CUET eligibility criteria 2026 have been released by the NTA on the CUET official website. The National Testing Agency (NTA) sets the criteria for eligibility, such as age limit, education qualification and nationality. It is mandatory to meet the required CUET eligibility criteria to be eligible for admission to participating colleges/universities. The CUET 2026 is scheduled to be conducted from May 11 to May 31, 2026.
CUET Eligibility Criteria 2026 Overview
CUET eligibility is the minimum requirement to become eligible for the test. An overview of the eligibility requirements is mentioned in the following table.
| Particulars | Details |
| Age limit | No age limit |
| Academic qualification | Class 12 pass out |
| Minimum marks required for CUET UG | No minimum marks required to take CUET UG. Universities need a minimum of 50% marks in the 12th board. |
| Nationality | Indian nationals, NRI, OCIs |
| Reservation policy | Yes. Application at the time of admission. |
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CUET UG Eligibility Criteria: Academic Qualification
An academic qualification is an important requirement to be eligible for CUET 2026. Candidates should meet the following requirements.
- Students appearing for CUET 2026 should have passed the Class 12 board examination.
- Students appearing for the 12th board examination are also eligible.
Minimum Marks Required in Class 12 for CUET
- There is no minimum mark required to take the exam. However, students need to fulfil the qualification requirements of the university they are applying to.
- Usually, 50% is required for general candidates and 45% for reserved students in class 12.
Checkout important resources for CUET Exam here:
| CUET Syllabus | CUET Exam Registration |
| CUET Admit Card | CUET Marks vs Percentile |
| CUET Application Form | CUET Universities List |
| CUET Exam Day Guidelines | CUET Application Fees |
CUET Age Limit 2026
Meeting age criteria is an important requirement. As per the CUET official notification, the following are the age requirements.
- There is no age bar to appear for CUET 2026. However, candidates must meet the age requirement of the university they desire to attend.
- The respective universities follow their policy for qualification, age relaxation, quota and subject preferences. It is advised that the candidate must go through these details before they apply for the said examination.
CUET UG 2026 Nationality Criteria
NTA has laid out the following nationality norm for CUET 2026.
- Students must be Indian nationals.
- Students of Nepal and Bhutan are also eligible to apply.
- Pakistanis, Burmese, Sri Lankans, Kenyans, Ugandans, Tanzanians, Zambians, Malawians, Zaireans, and Ethiopians are eligible to take the CUET.
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CUET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Reservations Policy
NTA has prescribed the reservation policy, which is based on the rules provided by the Government of India. Candidates willing to avail the reservation should upload the necessary documents during the registration process. If any students fail to upload the required documents (issued on or after 1st January, 2026), he/she must submit a declaration as per the guidelines provided by the NTA on its official notification. Category-wise reservation is laid out below.
CUET Reservation for SC, ST, OBC, EWS and PwD Categories
Category-wise seat reservation policy should be followed when providing seat allocation. The seat reservation breakdown is tabulated below.
| Categories | Seat Reservation (In Percentage) |
| General Economically Weaker Sections (GEN-EWS) | 10% |
| Other Backward Classes (Non creamy layer) | 27% |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 7.5% |
| Persons with Disabilities | 5% in each category |
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CUET Eligibility Criteria 2026 for Central Universities
The central universities decide their respective course eligibility criteria. The eligibility requirements of some top-tier universities are discussed below.
Delhi University CUET Eligibility Criteria
For admission to DU through CUET, in some courses, 50% is required in class 12. While in others, admission is offered through CUET marks. Check the following detailed course criteria.
| Course | CUET Course Criteria/ CUET Subject Mapping |
| BSc (Hons) Biological Science, BSc (Hons) Botany, BSc (Hons) Zoology, BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science | -Physics + Chemistry + Biology/Biological Studies/ Biotechnology/ Biochemistry. -Candidates must have obtained a minimum of 30% score in any one language of List A in CUET. |
| BSc (Hons) Chemistry, BSc (Hons) Physics, BSc (Hons) Polymer Science, | -Physics + Chemistry + Mathematics.-Candidates must have obtained a minimum of 30% score in any one language of List A in CUET. |
| BSc (Hons) Mathematics, B.Com (Hons.) | Any one language from List A + Mathematics + Any two subjects out of which one should be from List B1 |
| Combination I: Any one Language from List A + Mathematics/Applied Mathematics + Any two subjects out of which at least one should be from List B1 OR Combination II: Any one Language from List A + Accountancy/Book Keeping + Any two subjects out of which at least one should be from List B1 |
Note: To know the CUET subject combination and eligibility for the UG programs Check Here
Banaras Hindu University CUET Eligibility Criteria
BHU has an age bar for most courses it offers. The minimum marks required for admission is 50% in class 12. Check the subject combination and other eligibility requirements mentioned below.
