If you are planning to get admission into a top university after class 12th, you must have heard about CUET. But what does CUET stand for? CUET stands for Common University Entrance Test. It is a national-level entrance test conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to various Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) courses at top central, state, private, and deemed universities across India. Instead of wasting time, energy, and money on filling out different application forms for different universities, students can now take just one exam to apply to many different universities. All the interested candidates can check the Cuet full form, its purpose, and why it matters for the future.
CUET Full Form
CUET full form is Common University Entrance Test. It is a national-level exam for admission to various central universities, including DU, JNU, JMI, EFLU, and the University of Allahabad in India. The exam was first held in 2010 by the Central University of Rajasthan, which conducted it till 2020. Earlier, it was called CUCET (Central Universities Common Entrance Test).
In 2021, the National Testing Agency (NTA) took over the responsibility and changed the name to CUET. This test aims to give students a single, common platform to apply to multiple universities, making the admission process easier, fair, and equal for all students, including those from rural and remote areas.
What is CUET?
Getting into a top university is now simpler with CUET, which stands for the Common University Entrance Test. Conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to UG and PG courses in top Universities across India. CUET has replaced the need for multiple entrance exams, making the admission process easier, stress-free, and more transparent.
With just one exam and platform, students can apply to several universities across the country. CUET ensures a fair and inclusive system, helping every student connect with the best universities in India and take a step closer to their dreams.
CUET Full Form Overview |
|
Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
Name of Examination | CUET 2026 |
Full Form | Common University Entrance Test |
Conducted for | Admission to various UG and PG Courses |
Level of Examination | University Level |
Frequency of Examination | Once a year |
Mode of Exam | Online Computer Based Test Mode |
Medium of Exam | CUET UG Exam: 13 languages
CUET PG: English and Hindi (Bilingual) |
Negative Marking | 1 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer |
Types of Questions Asked | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
Why CUET Is Important?
CUET is important for both students who are either willing to pursue any UG or PG course because it gives everyone a fair chance to get into top universities with just one common exam. Instead of writing different entrance tests for each university, students can now apply to many universities across India through CUET. This saves student’s time, money, and the most important thing their efforts.
Students might be thinking that the CUET Exam might be difficult to be qualified. But no, the exam is completely based on the Class 12 syllabus for UG and relevant subjects for PG, so students don’t need to study extra topics. It makes the admission process simple, stress-free, and transparent. Most importantly, CUET helps students show their true potential and reach their dream university.
What is the Main Purpose Of CUET Exam?
The main purpose of conducting the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) is to provide all students with a fair and equal chance to get admission into top central, state, private, and deemed universities across India. Instead of depending on different college cut-offs, CUET offers a single national-level entrance test based on Class 12 subjects. This makes the admission process is quite simpler, transparent, and stress-free. CUET ensures that everyone, no matter their board or background, is judged on the same scale. It helps students focus on one exam rather than multiple entrance tests.
CUET Full Form – Exam Pattern
The CUET exam for both Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) courses is conducted by NTA for admission into central universities. Both exams are held an online computer-based test mode at various examination centers across the country. The UG exam has sections like language, domain-specific subjects, and general test. The PG exam includes language, subject knowledge, and general awareness. Each question is multiple-choice (MCQ), and marks are given for correct answers. There is also negative marking for wrong answers. The exam duration and number of questions may vary by course or subject. Students can also get an idea of the CUET UG and PG exam pattern through the table mentioned below:
CUET Full Form – Exam Pattern |
||
Parameters | CUET UG Exam Pttern | CUET PG Exam Pttern |
Nam of examination | CUET UG 2026 | CUET PG |
Conducted for | Admission to UG Courses | Admission to PG Courses |
Mode of Exam | Online Computer Based Test Mode | Online Computer Based Test Mode |
Type of Questions | Objective type with Multiple Choice Questions | Objective type with Multiple Choice Questions |
Number of Sections | 4 sections | 2 sections |
Medium | English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu | English and Hindi (Bilingual) except for language and Sahitya |
Marking Scheme | 5 mark for the correct answers | 04 mark for the correct answers |
Negative Marking | 1 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer | 1 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer |
Number of Participating Universities | 239 Universities | 42 (35 central universities, 6 state universities, 1 deemed university) |
CUET UG Participating Universities
- Aligarh Muslim University
- Assam University
- Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University
- Banaras Hindu University
- Central University of Andhra Pradesh
- Central University of South Bihar
- Central University of Gujarat
- Central University of Haryana
- Central University of Himachal Pradesh
- Central University of Jammu
- Central University of Jharkhand
- Central University of Karnataka
- Central University of Kashmir
- Central University of Kerala
- Central University of Odisha
- Central University of Punjab
- Central University of Rajasthan
- Central University of Tamil Nadu
- Dr. Harisingh Gaur Vishwa Vidyalaya
- Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya
- Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University
- Indira Gandhi National Tribal University
- Jamia Millia Islamia
- Jawaharlal Nehru University
- Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya
- Manipur University
- Maulana Azad National Urdu University
- Mizoram University
- Nagaland University
- North Eastern Hill University
- Mahatma Gandhi Central University
CUET PG Participating Universities
- Banaras Hindu University
- Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University
- Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh
- Central University of Andhra Pradesh
- Central University of South Bihar
- Central University of Gujarat
- Central University of Haryana
- Central University of Himachal Pradesh
- Central University of Jammu
- Central University of Jharkhand
- Central University of Karnataka
- Central University of Kashmir
- Central University of Kerala
- Central University of Odisha
- Central University of Punjab
- Central University of Rajasthan
- Central University of Tamil Nadu
- Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya
- Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya
- Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University
- Jawaharlal Nehru University
- Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya
- Manipur University
- North Eastern Hill University
- Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development