CUET PG 2026 Registration Alert: Last Date Jan 14, Exam Dates & New Pattern

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially kicked off the admission cycle for the academic year 2026-27. The application window for the Common University Entrance Test for Postgraduate (CUET PG) 2026 is currently open but closing fast.

As of January 9, 2026, candidates have less than a week left to register for this national-level entrance exam, which is the gateway to master’s programs (MA, MSc, MBA, MCA, etc.) in top central universities like DU, JNU, BHU, and Hyderabad University.

Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the exam schedule, major changes introduced by NTA this year, and crucial deadlines you cannot afford to miss.

CUET PG 2026: Key Dates & Schedule

The official notification was released on December 14, 2025. If you haven’t applied yet, mark these dates in your calendar immediately.

Event	Date
Registration Start Date	December 14, 2025
Last Date to Apply	January 14, 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)
Correction Window	January 18 – January 20, 2026
Exam City Intimation	February 2026 (Tentative)
Admit Card Release	March 2026
Exam Dates	March 13 – April 1, 2026

Major Changes in 2026: What’s New?

The NTA has introduced specific changes to streamline the process this year.

1. More City Choices: In a relief to students, NTA has increased the number of exam city preferences. You can now select up to 4 cities (previously restricted to 2) based on your permanent or present address. This is expected to reduce long-distance travel for candidates.
2. Fewer Exam Centers: While city choices have increased, the total number of exam centers has been rationalized to 292 (down from 312 last year).
3. Exam Pattern Confirmation: The exam will strictly follow the pattern of 75 Questions in 105 Minutes. There is no General Test (Part A) for most subject papers this year, meaning the entire focus is on your Domain Subject.

Exam Pattern & Syllabus Breakdown

The CUET PG 2026 will be conducted in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode.

• Total Questions: 75 MCQs
• Total Marks: 300
• Marking Scheme: +4 for every correct answer, -1 for every wrong answer.
• Medium: Bilingual (English & Hindi), except for language and literature papers.

Syllabus Update:

The syllabus remains largely similar to the undergraduate curriculum of central universities. However, candidates must download the specific 2026 syllabus PDF for their subject code (e.g., SCQP09 for Computer Science, COQP12 for MBA) from the official website.

Who Is Eligible to Apply?

• Age Limit: There is no age limit for appearing in CUET PG 2026.
• Educational Qualification: Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university. Those in their final year of graduation are also eligible to apply.
• Note: While NTA has no age bar, individual universities (like BHU or TISS) may have their own age or subject criteria. Always check the specific university brochure.

How to Register Before the Deadline

With the deadline of January 14, 2026, approaching, heavy traffic is expected on the server. Follow these steps to apply smoothly:

1. Visit the official portal: exams.nta.ac.in/CUET-PG
2. Click on “New Registration” and create your account using Email and Mobile Number.
3. Fill in personal details and select your Test Paper Codes carefully.
4. Upload scanned photo and signature.
5. Pay the application fee (General: ₹1200, OBC-NCL/Gen-EWS: ₹1000).
6. Download the confirmation page.

Why CUET PG 2026 Matters?

This exam is now mandatory for admission to nearly 200 universities, including:

• Central Universities: Delhi University (DU), JNU, BHU, Allahabad University.
• State Universities: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi, DTU.
• Private/Deemed Universities: Amity, Galgotias, SRM, etc.Missing this exam effectively closes the door to the majority of premier PG seats in India for the 2026-27 session.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)