The University Grants Commission (UGC) has unveiled plans to revamp the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for both undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) admissions, set to take effect in 2025. This overhaul follows extensive feedback from previous years and is backed by an expert committee tasked with enhancing various aspects of the exam, including its structure, number of papers, duration, syllabus, and operational efficiency.
UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar emphasized the importance of continual improvement in the examination process, stating, “It is essential to continuously improve the examination process to provide a better, more efficient, and conducive environment for students taking CUET.”
As part of the revision, the UGC will release a draft proposal outlining the updated guidelines for CUET-UG and CUET-PG 2025. This draft will be shared with students, parents, educators, and institutions, encouraging them to provide feedback to ensure that the changes align with the needs of all stakeholders.
The CUET journey has not been without challenges. The inaugural CUET-UG in 2022 was marred by technical glitches, including the need to normalize scores across multiple shifts. The 2024 exam introduced a hybrid mode for the first time but faced cancellations in Delhi due to logistical difficulties. With these upcoming changes, the UGC aims to resolve these issues, creating a more seamless and reliable testing experience.
Introduced to standardize admissions across universities, CUET aims to level the playing field for students from diverse educational backgrounds. Last year, 283 universities adopted the exam, with approximately 13.47 lakh candidates registered. The UGC continues to push for more institutions to embrace this national-level entrance test, reducing the reliance on varying cut-offs and simplifying the admissions process.
The CUET UG 2024 was conducted in multiple phases from May 15 to May 29 and July 19, while the CUET PG exams were held from March 11 to March 28. The upcoming changes promise to address previous concerns and provide a smoother, more efficient exam process for future candidates.
This move signals a positive step toward transforming CUET into a robust and user-friendly admission gateway for students across India.