Table of Contents

Sr. Topic Page

No. No.
1. CUET: Overview 1
2. Courses Offered through CUET 2
3. Top Institutes that Accept CUET 4
4. Eligibility Criteria for CUET 5
4.1 Course-Specific Eligibility Criteria
6-9
4.2 Reservation Criteria
5. Registration for CUET 9
5.1 Exam Schedule 10
6. CUET Exam Structure 10
6.1 Section-wise Syllabus
6.2 Language Test
6.3 Domain Test 12 - 16
6.4 General Test
6.5 Important Rules for Sections
7. Preparation Tips for CUET 17
8. Best Books for CUET 18 - 19
 CUET (CUCET)
1. CUET: Overview
Common University Entrance Test (CUET), initially called
Central University Common Entrance Test (CUCET), is a
national-level test conducted for admission to different
Under Graduate (UG) Programmes offered at
250+Central, State, Deemed & Private Universities of
India. Since the exam is directed by NTA, the scope and
opportunities extended are quite wide in range. The
placement reputation of the associated institutes affirms
their credibility and standing in the education sector.
From 2024, the CUET exam is being conducted in a
hybrid mode [Computer Based Test (CBT) mode and Pen-
paper mode]. It evaluates the general aptitude skills of
the candidates. Apart from the common subjects/areas,
the test dwells on the domain-specific knowledge of the
chosen course. Over time, there have been some
changes in the purview of CUET.
Key Highlights & Latest Changes
 Started in 2010, CUET (CUCET) was conducted by
the Central University of Rajasthan. From 2021,
NTA took the responsibility of facilitating the exam.

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 Initially, CUET was considered by 12 Central
Universities only. But from 2022, it has been
accepted by 40+ Central Universities of India.
These include prestigious institutions like DU, JNU,
and BHU. Some of the State universities also use
CUET scores for admissions.
 As per UGC, even the state-managed private and
deemed universities can provide admission
through CUET, implying a broadened ambit of the
exam.
 From 2024, CUET is now conducted in a hybrid
mode, consisting both Computer Based Test (CBT)
and pen and paper modes.
 Previously, students could choose up to 10
subjects from all the three sections. In CUET 2024,
this number has been reduced to 6. This simplifies
scheduling and caters to the observation that most
students opted for fewer subjects in prior years.
 The number of domain-specific subjects offered in
CUET has gone up to 29 in 2024. Two newly added
subjects are Fashion Studies and Tourism.

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All these changes have made the admission process
transparent and fair to students of all education boards
and backgrounds. As of now, CUET paves the way to
100000+ admission seats across reputed institutes of
the country.
2. Courses Offered through CUET
Listed below are the popular UG courses you can seek
admission to through CUET scores:

1. BSc. 8. Integrated BA-BEd

2. B Tech. 9. Integrated BA-LLB (Hons)
3. BBA 10. Integrated MSc
4. BA 11. Integrated M Tech
5. B. B Voc. 12. Integrated BSc Hons-MSc
6. BPA 13. Integrated BSc-Bed
7. Integrated MA
Some of the above-stated courses are offered in several
streams and specialisations. Further, a few institutes
also extend Specialised Diploma courses based on CUET
scores.

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3. Top Institutes that Accept CUET
Given is the list of best universities and colleges that
shortlist the students as per CUET scores:
 Delhi University
 Banaras Hindu University
 University of Allahabad
 Jamia Milia Islamia
 Jawaharlal Nehru University
 Aligarh Muslim University
 Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University
 Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University
 Guru Gobind Singh IPU
 Hyderabad University
 Sardar Patel University of Police, Security and
Criminal Justice
Note that CUET-accepting universities include the
Central Universities, several state universities like Andhra
Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, etc. a few private and deemed
universities.

