CUET 2025 Exam Pattern Revised: Section-wise Pattern, Marking Scheme & No. of Questions

Common University Entrance Test 2025 ( CUET )

290K Views2.9K Comments
Shruti Garg

Shruti GargAssistant Manager- Editorial

Updated on Dec 12, 2024 09:27 IST

NTA has revised the CUET UG 2025 exam pattern. UGC Chairperson Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar suggested that CUET UG will witness changes in exam duration, mode of examination and number of subjects. The exam has rolled back to CBT mode. CUET UG will have three sections. Section 1 will have 13 languages, Section 2 includes 23 domain subjects and Section 3 will be a General Test. Candidates will be permitted to take up to five subjects which has been reduced from six. Students will be eligible to opt for any CUET subject irrespective of subjects studied in class 12th. Candidates can start preparing for CUET UG along with the boards exam.

The CUET 2025 exam date will be announced soon. It is expected that exam will be scheduled in May/June 2025. CUET UG 2025 will be divided into three parts which will carry objective-type Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). The medium of the CUET question paper will be English and the languages chosen by candidates among 12 regional languages. Each question will carry five marks and for each wrong answer, there will be a negative marking of one mark.

LATEST: CUET UG 2025 Revamp: Interdisciplinary Flexibility, CBT-Only Mode, and Reduced Subjects Announced

Also Read: What type of questions are asked in CUET?

What's New in CUET Exam Pattern?

UGC chairman has introduced the following changed from CUET UG 2025 onwards:

  • Students will be allowed to appear for CUET UG subjects irrespective of subject studied in class 12th
  • CUET UG will now be held in CBT mode only
  • CUET will be conducted for 37 subjects (23 subjects, 13 languages, general test) instead of 63 subjects
  • CUET subjects will have a uniform duration of 60 minutes
  • Admissions for discontinued subjects will be based on General Aptitude Test scores

CUET 2025 Exam Pattern - Highlights

CUET UG 2025 exam will be conducted in a CBT mode. The questions will be given in a multiple-choice questions (MCQ) format. The following table brings the highlights of the CUET exam pattern 2025:

Particulars

Details

Mode of the examination

Computer Based Test

Number of Slots

Three to four

Exam timing

Mentioned in NTA CUET datesheet

Type of questions

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

CUET UG sections

Section 1 - Language

Section 2 - Domain Subject

Section 3 - General Aptitude Test

Total number of Questions

50 across all subjects

Negative marking

Yes

Marking Scheme

+5 for each correct answer

-1 for each incorrect answer

Medium of CUET exam

13 languages - English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu

Number of domain subjects

23

 

CUET 2025 Exam Pattern- Section Wise

The table below brings the broad structure of CUET UG in terms of the number of questions in each section along with the duration.

Section

Number of Questions

Duration

Question Types

Section IA- Language

50 Questions

60 minutes for all subjects

Language to be tested through Reading Comprehension based on different types of passages–Factual, Literary and Narrative, (Literary Aptitude and Vocabulary)

Section II- Domain Specific

50 Questions

  • Input text can be used for MCQ Based Questions

  • MCQs based on NCERT Class 12 syllabus only

Section III- General Test

50 Questions

  • Input text can be used for MCQ Based Questions

  • General Knowledge, Current Affairs, General Mental Ability, Numerical Ability, Quantitative Reasoning (Simple application of basic mathematical concepts arithmetic/algebra geometry/mensuration/s tat taught till Grade 8), Logical and Analytical Reasoning

CUET UG Marking Scheme

The total marks of the CUET exam is 250 marks. The marking scheme as per NTA is given below.

  • Correct answer or the most appropriate answer: Five marks (+5)
  • Any incorrect option marked will be given minus one mark (-1).
  • Unanswered/Marked for Review will be given no mark (0).
  • If more than one option is found to be correct then Five marks (+5) will be awarded to only those who have marked any of the correct options.
  • If all options are found to be correct then Five marks (+5) will be awarded to all those who have attempted the question.
  • If none of the options is found correct or a question is found to be wrong or a question is dropped, then all candidates who have attempted the dropped question will be given five marks (+5) marks.

Also Read:

CUET Syllabus 2025 for Commerce Students

CUET Syllabus 2025 for Science Students

CUET Syllabus 2025 for Arts Students

CUET UG Student Reaction Video (Previous Year)

 

CUET Exam Pattern 2025: Section Wise Details

Check below to know the detailed CUET 2025 exam pattern section wise. 

CUET Exam Pattern

CUET Exam Pattern

Section 1A and 1B- languages: The languages offered under Section I of CUET 2025 are Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Odia, Bengali, Assamese, Punjabi, English, Hindi, and Urdu.

