CUET PG Exam Pattern 2027: Marking Scheme and Papers

The CUET PG exam pattern is simple on paper: each test paper has 75 multiple choice questions for 300 marks, to be solved in 90 minutes on a computer. The difficulty lies in the speed it demands and the negative marking. The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the test, and the 2027 exam is tentatively scheduled for March 2027.

This page uses the official CUET PG 2026 information bulletin, as the 2027 bulletin is not out yet. It covers the paper structure, how paper codes work, the marking scheme with worked examples, the medium of papers, how scores reach universities and how to manage time inside a 90-minute shift.

CUET PG Exam Pattern at a Glance

CUET PG Paper Structure

Each paper is scored on its own. Universities look at the score in the paper they require for a programme, so marks from different papers are not added together for one total.

Test paper code series

Medium of question papers

• Humanities, science and common papers: bilingual, in English and Hindi. If there is a mismatch between versions, the English version is final.

• M.Tech and higher science papers: English only.

• Language papers: in the language concerned; Linguistics is in English.

• Acharya papers: mostly in Sanskrit, with a few listed exceptions.

CUET PG Marking Scheme

If a question has more than one correct option, anyone who chose a correct option gets 4 marks. If a question is dropped or has no correct option, every candidate who appeared gets 4 marks for it.

What the Pattern Means for You

• Time per question is about 72 seconds: there is no time to work out every question fully, so learn to spot quick ones first.

• A wrong answer costs a quarter of a right one: with four options, a blind guess on average gains nothing, but eliminating two options makes a guess worth taking.

• Accuracy moves your score most: 60 attempts at 90% accuracy gives 54 right and 6 wrong, which is 210 marks. 70 attempts at 75% accuracy gives about 52 right and 18 wrong, which is 190 marks.

• Plan your paper choices: four papers mean four separate 90-minute exams, possibly on different days. Do not add papers you have not prepared for.

How Scores Reach Universities

NTA publishes a scorecard after the result. Each participating university then uses the score in the required paper to build its own merit list, along with its own eligibility, reservation and tie-breaking rules. For multi-shift papers, the 2026 bulletin describes an equi-percentile method to normalise scores. For the 2026 result, NTA clarified that scores were absolute marks and no normalisation was applied, so read the 2027 bulletin for the rule that applies to you.

Time Management and Exam-Day Strategy

1. First pass, 40 to 45 minutes: answer every question you can solve with confidence and skip the rest without hesitation.

2. Second pass, 30 minutes: return to skipped questions you can narrow down to two options.

3. Last 10 minutes: review marked questions and stop guessing where you cannot eliminate any option.

4. Report early: reach the centre well before the gate closing time printed on your admit card, with the admit card, a valid photo ID and one passport-size photo matching your application.

Older pages may still show a 105-minute paper with Part A and Part B. The current pattern is 90 minutes and 75 questions, so follow the official CUET PG information bulletin.