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4. Eligibility Criteria for CUET
Prior to applying for CUET, you must learn about its
eligibility rules and requirements. For appearing in the
CUET (UG), there is no age limit for the candidates. The
candidates who have passed the class 12 /equivalent
examination or are appearing irrespective of their age
can appear in the CUET (UG) examination. However, the
candidates will be required to fulfill the age criteria (if
any) of the University / Institution / Organization in which
they are desirous of taking admission.
Here are the basic conditions for candidates of different
categories:
For Indian Students:
 The candidate must have attained at least 50%
(45% in case of SC/ST) marks in their class 12th
examination.
 The candidate must have done subjects in class
12th, appropriate to the course they opt for.
You can apply for CUET while attempting the qualifying
examination of the board. However, you are required to
show your passing certificate during the next stage of
the admission process.

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The application process for Non Resident of India (NRI)
or the international students through CUET would vary
from university to university. The students are requested
to refer to the admission process of their desired
universities.
Additionally, you must be informed about the eligibility
rules of specific programmes and universities, before
applying for them. You can generally access the related
information on the official sites of the respective
colleges/universities.
Number of Attempts:
While there is no such restriction on the number of
attempts for CUET, but the university-specific criteria
may vary.
4.1 Course-Specific Eligibility Criteria
The given table provides a glimpse of the eligibility
requirements of the popular UG courses that need CUET
scores for admission:
Course Eligibility Conditions
BA / BBA / BCA / 10+2 or equivalent in any stream from a
Integrated BA- B Ed recognised Board/University with
/ BA-LLB (Hons.) / minimum 50% marks (General/OBC) and
BA -LLB 45% marks (SC/ST/PWD) candidates.

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BA (Social Science) 10+2 in any discipline with minimum
55% marks (General/OBC) and 50%
(SC/ST/PH) categories.
BSc (Textiles) 10+2 or equivalent with Physics,
Chemistry and Mathematics from a
recognised Board/University with
(General/OBC) 60% marks
(General/OBC) and 55% marks (SC/ST)
candidates.
Integrated BSc / B 10+2 or equivalent in Science stream
Ed from a recognised Board/University with
minimum 50% marks (General/OBC) and
45% marks (SC/ST/PWD) candidates.
Integrated BSc / B 10+2 or equivalent in Science stream
Ed (Mathematics) from a recognised Board/University with
minimum 60% marks (General), 55%
marks (OBC-NCL) and 50% marks
(SC/ST/PWD) candidates. Must have
taken Mathematics / Statistics, Physics
and Chemistry in 10+2.
Integrated M Sc 10+2 or equivalent in Science stream
(Biochemistry) / B with Biology from a recognised
Voc (Biomedical Board/University with minimum 50%
Sciences) marks (General/OBC) and 45% marks
(SC/ST/PWD) candidates.

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Integrated BSc M 10+2 or equivalent with
Sc / Integrated M Biology/Mathematics/Biotechnology/Bi
Sc (Biotechnology) chemistry with minimum 50% marks
(General/OBC) and 45% marks
(SC/ST/PWD) candidates.
Integrated BSc 10+2 or equivalent in Science stream
(Hons.) MSc / with Chemistry from a recognised
Integrated MSc Board/University with minimum 50%
(Chemistry) marks (General/OBC) and 45% marks
(SC/ST/PWD) candidates.
Integrated MCA / 10+2 in any discipline
Integrated MSc
(Computer
Science)
Integrated MSc 10+2 or equivalent with English and
(Economics) Mathematics from a recognised
Board/University with minimum 65%
marks (General/OBC) and 60% marks
(SC/ST) candidates.
BTech in Electrical 10+2 or equivalent in Science stream
Engineering from a recognised Board/University with
minimum 45% marks (General/OBC) and
40% marks (SC/ST/PWD) candidates.
Physics and Mathematics is
compulsory in 10+2 along with
Chemistry/ Biotechnology/ Computer
Science/ Biology and Electronics

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BVoc 10+2 or equivalent from a recognised
board with minimum 45% marks in
aggregate
Students with NSQF certification level
can also apply
BTech in 10+2 or equivalent with Physics,
Electronics /BSc Chemistry and Mathematics from a
(Physics/Chemistr recognised Board / University with
y / Mathematics) minimum 50% marks (General/OBC) and
45% marks (SC/ST) candidates.

