After the significant UGC changes, the Common University Entrance Test-Undergraduate (CUET UG) is also undergoing significant changes starting in 2025. Students can now choose any subject for the exam, even if it wasn’t studied in Class 12, according to UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar.

The move aims to break rigid disciplinary boundaries in higher education.

From 2025, CUET UG will be conducted exclusively in computer-based test (CBT) mode, moving away from the hybrid model used in 2024.

The number of available subjects has been reduced from 63 to 37, with admissions for dropped subjects based on General Aptitude Test (GAT) scores.

Students can now select up to five subjects for the exam, a reduction from the earlier limit of six.

Additionally, the exam duration is standardised at 60 minutes per subject, and all questions will be compulsory, doing away with the concept of optional questions.

In an interaction with PTI, Kumar said an expert panel set up by the University Grants Commission (UGC) conducted a review of the exam and proposed several changes.

 

GREATER FLEXIBILITY FOR STUDENTS

The biggest highlight is the flexibility for students to appear for subjects outside their Class 12 stream. For instance, a science student can choose humanities or commerce subjects, allowing interdisciplinary exploration.