Last Updated: May 2026
The CUET Arabic 2027 paper (Subject Code 102 in NTA’s CUET-UG language list) tests Class 12 NCERT Arabic at the level of CBSE textbooks Al-Nahjul Arabi al-Mu’asir and Naya Dauran ka Arabi Adab. It is one of the 33 languages CUET-UG offers and is taken by candidates seeking admission to BA Arabic, BA Hons Arabic, BA Arabic & Persian Studies, MA-integrated Arabic programmes at universities such as Jamia Millia Islamia, AMU, Jawaharlal Nehru University (CUET-UG eligibility for some schools), Delhi University and Maulana Azad National Urdu University.
This guide gives the official CUET Arabic syllabus, a chapter-wise breakdown of grammar (al-Nahw wa al-Sarf), the most-tested literary excerpts and 30 practice MCQs covering vocabulary, grammar, comprehension and authorship — all aligned with the question pattern released by NTA in CUET-UG 2024 and 2025.
CUET Arabic 2027 — Key Exam Facts
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Subject code | 102 (Arabic) — Section 1A or 1B as per CUET-UG choice |
| Total questions | 50 (40 to be attempted) |
| Time | 45 minutes |
| Marking | +5 correct, -1 wrong |
| Medium | Arabic only (paper printed in Arabic script) |
| Mode | CBT (Computer-Based Test) |
| Syllabus base | NCERT Class 12 Arabic textbook prescribed by CBSE |
| Major accepting universities | Jamia Millia Islamia, AMU, DU, MANUU, JNU (select programmes) |
Official Syllabus Sections
NTA’s CUET-UG Arabic syllabus has four broad sections, mapped from the Class 12 Arabic NCERT/CBSE prescribed reading:
| Section | Content area | Approx. weightage |
|---|---|---|
| A. Reading Comprehension (al-Fahm) | Unseen Arabic prose passage of 150-200 words with 5-8 MCQs | 20-25% |
| B. Grammar (al-Nahw wa al-Sarf) | Noun cases, verb conjugation, particles, sentence types | 30-35% |
| C. Literature (al-Adab) | Prescribed prose and poetry — authors, central ideas, key lines | 25-30% |
| D. Vocabulary and Translation (al-Mufradat) | Synonyms, antonyms, common idioms, simple translation choices | 15-20% |
Section A — Reading Comprehension Tips
The unseen passage is typically descriptive prose on themes like Islamic history, family, nature, cities of the Arab world or modern social topics. Strategy:
- Read the questions first, then scan the passage with the question keyword in mind.
- Watch for the verb form — the question often hinges on tense (al-madi past vs al-mudari present vs al-amr imperative).
- Pronouns (damair) like هو, هي, هم, نحن often determine subject identification questions.
- Prefixes like ال (definite article), and ـة (feminine taa marbuta) shift meaning subtly.
Section B — Grammar Points (Most Tested)
1. Sentence Types (Anwa al-Jumla)
- Jumla Ismiyya (Nominal sentence): Begins with a noun. Subject = mubtada, predicate = khabar. Example: الكتاب جديد (“the book is new”).
- Jumla Filiyya (Verbal sentence): Begins with a verb. Verb + subject (fa’il) + object (maf’ul bihi). Example: قرأ الطالب الكتاب (“the student read the book”).
2. Verb Conjugation
| Tense | Form | Example (root ك ت ب — to write) |
|---|---|---|
| al-Madi (past) | كَتَبَ | he wrote |
| al-Mudari (present/future) | يَكْتُبُ | he writes / will write |
| al-Amr (imperative) | اُكْتُبْ | write! (singular masc.) |
| al-Mudari Manjzum (jussive) | لَمْ يَكْتُبْ | he did not write |
| al-Mudari Mansub (subjunctive) | لَنْ يَكْتُبَ | he will not write |
3. Noun Cases (Halat al-Ism)
- Marfu (nominative, مرفوع): subject role; ending in -u / damma.
- Mansub (accusative, منصوب): direct object; ending in -a / fatha.
- Majrur (genitive, مجرور): after preposition or in idafa (possession); ending in -i / kasra.
