CUET Admission Process 2026: Complete Guide

Overview: Here's your essential guide for the CUET Admission Process 2026. Discover the necessary steps, from registration to counselling, and learn the details of India's top universities' cut-off scores and admission criteria. Also, there is a normalization process by NTA this year - find out what this means for your admission chances!

The CUET admission process is essential in seeking admission into 230+ universities across India. The NTA has successfully organized the CUET for the past 4 years; however, the admission process is still time-consuming and requires careful consideration. 

Read below to learn everything about the CUET 2026 admission process, essential details, and the counselling process to make your dreams come true!

Download Free Study Materials for CUET 2026 by SuperGrads

CUET UG Admission Process 2026: Overview

The Common University Entrance Test admission process is a months-long process. Let’s take a quick look at the steps involved:

1. Register for the exam through the official NTA website. 
2. Take the exam and meet the cut-off scores. 
3. Fill out the CUET Counselling registration form.
4. Attend the CUET counselling process for your desired university and submit the necessary documents. 

Check all CUET Participating Universities HERE 

Let's learn these steps in detail for more clarity:

1. CUET Admission Process 2026 for UG: Registration

Ensure you check and satisfy the eligibility requirements of the exam and follow the steps below:

1 - You must first submit the CUET Online Application Form on the official website of the participating colleges you wish to apply to or on the official website. 

2 - Fill in your course and university preferences on the form and upload the required documents.

3 - Keep the important documents handy to be uploaded online without delay.

• The recent photograph should be either in colour or black and white, with 80% of the face (without mask) visible, including ears, against a white background. 
• The scanned photograph and signature should be in JPG/JPEG format (clearly legible). 
• The size of the scanned photograph should be between 10kb to 200kb (clearly legible). 
• The size of the scanned signature should be between 10kb to 50kb (clearly legible). 
• The size of the scanned copy of the category certificate (SC/ST/OBC/EWS etc.) should be between 50kb to 300kb in pdf (clearly legible). 
• The size of the scanned copy of the valid PwBD certificate should be between 50kb to 300 kb in PDF. 

Go through the list of documents required for CUET registration once to ensure you do not miss any documents during the CUET admission process. 

4 - Pay the application fees as per your category listed in the table below:

Number of Subjects	General (UR)	OBC (NCL)/EWS	SC/ST/PwBD/Third gender	International Candidates
Upto 03 Subjects	₹ 1000/-	₹ 900/-	₹ 800/-	₹ 4500/-
Each Additional Subject	₹ 400/- (Each)	₹ 375/- (Each)	₹ 350/- (Each)	₹ 1800/- (Each)

5 - After the authorities have verified the documents, you must sit for the entrance examination to be eligible for further steps in the CUET admission procedure. 

• Download the CUET admit card and city intimation slip.
• Report to the exam centre on time. 

2. CUET Admission Process 2026: Answer Key and Cut off scores 

Once you appear for the exam, make sure to:

• Keep yourself updated with the latest information related to the exam through the official sources.
• After taking the exam, you can obtain your raw (actual) marks using the CUET answer key. 
• The cut-off for 230+ universities can be different; ensure you visit the respective colleges' official websites to learn more about the cut-off scores.

3. CUET UG Admission Process After Result:University-wise Form Filling

Once the results are out, you are required to fill separate forms for your selected universities in the form and upload documents for CUET Counselling Process 2026

• The CUET admissions require you to upload university-specific documents, exam scores, and course preferences during counselling.
• After NTA releases the official information brochure, you will also be informed about CUET 2026 admission dates.

Instant Scholarship Test for CUET 2026 Prep! Take NOW!

How to Calculate Exam Score for CUET Admission Process? 

• Each subject paper is expected to be held in multiple shifts, so the actual marks you obtain, will be normalized and then used for the CUET admission procedure. 
• The detailed procedure for compiling the NTA score is available on the NTA website.
• The NTA Score of CUET (UG) – 2026 is only valid for admission to the academic year 2026-27.
• The CUET cut-off will also be based on normalized scores. 

