CUET Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme 2026-27

CUET Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme

Here's a comprehensive overview of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) conducted by NTA:

📋 Exam Structure

CUET is divided into 4 sections:

Section	Components	No. of Questions	To Attempt
Section IA	13 Languages	50 per language	40
Section IB	20 Languages	50 per language	40
Section II	27 Domain Subjects	45–50 per subject	35–40
Section III	General Test	60	50

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⏱️ Time Allotted

Section	Duration
Each Language (IA/IB)	45 minutes
Each Domain Subject	45 minutes
General Test	60 minutes

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✅ Marking Scheme

Outcome	Marks
Correct Answer	+5
Incorrect Answer	−1
Unattempted	0

Negative marking applies, so avoid random guessing.

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📌 Subject Choices Allowed

• Section IA/IB: Up to 3 languages total
• Section II: Up to 6 domain subjects
• Section III: General Test (optional, but required by some universities)
• Maximum: A candidate can appear in up to 10 subjects in total

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📚 Section-wise Overview

Section IA – Languages (13 options) Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Urdu, Assamese, Bengali, Punjabi, Odia, English

Section IB – Additional Languages (20 options) French, Spanish, German, Nepali, Persian, Italian, Arabic, Sindhi, Sanskrit, Kashmiri, Konkani, Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Santhali, Tibetan, Japanese, Russian, Chinese

Section II – Domain Subjects (27 options) Covers subjects like Accountancy, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering Graphics, Entrepreneurship, Geography, History, Home Science, Legal Studies, Mathematics, Physical Education, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, etc.

Section III – General Test Covers General Knowledge, Current Affairs, General Mental Ability, Numerical Ability, Quantitative Reasoning, Logical & Analytical Reasoning

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🎯 Key Points to Remember

• Questions are MCQ-based
• The exam is conducted in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode
• Different universities specify which sections/subjects are mandatory for their programs
• CUET scores are used for admissions to Central, State, Deemed & Private Universities