4. Particles (al-Huruf)
- Huruf al-Jarr (prepositions): مِنْ (from), إِلَى (to), عَنْ (about), فِي (in), عَلَى (on), بِ (with/by), لِ (for), كَ (like).
- Huruf al-Atf (conjunctions): وَ (and), فَ (so/then), ثُمَّ (then), أَوْ (or), لَكِنْ (but).
- Huruf al-Istifham (interrogatives): هَلْ (yes/no question), أَ (yes/no), مَا (what — for things), مَنْ (who).
5. Idafa (Possession Construction)
Two nouns placed together where the second is in genitive case (majrur). The first noun (mudaf) drops its definite article. Example: كتابُ الطالبِ (“the book of the student”). High-yield MCQ trap: candidates wrongly add ال to the first noun.
Section C — Important Texts and Authors
| Lesson type | Title (transliterated) | Author / origin | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prose | Hadiqat al-Hayawan (The Zoo) | Modern descriptive Arabic | Description of animals — vocabulary builder |
| Prose | Khutba al-Wada (The Farewell Sermon) | Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — historical record | Equality, rights, monotheism |
| Prose | Mahmud Ghaznawi wa al-Firdausi | Historical narrative | Patronage, ethics, Persian-Arabic literary world |
| Prose | Manfa’at al-Qira’a (Benefit of Reading) | Modern essay | Importance of reading and knowledge |
| Poetry | Selected verses of Imru al-Qais | Pre-Islamic (Jahili) poet | Mu’allaqat — desert imagery, love |
| Poetry | Selected verses of Hassan ibn Thabit | Companion of the Prophet, Madani poet | Praise (madih) |
| Poetry | Selected qasida of al-Mutanabbi | Abbasid era (915-965 CE) | Boast (fakhr), wisdom |
| Modern Arabic prose | Excerpts from Taha Hussein | 20th c. Egyptian — “Dean of Arabic literature” | Autobiography, modernism |
| Indo-Arabic | Writings of Shibli Numani / Abul Kalam Azad | Indian Arabic litterateurs | Reform, history |
Section D — Vocabulary Builder
| Arabic | English | Synonym/Note |
|---|---|---|
| المدرسة | school | al-madrasa |
| الكتاب | book | al-kitab |
| الطالب | student (m.) | al-talib; fem. al-taliba |
| المعلم | teacher (m.) | al-mu’allim |
| القلم | pen | al-qalam |
| اليوم | day / today | al-yawm |
| الأمس | yesterday | al-ams |
| الغد | tomorrow | al-ghad |
| الجامعة | university | al-jamia |
| المكتبة | library | al-maktaba |
30 Practice MCQs — CUET Arabic 2027
- اختر الإجابة الصحيحة: قرأ الطالبُ الكتابَ. ما هو الفعل في الجملة؟
(a) الطالب (b) قرأ (c) الكتاب (d) ال
Ans: (b) - What is the past tense (al-madi) of يكتب?
(a) كاتب (b) كَتَبَ (c) مكتوب (d) كتابة
Ans: (b) - The plural of كتاب is:
(a) كتب (b) كاتب (c) مكتب (d) مكتبة
Ans: (a) - Which sentence is a Jumla Ismiyya (nominal)?
(a) ذهب الولد إلى المدرسة (b) الكتاب على الطاولة (c) قرأ الطالب القرآن (d) كتبت الفتاة الدرس
Ans: (b) - Author of Khutba al-Wada is:
(a) Imru al-Qais (b) Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (c) Taha Hussein (d) al-Mutanabbi
Ans: (b) - The harf al-jarr in فِي البيتِ is:
(a) ال (b) فِي (c) ت (d) ب
Ans: (b) - Imru al-Qais belongs to which era?
(a) Umayyad (b) Abbasid (c) Pre-Islamic (Jahili) (d) Modern
Ans: (c) - The case ending of “الطالب” in “ذهب الطالبُ” is:
(a) Mansub (b) Majrur (c) Marfu (d) Majzum
Ans: (c) - “Mu’allaqat” refers to:
(a) Modern Egyptian poems (b) Seven hanging odes of pre-Islamic Arabia (c) Sufi mystic verses (d) Andalusian songs
Ans: (b) - What does اليوم mean?
