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The Examination Process has Started
India's biggest college entrance exam is underway. The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) UG 2026 is organised by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and runs from May 11, 2026, to May 31, 2026. It is scheduled in thousands of locations across India. The Computer-Based Test (CBT) is scheduled in two shifts. The first shift runs from 9 AM to 12 PM and the second from 3 PM to 6 PM.
According to information provided to the media in the May 5, 2026, press briefing, the NTA confirmed that 96.6 percent of candidates were allotted their preferred exam city. The updated admit card was issued on May 9 to students who changed their exam city. The gates close strictly when the exam starts, and no late entry is allowed. CUET is the only standardised exam that determines undergraduate admission in all central, state, deemed, and private universities in India. The exam was implemented in 2022 to decrease the emphasis on students’ Class 12 board exam marks and offer students in rural and remote areas of the country access to competitive universities.
Who is eligible to appear, and what is the criteria?
Students over the age requirement appearing or passed class XII in 2026 are eligible to appear for the CUET UG 2026. There is no upper age limit. For the general category, the requirement is a minimum of 45 percent in class XII, for SC/ST/OBC – 40 percent. Applications are accepted from Indian citizens, NRIs, and OCI. The registration portal closed on 26th February 2026. There is no alternative for students who missed the deadline. A correction window from 9th February to 11th February 2026 was made available by NTA so that candidates could rectify the mistakes in the application, like name, date of birth, gender and category.
Candidates can select up to 5 subjects for CUET from 3 domains. Hence, languages (maximum 2), domain subjects (maximum 3), and 1 General Test. The universities' admission requirements will also determine the subject selections. Most students are prone to selecting the wrong combination, consequently losing the opportunity for admission. Therefore, it is advised to check the specific requirements on the official university portals prior to the final submission of the application.
Syllabus, Structure, and What Has Changed
The CUET UG 2026 places the NCERT Class 12 domain subjects at the foundation of its syllabus. Students preparing for the CUET and the board exams at the same time make the preparation seamless, and the time commitment required to prepare for the CUET while taking the exams is reduced. The test covers 13 languages, 23 domain subjects, and a General Aptitude Test. The General Test is meant to cover logical reasoning, general and current affairs knowledge, and also assess quantitative aptitude.
The domain subjects include the Science, Commerce, and Arts streams, so CUET is relevant to students across all disciplines. Of note this year: six subjects have been removed from the domain section. Entrepreneurship, Teaching Aptitude, Fashion Studies, Tourism, Legal Studies, and Engineering Graphics will no longer be domains in CUET. For programs that are related to these domains, admission will be based on the General Aptitude Test. Students interested in these courses will get the updated information from their target universities and prepare accordingly for the CUET.
Results, Counselling, and What's Next
Once the exam is completed on May 31, we wait. CUET UG 2026 results are likely to be published between June and July 2026 based on NTA's previous schedules and the current duration of the exam. The score will contain marks, a percentile score, and the NTA score for the number of papers taken.
After the results are published, the remaining counselling process is conducted by each participating university. There is no central CUET counselling run by NTA. For each university where students want to study, they are required to register on the official admission portals, publish their CUET scores, and complete merit-based seat allotment across 3 to 5 rounds. More than 240 universities have accepted CUET UG scores, including Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, and Jawaharlal Nehru University. Universities are expected to publish cutoff scores in the first week of August 2026. Based on previous years, Delhi University requires near-perfect benchmark scores, so it is expected that students will be honest with how they performed and apply to multiple universities.
Important Dates to Keep in Mind :
Registration Closed: 26th February, 2026
Release of City Intimation Slip: 29th April, 2026
Release of Admit Card: 5th May, 2026
Release of revised Admit Card (change of city): 9th May, 2026
Examination Window: 11th May, 2026 to 31st May, 2026
Expected Result Announcement: June to July, 2026
Counselling: Individual Universities Allotment (after results)
Expected Cutoff: 1st week of August, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions :
Q1. What is CUET UG 2026?
The Common University Entrance Test (CUET UG) 2026 is an examination administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for entrance into undergraduate programs in India. The examination provides admission to over 240 central, state, deemed and private universities in India.
Q2. What is the expected time of declaration of CUET UG 2026 results?
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is expected to publish the results on the official website, cuet.nta.nic.in, in June or earl July of 2026. The results will contain raw scores, percentiles and NTA scores.
Q3. How many subjects can I choose in CUET UG 2026?
Depending on the university or course, candidates can choose a total of five subjects, including up to two languages, up to three domain subjects, and one General Test.
Q4. Does the Class 12 eligibility criteria affect CUET admission?
While the CUET score is the main criterion for admission to the central universities, a few universities set their own criteria and require Class 12 scores to be at least 50 per cent for the general category and 45 per cent for the reserved category.
Q5. What should students do after the CUET UG 2026 examination?
Students should keep an eye out for their results on the CUET official website and at their chosen universities for their admission schedules. Students have to register on every university website individually and must be ready with all the required documents for the counselling rounds.
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