Section 2- Domain Specific Subjects

Candidates, while choosing the domain-specific subjects, can choose the CUET subjects irrespective of subjects studied in class 12th. Candidates are advised to check the brochure of the University to choose the domain-specific subjects. As per CUET exam pattern 2025, domain-specific subjects are as follows:

  1. Accountancy/ Book Keeping
  2. Agriculture
  3. Anthropology
  4. Biology
  5. Business Studies
  6. Chemistry
  7. Computer Science/ Informatics Practices
  8. Economics/ Business Economics
  9. Fine Arts/ Visual Arts (Sculpture/ Painting)/Commercial Arts
  10. Geography/Geology
  11. Home Science
  12. History
  13. Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India
  14. Environmental Science
  15. Mathematics
  16. Physical Education/ NCC /Yoga
  17. Physics
  18. Political Science
  19. Psychology
  20. Sociology
  21. Mass Media/ Mass Communication
  22. Performing Arts
  23. Sanskrit

Section 3- General Aptitude Test

This section can be opted by candidates for discontinued subjects, Vocational/Open Eligibility/Cross Stream/any other as applicable UG courses. It is an optional section that the candidate can choose as per the requirement of the participating CUET university.

Also Read:

CUET Subjects & Language Mapping: Important Guidelines

Candidates willing to appear for CUET UG, must check the important guidelines about CUET examination.

  • The medium of the CUET will be in English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. Refer the table below to know the language-wise exam centres:
Language Examination Centre
English All examination centres
English and Hindi All examination centres
English and Assamese Examination centres in Assam
English and Bengali Examination Centres in West Bengal, Tripura, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands
English and Gujarati Examination Centres in Gujarat, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli
English and Kannada Examination Centres in Karnataka
English and Malayalam Examination Centres in Kerala and Lakshadweep
English and Marathi Examination Centres in Maharashtra
English and Odia Examination Centres in Odisha
English and Punjabi Examination Centres in Punjab, Chandigarh, and Delhi/New Delhi (including Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Meerut, Noida/Greater Noida)
English and Tamil Examination Centres in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands
English and Telugu Examination Centres in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
English and Urdu All Examination Centres in India
  • Candidates will be able to exercise the option of selecting the language while filling the application form. 
  • Flexibility is provided to help a candidate apply for many Universities depending on their eligibility conditions. Candidates can choose a maximum of FiveCUET subjects. 

  • The examination will be held on multiple days in three shifts depending upon the number of candidates registering for CUET 2025 and subject choices.

Also Read:

Stream-wise Best UG courses options through CUET: Engineering, Science, Commerce, Arts

CUET UG Syllabus 2025

NTA releases the CUET UG syllabus on the official website. One of the main differences between the CUET syllabus 2025 with other entrance exams such as JEE Main and NEET is that, while the former is only a Class 12 syllabus, the other two exams test candidates' knowledge of both Class 11 and Class 12 chapters and topics. CUET UG syllabus varies from subject to subject. Prior to starting the preparation, candidates must have downloaded the subject-wise CUET UG syllabus PDFs. The number of units or chapters and topics varies from subject to subject. Hence, candidates must prepare according to the subjects opted by them.

Check More on Subject Wise Syllabus:

Subjects CUET Syllabus PDFs
English CUET English Syllabus PDF
Biology CUET Biology Syllabus PDF
Accountancy/ Book Keeping CUET Accountancy Syllabus PDF
Business Studies CUET Business Studies Syllabus PDF
Chemistry CUET Chemistry Syllabus PDF
Computer Science/ Informatics Practices CUET Computer Science Syllabus PDF
Economics/ Business Economics CUET Economics Syllabus PDF
Geography/Geology CUET Geography Syllabus PDF
Home Science CUET Home Science Syllabus PDF
Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India CUET Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India Syllabus PDF
Environmental Science CUET Environmental Science Syllabus PDF 
Mathematics CUET Mathematics Syllabus PDF
Physical Education/ NCC /Yoga CUET Physical Education Syllabus PDF
Physics CUET Physics Syllabus PDF
Political Science CUET Political Science Syllabus PDF
Psychology CUET Psychology Syllabus PDF
Sociology CUET Sociology Syllabus PDF
Agriculture CUET Agriculture Syllabus PDF
Mass Media/ Mass Communication CUET Mass Media/ Mass Communication Syllabus PDF
Anthropology CUET Anthropology Syllabus PDF
Fine Arts/ Visual Arts (Sculpture/ Painting)/Commercial Arts CUET Fine Arts Syllabus PDF
Performing Arts CUET Performing Arts Syllabus PDF
Sanskrit CUET Sanskrit Syllabus PDF
Tourism CUET Tourism Syllabus PDF
History CUET History Syllabus PDF
General Test CUET General Test Syllabus PDF

CUET UG 2025 Preparation

To crack the CUET UG 2025 exam, candidates must thoroughly prepare for the exam. The CUET preparation should be the same as that of the Class 12 Board exam. Apart from the domain subjects, you should also prepare separately for the language subjects and General Test (if opted for). Some of the key CUET UG 2025 preparation strategies are as follows:

  • Go through the CUET syllabus thoroughly.
  • Understand the CUET exam pattern and marking scheme and prepare accordingly.
  • Get all the study material for CUET such as prep books and previous years' question papers to help better understand what to expect in the exam.
  • Create a monthly timetable on how much material to cover on a daily basis.
  • Solve question papers, sample papers, and mock tests.

