CUET is a speed test on NCERT Class 12 content: 50 questions in 60 minutes per paper, with negative marking. Board exam study covers most of the domain papers, so the extra work is fast MCQ practice, a strong language paper and the General Aptitude Test if your course needs it. Choose your five subjects first, based on your target courses, and prepare only those.
6 months out (October to December)
- List 5 to 8 target courses and write down the exact CUET subjects each needs. Fix your 5 subjects from that.
- Study your domain subjects with NCERT Class 12 alongside board preparation; after each chapter, do 30 to 50 MCQs.
- Read one English editorial a day and practise 2 comprehension passages; this is the base for the language paper.
- If you need the General Aptitude Test, spend 30 minutes a day on basic arithmetic and reasoning.
Board exam months (February to March)
- Focus on your board exams; they cover the same NCERT content.
- Keep 30 to 45 minutes a day for MCQ practice so your speed does not drop.
Last 6 to 8 weeks (after boards)
- Take one timed 60-minute paper per subject every day, rotating your five subjects.
- Aim for about one minute per question; skip anything that takes more than two minutes.
- Review every wrong answer and add it to a short error list per subject.
- Revise current affairs from the last 6 to 8 months for the General Aptitude Test.
- Attempt only questions you can narrow to one or two options; each wrong answer costs a mark.
Books and resources
- NCERT Class 12 textbooks for each domain subject — Domain papers are based on the Class 12 NCERT syllabus.
- NCERT Class 11 basics where needed — Some Class 12 topics, such as in Physics and Accountancy, build on Class 11 ideas.
- Previous CUET UG question papers — Show the level and style of questions for each subject.
- A daily newspaper or monthly current-affairs summary — For the general knowledge part of the General Aptitude Test.
Mistakes to avoid
- Taking five subjects without checking which ones your courses accept.
- Ignoring the language paper, which many universities require.
- Studying only for boards and never practising timed MCQs.
- Guessing too much; at -1 per wrong answer, a few wrong guesses wipe out right answers.
- Not applying on university portals in time after the result.