The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) is now the mandatory gateway for admission to all 45 central universities in India, including Delhi University, JNU, BHU, and Jamia Millia Islamia. With over 15 lakh students registering annually, understanding CUET's nuances can give you a significant advantage.
CUET 2026 Exam Structure
| Section | Content | Questions | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section IA | Language (English/Hindi + 11 others) | 50 (40 to attempt) | 45 min |
| Section IB | Additional Language (20 options) | 50 (40 to attempt) | 45 min |
| Section II | Domain Subjects (up to 6 from 32) | 50 per subject (40 to attempt) | 45 min each |
| Section III | General Test | 75 (60 to attempt) | 60 min |
How Delhi University Uses CUET
DU has replaced the old cutoff-based system with CSAS (Common Seat Allocation System):
Step 1: Score well in CUET
Step 2: Register on the CSAS portal
Step 3: Fill up to 100 programme-college preferences
Step 4: Allocation happens based on CUET percentile + preference order
DU Cutoff Trends (CUET Percentile)
| College | Course | 2025 Cutoff |
|---|---|---|
| SRCC | B.Com (Hons) | 98.2 percentile |
| Hindu College | B.A. Economics | 97.5 percentile |
| Miranda House | B.A. English | 96.8 percentile |
| LSR | B.A. Psychology | 97.1 percentile |
| Hansraj | B.Sc. Physics | 95.3 percentile |
| St. Stephen's | Interview-based | 95+ percentile |
Subject-wise Preparation Strategy
English (Section IA)
This is compulsory for most DU programmes. Focus on:- Reading Comprehension — practice 3-4 passages daily
- Grammar — tenses, subject-verb agreement, sentence correction
- Vocabulary — read The Hindu or Indian Express editorials daily
- Literary terms — understand basic literary devices
Domain Subjects (Section II)
The golden rule: NCERT is the primary source. CUET domain questions are designed around NCERT content with application-based framing.Economics: Focus on microeconomics foundations and Indian economy (NCERT + Sandeep Garg)
Political Science: NCERT chapters thoroughly + current affairs
History: Focus on modern India and world history post-1945
Mathematics: Practice NCERT examples and exercises; difficulty is between board exam and JEE Main
Accountancy: NCERT + TS Grewal for practice
General Test (Section III)
Covers:- General Knowledge and Current Affairs (40%)
- General Mental Ability and Numerical Skills (30%)
- Quantitative Reasoning (15%)
- Logical and Analytical Reasoning (15%)
Beyond DU: Other Top Universities Accepting CUET
| University | Top Programmes |
|---|---|
| JNU | International Relations, Languages |
| BHU | Sciences, Engineering, Arts |
| Jamia Millia Islamia | Architecture, Mass Communication |
| Aligarh Muslim University | Medicine, Engineering, Law |
| Visva Bharati | Fine Arts, Music, Literature |
CUET vs Board Exams
Many students ask: should I focus on boards or CUET? The answer is both, because:
- CUET content closely mirrors NCERT (which you study for boards)
- Some universities still consider board marks for verification
- Board marks matter for state university admissions as backup
Strategy: Prepare for boards first (complete NCERT), then add CUET-specific practice (mock tests, previous year papers) 3 months before CUET.
Common Mistakes
- Choosing too many subjects — Quality beats quantity; 3-4 subjects with thorough preparation outperform 6 subjects with shallow preparation
- Ignoring the General Test — Easy to score but often neglected
- Not practising time management — 45 minutes per subject is tight; practice under timed conditions
- Late preference filling — Research colleges and programmes early; don't rush during CSAS