Key Fact: CUET General Test (Section III) has 60 questions in 60 minutes. It is required for most undergraduate programmes at 250+ universities. Scoring 200+ (out of 300) is achievable with the right strategy — and this guide shows you exactly how.
What Is CUET General Test and Who Needs It?
The CUET General Test (Section III) is a reasoning and awareness paper that most central universities require alongside domain subject scores. If you are applying to BA Programme, BMS, BFIA, BBA, integrated programmes, or any course that does not have a specific domain subject — the General Test score becomes your primary qualification criterion.
Even for programmes with a domain subject requirement (like BA Economics requiring Economics CUET score), many universities also consider the General Test score as a tie-breaker or additional criterion.
CUET General Test 2027 — Complete Topic Breakdown
| Topic | Weightage | No. of Questions | Key Subtopics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Affairs | ~25% | 15 | National/International events, awards, summits |
| General Mental Ability | ~20% | 12 | Analogy, classification, series, coding-decoding |
| Numerical Ability | ~15% | 9 | Percentage, ratio, average, profit-loss |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ~15% | 9 | Data interpretation, simple arithmetic applications |
| Logical and Analytical Reasoning | ~15% | 9 | Syllogisms, blood relations, direction sense, seating |
| General Knowledge | ~10% | 6 | History, Geography, Constitution, Science basics |
Current Affairs Topics for CUET 2027 (2025-26 Events)
CUET General Test questions on Current Affairs typically cover events from the 12-18 months before the exam. For CUET 2027, focus on these categories:
1. India Economy and Policy
- Union Budget 2026-27 highlights — key allocations, new schemes
- GDP growth projections (IMF/World Bank/RBI estimates)
- Digital India milestones — UPI transactions, digital payments records
- PLI (Production Linked Incentive) scheme updates
- New education policy implementation updates
2. International Relations and Summits
- India’s BRICS and SCO participation in 2025-26
- G7 Summit 2025 (Canada) outcomes affecting India
- India-US trade agreements and diplomatic updates
- QUAD meeting outcomes
- India’s UN Security Council candidature updates
3. Climate and Environment
- COP30 to be held in Brazil (Belem) in 2025
- India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission progress
- Renewable energy targets — 500 GW by 2030
- Forest Survey of India reports (forest cover data)
4. Science and Technology
- ISRO missions — Gaganyaan, Chandrayaan-4 updates
- AI regulation developments globally and India’s AI policy
- India’s semiconductor manufacturing push
- 5G rollout data — India coverage milestones
5. Sports and Awards
- India’s performance at major sporting events in 2025-26
- Bharat Ratna, Padma awards (2025 and 2026)
- Arjuna, Dronacharya, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awards
- Nobel Prize 2025 winners (all categories)
- ICC Cricket events and India’s results
Mental Ability Practice — Key Question Types
1. Number Series
Q: 2, 6, 18, 54, ___
Pattern: Each number multiplied by 3 (geometric series, r=3)
Answer: 162
Q: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, ___
Pattern: Perfect squares: 1², 2², 3², 4², 5², 6²
Answer: 36
2. Analogy
Q: Doctor : Hospital :: Teacher : ___
Answer: School (professional : workplace analogy)
Q: Book : Library :: Painting : ___
Answer: Gallery (object : display location)
3. Coding-Decoding
Q: If CAT = DBU, then DOG = ?
Logic: Each letter shifted +1: C→D, A→B, T→U; D→E, O→P, G→H
Answer: EPH
4. Blood Relations
Q: A is the father of B. C is the mother of B. D is the brother of A. What is D to B?
Answer: Uncle (D is A’s brother, A is B’s father → D is B’s uncle)
5. Direction Sense
Q: Ravi walks 5 km North, then 3 km East, then 5 km South. How far is he from start?
