What is CUET (Common University Entrance Test)?
From this academic year, the University Grants Commission will conduct a common entrance test called CUET for admission to undergraduate courses in all 45 central universities in the country.
Exam conducted by NTA
The Common University Entrance Test or CUET is a computerised examination that will be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). According to the University Grants Commission (UGC), all students seeking admission to 45 central universities in the country will have to take the test from this academic year (2022-23). Universities will admit students based on a merit list prepared by the NTA.
The UGC has said that admission to undergraduate courses in central universities will be based only on the CUET score. Class XII Board exam marks will not carry any weightage.
Universities could use the Board marks as an eligibility criteria for the test.
When is the test?
The first test will be held in the first week of July. The application window for the test opens in the first week of April.
What about reservations?
The CUET will not affect the quota for reserved seats in universities. However, students will have to be admitted only after clearing the common test.
Test syllabus
The entrance test will be based on the NCERT textbooks of Class XII. The test will cover language, subject of specialization, general knowledge, and reasoning. It will be objective type with multiple-choice questions. The exam will be held in 13 languages-English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odisha, Assamese, and Urdu.
It will be applicable to 45 central universities funded by the UGC. They include the Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Banaras Hindu University, Jamia Millia Islamia, and Aligarh Muslim University. In an interview on March 29, 2022, the UGC chairman said that the entrance exam will not be limited to Central Universities but extended to private varsities too.
Pros & cons
The common entrance test will provide equal opportunities to students from across boards. But the fact that the CUET will render the Class XII Board exam results largely redundant is being debated.
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