(a) Yesterday (b) Tomorrow (c) Today/day (d) Year
Ans: (c) - The feminine form of طالب is:
(a) طالبات (b) طالبة (c) طلاب (d) طلب
Ans: (b) - Identify the imperative (al-amr) form of كتب:
(a) كَتَبَ (b) يَكْتُبُ (c) اُكْتُبْ (d) كاتب
Ans: (c) - al-Mutanabbi was a poet of which dynasty?
(a) Umayyad (b) Abbasid (c) Fatimid (d) Ottoman
Ans: (b) - The harf al-atf “وَ” means:
(a) Or (b) But (c) And (d) Then
Ans: (c) - “المكتبة” means:
(a) School (b) Hospital (c) Library (d) Mosque
Ans: (c) - Idafa construction example:
(a) الكتاب الجديد (b) كتابُ الطالبِ (c) ذهب الولد (d) في المدرسة
Ans: (b) - Taha Hussein is known as:
(a) Father of Modern Arabic Poetry (b) Dean of Arabic Literature (c) Founder of Sufism (d) First Arab Nobel laureate in Literature
Ans: (b) - The case of اللهِ in بسم اللهِ is:
(a) Marfu (b) Mansub (c) Majrur (d) Majzum
Ans: (c) (after preposition ب) - Antonym of كبير (kabir, “big”) is:
(a) طويل (b) قصير (c) صغير (d) جميل
Ans: (c) - Hassan ibn Thabit is famous as:
(a) Pre-Islamic poet (b) Poet of the Prophet (c) Andalusian musician (d) Abbasid grammarian
Ans: (b) - Translation of “I read the book” in Arabic is:
(a) قرأ الكتاب (b) قرأتُ الكتابَ (c) يقرأ الكتاب (d) اقرأ الكتاب
Ans: (b) - Number of letters in the Arabic alphabet (huruf al-hija):
(a) 26 (b) 28 (c) 30 (d) 32
Ans: (b) - The plural of طالب is:
(a) طالبة (b) طلاب / طلبة (c) طبيب (d) طارق
Ans: (b) - Which of these is a Jumla Filiyya?
(a) السماء صافية (b) الكتاب جديد (c) درس الطالب الدرس (d) المدرسة كبيرة
Ans: (c) - Synonym of جميل is:
(a) قبيح (b) حسن (c) كبير (d) صغير
Ans: (b) - “Manfa’at al-Qira’a” deals with the importance of:
(a) Prayer (b) Reading (c) Travel (d) Trade
Ans: (b) - The negative particle used with present tense (mudari) to negate as past is:
(a) لا (b) لن (c) لم (d) ليس
Ans: (c) - “Al-Maktaba” in Arabic means:
(a) Office (b) Library (c) School (d) Bookshop / library — both
Ans: (d) - Who said “العلم نور” (“Knowledge is light”) — common Arabic proverb attributed to:
(a) Imam Shafi (b) Imam al-Ghazali (c) Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (d) Anonymous proverb traditionally cited
Ans: (d) — proverbially attributed; commonly used in NCERT essays - The form يَكْتُبَ after لَنْ is:
(a) Marfu (b) Mansub (c) Majrur (d) Majzum
Ans: (b)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is CUET Arabic difficult?
A: For students with regular Class 11-12 Arabic in CBSE/state madrasa-affiliated boards, the difficulty is moderate. The grammar load is heavy but predictable.
Q2. What is the medium of the question paper?
A: The paper is set entirely in Arabic script. Candidates must read Arabic at sight without translation.
Q3. Which colleges accept CUET Arabic for BA Hons?
A: Top destinations are Jamia Millia Islamia (Faculty of Humanities), AMU (Department of Arabic — one of Asia’s oldest), DU (Zakir Husain Delhi College, St. Stephen’s, Hindu), MANUU Hyderabad and JNU School of Languages.
Q4. How many MCQs come from grammar (Nahw)?
A: Roughly 15-18 of 50 — making grammar the highest-weight section. Master noun cases, verb conjugation and particles first.
Q5. Are diacritical marks (harakat) printed in CUET Arabic?
A: Generally yes — full vowel marks (fatha, kasra, damma, sukun) appear on key answer-determining words. Don’t ignore them; they often signal the case answer.
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