| Course Name | CUET Course Criteria/ CUET Subject Mapping |
| B.Sc. (Hons.) Mathematics (Chemistry, Computer Science, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics) | Section II1. Physics2. Chemistry3. Maths |
| B.Sc. (Hons.) Biology | Section II1. Physics2. Chemistry3. Biology |
| B.A. (Hons.) in Arts (Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Persian, Pali, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Nepali, English, Japanese, Chinese, German, French, Russian, Ancient Indian History Culture & Archaeology, History of Art, Philosophy, Linguistics, Geography, Mathematics, Statistics, Tourism and Travel Management#, Economics, Home Science, Music (Instrumental/Vocal), Painting, Education, Dance (Kathak and Bharatnatyam) ) | -Section I A – Language Test – (Hindi or English)-Section III – General Test |
Note: For the detailed UG course combination and eligibility Check Here
Jawaharlal Nehru University CUET Eligibility Criteria
Unlike other universities, JNU requires 45% marks in the 12th board examination. For reserved ones, a relaxation of 5% marks. You may check the following table and the PDF provided below for the complete details.
| Course Name | Subject Combination |
| B.A. (Hons.) Arabic | Section IA – English TestSection III – General Test |
| B.A. (Hons.) Korean | |
| B.A. (Hons.) French |
Note: For the detailed UG course combination with eligibility Check Here
Jamia Millia Islamia CUET Eligibility Criteria
Go through the eligibility of JMI and the course combination they provide before applying for it through CUET.
| Course Name | CUET Course Criteria/ CUET Subject Mapping |
| B.Sc.(Hons) Physics | Physics |
| B.A. (Hons.) Korean Language | General Test |
| B.A.( Hons) Economics | Economics |
Note: For the detailed UG course combination with eligibility Check Here
Aligarh Muslim University CUET Eligibility Criteria
Go through the eligibility of AMU and the course combination they provide before applying for it through CUET.
| Course Name | CUET Course Criteria/ CUET Subject Mapping |
| B.Sc. (Hons.) Statistics | English, Physics, Chemistry, Biology/MathematicsNote: For admission to B.Sc. (Hons./Research) with Statistics as Major Subject, the candidate should have passed Mathematics at the qualifying examination. |
| B.A. (Hons.) Women Studies | English, General Test |
| B.A. (Hons.) Hindi | English, General Test |
Note: For the detailed UG course combination with eligibility Check Here
Find the latest CUET subject-wise syllabus below:
CUET Eligibility Criteria 2026 for State Universities
Apart from the central universities, the state universities also provide undergraduate courses through CUET marks. You can find the state-wise eligibility criteria and course combination mentioned in the following table.
| State Universities | CUET Course Criteria |
| Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University | Click Here |
| Barkatullah University | Click Here |
| Bhattadev University | Click Here |
| Cluster University Of Jammu | Click Here |
| Cluster University Of Srinagar | Click Here |
| Cotton University | Click Here |
| Delhi Technological University | Click Here |
| Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya | Click Here |
| Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, Assam | Click Here |
| Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University, Lucknow | Click Here |
| Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University | Click Here |
| Dr. B.R. Ambedkar School Of Economics University | Click Here |
| Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi | Click Here |
| Dr. Rammanohar Lohia Avadh University, Ayodhya | Click Here |
| Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University | Click Here |
| Furkating College(Autonomous) Golaghat,Assam | Click Here |
| Govt. Degree College (Autonomous), Baramulla | Click Here |
| Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University | Click Here |
| Harcourt Butler Technical University, Kanpur | Click Here |
| Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University For Women | Click Here |
| Islamia College Of Science And Commerce | Click Here |
| Islamic University Of Science And Technology, Awantipora | Click Here |
| Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University | Click Here |
| Kolhan University | Click Here |
| Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit And Ancient Studies University | Click Here |
| M.P. Bhoj (Open) University, Bhopal | Click Here |
| Madan Mohan Malaviya University Of Technology | Click Here |
| Madhabdev University, Narayanpur, Lakhimpur | Click Here |
| Maharashtra State Skills University | Click Here |
| Mankanlal Chaturvedi National University Of Journalism And Communication, Bhopal | Click Here |
| Netaji Subhas University Of Technology,New Delhi | Click Here |
| Netaji Subhas University, Jharkhand | Click Here |
| North Lakhimpur College | Click Here |
| Rani Durgavati University, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh | Click Here |
| Sardar Patel University Of Police Security And Criminal Justice | Click Here |
| Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University | Click Here |
| Shri Vishwakarma Skill University | Click Here |
| University Of Jammu | Click Here |
| University Of Kashmir | Click Here |
| Vikram University | Click Here |
| Vinoba Bhave University | Click Here |
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CUET Eligibility Criteria 2026 for Deemed and Private Universities
Apart from the central and state universities, private and deemed universities also participate to offer UG courses through CUET. Following is the list of private and deemed universities along with subject-wise eligibility criteria.
