Class 12th Subjects No Longer Sole Criteria For UG Admissions, UGC Chairman Issues New Guidelines

New Delhi: From 2025, the CUET-UG will be conducted exclusively as a computer-based test (CBT), and students will have the flexibility to appear for any subject, regardless of what they studied in class 12.

This decision follows a review conducted by an expert panel set up by the University Grants Commission (UGC), as explained by UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar.

What are the major changes?

In an interview with PTI, Kumar elaborated on the changes saying, "The exam will be conducted only in CBT mode from 2025, unlike the hybrid mode used last year. We have also reduced the number of subjects from 63 to 37, and admissions for the dropped subjects will be based on the General Aptitude Test (GAT) scores."

Kumar further told that candidates will now be allowed to opt for subjects in CUET-UG that they haven’t studied in class 12, aiming to break the rigid disciplinary boundaries in higher education. "This will allow students more flexibility and greater choice in their academic path," he added.

Changes In Exam Structure & Duration

Kumar explained the changes in the 2025 edition of the CUET-UG exam. Students will now be able to appear for the exam in a maximum of five subjects, reduced from six in previous editions.

Additionally, the exam duration has been standardized to 60 minutes, previously ranging from 45 to 60 minutes depending on the subject. The option to choose questions has been eliminated; all questions in the exam will now be compulsory.

In its inaugural edition in 2022, CUET-UG faced several technical glitches. Due to the scheduling of tests for a subject across multiple shifts, scores required normalization when results were announced.

The exam was conducted in a hybrid format for the first time in 2024, but it was canceled in Delhi the night before it was scheduled to take place, citing logistical issues.