CUET Syllabus 2027: Subject-Wise Units.
A surprising number of CUET aspirants spend weeks on chapters that are no longer in the exam. Solid State, Surface Chemistry, Polymers and Communication Systems still appear on many syllabus pages online, yet none of them is in the official CUET syllabus any more. If your preparation list is wrong, every hour on it is wasted.
This guide sets out the CUET syllabus section by section and subject by subject, based on the subject-wise PDFs the National Testing Agency (NTA) published for CUET UG 2026, the most recent official version. It covers the language papers, the General Aptitude Test and the 23 domain subjects, flags what NTA changed in the latest revision, and explains how to turn the syllabus into a preparation plan. For the exam format, eligibility and dates.
CUET syllabus
Section | What the paper tests | Basis of the syllabus | Papers offered |
|---|---|---|---|
Languages | Reading comprehension, literary aptitude, vocabulary | Skill-based, not tied to a textbook | 13 languages |
Domain subjects | Subject knowledge at Class 12 level | NCERT Class 12 syllabus (with a few Class 11 additions) | 23 subjects |
General Aptitude Test (GAT) | GK, current affairs, mental ability, numerical ability, reasoning | Basic concepts taught up to Class 8, plus awareness | 1 paper |
Every paper has 50 compulsory multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, with 5 marks for a correct answer and 1 mark deducted for a wrong one. A candidate can choose up to five papers in total.
Where the official CUET syllabus comes from
NTA publishes a separate syllabus PDF for each of the 37 papers on cuet.nta.nic.in. For the 2026 cycle these PDFs went online on 27 to 29 December 2025, a week before the notification, and the 2027 versions are expected around December 2026.
Two points matter here. First, use the official PDF for your subject rather than a summary, because several third-party pages still carry unit lists from before the 2025 reforms. Second, NTA does revise units between cycles. The 2026 release added, dropped or reordered units in History, Economics, Business Studies, Computer Science and Physical Education. Anything in this guide marked "2026 revision" comes from that release. Until the 2027 PDFs are out, the 2026 syllabus is the right base to prepare from.
CUET language syllabus (English, Hindi and 11 other languages)
The language papers are the only part of CUET with no chapter list. The official syllabus describes them as testing reading comprehension through three kinds of passage, factual, literary and narrative, along with literary aptitude and vocabulary.
In practice, questions in English and the other language papers fall into these groups:
Area | What you are asked to do |
|---|---|
Reading comprehension | Read a passage and answer questions on its main idea, specific details, inference and tone |
Vocabulary | Synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitutions, idioms and phrases, words in context |
Verbal ability | Rearranging jumbled sentences into a paragraph, completing sentences, choosing the correct word |
Grammar in use | Spotting errors, fill in the blanks with the right form, active and passive voice, tenses |
Comprehension passages carry the bulk of the questions, so reading speed and accuracy under time pressure decide your score more than grammar rules do. The same structure applies to Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu, with passages and vocabulary drawn from that language.
CUET General Aptitude Test syllabus
The General Aptitude Test (GAT) replaced the older General Test from 2025. Universities use it for programmes such as BBA, BA and BCom, and for admission to courses linked to subjects that were dropped from the exam. Its syllabus has six components:
Component | Typical topics |
|---|---|
General knowledge | Indian history, polity, geography, economy, science, awards, sports, important days |
Current affairs | National and international events, appointments, schemes, summits from the preceding year |
General mental ability | Series, coding-decoding, analogies, classification, direction sense, blood relations |
Numerical ability | Number system, percentages, ratio and proportion, averages, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time and work |
Quantitative reasoning | Simple application of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, mensuration and statistics taught up to Class 8, including data interpretation |
Logical and analytical reasoning | Syllogisms, statements and conclusions, puzzles, seating arrangement, Venn diagrams |
The official syllabus caps the mathematics at Class 8 level. That makes GAT a paper won by speed and accuracy rather than by depth, which is why it rewards regular timed practice more than any other CUET paper.
CUET domain subject syllabus
Domain papers follow the NCERT Class 12 syllabus for the subject. The units below are taken from the official 2026 PDFs; where a subject was revised for 2026, the change is noted.
