Following recommendations by an expert panel, the CUET-UG from next year will be a computer-based test (CBT), a shift from the earlier hybrid mode, and students will be allowed to appear for subjects irrespective of subjects studied in Class 12, said University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar on Tuesday. The UGC also announced that the number of subjects will be reduced from 63 to 37 and admissions for programmes in dropped subjects will be based on the General Aptitude Test (GAT) scores. Speaking to The Indian Express, Kumar said, “Based on feedback from past years, we are continuously working to improve the exam process and provide a better, more efficient and conducive environment for students taking CUET. In this spirit, the UGC has constituted an expert committee to review the conduct of CUET-UG 2025. The committee has examined various aspects of the test, such as its structure, number of papers, duration of test papers, syllabus alignment, and operational logistics. The commission considered these recommendations in its meeting held on 13th November 2024.” “Candidates will also be allowed to opt for subjects in CUET-UG which they haven’t studied in Class 12 to allow the students to cross over the rigid disciplinary boundaries in higher education,” the UGC chief said. He said that the decision to adopt CBT instead of OMR-based tests was “to reduce the scope for human errors in evaluation.” “CBT allows quicker result processing and provides enhanced security, ensuring the integrity of the exam process… Making all questions compulsory provides a level playing field for all candidates, and their overall proficiency is tested. A compulsory-answer format offers a more comprehensive and uniform assessment of their knowledge and abilities as all candidates are evaluated on the same set of questions. It also encourages students to adopt well-rounded preparation as they must prepare to address all topics covered in the test,” Kumar said. Instead of separate tests for 33 languages, tests will be offered for only 13 languages — Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Odia, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. The domain-specific subjects have been reduced from 29 to 23. The dropped domain-specific papers are Entrepreneurship, Teaching Aptitude, Fashion Studies, Tourism, Legal Studies and Engineering Graphics. The test duration has also been made identical for all papers and standardised at 60 minutes, he said, adding that the number of questions have been made identical for all papers. The concept of optional questions in the exam has also been done away with and all questions will be compulsory now, Kumar added. CUET-UG, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), serves as the single gateway for UG admissions across 46 central universities, including Delhi University, BHU, and Allahabad University. In 2024, the exam was held in both online and pen-and-paper modes in multiple shifts from May 15-31, but the announcement of results, originally scheduled for June 30, was delayed. When the test was held for the first time in 2022, technical glitches and logistical issues had delayed results until September. Last year, results were postponed until mid-July to accommodate candidates from Manipur amid ethnic conflicts. —With PTI inputs
