CUET Vs CBSE Syllabus Comparison: Know the Real Differences and Similarities Before Preparation

CUET Vs CBSE Syllabus: Just starting your CUET preparation and wondering how it is different from your CBSE Class 12 syllabus? Do not worry! This article consists of answers to all your questions. It discusses in the simplest way how CUET and CBSE match, which part of the board syllabus is being tested in CUET, and what more you need to focus on. The good news is that CUET covers mainly NCERT topics. So your board prep will support you, but it will not be enough by itself. This guide will help you understand the exact differences, and you can plan your CUET journey smartly from Day 1. All the students who want to successfully qualify for the CUET exam confidently must go through the complete article below.

What is CUET?

CUET also stands Common University Entrance Test. It is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) admissions in various Central and other participating universities like Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, etc. CUET offers all students a level playing field instead of relying only on Class 12 marks as well as test their subject knowledge via an online exam consisting of multiple-choice questions (MCQs). This exam tests speed, accuracy and understanding and is based mostly on the NCERT syllabus, a very helpful framework to prepare students. 

What is CBSE?

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is amongst the biggest school boards in India that supports school education affiliated to it. It conducts the final examinations for Class 10 examinations and Class 12 examinations for a number of affiliated schools across India. 

CBSE syllabus is based on NCERT textbooks and focuses on developing a good foundation of core subjects like Science, Math, English and Social Science. Class 12 board examination results are also important for students and help them in gaining admission into colleges and universities. CBSE tests both a theoretical understanding as well as writing skills in various descriptive papers for students to have overall understanding and knowledge of the subject.

CUET Vs CBSE Syllabus Comparison

The decision of CBSE board examinations and CUET preparation is somewhat challenging for candidates. Although both CBSE and CUET syllabus are based on NCERT syllabus, the exams have completely different patterns, purpose, and context. CBSE concentrates on school level learning and offers subjective-type questions with full-fledged detailed answers. On the other hand, CUET is a competitive entrance examination based purely on MCQ-type questions for admission into colleges. Understanding the difference between the two will help students prepare better for both board and entrance examinations. Let’s take a look at how their syllabuses compare.

CBSE Syllabus (School Board Exams)

• Based on NCERT Curriculum – The CBSE syllabus is followed by NCERT textbooks and designed for school level education. 
• Focused on Classroom Learning – It is focused on creating proper conceptual understanding of the subjects like Science, Maths, English etc.  
• Has Both Objective & Descriptive Questions – Board exams will include long-answer, short-answer as well as MCQs to test writing and explanation skills. 
• One Final Exam per Subject – Students appear for one major exam for each subject at the end of the Academic Year. 
• Marks Matter for School Results – Students apply/use their CBSE Scores to successfully pass their school year and fulfill eligibility requirements for colleges.

CUET Syllabus (College Entrance Exam)

• Similarly the Class 12 NCERT – The CUET syllabus for the domain subjects is forgiven by the Class 12 NCERT but the question format is certainly different
• MCQ based entrance Test – CUET is fully objective, with multiple-choice questions and no long answer. 
• Tests speed, accuracy & reasoning – CUET is also not about rote-putting knowledge but using logical reasoning, application-based learning and time management. 
• It is divided into three parts – Language Test, Domain Specific subjects, and the General Test (for reasoning, ‘G.K’ – General Knowledge’ and math). 
• National Level Competitive Exam – CUET is used for UG admission in the best Central Universities e.g., DU, BHU, JNU etc.

CBSE and CUET Syllabus Similarities

1. NCERT Based Content: In reference to NCERT textbooks, the syllabi of CBSE and CUET are based around NCERT textbooks for two major streams of subjects of; Science, Commerce and Humanities, NCERT textbooks are the base line content.  
2. Topic Coverage: The subjects presented in CUET (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Maths, History, Economics and so on) are also offered in Class 12 by CBSE. 
3. Concept Connection: CUET is based on topic understanding based around basic concepts. Much of the CUET questions are developed from subject matter that the students will learn in CBSE.  
4. Objective-Type Questions: While CBSE has subjective questions, both its sample question papers and its MCQ format all adopt a very similar pattern of question structure to objective-type questions that is followed in CUET.

Differences Between CUET and CBSE Syllabus

1. Objective: CBSE is meant for school examination; CUET is for college admissions.
2. Format: The CBSE exam is a mixture of theory questions and objective question, held in offline pen and paper mode; while the CUET exam is entirely in MCQ-based format and is conducted in an online CBT mode.
3. Focus: The CUET focuses on speed, logic, and understanding of material, on the other hand the CBSE exam assesses knowledge, skills, and writing construct.

CUET Vs CBSE Syllabus PDF Download Link

For more clear concept of CBSE Vs CUET Syllabus comparison students can check the the subject-wise syllabus for both the exams in the table shared below and get a good idea of what are the difference and similarities between these two syllabus.

CBSE VS CUET Exam Pattern

If you’re getting ready for both CBSE Class 12 and CUET UG, it’s important to know how their exam patterns are different. Even though both are important for your future, they don’t follow the same style. From the question format to how you’re tested, here’s a simple comparison to help you understand the difference.