Science subjects
Physics (9 units):
Unit / Topic | Official NCERT Coverage | Syllabus Notes |
Physics (9 Units) | • Unit 1: Electrostatics • Unit 2: Current Electricity • Unit 3: Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism • Unit 4: Electromagnetic Induction and Alternating Currents • Unit 5: Electromagnetic Waves • Unit 6: Optics • Unit 7: Dual Nature of Matter and Radiation • Unit 8: Atoms and Nuclei • Unit 9: Electronic Devices | Removed: Communication Systems is excluded from the syllabus. |
Chemistry (10 units):
Unit / Topic | Official NCERT Coverage | Syllabus Notes |
Chemistry (10 Units) | • Unit 1: Solutions • Unit 2: Electrochemistry • Unit 3: Chemical Kinetics • Unit 4: d and f Block Elements • Unit 5: Coordination Compounds • Unit 6: Haloalkanes and Haloarenes • Unit 7: Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers • Unit 8: Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids • Unit 9: Amines • Unit 10: Biomolecules | Removed: Solid State, Surface Chemistry, p-Block Elements, General Principles and Processes of Isolation of Elements, Polymers, and Chemistry in Everyday Life are omitted to match rationalised NCERT textbooks. |
Biology / Biotechnology / Biochemistry (5 units):
Unit / Topic | Official NCERT Coverage | Syllabus Notes |
Biology / Biotechnology / Biochemistry (5 Units) | • Unit 1: Reproduction • Unit 2: Genetics and Evolution • Unit 3: Biology and Human Welfare • Unit 4: Biotechnology and its Applications • Unit 5: Ecology and Environment | Maps directly onto standard NCERT Class 12 chapters. |
Mathematics / Applied Mathematics:
Section / Track | Covered Modules & Units | Structure & Choice Rules |
|---|---|---|
Section A (Common) | • Algebra • Calculus • Integration and its Applications • Differential Equations • Linear Programming • Probability | Mandatory: 15 questions (compulsory for all candidates regardless of track) |
Section B1 (Mathematics) | • Relations and Functions • Algebra • Calculus • Vectors and Three-Dimensional Geometry • Linear Programming • Probability | Choice Track: 35 questions (attempt 25 questions) |
Section B2 (Applied Mathematics) | • Numbers, Quantification and Numerical Applications • Algebra • Calculus • Probability Distributions • Index Numbers and Time-Based Data • Inferential Statistics • Financial Mathematics • Linear Programming | Choice Track: 35 questions (attempt 25 questions) |
Commerce subjects
Accountancy / Book Keeping (5 units): Accounting for Partnership; Reconstitution of a Partnership Firm; Dissolution of Partnership Firm; Company Accounts (Share and Debenture Capital); Analysis of Financial Statements. Computerised Accounting System is listed as an alternative to the fifth unit. There is no Not-for-Profit Organisations unit.
Business Studies: The NCERT management units (nature and significance of management, principles of management, business environment, planning, organising, staffing, directing, controlling) plus Financial Markets, Marketing and Consumer Protection. 2026 revision: Financial Markets was added, while Business Finance and Entrepreneurship Development were removed.
Economics / Business Economics: Introductory Microeconomics (consumer behaviour, demand, production and costs, market forms), Introductory Macroeconomics (national income, money and banking, income determination, government budget, balance of payments) and, from the 2026 revision, Indian Economic Development: development policies and experience 1947 to 1990, economic reforms since 1991, current challenges facing the Indian economy, and India's development experience compared with its neighbours. This last block comes from the Class 11 NCERT book, so Economics is no longer a Class-12-only paper.
