DU Entrance Exam 2026: CUET, Exam Pattern, Eligibility, Application Process & Key Dates

Notification Release

January 3, 2026

December 14, 2025

Registration Start

January 3, 2026

December 14, 2025

Last Date to Apply (Final Extended)

February 4, 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)

January 25, 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)

Last Date for Fee Payment

February 7, 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)

January 25, 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)

Application Correction Window

February 9–11, 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)

Late January 2026 (e.g., 28–30 Jan in updates)

Exam Dates

May 11 to May 31, 2026 (Tentative)

March 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 27, 2026

City Intimation Slip Release

To be announced (likely April 2026)

~10 days before exam (late February/early March 2026, e.g., around Feb 24 tentative)

Admit Card Release

To be announced (likely early May 2026)

Last week of February 2026 (tentative)

Provisional Answer Key & Challenge

To be announced (likely June 2026)

Likely April 2026

Result Declaration

To be announced (likely June/July 2026)

To be announced (likely May 2026)

DU CSAS Registration Start (Tentative)

Likely June 2026

Likely April/May 2026

First CSAS Allocation List (Tentative)

Likely July 2026

Likely May/June 2026

Qualifying Examination

Must have passed Class XII (or equivalent) from a single recognized board in India or abroad (recognized as equivalent to 10+2 by AIU).

Appearing Candidates

Candidates appearing in Class XII (2026) are eligible to appear in CUET UG 2026, but must pass and meet eligibility at the time of admission.

Age Limit

No minimum or maximum age limit (except for specific regulatory/professional programs, if any). Gap years are allowed if CUET is attempted.

Mandatory CUET Subjects

It is compulsory to appear in CUET UG 2026 in subjects studied/passed in Class XII. If a Class XII subject is not listed in CUET, appear in a similar/related Language or Domain subject (minimum 50% syllabus match; University's decision is final).

Minimum Language Requirement

Must appear in at least one Language from List A.

Program-Specific Eligibility

Admission depends on specific CUET subject combinations (Language + Domain-Specific Subjects +/– General Aptitude Test) as per the program chosen. Refer to Programme-Specific Eligibility in the official Bulletin for each course (e.g., Mathematics mandatory for B.A./B.Sc. Economics (Hons.), Physics + Chemistry + Biology/Mathematics for B.Sc. (Hons.) Physics, etc.).

Reservations

- SC: 15%

- ST: 7.5%

- OBC-NCL: 27%

- EWS: 10%

- PwBD: 5%

Supernumerary quotas: Foreign Nationals (up to 10%), ECA, Sports, CW, KM, etc. (as per University norms).

Special Programs

For Music, Fine Arts, Physical Education, etc.: Admission typically based on 50% CUET score + 50% performance/practical/audition/sports proficiency test (where applicable).

Other Important Notes

- Merit is calculated using CUET scores (with proration/normalization where section weights differ).

- Only CUET UG 2026 scores are considered for regular UG seats (exceptions: SOL, NCWEB, Foreign Nationals have separate processes). - Candidates must ensure they meet both common minimum and programme-specific eligibility before applying.

Qualifying Examination

Bachelor's degree (Three-Year or Four-Year) or equivalent from a recognized university.

Appearing Candidates

Candidates appearing in the final year/semester of the qualifying bachelor's degree (2026) are eligible to appear in CUET PG 2026, but must pass and meet the eligibility criteria (including minimum marks) at the time of admission/allocation.

Age Limit

No minimum or maximum age limit (except for specific regulatory/professional programmes governed by bodies like BCI, NCTE, AICTE, etc., where applicable).

Minimum Marks (Common)

- UR/OBC-NCL/EWS: 50% aggregate marks or equivalent grade in the qualifying examination (as per programme-specific eligibility).

- SC/ST/PwBD: 45% aggregate marks or equivalent grade in the qualifying examination (as per programme-specific eligibility).

Note: For programmes regulated by bodies like MCI, AICTE, BCI, NCTE, DCI, etc., DU follows the respective regulatory minimum requirements.

Programme-Specific Eligibility

Varies by course (e.g., relevant subjects/credits in bachelor's degree; specific CUET test paper mandatory). Examples include: Mathematics/related credits for M.Sc. Mathematics/Computer Science; specific pedagogy subjects for B.Ed./M.Ed.; bachelor's in allied sciences for M.Sc. programmes. Candidates must appear in the exact CUET PG paper code required for the programme (refer to NTA CUET PG site for codes/syllabus).

Reservations

- SC: 15%

- ST: 7.5%

- OBC-NCL: 27%

- EWS: 10%

- PwBD: 5%

Supernumerary quotas: Foreign Nationals (up to 10%), CW, KM, ECA, Sports, etc. (as per DU norms). Category 2 (C2) seats are limited to DU graduates in some programmes.

Special Programmes

For Music, Fine Arts, Physical Education, etc.: Admission often based on CUET score + Audition/Practical/Sports proficiency test (e.g., 50% CUET + 50% performance test where mandatory).

Other Important Notes

- Merit is based solely on CUET PG 2026 scores (except where additional tests are required).

- Only CUET PG 2026 scores are valid for regular two-year PG seats (exceptions: SOL, NCWEB, Foreign Nationals have separate processes). - Candidates must fulfill both common minimum and programme-specific eligibility before applying/registering in CSAS(PG).

- Gap years are allowed; no bar on attempts if criteria met.

Mode of Examination

Computer-Based Test (CBT); hybrid/pen-paper possible in select cases (NTA decides).

