [DTU]
New Delhi, Delhi NCRIIT Patna - Indian Institute of Technology - [IITP]
Patna, BiharThapar Institute of Engineering and Technology - [Thapar University]
Patiala, PunjabHarcourt Butler Technological University - [HBTU]
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