Humanities subjects
History
Section / Theme | Official NCERT Coverage | Syllabus & Revision Notes |
History (15 Themes) | Ancient India: • Harappan Archaeology • Mauryan Inscriptions Medieval India (Restructured): • Medieval Society through Travellers' Accounts • Bhakti-Sufi Traditions • Vijayanagara Empire (Politics, Economy & Architecture) • Mughal Empire & Agrarian Society Modern India: • Colonialism • Revolt of 1857 • Mahatma Gandhi & National Movement • Partition & Independence • Framing of the Indian Constitution | Covers 15 distinct themes based on the 3 NCERT Themes in Indian History volumes. Revision Notes: Medieval themes restructured Ain-i-Akbari, Hampi, Bhakti-Sufi, and Travellers' Accounts as standalone themes replaced by consolidated themes on Medieval Society, Bhakti-Sufi Traditions, Vijayanagara Empire, and Mughal Empire. |
Political Science: Both NCERT Class 12 books. Contemporary World Politics covers the Cold War era, the end of bipolarity, new centres of power, contemporary South Asia, international organisations, security, environment and globalisation. Politics in India since Independence covers nation-building, one-party dominance, planned development, external relations, challenges to the Congress system, the Emergency, regional aspirations and recent developments.
Geography / Geology: Fundamentals of Human Geography (nature and scope, population, human activities, transport, communication and trade, human settlements) and India: People and Economy (population and migration, human development, land and agriculture, water, minerals and energy, manufacturing, planning, transport and international trade, selected issues).
Psychology and Sociology: Psychology follows the NCERT Class 12 chapters on intelligence and aptitude, self and personality, life challenges, psychological disorders, therapeutic approaches, attitudes and social cognition, and social influence. Sociology covers both Indian Society and Social Change and Development in India.
Other domain subjects
Agriculture, Anthropology, Environmental Science, Computer Science / Informatics Practices, Fine Arts / Visual Arts / Commercial Arts, Home Science, Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India, Mass Media / Mass Communication, Performing Arts, Physical Education, and Sanskrit each have their own official PDF. Two 2026 revisions worth noting: Computer Science gained a unit on project-based learning and teamwork, and Physical Education gained units on skill-related physical fitness and on physiology and biomechanics in sports.
What changed in the CUET syllabus for 2026
Subject | Removed | Added |
|---|---|---|
History | Agrarian Relations (Ain-i-Akbari); New Architecture (Hampi); older Bhakti-Sufi and Travellers' Accounts themes | Medieval Society through Travellers' Accounts; Bhakti-Sufi Traditions; Vijayanagara Empire; Mughal Empire and Agrarian Society |
Economics | Nothing removed | Four Indian Economic Development units (Class 11 content) |
Business Studies | Business Finance; Entrepreneurship Development | Financial Markets (money market, capital market, stock exchange, SEBI, demat) |
Computer Science | Nothing removed | Project-Based Learning: approaches, steps, teamwork |
Physical Education | Nothing removed | Skill-Related Physical Fitness; Physiology and Biomechanics in Sports |
Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and Accountancy were carried forward unchanged from 2025. Expect the 2027 PDFs to follow 2026 closely, but compare your subject's unit list against them the day they are released.
Is the CUET syllabus only Class 12?
Mostly, but not entirely, and the exceptions catch students out.
Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Accountancy, Business Studies, History, Geography, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology are Class 12 NCERT only.
Economics now includes the Class 11 Indian Economic Development book after the 2026 revision.
Mathematics questions can require Class 11 foundations (trigonometry, basic algebra) even though the units listed are Class 12.
The General Aptitude Test is not tied to any class; its numerical content stops at Class 8 level but its general knowledge and reasoning are open-ended.
Language papers test skills, not a textbook, so no class boundary applies.
How to turn the syllabus into a preparation plan
Reading a syllabus once is not preparation. Converting it into a tracked checklist is.
Download the official PDF for each subject you have chosen and print or save it. Cross out any topic you find in a coaching list that is not in the PDF.
Map every unit to its NCERT chapter. For domain subjects the correspondence is nearly one-to-one, so your school timetable becomes your CUET timetable.
Attach a test to every unit. Finish a chapter, then take a chapter-wise MCQ test on it within a day or two.
Separate GAT and the language paper from domain study. Neither is covered by school. Give each a fixed weekly slot from now until the exam.
Weight your time by question yield, not by chapter length. A unit with ten short NCERT pages and a history of eight questions per paper deserves more of your week than a long unit that rarely appears. Previous year papers tell you which is which.
Move to full-length mocks once the syllabus is complete. Timed CUET mock tests built on the current syllabus are the only reliable way to check whether your coverage holds up at 72 seconds per question.
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