Last Updated: May 2026
The CUET Urdu 2027 syllabus covers Nastaliq script, Urdu grammar, classical and modern poetry, prose, and the literary movements that shaped one of South Asia’s most poetic languages. The CUET-UG Urdu paper has 50 questions in 60 minutes, drawing from CBSE Class 11 and 12 Urdu textbooks. This guide maps the full syllabus, the must-read poets and prose writers, the grammar architecture, and 30 high-quality practice MCQs anchored to the NTA pattern.
CUET Urdu 2027 — Paper Pattern
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Questions | 50 (all mandatory) |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Max Marks | 250 |
| Negative Marking | -1 per wrong answer |
| Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Script | Questions and texts in Nastaliq (Perso-Arabic) script |
| NCERT Reference | CBSE Class 11 & 12 Urdu textbooks (Aaina-e-Urdu / Khayaban-e-Urdu) |
Syllabus — The Five Pillars
Pillar 1: Script and Vocabulary
- Nastaliq script — letter forms (initial, medial, final, isolated)
- Diacritical marks (zer, zabar, pesh, shadd, sukoon, jazm)
- Persian and Arabic loan-words common in Urdu
- Synonyms (mutaradif), antonyms (mutazadd), idioms (muhavira)
Pillar 2: Grammar (Sarf-o-Nahw)
- Ism (Noun): ism-e-jamid (proper noun), ism-e-mushtaq (derived noun), ism-e-fa’il (agent), ism-e-maf’ul (object)
- Fe’l (Verb): tenses (zamana hal, mazi, mustaqbil), aspect (mutlaq, qarib, ba’eed)
- Harf (Particle): harf-e-jar (preposition), harf-e-atf (conjunction), harf-e-istefham (interrogative)
- Jumla: ismiya (nominal), fe’liya (verbal), shartiya (conditional)
- Punctuation and orthography
Pillar 3: Classical Poetry
- Mir Taqi Mir (1723-1810) — pioneer of Urdu ghazal; theme of dard (pain) and existential melancholy
- Mirza Ghalib (1797-1869) — philosophical ghazals; Diwan-e-Ghalib
- Mir Anees & Mirza Dabir — masters of marsiya (elegy) on Karbala
- Allama Iqbal (1877-1938) — Bang-e-Dara, Bal-e-Jibreel, Zarb-e-Kalim; Sare Jahan Se Achha
- Daag Dehlvi & Momin Khan Momin — 19th-century romanticism
Pillar 4: Modern and Progressive Literature
- Munshi Premchand (1880-1936) — Godaan, Soz-e-Watan; pioneer of Urdu-Hindi short story
- Saadat Hasan Manto (1912-1955) — Toba Tek Singh, Khol Do, Thanda Gosht; Partition writer
- Ismat Chughtai (1915-1991) — Lihaaf, Terhi Lakeer; feminist progressive
- Krishan Chander (1914-1977) — short fiction; social realist
- Rajinder Singh Bedi, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
- Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984) — Naqsh-e-Faryadi, Dast-e-Saba; revolutionary poetry
- Sahir Ludhianvi, Kaifi Azmi, Ali Sardar Jafri — Progressive Writers’ Movement
Pillar 5: Forms and Movements
- Ghazal — couplets following AA-BA-CA pattern; matla, maqta, radif, qafia
- Nazm — thematic poem with continuity
- Marsiya — elegy; classical Urdu form perfected at Lucknow
- Qasida — eulogy; pre-modern form
- Rubaai — quatrain (AABA)
- Musaddas — 6-line stanza (Iqbal’s Musaddas-e-Hali notably)
- Afsana (short story) — Manto, Premchand, Chughtai
- Dastan, Tazkira, Khutoot — older prose forms
- Anjuman Tarraqi Pasand Mussanafin-e-Hind (Progressive Writers’ Movement, 1936) — anti-imperialism, social reform, women’s rights
Famous Texts and Quotations
| Author | Work | Year | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allama Iqbal | Bang-e-Dara | 1924 | Patriotism, Self-realisation |
| Allama Iqbal | Sare Jahan Se Achha (Tarana-e-Hindi) | 1904 | Love for India |
| Saadat Hasan Manto | Toba Tek Singh | 1955 | Partition trauma |
| Mirza Ghalib | Diwan-e-Ghalib | 1841 | Philosophy, love, mortality |
| Faiz Ahmed Faiz | Hum Dekhenge | 1979 | Revolution and dissent |
| Munshi Premchand | Godaan | 1936 | Rural poverty, caste |
| Ismat Chughtai | Lihaaf | 1942 | Female sexuality, social hypocrisy |
30-Day Preparation Plan
| Days | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1-7 | Script revision; vocabulary 50 words/day; basic grammar (ism, fe’l, harf) |
| 8-14 | Classical poets (Mir, Ghalib, Iqbal); 5 ghazals/day with translation |
| 15-21 | Modern prose (Premchand, Manto, Chughtai); 1 short story/day |
| 22-26 | Progressive Writers’ Movement; Faiz, Sahir; 1 mock per day |
| 27-30 | Revision and error-log review |
Internal Resources
FAQ
Q1. How many questions are in CUET Urdu 2027?
50 questions, all mandatory, in 60 minutes (250 marks max; -1 negative marking).
Q2. Which Urdu poets are essential for CUET?
Mir Taqi Mir, Mirza Ghalib, Allama Iqbal (classical/modern), and Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Sahir Ludhianvi (progressive). Reading Diwan-e-Ghalib and Bang-e-Dara excerpts is foundational.
Q3. Is the CUET Urdu paper in Nastaliq script?
Yes. Both questions and answer options appear in standard Nastaliq script. Aspirants must be comfortable reading and writing Nastaliq.
Q4. What is the Progressive Writers’ Movement and why is it important?
Founded 1936 in Lucknow, the Anjuman Tarraqi Pasand Mussanafin-e-Hind championed social reform, anti-imperialism, women’s rights and class struggle. Faiz, Manto, Chughtai, Krishan Chander, Sahir were core members.
Q5. Which universities offer B.A. (Hons) Urdu through CUET?
Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, AMU, Jawaharlal Nehru University, BBAU Lucknow, MANUU Hyderabad, and Visva-Bharati offer dedicated Urdu programmes admitted via CUET-UG.
Test Your Understanding — 10 MCQs
Practice Quiz — 10 CUET-Style Questions
Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.
Closing — Urdu Rewards Discipline and Heart
CUET Urdu is unique among CUET-UG papers: a tightly defined NCERT syllabus, a finite-but-rich literary canon (Mir, Ghalib, Iqbal, Manto, Faiz), and a culture that rewards close reading. Build script fluency, grammar discipline, and read 1 ghazal + 1 short story daily — your CUET 2027 Urdu attempt will be among your strongest sectional performances.
Plan your CUET 2027 Urdu attack: Join CUET Gurukul’s Urdu programme with structured poetry studies, grammar drills, and weekly mock tests.