4.2 Reservation Criteria

Most of the institutes/universities extend reservation
provisions for the UG courses. Here is the intake criterion
for CUET-accepting degree programs:
Category Reservation
Scheduled Castes 15%
Scheduled Tribes 7.5%
Other Backward Classes (Non-Creamy) 27%
Persons with Disability 5%

5. Registration for CUET

Candidates need to register online for CUET at the site:
https://exams.nta.ac.in/CUET-UG
You will receive SMS and email alerts regarding your
application for CUET. Make sure to go through the

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specifications for photographs, signatures, and other
documents before uploading them. After filling the form,
the applicants have to pay registration fees of Rs. 1000
(General), Rs. 900 (OBC/ EWS) and Rs. 800 (SC/ ST).
Since the number of participating universities has greatly
increased, there is a likelihood of lakhs of students
registering for the exam. More details for the same are
officially released on NTA’s website.
5.1 Exam Schedule
CUET is conducted over a period of 10-12 days in 2-3
shifts, depending on the number of test-takers and
sectional tests opted by them. Previously, it used to be
scheduled for the month of September every year. From
2024, the exam is expected to be held in the month of
May.
6. CUET Exam Structure
CUET is basically an objective test, comprising three
major sections. Depending upon the course and
university-specific guidelines, candidates need to opt for
one or more sections. The level of the exam is of class
12th only, and the questions are drawn from the topics
given in NCERT textbooks. Here is the sectional division
of CUET exam pattern:

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 Section Questions to be Time Limit
Attempted
IA - Languages 40 questions to 45 minutes per
IB - Languages be attempted out language test
of 50 in each
language
II - Domain 40 questions to 45 minutes except for
Subject be attempted out Math/Applied
of 50 Math, Accountancy,
Physics, Chemistry,
Economics,
Computer
Science/Informatics
Practices which
would be 60 minutes.
III - General Test 50 questions out 60 minutes
of 60

Marking Scheme: Each correct answer is awarded +5

marks and there is a negative marking of -1 mark for
every incorrect answer. No penalty for unattempted
questions.
Medium of Exam: CUET can be taken in any of the
following 13 languages: English, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu,
Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati, Odiya, Malayalam,
Marathi, Bengali, and Assamese.

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6.1 Section-wise Syllabus
Given below are the areas covered and options for
different sections of CUET:
6.2 Language Test
This area is composed of Reading Comprehension
passages, accompanied by questions that evaluate your
vocabulary and grammatical knowledge of the chosen
language. These passages may be narrative, factual or
narrative in nature.
Section IA
For this part, the candidate has to do a language test.
There are 13 options to choose from:

 Bengali  Telugu
 Kannada  Malayalam
 Tamil  Marathi
 Gujarati  Odiya
 Assamese  Punjabi
 English  Hindi
 Urdu

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Section IB
Here, the candidate can choose among the set of the
following 20 languages:

 Konkani  Bodo  Dogri

 French  Nepali  Persian
 Italian  Arabic  Sindhi
 Spanish  German  Japanese
 Russian  Chinese  Sanskrit
 Kashmiri  Maithili  Manipuri
 Santhali  Tibetan
6.3 Domain Test
This test is based on the particular subjects you studied
in class 12th. There are a total of 29 subjects offered in
this section. These include:
 Accountancy/ Book-keeping
 Biology/ Biological Studies/ Biotechnology/
Biochemistry
 Business Studies
 Chemistry
 Computer Science/ Informatics Practices

