One thing surprises many CUET students: there is no single, central CUET counselling. NTA gives you a normalised score, and then each participating university runs its own admission process using that score. With over 250 universities involved, understanding how this works saves you from missing a deadline at the college you actually want.
How it works
After the CUET UG 2026 results, universities release their own cut-offs and open their own registration or preference-filling portals. You apply separately to each university you are interested in, using your CUET score. Some universities admit purely on CUET marks; others add their own merit or preference rules. This means your job is to track the specific universities on your list, not to wait for one national schedule.
Examples of university processes
Delhi University runs admissions through its CSAS portal, where you register, fill programme-and-college preferences and receive seat allotments in rounds. Banaras Hindu University uses its own CAP portal, and JNU, along with many central and state universities, publishes separate merit lists and schedules. Each has its own dates, so a seat you qualify for at one university can be lost simply because you missed that university’s window.
How to stay on top of it
Make a short list of your target universities and, for each, note its registration link and key dates. Keep your CUET scorecard, Class 12 marksheet, category certificate and photographs ready. Fill your college and programme preferences carefully — the order you choose decides the seat you get. And accept or freeze a seat only when you understand whether you can still upgrade in a later round.
For a step-by-step preference plan, see our CUET counselling tracker and the exams and admissions hub.