CUET
What Is CUET? [Common Universities Entrance Test] 2023
Central University Entrance Test (CUET) is an all-India level entrance exam conducted by NTA for admission in UG courses offered in all the participating institutions. Till last year, the full name of the exam was Central Universities Common Entrance Test or CUET, which has been changed by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The exam is conducted once a year in over 500 cities in India and abroad. The exam is conducted in a computer-based mode for two hours. Originally CUET was conducted by UGC in paper-pencil based mode. Last year onwards, NTA is conducting the test in a computer-based mode.
What's New in CUET 2023
The following points indicate the changes introduced in CUET 2023:- The exam name has been changed from Central Universities Common Entrance Test (CUET) to Central University Entrance Test (CUET)
- CUET 2023 will be conducted in 13 languages
- The question paper of CUET 2023 will include a compulsory language test, two domain-specific tests, and a general test.
- CUET 2023 scores will be accepted by 53 Central Universities and Private Universities instead of 12 Central Universities, which were the participating institutes last year.
- The application fee has been changed. Till last year, there was no application fee for PwD category candidates, but this year, they have to pay the application fee meant for reserved category candidates.
- The exam will be conducted in 13 international cities
CUET 2023 Highlights
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | Central Universities Common Entrance Test or CUET |
| Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Exam Level | Undergraduate and Postgraduate) |
| Exam Frequency | Once a year |
| Exam Mode | Online (Computer-Based Mode) |
| Total No. of Test Takers | 97,416 (2023) |
| Courses Offered Through CUET | BSc, MSc, PhD |
| Exam Fees | INR 650 (General) INR 600 (OBC-NCL, EWS) INR 550 (SC, ST, PwD and Transgender) INR 3,000 (International centres) |
| Exam Duration | Slot I - 195 minutes Slot II - 225 minutes |
| Total Number of Questions | Slot I - 175 (140 to be attempted) Slot II - 100 (80 to be attempted) |
| Marking Scheme | +4 for each correct answer -1 for each incorrect answer |
| Language of Exam | English |
| Exam Centre Cities | 547 cities in India and 13 cities abroad |
| Accepting Colleges | 53 Central, Private and Deemed to be Universities |
| Official Website | CUET.samarth.ac.in |
| Contact Details | 011-69227700, 011-40759000 |
CUET 2023 Application Form
Candidates have to fill CUET application form in an online mode on the official website of the exam. The first step is to register by entering the basic details such as name, address and contact details. This would generate login credentials. After logging in with the registration credentials, candidates will have to fill up the CUET 2023 application form with their personal and academic details, programme and exam city preference and upload documents. After the form is filled, candidates will have to pay the CUET application fee online via debit/credit card, Net Banking, Paytm and UPI.
| Category | CUET Application Fee (in INR) |
|---|---|
| General | 650 |
| OBC-NCL, EWS | 600 |
| SC/ ST/PwD/Transgender | 550 |
| Outside India | 3,000 |
CUET 2023 Eligibility Criteria
Under CUET 2023, a total of 53 Universities are participating. Each university has its own set of qualifying requirements or eligibility criteria for applicants. CUET 2023 provides mostly three types of courses. Candidates can apply for undergraduate, graduate, integrated postgraduate, and research programs. Before applying for CUET 2023, students should review the particular CUET Eligibility Criteria of each university separately for their different courses.
- For UG: Students will need to have passed Class 12 from a recognised board in Science stream to take admission to bachelor’s degree programmes in the Central Universities. For the General category, the candidate needs to secure a minimum of 50 per cent in Class 12, for SC/ST, candidates need to have secured a minimum of 45 per cent in Class 12 in order to be eligible for the CUET 2023. For BTech programmes, the minimum aggregate for the General category candidates is 45 percent and that of the reserved category candidates is 40 per cent.
- For PG: Candidates applying for a master’s degree must possess a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. Candidates applying for admission in the same field of Bachelor’s or different degree must have secured a minimum of 55 per cent (General)/ 50 per cent (SC/ST) to be eligible for CUET 2023.
- For PhD: Candidates applying for a PhD programme must have a Master’s degree from a recognised university or institute to apply for admission in research programmes. The candidate needs to have secured a minimum of 55 per cent (General)/ 50 per cent (SC/ST) to be eligible for PhD programmes in the Central Universities.
CUET 2023 Syllabus
The CUET 2023 syllabus has been released by the NTA along with the official notification. The syllabus of CUET will be of the same level as that of the NCERT Class 12 syllabus. The common subjects across the different courses of the CUET syllabus are English, General Aptitude, Numerical Aptitude/Data Interpretation, Analytical Skills, Reasoning and General Knowledge. NTA has released subject-wise syllabus which students must refer to while preparing for the exam.
CUET 2023 Exam Pattern
CUET 2023 exam pattern has been released by National Testing Agency (NTA), the exam conducting body along with the notification and information brochure. The CUET exam pattern 2023 has undergone changes and it varies from Slot I and Slot II. CUET 2023 will be conducted in a computer-based mode (CBT) for a duration of 2.5 hours. The exam will have Section 1A, Section 1B, general test and domain-specific subjects. Section 1A, which will be compulsory, will be in 13 languages and candidates will be given the option to choose the language of their choice. Section 1B is optional and for students who want to opt for another language apart from the ones that are a part of Section 1A. Some of the languages on offer are French, Arabic, German, etc. The number of questions and marking scheme will vary from section to section and as per slots.
CUET 2023 Preparation Tips
CUET is an all-India entrance exam that is highly competitive and candidates appearing for the exam need to have a strategy and aim in order to score well and qualify. Aspirants can go through the following prep strategy methods while preparing for CUET. First and foremost, candidates should go through the exam pattern and structure of the test. After that, students should get hold of some of the best books for CUET preparation. After gaining conceptual clarity on each section and subject, students should segregate their areas of strengths and weaknesses they should work towards improving their weaknesses by finding out the root cause and taking help from their mentors or students. After completing the syllabus, they should take regular mock tests and analyse their performance. Solving previous years’ question papers will also expose them to the topics and question types to expect in the actual exam. Last but not the least, staying confident is the key to success in CUET.
CUET 2023 Mock Test
Taking mock tests is one of the critical aspects of cracking CUET. NTA is expected to release online CUET 2023 mock test on its official website wherein students can get an understanding of the navigation system. By taking the official CUET mock test 2023, aspirants will be able to practice the usage of virtual keyboard and calculator, moving from question to question and among sections. To improve their preparation, students should take the mock tests released by coaching institutes or experts which will give them questions from actual sections of the expected difficulty level. Along with taking the mock test, it is equally important to analyse it. After a thorough analysis, it is important to implement the pointers of analysis within one’s preparation to succeed in the exam.