The National Testing Agency has laid out the full schedule for CUET (UG) 2026, and the dates matter for anyone eyeing a central university seat next year. Online registration for CUET UG 2026 runs from 3 January 2026 to 30 January 2026. Fees can be paid a day later, up to 31 January 2026 (till 11.50 PM). The exam itself falls between 11 and 31 May 2026.
Apply at https://cuet.nta.nic.in. One candidate, one application. NTA has been firm on this point.
CUET UG 2026 registration dates and key deadlines
Mark these down early. The window is short.
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Online registration | 3 January 2026 to 30 January 2026 |
| Last date for fee payment | 31 January 2026 (up to 11.50 PM) |
| Examination | 11 May 2026 to 31 May 2026 |
The test will be held in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode, tentatively, across multiple shifts. Slot and shift details come printed on the Admit Card.
How the exam is built
CUET (UG) 2026 carries 37 subjects in all: 13 languages, 23 domain-specific subjects, and 1 General Aptitude Test. A candidate can pick up to a maximum of five subjects, languages and the General Aptitude Test included. Choose based on what the desired university programme actually asks for.
Each paper has 50 questions. All of them are compulsory. Duration is one hour per subject per paper, kept the same across papers. PwBD candidates get compensatory time of 20 minutes for each hour.
Questions are pitched at the level of the NCERT syllabus. The full syllabus sits here: https://cuet.nta.nic.in/cuetug-2026-syllabus/.
Question papers come in 13 Indian languages: Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Odia, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
Application fee by category
Fees depend on how many subjects you choose.
| Category | Up to 03 subjects | Each additional subject |
|---|---|---|
| General (UR) | Rs 1000 | Rs 400 |
| OBC-NCL / Gen-EWS | Rs 900 | Rs 375 |
| SC/ST/PwBD/Third Gender | Rs 800 | Rs 350 |
| Centres outside India | Rs 4500 | Rs 1800 |
Pay online through SBI, Canara Bank, ICICI Bank or HDFC Bank using Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking, UPI or Wallet. Any duplicate payment gets refunded through the same mode after NTA reconciles the fee.
A few practical notes from the NTA. Documents saved in DigiLocker can be uploaded straight into the form. APAAR ID is not mandatory. Candidates reappearing or giving improvement in one or more Class 12 subjects should still pick the ‘Passed’ option. And the mobile number plus email in the emergency contact must differ from your own registered mobile and email.
List of participating universities keeps changing. Check https://cuet.nta.nic.in/participating-universities/ regularly for the current list. For help, the NTA helpline is 011-40759000 and the email is cuet-ug@nta.ac.in.