Common University Entrance Test or in short CUET is an all-India-level exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) every year for admission to various undergraduate, postgraduate, integrated postgraduate, diploma, and doctoral programs in 45 Central Universities of India.
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It is also accepted by a few state universities and deemed universities of India. Earlier, this exam was known as the CUCET – Central Universities Common Entrance Test, conducted by the Central University of Rajasthan for 12 Central Universities.
At the very beginning, in 2010 CUCET was conducted only for 7 Central Universities for 1500 seats in 41 undergraduate, postgraduate, and integrated postgraduate courses. It was usually held during the months of June-July in about 30 examination centers spread across the country. The NTA took over the conducting of exams in 2021 and introduced CUET as a revamped version of CUCET and made it compulsory for all 45 Central Universities and other universities to adopt it.
CUET is a Computer-Based Test (CBT) held in 388 cities across India and 24 foreign cities once every year. All question papers are MCQ-based and divided into different parts. Every test paper has its own unique paper code and specific syllabus provided by the NTA. The exam pattern and structure are different for UG, PG, and Doctoral. Therefore, the NTA has created different websites for different levels to ensure the smooth functioning of the entire procedure. The top participating universities are – Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Delhi University, Hyderabad University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Pondicherry University, North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), etc
For undergraduate & integrated postgraduate levels, there are around 60 domain-specific papers. The CUET UG exam is divided into 4 sections – two language tests, one domain-specific paper, and the General Test. The aspiring candidates should have passed 10+2 with a minimum of 50% marks as aggregate. Candidates can opt for a combination of at most 2 languages and 6 domain-specific subjects or 3 languages and 5 domain-specific tests.
The number of questions varies for every topic, paper, and section. The marking scheme is +5 marks for every correct answer, -1 for a wrong answer, and 0 for unattempted questions. The total test score is 800. The medium of instruction is in 13 languages – English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Odia, Urdu, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Malayalam. Till 2023, the exam was conducted in 3 slots of 3 hours each, now it will be conducted in 2 slots. The duration of the first slot shall be 45 to 195 minutes and the duration of the second slot will be 45 to 225 minutes.
For the postgraduate level, there are around 150 domain-specific papers. In the beginning, the CUET PG exam was divided into 2 sections – One domain-specific paper and the compulsory General Test. Now, the General test paper has been turned into a domain-specific paper hence it is no longer compulsory.
Candidates can opt for a maximum of 4 papers. He/she must have a graduation degree with at least 55% for the general category and 50% for the SC/ST/PwD category. Students who are in their final year of graduation can also appear in the exam. The total number of questions for every paper is 75. The marking scheme is +4 for every correct response, -1 for incorrect response, and no mark for unattempted questions.
The total test score is 300. The medium of instruction is English and Hindi except for language papers. The exam is conducted in three slots across the country. Before, the total duration of each slot was 2 hours, now it has been reduced to 1 hour 45 minutes.
The CUET PhD has been introduced very recently by NTA for doctoral programs in central universities. The maximum academic qualification for the candidates is a recognized master’s degree. The exam is divided into two sections – Research Methodology and domain-specific paper. The syllabus for this exam is said to be similar to the UGC NET exam.
The total number of questions is 100 – 25 for Section I and 75 for Section II. The marking scheme is the same as CUET PG. The total test score is 400. The medium of instruction is English only except for language papers. The exam is conducted in two slots of 3 hours each.
To qualify for this exam at any level, candidates should start preparing early. The first step is to focus on understanding the exam pattern. Then next is to download the syllabus of your domain subject you wish to appear for and start gathering resources and other materials accordingly. For undergraduate candidates, they can refer to NCERT books and a few reference books available online.
Candidates appearing for CUET PG can refer to the books mentioned in their graduation syllabus. PhD candidates can take the help of books related to the NET exam. Since we live in a technological era, candidates should take full advantage of the internet. Many YouTubers and online coaching institutions are providing free lectures, tutorials, and notes for these exams. If they wish, candidates also get help from their teachers and professors as well.
It is important to make plans and proper routines to manage time and consistency. Candidates should study every day and make notes, flashcards, diagrams, etc to retain what they learned. Mock tests and previous year question papers are very important while preparing for these competitive exams. One of the most important pieces of advice that candidates can follow is to talk to those students or seniors who have already appeared for the exam and have been admitted to prestigious universities.
Before the inception of CUET, many universities used to conduct their own entrance tests while some gave admissions based on board results and graduation marks only. Because of this, the admission procedures seemed unfair and biased to many deserving candidates. Hence, CUET makes sure every candidate can get an equal chance to compete fairly with students across the country and undertake admission to their preferred university/course.
CUET ensures a merit-based selection process where the candidates are solely evaluated on their performance in the entrance examination. The exam also allows students to prove their knowledge and skills in a particular subject area as well as to identify their strengths and weaknesses. CUET has created a single centralized platform for admissions to various degree programs which eases the burden of appearing in separate entrance exams.
It is important to keep in mind that NTA only conducts this exam; once scorecards are uploaded students have to apply for admission to their preferred universities separately by going through that university’s website. Hence, candidates should keep track of important dates and deadlines for the admission procedure after the commencement of the exam.
Although the CUET exam may seem stressful, time-consuming, and also a little pricey, however, if we look in the long run, it may be a positive step towards landing into one’s dream college/university and boosting career choices as well. Therefore, every student should consider appearing for this exam.
By: Indralee Chetia
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