CUET 2027 exam pattern, duration, subjects to change: what changes for 15 lakh aspirants

In short

Around 15 lakh students are expected to appear for CUET 2027.
Each student will take all chosen tests in a single day, reducing previous multi-day travel.
Exam duration may be reduced to 40-45 minutes per subject, with a cap of 4 subjects.
CUET PG 2027 might not be mandatory for courses with applications below seat capacity.
UGC may instruct universities to adjust admission requirements to align with the new subject cap and mandate general aptitude test acceptance.

The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the National Testing Agency (NTA), is finalising a complete roadmap to start using significant changes to the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for the 2027 academic year. These reforms encompass administrative and structural adjustments to the exam pattern, dates, and other related aspects, aiming to speed up the examination process.

These proposed changes are designed to mitigate student test fatigue, reduce outstation travel expenses and time, and address inconsistencies in university eligibility criteria. Approximately 15 lakh students are anticipated to appear for CUET 2027, making these reforms potentially impactful for a large number of higher education aspirants across India.

Reforms to CUET UG 2027 Exam Pattern and Duration

A key change for CUET UG 2027 is the shift from candidates visiting test centres multiple times over a 12 to 15-day window to a ‘one student-one day exam’ model. While the overall CUET 2027 will still be conducted over several days, each individual student will complete all their chosen tests on a single day. This aims to reduce the logistical burden and travel inconvenience previously faced by students, as highlighted by Subodh Kumar Singh, Director General, National Testing Agency, who stated the goal is “so that they need not travel long distances.”

Further modifications include a potential reduction in the duration of each CUET exam from 60 minutes to 40 to 45 minutes. The total number of questions in CUET UG 2027 may also decrease from an earlier 50 to between 35 and 40. In addition, students could previously choose up to 5 subjects, which might be reduced to a maximum of 4 subjects. CUET currently offers 37 subjects, comprising 13 languages, 23 domain subjects, and 1 general aptitude test.

Section	Questions to Attempt (Current/Previous)
Languages	40 out of 50
Domain Subjects	40 out of 50
General Test	50 out of 60

With the proposed changes, if a student opts for 4 subjects in a single day, the total exam hours would be approximately 160 minutes (2 hours and 40 minutes). This is a reduction from the previous model where 5 subjects would amount to 200 minutes (3 hours and 20 minutes) of total exam time.

Addressing University Admission Criteria and CUET PG

The reforms also seek to bring uniformity to university admission criteria, which currently vary among CUET participating institutions. For instance, Delhi University has specific CUET subject combination rules, while many state universities in Uttar Pradesh have made the general aptitude test mandatory. If the total subject cap for CUET UG is set at 4, the UGC might instruct all CUET 2027 participating universities to adjust their admission requirements accordingly. In addition, every university may be required to formally recognise and accept the general aptitude test as part of their admission process.

For CUET PG 2027, a significant change is under consideration: the exam might not be mandatory for admission to postgraduate courses where candidate applications fall below the available seat capacity. For example, if a CUET PG course offers 500 seats and the NTA receives fewer than 500 applications, the exam for that specific course will be scrapped, and admissions will proceed based on merit. Over 30 CUET PG subjects currently fall under this low-application category, potentially simplifying the admission process for these programmes.

Context and Previous CUET Cycles

The proposed changes for CUET 2027 aim to address issues observed in previous examination cycles, such as multi-day travel, varying test centres, and inconsistent university admission criteria. These factors previously caused anxiety, inconvenience, and additional costs for students. For instance, the CUET-UG 2023 exam was conducted over 34 days and 93 shifts, experiencing technical glitches and an extended duration due to subjects being conducted across multiple shifts, which necessitated score normalisation.

In contrast, the CUET-UG 2024 exam was completed in 7 days and across 16 shifts. Subodh Kumar Singh, Director General of the National Testing Agency, noted that for CUET-UG 2024, “All the subjects will be in single shifts and therefore there will be no normalisation of the scores. All the candidates will have the same question paper, and thereby face the same difficulty level.” In CUET-UG 2024, 15 subject tests were conducted in pen-paper mode, while 48 subjects were delivered on computer-based mode.

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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