How to prepare for CUET 2024-2025

What is CUET?

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will be conducting the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) 2024 for Undergraduate Programmes in selected Central Universities for the Academic Session 2024-25. However, earlier, different universities had different criteria until 2021 for their UG entrance test but now the process is unified into a common CUET exam. 

The CUCET entrance exam 2024 will serve as an equal opportunity for aspirants from diverse backgrounds, in remote or rural areas, to seek admission to any of the Central Universities (CUs) across the country and have access to the education they deserve in the field/subject of their choice. 

About CUET Exam 2024

The CUCET entrance exam is stated to be conducted in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode, and the test will be held in 13 Indian languages, namely, English, Hindi, Odiya, Bengali, Assamese, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, and Urdu. 

The CUET registration has been extended to 5th April 2024. The CUET 2024 exam will be held between May 15 and May 31, 2024.

To help you land in the university of your choice, this blog is a guide for you to understand all about CUET 2024 admission, the CUET syllabus, exam pattern, how to prepare for the CUET 2024 exam, and some of the must-solve CUET sample papers and mock tests. 

However, unlike any other entrance examination, the CUCET qualifies the student based on a common entrance exam and not on their board exams or the university’s merit cutoffs. Moreover, as each university has a different cut-off, greater importance is given to students’ 12th-standard marks than what they are truly interested in studying. 

The CUCET entrance exam gives students a fair chance to seek admission in the university of their choice.

So, read further to learn how to ace your CUCET entrance exam preparations and secure a seat at the best central university.

CUET Exam 2024 Structure, Syllabus & Sections 

After speaking to many students, we concluded that one of the biggest advantages of taking the CUET exam is that students get the opportunity to study and give exams on the subject they like and want to build their career around. 

When you have a common entrance exam, less importance is given to class 12 board results. If, for any reason, the student is not able to score good marks there, the CUET exam gives them a platform to choose the subject of their interest, prepare for it, and get into the desired university and study that programme/subject. 

Now that you’ve filled up the CUET 2024 registration form, let’s first understand the CUET 2024 exam structure, syllabus, and sections so that you can understand what you need to prepare properly and ace your exam. 

CUET Exam 2024 Structure

CUET (UG) – 2024 will consist of the following 3 Sections: the Language section is divided into 2 parts, whereas Section IB is optional. Refer to the specific university you’re applying to, for the subject-wise syllabus. 

• IA – 13 Languages to choose from 
• IB – 20 Languages to choose from 
• II – 27 Domain-specific subjects to choose from 
• III – General Test

Here are a few pointers to keep in mind:

• You can choose a maximum of any 3 languages from Section IA and Section IB when taken together. 
• Section II offers 27 Subjects, out of which a candidate may choose a maximum of 6 Subjects.
• The third language chosen needs to be instead of the 6th domain-specific subject chosen by the candidate – as applicable (so the maximum number of tests to be taken remains 9 only i.e. 2 Languages + 6 Domain-Specific Subjects + 1 General Test OR 3 Languages + 5 Domain-Specific Subjects +1 General Test. 

Such flexibility is provided to motivate students to apply to as many universities as they like, depending on their eligibility conditions. 

CUET Exam 2024 Syllabus 

13 Languages in Section IA are: Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Odiya, Bengali, Assamese, Punjabi, English, Hindi and Urdu

20 Languages in Section IA are French, Spanish, German, Nepali, Persian, Italian, Arabic, Sindhi, Sanskrit, Kashmiri, Konkani, Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Santhali, Tibetan, Japanese, Russian, and Chinese.

27 Domain-Specific Subjects in Section II are: 

Accountancy/BookKeeping	Biology/ Biological Studies/	Biotechnology/Biochemistry
Chemistry	Business Studies	Computer Science/ Informatics Practices
Economics/ Business Economics	Engineering Graphics	Entrepreneurship
Geography/Geology	History	Home Science
Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India	Legal Studies	Environmental Science
Mathematics	Physical Education/ NCC /Yoga	Physics
Political Science	Psychology	Sociology
Teaching Aptitude	Agriculture	Mass Media/ Mass Communication
Anthropology	Fine Arts/Visual Arts (Sculpture/ Painting)/Commercial Arts,	Performing Arts – (i) Dance (Kathak/ Bharatnatyam/Oddisi/ Kathakali/Kuchipudi/ Manipuri (ii) Drama- Theatre (iii) Music General (Hindustani/ Carnatic/ Rabindra Sangeet/ Percussion/ Non-Percussion)
Sanskrit

