CUET UG Exam

The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the CUET UG exam each year, but its role ends once results are declared — NTA does not conduct counselling or admissions itself. Instead, it shares the scores of qualified candidates with participating universities, and each university runs its own independent counselling and seat-allotment process. Candidates must therefore register separately at every university they wish to apply to, using their CUET UG 2026 scorecard. Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Allahabad University are typically among the first institutions to open their counselling portals.

Candidates should keep the following documents ready before starting registration at any participating university, since most portals require document upload during choice-filling or verification:

• Class 10 mark sheet and certificate

• Class 12 mark sheet and certificate

• CUET UG 2026 scorecard

• CUET UG 2026 admit card

• Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS/PwD), if applicable

• Transfer/migration certificate

• Passport-size photographs and signature scan

• Income certificate (where required for fee concessions or EWS status)

Exact document requirements can vary slightly by university, so candidates should also check the specific checklist published on their target university's admission portal.

Counselling activity follows directly from the exam and result cycle. A tentative timeline for CUET UG 2026 is below; candidates should track official announcements for exact dates.

Since there is no centralised counselling for CUET UG, each participating university conducts admissions independently. The general process, however, follows a similar pattern across institutions:

1. Rank/merit list release – Each university publishes a list of candidates eligible to proceed based on their CUET UG scores.

2. Registration and choice filling – Candidates register on the university's own admission portal and fill in course and college preferences in order of priority.

3. Seat allotment – Seats are allotted across multiple rounds based on score, category, preference order, and seat availability.

4. Acceptance and fee payment – Candidates accept the allotted seat online and pay the seat-confirmation or admission fee within the given deadline.

5. Document verification – Original or scanned documents are verified either online or by physically reporting to the institute.

6. Reporting – Candidates report to the allotted college/department to complete admission formalities.

Seat allotment usually runs into three to five regular rounds, followed by spot rounds for any seats that remain vacant.

Key Counselling Portals of Major Universities

Delhi University (DU): Admission runs through the Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS) portal in three broad stages — registering on the CSAS portal, filling college and course preferences, and the release of round-wise cutoffs/allotments. Registration fees are ₹250 for UR/OBC-NCL/EWS candidates and ₹100 for SC/ST/PwBD candidates.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU): Admission to UG and COP programmes is based purely on CUET UG scores. After registration, JNU releases course-wise merit lists, and candidates are admitted across successive lists until seats are filled.

Banaras Hindu University (BHU): Candidates register online using their NTA application number and password, along with scanned documents (photograph, signature, mark sheets, birth certificate, and category certificates where applicable), followed by fee payment.

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU): Candidates who opted for AMU at the time of CUET registration can apply, submitting documents such as transfer/migration certificate, Class 10 date-of-birth proof, self-attested mark sheets, character certificate, photographs, and category certificates as required.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD): Registration happens through the university's Samarth portal, where candidates create a new login using their CUET application number and date of birth, then complete the application form online.

If seats remain vacant after the regular counselling rounds, participating universities conduct spot counselling to fill them. Candidates who could not secure a seat in earlier rounds can register for spot counselling through the official university website. This usually requires candidates to be physically present at the institute for document verification and on-the-spot seat confirmation.

Seat allotment is handled independently by each university based on CUET score, category, seat availability, and the candidate's preference order.

• Round 1 allots seats primarily to top-ranking candidates based on merit and preferences.

• Round 2 and subsequent rounds fill vacant seats and allow candidates to upgrade preferences.

• Spot/special rounds address any seats still vacant after the regular rounds.

Reservation norms are applied throughout — typically 15% for SC, 7.5% for ST, 27% for OBC-NCL, 10% for EWS, and horizontal reservation of 5% for PwD candidates within each category, though the exact percentages can vary by university.

A "good" score depends heavily on the university and course a candidate is targeting. As a general guide:

Candidates should always cross-check the previous year's closing scores for their specific course and category, since cutoffs shift year to year based on demand and difficulty level.

Several universities offer merit-based scholarships to CUET UG candidates who meet specific score and Class 12 percentage criteria. These are offered independently by each institution and are separate from the CUET counselling process itself. Broadly, scholarship structures link a percentage fee waiver to a combination of Class 12 marks and CUET score/percentile, and candidates should check the scholarship policy of each shortlisted university directly, since criteria, percentages, and eligibility windows differ significantly from one institution to another.

• Not researching colleges and courses properly before filling choices, leading to impractical or mismatched preferences.

• Overlooking category or reservation benefits, which can mean missing out on seats with more accessible cutoffs.

• Uploading incorrect or incomplete documents, risking rejection at the verification stage.

• Missing the choice-locking deadline, which can result in unwanted auto-submitted preferences.

• Delaying the seat-confirmation fee payment, which can lead to forfeiting an allotted seat.

• Ignoring university-specific counselling rules, since each institution follows its own timeline and process.

More than 250 universities across India accept CUET UG scores for undergraduate admission, spanning:

• Central Universities — including Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Millia Islamia, University of Hyderabad, and others.

• State Universities — including institutions such as Delhi Technological University, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, and various regional state universities.

• Deemed Universities — including SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Jamia Hamdard, and TISS, among others.

Does NTA conduct Common Universities Entrance Test counselling?

No. NTA only conducts the exam and shares results with universities; counselling is conducted independently by each participating university.

Do candidates need to apply separately to each university?

Yes. There is no centralised counselling for Common Universities Entrance Test UG — candidates must register individually at every university they wish to apply to.

What documents are required for Common Universities Entrance Test UG counselling?

Commonly required documents include Class 10 and 12 mark sheets, the Common Universities Entrance Test scorecard and admit card, category certificates (if applicable), and photographs/signature scans.

Is there a registration fee for Common Universities Entrance Test UG counselling?

Yes, most universities charge a nominal registration or seat-confirmation fee, which varies by category and institution.

What happens if a candidate doesn't get a seat in the regular counselling rounds?

They can participate in spot counselling, which is conducted by universities to fill any seats left vacant after the regular rounds.

What should candidates do immediately after Common Universities Entrance Test UG results are declared?

They should start registering on the admission portals of their preferred universities and begin filling course and college preferences as soon as registration opens.