This page lists CUET previous year question papers for 4 years, 2022 to 2025, with 2 official PDFs (question papers and answer keys) and labelled mock papers for 4 years with no official question paper. CUET (Common University Entrance Test) is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and covers Language, Domain subjects and General Test. Pick a year below for the paper, answer key and a timed practice plan; confirm dates and pattern on cuet.nta.nic.in.
Explore: Question papers by year · Syllabus & pattern · Pattern changes · FAQ
Year-wise question papers
CUET 2025
All 50 questions compulsory in 60 minutes, computer-based only, 37 subjects.
CUET 2024
Held in hybrid mode, with pen and paper for the most popular subjects.
CUET 2023
A long computer-based window with many shifts. Strong for domain practice.
CUET 2022
The first CUET UG. Answer 40 of 50 questions in 45 minutes per test.
Want to practise one topic at a time? CUET topic-wise practice sorts the 97 questions from our labelled mock papers by section and topic.
About CUET UG
CUET UG is the common entrance test for undergraduate admission to the central universities, including Delhi University, BHU, JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia and AMU, along with a large number of state, deemed and private universities that have chosen to use it. NTA has run it every year since 2022. Before CUET, most central universities admitted students on their Class 12 board marks.
Unlike most entrance exams, CUET is not one paper. You pick a set of tests to match the courses you are applying for: one or more language tests, a few domain subjects that follow the Class 12 syllabus, and the General Test if any of your programmes require it. Each test is a separate paper with its own timer and its own score. The universities then decide which test scores they need for each course.
That makes the first step in using old papers a planning one. Before you solve anything, check the eligibility rules for every course on your list and write down the exact tests they need. Then practise only those tests. Students who download papers in every subject waste weeks.
The domain papers follow the NCERT Class 12 books closely, so if you are preparing for the board exam you have done much of the work already. Old CUET papers show you how that content is asked when it is turned into fast multiple-choice questions. The year pages here use clearly labelled mock papers based on candidate reports, because NTA shows each candidate their own paper during the answer key process but does not publish a public archive. The full syllabus by section is on the CUET syllabus and pattern page.
How the paper has changed since 2022
CUET is young, but it has changed almost every year. The biggest change came in 2025, when the choice of questions was removed. If you practise with the 2022 to 2024 papers, adjust the timing and attempt all questions.
| Year | Mode | Questions per test | Time per test | What was different |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Computer-based | Language and domain: answer 40 of 50. General Test: 50 of 60 | 45 minutes (General Test 60) | First year; held in several phases over July and August, with technical problems that forced some shifts to be rescheduled |
| 2023 | Computer-based | Same choice as 2022 | 45 or 60 minutes depending on subject | Long exam window with many shifts |
| 2024 | Hybrid (pen and paper for high-demand subjects, computer-based for the rest) | Same choice as 2022 | 45 or 60 minutes depending on subject | Fewer subjects allowed per candidate; Delhi papers on the first day postponed; a re-test for some candidates |
| 2025 | Computer-based only | 50, all compulsory, in every test | 60 minutes | Subjects cut to 37; a maximum of five subjects; you may take a domain you did not study in Class 12 |
Marking has stayed at +5 for a correct answer and −1 for a wrong one. Unanswered questions get zero.
When a test runs in more than one shift, NTA normalises the scores so that a harder shift does not put candidates at a disadvantage. That is why two students with the same raw marks in the same subject can end up with slightly different scores.
The removal of choice in 2025 matters for how you use older papers. In 2022 to 2024 you could leave ten questions you did not like. Now you face all fifty. When you sit an older paper, attempt every question in 60 minutes. That is closer to the exam you will face, and it shows up the chapters you have been avoiding.
What the papers show, section by section
Language tests
Most students take English, though CUET offers many Indian languages as well. The English test is mainly reading comprehension, with factual, narrative and literary passages, along with vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, word usage), grammar, sentence ordering and idioms.
When you check a past paper, separate passage mistakes from vocabulary and grammar mistakes. Passage mistakes usually come from answering from memory of the passage instead of going back to the line. Vocabulary mistakes are just words you did not know. Keep a running list of those and look at it every few days. Language tests are often the most scoring paper for students who practise them under time, so do not leave them to the last week.
Domain subjects
Domain papers follow the NCERT Class 12 syllabus for each subject. The questions are short multiple-choice questions, with a fair number of statement-based, assertion and reason, and match-the-following questions. In the sciences and Accountancy, a share of questions are short calculations. In History, Political Science and Geography, many questions test a specific fact, date or term from the textbook.
After each domain paper, map every wrong answer to its NCERT chapter. After three or four papers, you will see which chapters cost you the most. For factual subjects, the fix is usually a careful re-read of the chapter, including the boxes, tables and maps. For subjects with calculations, it is more practice on that type of question.
If you are taking a subject you did not study in Class 12, which has been allowed since 2025, start with the NCERT book and use past papers to see how deep the questions go. Do not start with a question bank.