Question Type

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) only.

Sections

- Section IA: 13 Languages

- Section IB: 20 Languages (optional)

- Section II: Domain-Specific Subjects (23–27 subjects available)

- Section III: General Test (GAT – General Aptitude Test)

Number of Questions per Subject

- Languages (IA/IB): 50 questions (attempt 40)

- Domain Subjects: 50 questions (attempt 40 or 45, depending on subject)

- General Test: 60 questions (attempt 50)

Duration per Subject

- Languages: 45 minutes each

- Domain Subjects: 45 minutes (most); 60 minutes for select subjects (e.g., Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Accountancy, Economics)

- General Test: 60 minutes

Marking Scheme

+5 marks for each correct answer -1 mark for each incorrect answer 0 marks for unattempted questions

Total Possible Subjects

Candidates can choose up to 6 subjects (including languages + domains + GAT), as per program requirements and NTA limits.

Syllabus Level

Based on Class XII NCERT/CBSE level (for domains); GAT covers GK, Current Affairs, Mental Ability, Numerical/Quantitative/Logical Reasoning.

Special Cases

For Music/Fine Arts/Physical Education: CUET score used partially; additional practical/audition/sports proficiency test required (weightage varies, e.g., 50:50). Merit combines both.

Normalization

NTA applies normalization for multi-shift exams; DU uses normalized scores for merit/proration (where section weights differ).

Key Note for DU

Merit calculation uses scores from mandatory combinations only (e.g., Language from List A + specific Domain subjects + GAT for some programs). No separate DU test; only CUET scores valid for regular seats.

Mode of Examination

Computer-Based Test (CBT) only.

Question Type

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) only.

Number of Questions

75 questions per paper (all compulsory).

Duration

90 minutes (1 hour 30 minutes) per paper.

Marking Scheme

+4 marks for each correct answer

-1 mark for each incorrect answer

0 marks for unattempted/unanswered questions or questions marked for review.

Total Marks

300 marks per paper (75 × 4).

Medium of Question Paper

English and Hindi (bilingual) for most papers; exceptions: Language papers in respective language (except Linguistics – English only); Acharya papers in Sanskrit (some bilingual/trilingual like Hindu Studies, Indian Knowledge System, Baudha Darshan).

Choice of Papers

Candidates can select up to FOUR question paper codes (as per program mapping on NTA/DU sites). No separate General Test; domain-specific only.

Syllabus Level

Based on undergraduate-level knowledge in the chosen domain/subject (detailed syllabus available on exams.nta.nic.in/CUET-PG).

Normalization

NTA applies Equi-Percentile method for multi-shift papers; normalized NTA scores used for merit.

Special Cases

For Music/Fine Arts/Physical Education etc.: CUET score used partially; additional practical/audition/proficiency test required (weightage as per DU norms). Merit combines both.

Key Note for DU

Merit for all two-year PG programs (M.A., M.Sc., M.Com., LL.M., B.Ed., etc.) based solely on CUET PG 2026 scores in the required paper code (except where additional tests apply). Only CUET PG 2026 scores valid for regular seats (exceptions: SOL, NCWEB, Foreign Nationals).

Section IA: Languages

13 Languages (e.g., English – 101, Hindi – 102, Assamese – 103, etc.); Reading Comprehension, Literary Aptitude, Vocabulary.

Section IB: Languages

20 Additional Languages (optional, as needed for programs).

Section II: Domain Subjects

27+ subjects (e.g., Physics – 322, Chemistry – 306, Mathematics – 319, Economics, History, Political Science, Accountancy, Biology, etc.); NCERT Class XII level topics.

Section III: General Aptitude Test (GAT)

General Knowledge, Current Affairs, General Mental Ability, Numerical Ability, Quantitative Reasoning, Logical & Analytical Reasoning, Environmental Literacy.

Key Note

DU requires candidates to appear in subjects matching or closely related to Class XII (50% syllabus overlap rule). Merit uses scores from program-specific combinations only.

Syllabus Level

Undergraduate (bachelor's degree) level topics in the respective subject/domain.

Categories & Access

Syllabi grouped as:

- Science (e.g., Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Biochemistry)

- Humanities (e.g., English, History, Sociology, Psychology, Political Science)

- Language (e.g., Hindi, Sanskrit, Linguistics)

- Common (e.g., Commerce, Management, Education, Law-related)

- M.Tech - Acharya (Sanskrit-based subjects)

Examples of Popular Programs

- M.A. English (LAQP01 or similar): Literature, Literary Theory, Criticism.

- M.Sc. Physics (SCQP24): Classical Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, Electrodynamics, Thermodynamics.

- M.Com. (COQP08): Accounting, Business Economics, Statistics, Management.

- B.Ed. (COQP03): Teaching Aptitude, Pedagogy, Educational Psychology.

- LL.B. (COQP11): Legal Aptitude, Constitution, Jurisprudence, GK.

- LL.M. (COQP14): Advanced Law subjects, Constitutional Law, International Law.

Medium & Notes

- Most papers: English/Hindi bilingual. - Language papers: In respective language (except Linguistics – English only). - Acharya papers: Primarily Sanskrit (some bilingual/trilingual). - English version is final for non-language papers in case of discrepancies.

Key Advice for DU Candidates

Check the exact QP code for your desired program in the DU Bulletin of Information Two-Year Postgraduate Programmes 2026-27 (available at admission.uod.ac.in). Appear only in the required CUET(PG) paper code(s). Syllabus PDFs are downloadable per subject from the NTA link above.