The student may choose Sanskrit as the Domain for all Shastri (Shastri 3 years/ 4 years Honours) Equivalent to B.A./B.A. Honours courses, i.e., Shastri in Veda, Paurohitya (Karmakand), Dharmashastra, Prachin Vyakarana, Navya Vyakarana, Phalit Jyotish, Siddhant Jyotish, Vastushastra, Sahitya, Puranetihas, Prakrit Bhasha, Prachin Nyaya Vaisheshik, Sankhya Yoga, Jain Darshan, Mimansa, Advaita Vedanta, Vishihstadvaita Vedanta, and Sarva Darshan. 

For those writing Sanskrit as a domain subject in Section II, Sanskrit paper in Section 1B will be used to test their Reading and comprehension (based on different types of passages–Factual, Literary, and Narrative, [Literary Aptitude and Vocabulary].

The General Test will assess your general knowledge, current affairs, general mental ability, numerical ability, and quantitative reasoning (which includes simple application of basic mathematical concepts taught until Grade 8, such as arithmetic, algebra, geometry, mensuration, and statistics), and logical and analytical reasoning.

CUET Exam 2024 Section and Mode 

Mode	The mode of the CUET 2024 exam will be a Computer Based Test (CBT) and Offiline
Section-wise exam pattern	Sections IA & IB will have 50 questions. You will be given 45 minutes to answer each language. These papers will test your reading, comprehension, vocabulary, and literary efficiency.
	Section II will have 50 questions. You will be given 45 minutes to answer each domain-specific subject. The format will be MCQ-based questions.
	Section III will have 75 questions. You will be given 60 minutes. The format will be MCQ-based questions.
Marking scheme:	Candidates will be awarded one mark for each correct answer and a negative marking of 0.25 marks for each incorrect answer.
Level of questions for CUET (UG) -2024:	All questions are suitable for students up to the level of Class 12 standards only.
Choice of Languages and Subjects	Generally, the languages/subjects chosen should be the ones that a student has opted for in their latest Class 12th Board. However, this depends on the University’s discretion and flexibility under their CUET (UG) -2024 selection criterion. Students are requested to carefully refer to the eligibility requirements of various Central Universities in this regard. Moreover, if the subject to be studied in the undergraduate course is not available in the list of 27 Domain-Specific Subjects being offered, the student may choose the Subject closest to their choice. For law, the candidate may choose Legal Studies.
Schedule of examination	The examination will be conducted on multiple days in two shifts, depending on the number of candidates and the Languages/Tests taken by them.

How To Prepare For CUET Exam 2024? 

Now that you know the CUET exam syllabus, sections, structure, format, and other criteria, it’s time to finally begin your practice strategy and how to prepare for CUET 2024.

1. Select Universities You Want To Get Admission At

This is a major step in your 2024 CUET preparation strategy, as the choice of programme you choose will define how you will shape your career. First, enlist the best CUET colleges and courses you want to apply to, and then explore their previous year’s cuet merit cut-offs, counseling sessions, and seats. 

In other words, doing so will give you a clearer idea of how you can prepare for the CUET exam more strategically and get admitted to your choice of programme. 

2. Explore & Understand CUET Exam Pattern Properly 

Get thorough with the CUET 2024 exam pattern and section-wise syllabus. If you don’t know what to study and what not to study, you will not be able to crack the test. For that, explore the papers, subjects, and syllabi of the programmes’ colleges you’re applying to. 

Every entrance exam is different, and the CUET exam will be computer-based. Be sure to prepare in advance and hone your computer skills to manage your time more effectively. 

3. Manage Your Time Wisely 

Time management is the most important part of taking any exam. You need to prioritise what you need to give more of your time to. If there’s any subject/topic that you are not proficient in, give yourself more time to understand and strengthen your basics, and then go to its advanced level. 

Until the final day of the exam, divide each chapter/subject into daily and weekly targets to complete and learn and recap those portions every fortnight. This is a proven technique to help you remember things easily and quickly. 

