New Delhi. : The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced major updates regarding the Common University Entrance Test for Undergraduate Programmes (CUET-UG) 2026, one of the world’s largest computer-based entrance examinations.
According to the agency, out of 15,68,866 registered candidates, nearly 96.6% have been allotted one of their preferred examination cities, while 79% received their first-choice city allocation. To assist candidates who could not be accommodated within their selected preferences, NTA has now opened a re-allocation window for alternate city selection on a first-come-first-serve basis.
The re-allocation facility is available on the official CUET portal.
Massive Scale of CUET-UG 2026
CUET-UG 2026 has witnessed an enormous response from students across the country. Candidates were allowed to choose up to five subjects, resulting in approximately 67.56 lakh test instances overall. On average, each candidate opted for 4.31 subjects.
The examination process has become increasingly complex due to the wide range of subject combinations chosen by candidates. This year alone, over 12,906 unique subject combinations were recorded. To manage this scale efficiently while ensuring examination integrity, the test is being conducted across 35 shifts nationwide.
Subject Selection Statistics
The distribution of candidates according to the number of subjects selected is as follows:
- 1 Subject: 11,140 candidates
- 2 Subjects: 31,011 candidates
- 3 Subjects: 2,93,660 candidates
- 4 Subjects: 3,63,096 candidates
- 5 Subjects: 8,69,959 candidates
High Demand in Key States
NTA highlighted that approximately 43% of all registrations originated from just three states — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Delhi. Together, these states contributed nearly 6.74 lakh registrations and close to 29.93 lakh effective test instances across 9,922 subject combinations.
Due to the overwhelming concentration of candidates in specific cities and limited availability of secure Computer-Based Testing (CBT) infrastructure, some students had to be allotted centres outside their preferred locations.
The agency explained that city allocation depends on multiple factors, including the candidate’s preferred city, selected subject combinations, shift scheduling, available CBT infrastructure, trained staff, and examination security requirements.
Re-allocation Window Open for Affected Candidates
Candidates who were allotted examination centres outside their selected preferences can now log in to the official portal and select from available vacant slots in alternate cities.
The allocation will be done strictly on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Important Advisory for Students
NTA has advised candidates to:
- Carefully check their examination city, centre, date, and shift details mentioned on the admit card
- Visit the official portal immediately if they wish to apply for re-allocation
- Make travel and accommodation arrangements in advance
- Reach the examination centre before reporting time to avoid inconvenience
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