Major change for CUET UG 2027! The entire exam will now be held on a single day..

CUET UG 2027: The format of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET-UG)—conducted for undergraduate (UG) admissions across central, state, deemed, and private universities nationwide—may change starting in 2027. The Examination Reform Committee has prepared a new draft for this purpose, and the National Testing Agency (NTA) along with the committee will soon make a final decision on it. Let us explore the new proposal and the changes it entails.

**One Student, One-Day Exam**

A key highlight of the proposed changes is the potential implementation of a "One Student, One-Day Exam" model. This means that all subjects selected by a student would be tested on a single day. Currently, students must visit the exam center over multiple days to take exams for different subjects; however, under the new rules, exams for all subjects would be conducted on one day.

**What are the benefits?**

Even though the overall examination process might span several days, each student would be assigned a specific day. This would save students' time and reduce the expenses associated with repeated travel to and from the exam center.

**Reduction in Exam Duration and Number of Questions**
According to the new proposal, the duration of the exam for each subject could be reduced from the current 60 minutes to 40–45 minutes. The number of questions may also be lowered; currently, each paper consists of 50 questions, whereas the new pattern could limit this to approximately 35–40 questions.

**Changes in the Number of Subjects**

Furthermore, changes regarding the number of subjects students can choose are also possible. Currently, candidates can select up to five subjects, but the new proposal suggests reducing this limit to four.

It is worth noting that if these changes are implemented, the total duration of the examination would also decrease. For instance, currently, taking exams for five subjects takes approximately five hours, whereas under the new system, this duration could be reduced to around 200 minutes (3 hours and 20 minutes). Similarly, the total exam time for four subjects could be around 160 minutes (2 hours and 40 minutes).

General Test

The draft also suggests the possibility that the 'General Test' could be adopted by all universities in the future. Currently, it is not mandatory at institutions like Delhi University (DU), although many other universities grant admission based on it.

At present, the CUET-UG exam is conducted in CBT (Computer-Based Test) mode. Candidates must select five subjects from a pool of 37 options, which includes 23 domain-specific subjects, 13 languages, and a general aptitude test. The exam awards 5 marks for every correct answer and deducts 1 mark for every incorrect answer (negative marking). Admission to over 200 universities—including DU, JNU, BHU, and Jamia—is facilitated through CUET.