4. Structure Your Timetable By Syllabus-Wise Planning 

A syllabus-wise plan helps you stay organised and makes you more mindful of the study portions you need to learn and pay more attention to. Just like schools give a year-wise syllabus to complete, structuring your CUET 2024 exam with syllabus-wise planning simplifies your study. You understand what the most important parts of the test are, and when is the best time to study them so that you don’t get overwhelmed at the last minute. 

The best approach will be to time your preparation. If you devote 2 hours every day to studying Entrepreneurship, then make a list of all its chapters and syllabus. Then see which areas you need to focus on to improve more. 

5. Daily Rituals You Can Do To Prepare Better 

Don’t get excited, anxious, and stressed about the CUET exam. This will be an important part of your life, but if you get stressed before even taking the test, you will not be able to prepare for the exam properly. You can strengthen your preparation with oswal.io.

Here are 10 small daily rituals you can follow every day that will help you prepare for your CUET exam in 2024 more productively and calmly: 

1. Drink 3-4 litres of water.
2. Meditate to keep yourself calm, focused, and attentive.
3. Exercise moderately daily to keep yourself physically fit.
4. Don’t compare your preparations with those of your friends. 
5. Say positive affirmations to yourself and have an ‘I can do it’ attitude. 
6. Seek professional help and guidance whenever you feel low. 
7. Believe that you are a genius.
8. Don’t overcomplicate things. Study only within your capacity.
9. Wake up on time and sleep on time. 
10. Practice, practice, practice.

CUET Exam 2024 Preparation Tips: Best CUET Books & Sample Papers 

Finally, now that you know how to prepare for the CUET exam 2024, the next step is to seek resources that will strengthen your CUCET preparation strategy. And like the old legend says, “Books are our best friends who will never walk away from us. Books improve our minds with good thoughts and knowledge.” 

What’s great is that the most popular CUCET entrance exam books are now at your fingertips in just a few clicks. One of the most notable books is Oswal – Gurukul NTA CUET (UG) 2024 Question Bank. More than 10+ subject-wise books will help you in your domain-specific subjects, languages, and general knowledge tests.  

Oswal – Gurukul 2024 CUET Question Bank has previous years solved CUCET papers. The question bank is entirely based on the Class 12 NCERT syllabus and includes NCERT Exemplars. Solve and learn the chapterwise theory for better concepts and practice various MCQs with this CUET question bank. 

Apart from these CUCET exam preparation books, simplify your CUET 2024 exam with Oswal Gurukul’s digital assessment guide to help you identify your strengths & weaknesses and manage your time more productively. 

Important Tips To Crack CUET Exam 2024

These are some of the best tips on how to prepare for CUET 2024 from the experts at Oswal Publishers. To help you give your best in each section, we’ve further divided the CUET exam preparation strategy so you can prioritise what you’re best at and focus more on areas you need to strengthen: 

How to Prepare for NTA CUET 2024 Language Test?

As we already discussed, the questions for the Language test will test your reading, vocabulary, and comprehension passages. You can expect 5-8 comprehensions to hone your reading skills. 

What you can do: Practice reading editorial columns of newspapers or novels to master your reading skills. Speak more and practice speed reading. 

How to Prepare for NTA CUET 2024 Domain Specific Test?

The Domain-specific test of the CUET 2024 entrance exam will have 27 subjects, and you have to choose six domains that you want to pursue as your undergrads. You’ll get the same question pattern as that of class 12, so you need to be clear on the basic concepts of the domains you’re choosing. 

What you can do: Study and solve as many mock and sample papers as possible for CUCET 2022 and CUET 2023. Strengthen your basics and prepare for your advanced levels. 

How to Prepare for NTA CUET 2024, General Test?    

To ace your CUET 2024 General test, practice is your only mantra. Read and stay updated on the current news and trends. 

What you can do: For the Quantitative Aptitude section, revise the concepts of high school mathematics and learn short tricks to solve questions quickly.

Give as many CUET mock tests as possible to strengthen your preparation routine because the more you practice, the better you get at it. Solve puzzle-related questions to enhance your problem-solving skills.

Ace Your CUET Exam 2024 When You Study Smartly 

We hope you find the article useful. Make sure not to overfeed your brain with too much information and focus more on doing. Take advantage of the suggestions and tips provided in this blog to ensure you succeed in CUET 2024. All the best!

FAQs on CUET Exam 2024