1. CUET in a nutshell
The Common University Entrance Test (CUET‑UG) funnels students into 250+ central, state and deemed universities. Your raw score (0‑800) is normalised into an NTA score or percentile before each university releases its CUET Cut Off list. Understanding that conversion is crucial because a “550” in one slot might translate to an 88 percentile, while in another slot it could be 91 percentile.
2. What drives the CUET Cut Off each year?
| Factor | Why it matters | Trend for 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant volume | More test‑takers = stiffer competition | Registrations crossed 15 lakh in 2024; NTA expects ~17 lakh for 2025. |
| Seat matrix | Fewer seats in a popular college = spike in cut off | DU trimmed 5 % seats in BA Prog. to add multidisciplinary electives. |
| Normalisation shifts | Slot‑wise score normalisation can lift or pull down final NTA score | 2024 saw language‑heavy slots showing a 2–3 pt inflation. |
| Reservation & quotas | Category‑wise carve‑outs alter general‑category closing scores | EWS quota fully implemented in most central varsities by 2024. |
The bottom‑line: keeping an eye on CUET Cut Off movement is your best early‑warning system.
3. University‑wise CUET Cut Off Trends
Scale note: Delhi University (DU), Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Allahabad University (AU) publish scores out of 800. JNU publishes normalised marks out of 100 for language programmes. University of Hyderabad (UoH) uses a mixed NTA score for integrated UG batches.
3.1 Delhi University (DU)
| Course (General category) | 2022 Closing | 2023 Closing | 2024 Closing | 2025 Expected* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA (Hons) Economics | 725 | 702 | 675 | 660‑670 |
| BSc (Hons) Physics | 680 | 662 | 640 | 625‑635 |
| BA Programme (History + Pol. Sci.) | 645 | 628 | 609 (PGDAV) | 595‑605 |
*Prediction assumes a 2‑3 % downward drift as DU phases in more multidisciplinary seats.
Quick read: Even with a marginal slide, anything >650/800 keeps you in the DU North Campus conversation.
3.2 Banaras Hindu University (BHU)
| Course | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 Expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B.Com (Hons) | 540 | 512 | 478 | 465‑475 |
| BSc (Hons) Zoology | 505 | 486 | 465 | 450‑460 |
| BA (Hons) Arts | 530 | 498 | 460 (Round‑2) | 445‑455 |
Trend takeaway: BHU cut‑offs are drifting down ~3 % year‑on‑year as the university adds super‑numerary women‑only seats and rural outreach quotas.
3.3 Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
| BA (Hons) Languages – General Category | 2023 Closing (Marks/100) | 2024 Closing | 2025 Expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| French | 71.5 | 69 Collegedunia | 68‑70 |
| German | 69.8 | 69 Collegedunia | 67‑69 |
| Korean | 68.6 | 63 Collegedunia | 61‑64 |
Numbers look tiny until you remember they’re normalised out of 100. A “70” here roughly equals the 95‑96 percentile band.
3.4 University of Allahabad (AU)
| Course | 2023 (UR) | 2024 Round‑1 (UR) | 2024 Round‑4 (UR) | 2025 Expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA LLB (Hons) | 590 | 581 | 482 | 470‑480 |
| BSc (Maths) | 545 | 525 | 435 | 420‑430 |
Observation: AU cut‑offs fall sharply by the fourth list — a goldmine for wait‑listed aspirants.
3.5 University of Hyderabad (UoH) – Integrated UG
| Programme | 2023 Closing (UR) | 2024 Closing | 2025 Expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| BA (Hons) Economics | First year of CUET adoption | 98+ percentile | 96‑97 percentile |
| BCom (Hons) | – | 96+ percentile | 94‑95 percentile |
UoH is the new kid on the CUET block and is likely to stabilise after one more admission cycle.
4. Category‑wise movement (General vs OBC vs SC/ST)
At DU in 2024 the gap between General and OBC closing scores for BA (Hons) Economics averaged 35‑45 points, while SC lists closed roughly 80‑90 points lower than General . BHU shows a 20‑25 % differential across most programmes . Expect these spreads to narrow slightly as EWS and PWD seats scale up in 2025.
5. What the 2025 CUET Cut Off might look like
| University | Likely safe score (General) | Percentile band |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi University | 660 + | 92‑95 |
| BHU | 460 + | 88‑91 |
| JNU (Languages) | 68/100 + | 94‑96 |
| Allahabad University | 480 + | 90‑92 |
| University of Hyderabad | 95 percentile + | 95‑97 |
These projections bake in (a) 1.7 % seat inflation across central universities and (b) a 9‑10 % rise in test‑taker pool.
6. How to leverage the CUET Cut Off data
- Map your mocks to real cut‑offs. If you’re scoring 640 in mock slot‑wise tests, you’re DU‑ready.
- Prioritise colleges, not just courses. A 10‑point cushion in an “underdog” DU college may trump a razor‑thin margin in a tier‑2 central university.
- Watch the round‑wise dance. Many aspirants jump ship after Round‑2. Stick around — Round‑3/4 is where AU and BHU scores free‑fall.
- Use percentile not raw score to compare across years.
7. Important dates & quick links (2025 cycle)
| Event | Date window (tentative) |
|---|---|
| CUET‑UG 2025 application opens | First week of February 2025 |
| Last date to apply | Mid‑March 2025 |
| Admit cards | Early May 2025 |
| Exam slots | May 21 – 31, 2025 |
| Provisional answer key | First week of June 2025 |
| Result & percentile | Last week of June 2025 |
| First CUET Cut Off list (DU/BHU) | Early July 2025 |
Apply / check score 👉 cuet.samarth.ac.in
University‑specific portals:
- DU CSAS dashboard: admission.uod.ac.in
- BHU UG portal: bhuonline.in
- JNU UG admissions: jnuee.jnu.ac.in
- AU admission: allduniv.ac.in
- UoH admissions: acad.uohyd.ac.in
8. FAQs on CUET Cut Off
Q1. Is CUET Cut Off released in percentile or marks?
Both. Universities like DU/BHU publish marks & ranks, while JNU publishes normalised marks out of 100.
Q2. Do I need 700 + to get ANY DU course?
No. DU’s south‑campus colleges routinely close many BA/BCom seats between 580‑620.
Q3. How much can the CUET Cut Off fluctuate between rounds?
As high as 80‑90 marks (BHU) or 3‑5 normalised points (JNU) by Round‑4.
Q4. Which section carries the most weight for CUET Cut Off?
Language + domain combo (e.g., English + Economics) typically dominates weightage for top colleges.
9. Key takeaways (TL;DR)
- CUET Cut Off for marquee courses at DU still hovers in the 92‑95 percentile band.
- BHU and AU exhibit the steepest score drops across rounds — a boon for patient applicants.
- Normalisation quirks mean a “70” at JNU is elite, while a “70” at DU is mid‑tier.
- Anticipate a mild 2‑3 % score dip in 2025 thanks to seat expansion and new multidisciplinary quotas.
- Bookmark official portals and set calendar alerts — missing Round‑1 choice‑filling is the biggest unforced error each year.
Stay curious, track those numbers, and may your NTA score ride comfortably above the CUET Cut Off wave. Happy applying! 🏆