General Test
The General Test covers general knowledge and current affairs, numerical ability (arithmetic, algebra, geometry, mensuration and simple statistics at roughly the Class 8 level), and logical and analytical reasoning. Many courses do not need it, so check your list first.
If you do need it, split your mistakes into three groups: numerical, reasoning and GK. The numerical and reasoning parts reward steady practice and are where most of the marks are. GK is harder to prepare for. Past papers show that most GK questions are about the past year’s national events, awards, sports and government schemes, with some static GK. A short daily habit of reading the news works better than cramming in the last week.
Notes on recent years
2025 made all 50 questions compulsory in every test and set 60 minutes for each one. It was computer-based only, the list of subjects was cut to 37 and the maximum number of subjects went down to five. This is the pattern you will face, so sit the 2025 papers in your subjects close to the exam.
2024 was held in hybrid mode, with pen and paper for the subjects with the most candidates. You could still answer 40 of 50 questions. The exam had a rough start: papers in Delhi on the first day were postponed, results came out late, and some candidates were given a re-test. None of that affects the papers as practice material.
2023 ran over a long window with many shifts, so different students saw different papers in the same subject. Use the 2023 papers for domain practice, and attempt all 50 questions.
2022 was the first CUET UG. It had a rocky rollout with technical problems at some centres. The papers are still close to the NCERT syllabus and are useful practice. Attempt all 50 questions in 60 minutes rather than 40 in 45.
Using old papers at different stages of preparation
During Class 12
Study for your board exam first. After finishing each chapter in your domain subjects, solve the CUET questions on that chapter from past papers. They are short and quick, and they show you which details in the chapter tend to be asked. For English, read one passage a day and answer the questions under a timer.
Between the board exam and CUET
This gap is usually around two months, and it is where most of your CUET-specific practice should happen. Sit one full past paper in each of your tests every week, in 60 minutes with all questions attempted. On the next day, review every mistake and go back to the NCERT chapter for each one. Rotate your subjects so that no test goes untouched for more than a week.
In the last two weeks
Sit the 2025 papers in your subjects, and re-sit the one paper in each subject where you scored lowest. Go over your error log and your vocabulary list. Do not add new books. If you are taking the General Test, keep up with the news until the day before, since current affairs is the one part you cannot finish early.
Mistakes students make with past papers
The most common mistake is preparing for the wrong tests. Check the eligibility for every course on your list before you start, and again when the bulletin comes out, because university rules can change from year to year.
The second is sitting older papers with the old choice of 40 out of 50. It is tempting because it feels easier, but it trains you to skip chapters, and since 2025 you cannot skip anything.
Many students also treat CUET domain papers as a side effect of board preparation. The content overlaps, but the question style does not. Board papers reward long written answers, while CUET rewards fast, exact recall and short calculations. Sit at least a few timed CUET papers in each subject.
Finally, watch the negative marking. At +5 and −1, a guess after ruling out two options is a sensible risk, but a blind guess on a question you have not understood is not, especially if you make many of them.
FAQ
Does NTA release CUET question papers?
NTA shows each candidate their own question paper and recorded responses during the answer key challenge, but it does not publish a public archive of every paper. The papers found online come from candidates. The year pages here use clearly labelled mock papers that follow each year’s reported pattern.
What is the CUET UG exam pattern now?
From 2025, each language and domain test has 50 compulsory questions in 60 minutes, and the General Test follows the same format. A correct answer gets 5 marks and a wrong answer loses 1. The exam is computer-based only, with 37 subjects and a maximum of five per candidate. Check the current bulletin on cuet.nta.nic.in before you register.
How should I solve the 2022 to 2024 papers that had a choice of questions?
Attempt all 50 questions in 60 minutes, not 40 in 45. That matches the current exam and stops you from building the habit of skipping chapters. If the General Test paper you are using had 60 questions, attempt all 60 for extra practice.
Which CUET papers should I solve?
Only the tests your target courses need. Check each course’s eligibility rules, write down the language, domain and General Test requirements, and practise those papers. Solving papers in subjects you are not taking is wasted time.
Is NCERT enough for CUET domain subjects?
For most domain subjects, the NCERT Class 12 book plus past papers covers most of what is asked. Subjects with calculations, such as Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Accountancy, need extra practice on numerical questions once you have finished the book.
Do I need to take the General Test?
Only if one of the courses you are applying for requires it. Many courses do not. Check the eligibility rules for each course on your list, since they differ between universities and can change from year to year.
Are CUET scores normalised?
Yes, when a test runs in more than one shift. NTA normalises scores so that candidates in a harder shift are not at a disadvantage. Do not compare raw marks with friends who sat a different shift.
Can I prepare for CUET and the board exam together?
Yes. The domain syllabus is the Class 12 NCERT syllabus, so your board study covers the content. Add a few CUET questions after each chapter during the year, then switch to full timed CUET papers in the gap between the board exam and CUET.
Where to get the official papers
NTA publishes the CUET UG information bulletin, subject syllabi, answer keys and results on cuet.nta.nic.in. Download the syllabus for each of your subjects from there. We link to official sources and add notes on each paper, but the current bulletin is the final word on dates, pattern, subjects and eligibility.