| University Name | Eligibility Details |
| Alliance University | Check Here |
| Amity University (Noida Campus) | Check Here |
| Amity University Hyderabad | Check Here |
| Amity University Kolkata | Check Here |
| Amity University, Greater Noida | Check Here |
| Apex University | Check Here |
| Arunachal University Of Studies | Check Here |
| Azim Prem Ji University | Check Here |
| Chanakya University | Check Here |
| Chandigarh University -Mapping | Check Here |
| Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj University, Panvel | Check Here |
| CMR University | Check Here |
| G D Goenka University | Check Here |
| Galgotias University | Check Here |
| The Neotia University | Check Here |
| Manav Rachna University, Faridabad | Check Here |
Checkout the CUET Passing Marks here!
Important Points Students Should Know Before Applying for CUET UG
Some key points you should note before you apply for the CUET are as follows:
- Go through the detailed notification provided by the NTA CUET.
- Check the eligibility of CUET and the university you are applying to. The eligibility criteria may vary, and you must meet the basic requirements to be eligible for the merit list.
- Pay your application fee. Without payment, your application will not be accepted.
- Upload the required documents in the format as mentioned in the notification.
Everything You Need to Crack CUET—Start Here
CUET Application Form 2026
Before filling out the CUET application form, candidates must check the eligibility criteria. The application is filled through the official website- cuet.nta.nic.in. Candidates first need to register by providing the required details and then fill out the form by logging in tot heir portal. The CUET application form 2026 date is over. The last date to apply was January 30, 2026, which was further extended to February 4, 2026.
FAQs on CUET Eligibility Criteria 2026
According to the CUET eligibility criteria, students must have passed the 12th board examination. There is no age bar, and no minimum marks are required to take the exam. But students must meet the eligibility requirements of the university they want to apply for.
NTA has specified that there is no age bar to appear for the CUET 2026. The conducting authority has also mentioned that students should fulfil the age criteria of the university they are willing to take admission in.
There is no minimum mark required to be eligible for CUET UG 2026. But participating universities will follow their respective university’s guidelines to offer admission. As per the top colleges like DU, JMI and JNU, general category students should score at least 50% marks in the 12th board examination. Reserved category students need to score a minimum of 45% marks in class 12.
As per the Delhi University norms, there is no age limit. With respect to marks, in most courses, 50% is required, and the merit list is prepared by giving equal weightage to marks scored in the CUET exam and 12th board scores. However, in most courses they offer, no minimum marks are required, but the merit list is prepared based on marks obtained in the CUET examination.
Though students can take the exam irrespective of their age and marks they score in the 12th boards, they should meet the eligibility criteria of BHU if they are applying for it. A minimum of 50% is mandatory in the Class 12 examination. With this, there is an age limit in all courses they offer, but the age criteria vary from course to course.
To register for CUET 2026, you should apply via the official website- cuet.nta.nic.in. CUET application date is over. The last date to apply was February 4, 2026.
CUET 2026 will be held from May 11 to May 31, 2026. The subject-wise dates will be announced by the NTA shortly on the CUET official website – cuet.nta.nic.in.
The CUET eligibility for science students is similar to that of students applying for other subjects. But eligibility criteria like marks, qualification, and age limit may vary in CUET participating universities. Candidates must check the eligibility requirements of the university or college they are willing to apply to.