The National Testing Agency (NTA) has reduced the number of examination cities for the Common University Entrance Test for Postgraduate (CUET PG) 2026, even as the number of subjects and the exam pattern remain unchanged. The registration process for the computer-based test (CBT) has begun on the official website, exams.nta.nic.in/cuet-pg/.
According to NTA, the CUET PG 2026 examination will be conducted across 292 cities, including 276 cities in India and 16 international locations. This marks a reduction from last year, when the exam was held in 312 cities, comprising around 285 domestic centres and 27 overseas locations.
Despite the decrease in exam cities, the agency has confirmed that the CUET PG CBT will continue to be conducted for 157 subjects, with the exam duration fixed at 90 minutes per paper.
Another significant change introduced this year is the reduction in the number of exam city preferences. Candidates will now be allowed to select a maximum of two exam cities, down from four options provided in the previous year. The choices must be made based on the candidate’s present or permanent address.
In an official notice, the NTA stated, “Though every effort will be made to allot a Centre in one of the cities selected by the candidate, the NTA reserves the right to allot a city to the candidate other than the options opted by the candidates due to administrative reasons.”
As far as the application fee is concerned, general category candidates will have to pay ₹700 per paper, while candidates belonging to OBC-NCL, SC and ST categories will be required to pay ₹600 per paper. Applicants opting for two papers will have to pay double the applicable fee. For candidates appearing outside India, the registration fee has been fixed at ₹3,500 for one subject paper.
The CUET PG serves as a key gateway for admission to postgraduate programmes offered by central, state, and participating universities across the country.