Answer: 3 km East (North and South cancel; he is 3 km East of starting point)
10 High-Probability General Test Questions for CUET 2027
- India’s G20 Presidency year — 2023
- COP29 host country — Azerbaijan (Baku)
- India’s first indigenously developed aircraft carrier — INS Vikrant
- The Arjuna Award is given for — Excellence in Sports
- Which article of Indian Constitution guarantees Right to Education — Article 21A
- India’s largest solar power plant (as of 2025) — Bhadla Solar Park (Rajasthan)
- Author of “India 2047” vision document — NITI Aayog
- ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission objective — First Indian human spaceflight
- Nobel Peace Prize 2024 — Nihon Hidankyo (Japanese atomic bomb survivors)
- India’s rank in Ease of Doing Business (World Bank 2020, latest) — 63rd
Recommended CUET General Test Preparation Strategy
30-Day Preparation Plan
| Week | Focus Area | Daily Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Current Affairs revision (last 12 months) | Read 1 news digest + 20 CA MCQs |
| Week 2 | Mental Ability (analogy, series, coding) | 30 reasoning MCQs + 1 full section timed practice |
| Week 3 | Numerical Ability + Quantitative Reasoning | 25 Maths MCQs + data interpretation sets |
| Week 4 | Full mock tests + GK revision | 1 full General Test mock per day + review errors |
Best Books for CUET General Test 2027
- Arihant CUET UG General Test — Most comprehensive book; covers all 6 topic areas with chapter-wise MCQs and 15 full mock tests
- Oswaal CUET Practice Papers (General Test) — Good for last-month practice; includes previous year papers
- Lucent’s General Knowledge — For static GK (history, geography, constitution, science)
- Monthly Current Affairs (Pratiyogita Darpan / AffairsCloud) — For current events; last 6 months before exam are most important
- CUET Official NTA Mock Tests — Free on the NTA website; must do these as they reflect actual interface and difficulty
Scoring 200+ in CUET General Test — The Formula
With 60 questions and +5/-1 marking: To score 200+, you need at least 42 correct answers (42×5 = 210, even with some wrong answers). Here is the breakdown:
- Current Affairs: Target 12/15 (60 marks) — do this by reading news for 30 days
- Mental Ability: Target 10/12 (50 marks) — high practice = high accuracy
- Reasoning: Target 8/9 (40 marks) — predictable question types
- Numerical/Quantitative: Target 8/18 combined (40 marks) — focus on easy percentage/ratio
- GK: Target 4/6 (20 marks) — focus on static GK from Lucent
Frequently Asked Questions — CUET General Test 2027
Is CUET General Test compulsory for all programmes?
Not for all programmes, but for the majority. Most integrated programmes, BA Programme, BMS, BBA, and programmes without a specific domain subject require the General Test as the primary score. Even for programmes that require domain subjects (like BA Economics or BCom), many universities also consider the General Test score. It is strongly recommended to appear for it.
What is the maximum score in CUET General Test?
CUET General Test has 60 questions with +5 for correct and -1 for incorrect answers. The maximum score is 300 (60 × 5). A score of 200+ is considered competitive for most programmes, while 250+ is excellent for top college programmes.
How many months of current affairs should I prepare for CUET 2027?
Focus on current affairs from the 12-18 months before the exam. For CUET 2027 (likely May-June 2027), cover events from January 2026 to April 2027 thoroughly. Major summits, awards, government schemes, science discoveries, and sports events from this period are most likely to be tested.
Is reasoning harder in CUET General Test than in SSC or UPSC exams?
CUET General Test reasoning is easier than SSC CGL or UPSC CSAT. Questions follow standard patterns — analogy, series, coding-decoding, blood relations, and direction sense. With 2-3 weeks of dedicated practice using Arihant’s CUET GT book, most students can score 8+ out of 9 in reasoning.
What is the best strategy for the 60-minute General Test?
Start with Mental Ability and Reasoning (fastest to solve, 1 minute each). Then move to Numerical questions you find easy. Do Current Affairs next (knowledge-based, fast). Leave GK and hard quantitative questions for the end. Never spend more than 2 minutes on any single question — skip and return if needed.
Practice Quiz: CUET General Test 2027
Test your General Test preparation with these 10 MCQs covering current affairs, reasoning, and numerical ability.
Practice Quiz — 10 CUET-Style Questions
Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.