CUET Syllabus 2026 — Overview
The CUET (Common University Entrance Test) UG 2026 Syllabus has been officially released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) at cuet.nta.nic.in. The syllabus is the foundation for preparing for one of India's largest undergraduate entrance exams, accepted by more than 250 participating universities including Delhi University, BHU, JNU, and Jamia Millia Islamia.
The CUET 2026 syllabus is divided into three broad sections:
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Section IA & IB — Language Tests
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Section II — Domain-Specific Subjects
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Section III — General Test
A key update for 2026: six subjects have been discontinued — Entrepreneurship, Teaching Aptitude, Fashion Studies, Tourism, Legal Studies, and Engineering Graphics. Admissions to courses related to these subjects will now be based on the General Aptitude Test score. The total number of subjects has been reduced from 63 to 37 subjects (13 languages + 23 domain subjects + General Test).
Another major change: students can now choose any subject regardless of what they studied in Class 12, giving candidates greater flexibility.
CUET 2026 Syllabus — Section-Wise Breakdown
|
Section |
Content |
No. of Subjects |
|
Section IA (Languages) |
13 languages — compulsory for some universities |
13 |
|
Section IB (Additional Languages) |
Optional additional language |
— |
|
Section II (Domain Subjects) |
23 subject-specific papers based on Class 12 NCERT |
23 |
|
Section III (General Test) |
General Knowledge, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude |
1 |
Section IA & IB — Language Syllabus
The Language Test evaluates reading comprehension and language proficiency. All questions are based on passages — factual, literary, and narrative.
|
Language Paper Topics |
Details |
|
Reading Comprehension |
Factual passages, literary extracts, narrative passages |
|
Vocabulary |
Word meanings, synonyms, antonyms in context |
|
Grammar |
Sentence correction, error spotting |
|
Rearrangement |
Jumbled sentences, paragraph ordering |
|
Verbal Ability |
Idioms, phrases, fill in the blanks |
Available Languages: Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Odia, Bengali, Assamese, Punjabi, English, Hindi, Urdu.
Section II — Domain-Specific Subjects Syllabus
The domain subjects syllabus is based entirely on the NCERT Class 12 curriculum. Class 11 topics are not included. Below are the 23 available domain subjects:
|
Stream |
Domain Subjects Available |
|
Science |
Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Computer Science |
|
Commerce |
Accountancy, Business Studies, Economics |
|
Humanities/Arts |
History, Geography, Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy |
|
Other |
Environmental Science, Home Science, Physical Education, Agriculture, Fine Arts, Knowledge Traditions & Practices in India, Sanskrit |
Key Topics by Subject
|
Subject |
Major Topics |
|
Physics |
Electrostatics, Current Electricity, Optics, Dual Nature, Semiconductors, Communication |
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Chemistry |
Solid State, Solutions, Electrochemistry, Chemical Kinetics, Coordination Compounds, Organic compounds |
|
Mathematics |
Relations & Functions, Algebra, Calculus, Vectors & 3D Geometry, Probability |
|
Biology |
Reproduction, Genetics, Evolution, Human Health, Biotechnology, Ecology |
|
Economics |
Macro & Microeconomics, National Income, Money & Banking, Development |
|
History |
Bricks, Beads & Bones; Kings, Farmers & Towns; Colonial Cities; Partition |
Section III — General Test Syllabus
The General Test is applicable for students choosing courses not covered by specific domain subjects and also for those who wish to strengthen their application.
|
Topic |
Sub-Topics |
|
General Knowledge & Current Affairs |
National and international events, government schemes, awards |
|
General Mental Ability |
Analogies, series completion, classification |
|
Quantitative Reasoning |
Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Mensuration, Statistics (Class 10 level) |
|
Logical & Analytical Reasoning |
Statement-conclusion, syllogism, coding-decoding, direction-based questions |
|
Numerical Ability |
Number system, percentages, ratios, profit-loss |
Discontinued Subjects in CUET 2026
|
Discontinued Subject |
Replacement for Admission |
|
Entrepreneurship |
General Aptitude Test |
|
Teaching Aptitude |
General Aptitude Test |
|
Fashion Studies |
General Aptitude Test |
|
Tourism |
General Aptitude Test |
|
Legal Studies |
General Aptitude Test |
|
Engineering Graphics |
General Aptitude Test |
CUET 2026 Syllabus PDF — How to Download
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Visit the official NTA CUET portal: cuet.nta.nic.in
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Navigate to the Syllabus section
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Select the subject/paper for which you need the syllabus
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Download the PDF and refer to the official subject-wise breakdown
CUET vs Board Exams — Syllabus Overlap
|
Feature |
CUET Syllabus |
Class 12 Board Syllabus |
|
Source |
NCERT Class 12 only |
Class 11 + 12 (varies by board) |
|
Class 11 topics |
Not included |
Included |
|
Revision benefit |
Direct overlap |
Indirect benefit |
|
General Test |
Unique to CUET |
Not in boards |
Preparation Tips for CUET 2026 Syllabus
|
Strategy |
Details |
|
NCERT First |
Read and master Class 12 NCERT for all domain subjects |
|
Chapter Priority |
Focus on chapters with high question frequency from previous CUET papers |
|
Language Practice |
Daily reading comprehension practice for Section IA |
|
General Test Prep |
Practice mental ability and current affairs separately |
|
Mock Tests |
Use NTA's official mock tests at cuet.nta.nic.in |
|
No Class 11 |
Do not waste time studying Class 11 topics for domain papers |
Other Recommended Books | Study Materials
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CUET Books | For 2026 Exam |
|
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CUET Mock Test Sample Papers | For 2026 Exam |
|
|
CUET Previous Year Question Paper | For 2026 Exam |
|
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CUET Question Banks | For 2026 Exam |
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CUET Syllabus | For 2026 Exam |
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CUET Notes | For 2026 Exam |
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Free CUET Specimen Sample Books for Teachers |
Practice Comprehensively with Oswaal360 Online Courses for CUET 2026 Exams
Practice Now with Free Oswaal360 Online Mock Test Papers for CUET 2026 Exams
Are You a Teacher? Apply for FREE CUET Specimen Books For Teachers from our end.
Frequently Asked Questions
Only Class 12 NCERT for domain subjects. Class 11 topics are not part of the CUET 2026 syllabus.
37 subjects in total — 13 languages, 23 domain subjects, and 1 General Test paper.
Yes. From 2026, students can select any domain subject regardless of their Class 12 subjects, as per UGC's revised guidelines.
Download it from the official portal at cuet.nta.nic.in under the Syllabus section.
Yes. It covers reading comprehension (factual, literary, narrative), vocabulary, grammar, and verbal ability.
- CUET Syllabus 2026
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Mathematics
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Economics
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Chemistry
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Business Studies
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Biology
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Geography
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History
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Physics
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Accountancy
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General Test
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English
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Political Science