Raw Scores are converted into Percentile Scores using the formula below =

Number of candidates who appeared from the session with a raw score EQUAL TO OR LESS than the total score/ Total number of candidates who appeared in the session for the CUET admission process. 

Then, CUET percentiles are arranged:

Each session's results would be prepared in the form of - 

• Raw Scores 
• Percentiles scores of total raw scores 

The formula below will determine the percentiles for each candidate in the session. 

Percentile score of Total Raw Score = Number of candidates who appeared from the session with raw score EQUAL TO OR LESS than the highest score / Total Number of candidates who appeared in the session * 100 

• This year, since the exam is expected to be conducted in multiple shifts for each subject, the normalization process will be followed. This is where the expert guidance for CUET will help you create a CUET study plan, balanced preparation, and a shortlist of universities.
• Your normalized score will only be used for the CUET admission process. However, in this case, there can be a tie-breaking situation, as you and another candidate may have the same marks, so tie-breaking rules apply. 

Tiebreaker Rule

• If two students with the same exam score choose the same college and course as their first preference, the Class 12 board scores or the percentage will be used as a tiebreaker for allocating seats through the CUET admission process.

Re-evaluation/ re-checking of Result 

1. The CUET results will be processed based on the final answer keys.
2. No grievance about the answer key(s) after the declaration of the result will be entertained. 
3. The marks you obtained will be considered further for computation of the result.
4. There shall be no re-evaluation/re-checking of the result. No correspondence in this regard shall be entertained. 
5. Your scorecards will not be dispatched, and you are advised to download them from the official website of CUET.

4. CUET Counselling Process 2026

• Merely appearing in the entrance test does not confer any right on the candidate to guarantee a seat at the desired university. 
• The CUET admission process and selection are subject to fulfilling the admission criteria, CUET eligibility, rank in the merit list, medical fitness, verification of original documents, and other criteria the university may prescribe. 
• Admissions are handled at the university level for their respective programs. After the NTA declares the result, the respective universities will declare the counselling/admission schedule and merit list based on these scores and the other criteria described by the respective university.
• For the CUET admission process after result-related procedures/queries, you are advised to refer to the website of the applied university. 
• NTA does not prepare the merit list for the CUET admission process. 
• CUET participating universities/organizations will prepare the merit list. Universities may conduct individual counselling based on the exam scorecard provided by NTA. 

Here's the CUET Counselling Process. Check it NOW! 

Important Points to Note regarding CUET admission process 2026:

1. The CUET UG 2026 exam is expected to take place in May 2026, and participating universities will begin their CUET 2026 admission processes shortly after the results are announced.
2. Each university will follow its own criteria, cut-off lists, and admission timelines.
3. Those taking the exam may participate in the Counselling/CUET admission process of any university/institution/organization even though they have not applied for that university/institution/organization in the online application form. 
4. However, you must fulfill the eligibility criteria for the course of the university/institution/organization to which they seek admission.
5. Also, the university/institution/organization may admit any candidate who has appeared for the exam in this session, irrespective of the fact that he/she has chosen that university/institution/organization in the online application form.
6. Moreover, you must fulfill the eligibility criteria for the CUET courses for which you seek admission. 

Key Takeaways

• In conclusion, the CUET Admission Process presents a clear and structured pathway for students aspiring to join India's prestigious universities.
• With no re-evaluation process in place, you must thoroughly understand the admission process, from registration to counselling, and adhere to the NTA guidelines.
• Staying informed about the cut-off scores and preparing accordingly will be key to unlocking opportunities in higher education.
• As the exam continues to evolve as a significant entrance test, its impact on university admissions remains critical for future aspirants to consider.
• A thorough preparation through SuperGrads CUET online coaching, previous year papers, and sample papers will help you ace this exam.