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 Economics/ Business Economics
 Engineering Graphics
 Entrepreneurship
 Geography
 Geology
 History
 Home Science
 Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India
 Legal Studies
 Environmental Science
 Mathematics
 Physical Education/ NCC /Yoga
 Physics
 Political Science
 Psychology
 Sociology
 Teaching Aptitude
 Agriculture
 Mass Media/ Mass Communication

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  Anthropology
 Fine Arts/Visual Arts (Sculpture/ Painting)/
Commercial Arts
 Performing Arts - (i) Dance (Kathak/Bharatnatyam/
Oddisi/Kathakali/Kuchipudi/ Manipuri (ii) Drama-
Theatre (iii) Music General (Hindustani/ Carnatic/
Rabindra Sangeet/ Percussion/ Non-Percussion)
 Fashion Studies
 Tourism
The candidate can choose a maximum of 3-4 domain
subjects as per the guidelines.

6.4 General Test

This is an optional section, as only certain universities
require its scores. General test is based on the following
topics and areas:
 General Knowledge & Current Affairs
 General Mental Ability & Numerical Ability
 Quantitative Reasoning (application of basic
mathematical concepts of Arithmetic, Algebra,
Geometry, Mensuration and Statistics)
 Logical & Analytical Reasoning

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6.5 Important Rules for Sections
Keep the following things in mind while applying for and
attempting CUET exam:
 The maximum number of tests that can be taken is
from all 3 sections is 6. It can either be:
 2 Language Tests + 3 Domain Subject Tests + 1
General Test
OR
 1 Language Test + 4 Domain Subject Tests + 1
General Test
 As stated above, you can opt for a maximum of 2
languages from Section IA and Section IB together.
 Generally, you should select the
languages/subjects you opted for in Class 12th
examinations. But if your desired University allows
otherwise, you can go for other
languages/subjects.
 In case the stream you aspire to get into in UG
course is not available in the given list of 29
subject options, you may select the one of its
related field/ branch.

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7. Preparation Tips for CUET
Here is the stepwise guide to prepare well for CUET:
 To begin with, you must be well aware of the
syllabus, exam pattern and marking scheme of the
exam. With this information, you will be able to give
the right direction to your preparation.
 The next step is to get the necessary study
material, books, previous year papers and sample
mock tests. Make sure that you utilise the latest
and updated resources only.
 Segregate the topics as per different subjects, their
weightage and difficulty level. Thereafter, make a
timeline and study plan to cover all the important
areas.
 Study through all the topics given in the syllabus
and revise them thoroughly.
 Solve the past year CUET question papers. This will
help you develop a good understanding of the
exam pattern and format of questions that are
frequently asked.
 Practice sample papers and mock tests, structured
on the latest pattern of CUET. Mock tests serve as

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 an effective way to gauge your strengths and
weakness. Accordingly, you will know which topics
still need work and which ones are most scoring
for you.
Finally, you can devise the exam strategy that fetches
you the maximum marks. Simultaneously, you will learn
time management skills to tackle the exam with speed
and accuracy.
8. Best Books for CUET
Listed below are the top books recommended for
different sections of CUET:
English Language
Since many students opt for English in the language test,
we have listed down the best books for the English
language section:
 CUET English Practice by Hitbullseye
 CUET English Concepts by Hitbullseye
General Knowledge & Current Affairs
For general knowledge, you can refer to the following
books:
 CUET General Test Concepts by Hitbullseye
 CUET General Test Practice by Hitbullseye

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Domain- Specific
The choice of domain subjects can vary from aspirant to
aspirant. Mention below are a few top rated books that
you can refer to:
 CUET Mathematics
 CUET Physics
 CUET Biology
 CUET Chemistry
 CUET Accountancy
 CUET Business Studies
 CUET Economics
 CUET Computer Science
 CUET History
 CUET Geography
 CUET Political Science
 CUET Legal Studies
 CUET Sociology
 CUET Psychology

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