Also Read:

CUET UG Question Papers

CUET UG question papers are released by NTA. Candidates can download the last year's CUET previous year question paper PDFs and solve those to get a thorough idea about the question types, difficulty level, topics, etc. You may also download and practice from the previous years' CUET question papers when the exam was named CUCET. Even though the pattern or structure would be different, the question papers of CUET will serve the purpose of giving an overview of the domain-specific subjects. The CUET question papers must be solved in a proctored environment within the stipulated duration and without break to get the best result. 

Check Subject Wise CUET Question Papers:

Subjects

CUET Question Paper PDFs

English

CUET English Question Paper PDF

Biology

CUET Biology Question Paper PDF

Accountancy/ Book Keeping

CUET Accountancy Question Paper PDF

Business Studies

CUET Business Studies Question Paper PDF

Chemistry

CUET Chemistry Question Paper PDF

Computer Science/ Informatics Practices

CUET Computer Science Question Paper PDF

Economics/ Business Economics

CUET Economics Question Paper PDF

Engineering Graphics

CUET Engineering Graphics Question Paper PDF

Entrepreneurship

CUET Entrepreneurship Question Paper PDF

Geography/Geology

CUET Geography Question Paper PDF

Home Science

CUET Home Science Question Paper PDF

Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India

CUET Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India Question Paper PDF

Legal Studies

CUET Legal Studies Question Paper PDF

Environmental Science

CUET Environmental Science Question Paper PDF

Mathematics

CUET Mathematics Question Paper PDF

Physical Education/ NCC /Yoga

CUET Physical Education Paper PDF

Physics

CUET Physics Question Paper PDF

Political Science

CUET Political Science Question Paper PDF

Psychology

CUET Psychology Question Paper PDF

Sociology

CUET Sociology Question Paper PDF

Teaching Aptitude

CUET Teaching Aptitude Question Paper PDF

CUET Mock Test

NTA is likely to release CUET UG 2025 mock tests for practice purposes. Along with the question papers, mock tests are also important tools of preparation. To take CUET UG mock tests, you can enroll into the tests offered by different coaching institutes. Along with taking the tests, you should also get those analysed regularly by your mentors or teachers. Based on the analysis, you will get a thorough idea about your preparation level and the areas to improve. Taking regular CUET mock tests will also help you build a proper exam day strategy, which will help you decide the order of the sections to attempt, time management, strategy to select backup questions, etc. 

Read More: 

CUET 2025 Notification

Step by Step Guide to Fill CUET 2025 Application Form?

CUET Vs JEE Vs NEET

FAQs Regarding CUET Exam Pattern

Check frequently asked questions on CUET exam pattern below:

News & Updates

Latest NewsPopular News

Get prep tips, practice papers, exam details and important updates

Download Important Dates for Science Exams

306 Institutes accepting CUET

B.Sc. (Hons.) in Agriculture
  • 4.4

    Placements

    3.8

    Infrastructure

    4.4

    Faculty & Course Curriculum

    4.4

    Crowd & Campus Life

    4.6

    Value for Money

    4.6

    Learning Experience

    0.0

    Course Support

    0.0
    (60)
  • |
  • Total Fees: ₹ 35,464
  • |
  • 4 years
  • |
  • Full Time
B.Sc. (Hons.) in Biotechnology
  • 4.3

    Placements

    4.2

    Infrastructure

    4.4

    Faculty & Course Curriculum

    4.4

    Crowd & Campus Life

    4.4

    Value for Money

    4.2

    Learning Experience

    0.0

    Course Support

    0.0
    (6)
  • |
  • Total Fees: ₹ 6.60 Lakh
  • |
  • 4 years
  • |
  • Full Time
B.Sc. in Biotechnology
  • 4.1

    Placements

    3.0

    Infrastructure

    4.2

    Faculty & Course Curriculum

    4.2

    Crowd & Campus Life

    4.2

    Value for Money

    4.8

    Learning Experience

    0.0

    Course Support

    0.0
    (9)
  • |
  • Total Fees: ₹ 24,000
  • |
  • 3 years
  • |
  • Full Time
Discontinued (May 2022)- B.Sc. (Hons.) in Computer S...
  • 4.1

    Placements

    4.5

    Infrastructure

    3.5

    Faculty & Course Curriculum

    3.5

    Crowd & Campus Life

    5.0

    Value for Money

    4.0

    Learning Experience

    0.0

    Course Support

    0.0
    (2)
  • |
  • Total Fees: ₹ 1.47 Lakh
  • |
  • 3 years
  • |
  • Full Time

Explore more Science exams with upcoming dates

Dec '24 - Dec '24: CUEE 2025 Application Form
Jan '25: JEST 2025 Application Window
Jan '25 - Jan '25: IIT JAM 2025 Admit Card
Jan '25: TIFR GS Final Answer
Dec '24 - Apr '25: RUASAT 2025 Application Process