Is CUET tougher than IIT?

CUET PG focuses more on general aptitude and subject knowledge for universities, while IIT exams like JAM are more specialized and technically challenging.

Can I get IIT by CUET PG?

CUET PG scores are not accepted for admission to IITs, so clearing CUET alone won’t grant entry into IIT programs.

CUET PG vs IIT JAM 2026, Exam Pattern, Courses, Colleges

After completing graduation many students plan to pursue a master degree to specialize in their graduation chosen field. For science graduates IIT JAM and CUET PG are the most common entrance exams for MSc courses. As IIT JAM offers entry into top tier institutes like IITs and NITs while CUET PG opens doors for central universities such as Delhi University, JNU and AMU. As both the exams are conducted close to each other candidates must have a clear idea which exam they must attempt based on their academic goals. Scroll through the article to read and understand in detail about the best exam for masters program.

IIT JAM vs CUET PG Exam Overview

Candidates planning to appear for postgraduate exams often compare IIT JAM and CUET PG to understand their exam structure, scope and admission process. The table given below provides a detailed analysis of both exams to help candidates choose the exam that’s best suited for them.

IIT JAM vs CUET PG Exam Overview
Comparison Factor	IIT JAM Exam	CUET PG Exam
Full Exam Name	Joint Admission Test for MSc	Common University Entrance Test – Postgraduate
Conducting Body	Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)	National Testing Agency (NTA)
Exam Authority Contact Details	jam@admin.iitd.ac.in	helpdesk-cuetpg@nta.ac.in
Official Website	jam.iitm.ac.in	cuet.nta.nic.in
Total Papers Offred	Biotechnology (BT), Chemistry (CY), Economics (EN), Geology (GG), Mathematics (MA), Mathematical Statistics (MS), Physics (PH)	157 total papers
Courses Covered	MSc, MS, M.Tech, Joint MSc and Phd	MSc, MA, MCom, MBA, LLM, etc.
Eligibility	Graduation (Min 3 years)	Bachelor’s degree (minimum 3 years) from a recognized university
Age Limit	No Age Limit	No Upper Age Limit
Exam Mode	Computer-Based Test (Online)	Online Mode (CBT)
Question Pattern	MCQs, MSQs, Numerical Answer Type	MCQs
Total Questions	60	75
Exam Duration	180 mins	105 mins
Negative Marking	No	Yes
Medium of Paper	English only	English / Hindi
Result Format	All India Rank with score	Scorecard with percentile & rank
Counselling Process	Centralised JAM counselling	University-wise counselling
Seat Availability	Limited seats	Large number of seats
Competition Level	Very High	High
Top Colleges	IIT Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Roorkee, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Gandhinagar, Mandi, Ropar, Patna, Jodhpur, Bhilai, Bhubaneswar, Dharwad, Palakkad, Tirupati	DU, JNU, BHU, JMI, AU, Central Sanskrit University, Central Tribal University Of Andhra Pradesh, Central University Of Andhra Pradesh, Central University Of Gujarat

CUET PG Exam vs IIT JAM Paper Pattern

Candidates appearing for postgraduate entrance exams should be aware of the differences in the exam pattern of IIT JAM and CUET PG so as to plan their preparation accordingly. Since both exams vary in exam duration, question types and marking scheme. Candidates are advised to check the table mentioned below to clearly understand the exam structure.

IIT JAM vs CUET PG Exam Pattern
Exam Pattern Detail	IIT JAM	CUET PG
Exam Mode	Completely Online (CBT)	Computer Based Online Mode
Number of Session	Two	Three
Question Types	MCQs, Multiple Select Questions, Numerical Answer Type	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Total Questions	60 questions	75 questions
Total Marks	100 marks	300 marks
Exam Duration	3 hours (180 minutes)	1 hour 45 minutes (105 minutes)
Marking Scheme	Correct answers get +1 or +2 marks (section-wise). Wrong answers get –1/3 or –2/3 marks	+4 for correct answer -1 for incorrect answer
Negative Marking Applicable	Yes	Yes
Language of Paper	English only	English / Hindi (subject-specific)
Level of Questions	Concept-based and numerical	Subject knowledge-based

CUET PG Vs IIT JAM Courses Offered

The table listed below gives a clear comparison between CUET PG and IIT JAM courses based on the field of study, participating universities and admission process. It will help students understand which exam is more suitable for their masters degree.

IIT JAM vs CUET PG Courses Offred
Courses Offered	M.A. M.Sc. M.Com MCA MBA / Management Programs (in select universities) M.Ed LL.M M.Tech / M.E. (select universities) Other PG, Integrated and Interdisciplinary Programs	M.Sc. M.Sc. (Technology) M.S. (Research) M.Sc.–M.Tech Dual Degree Joint M.Sc.–Ph.D M.Sc.–Ph.D Dual Degree Integrated Ph.D
Fields / Disciplines	Arts, Humanities, Science, Commerce, Management, Education, Law, Computer Science, Social Sciences, Languages	Biotechnology, Chemistry, Economics, Geology, Mathematics, Mathematical Statistics, Physics
Degree Level	Postgraduate and Integrated Programs	Master’s and Integrated Research Programs
Participating / Result Sharing Institutes	University of Delhi, JNU, BHU, AMU, University of Hyderabad, Central Universities, and other CUET PG member institutes	IISc Bangalore, IISERs, NITs, CFTIs, DIAT, IIEST Shibpur, IIPE, JNCASR, SLIET, etc.
Seat Allocation Basis	CUET PG score, subject-wise merit, category, preferences, seat availability	JAM All India Rank (AIR), preferences, category, seat availability
Additional Tests / Interviews	May be required by some universities after CUET PG score (for specific courses)	Not required for IIT admissions through JAM
Eligibility Requirement	Bachelor’s degree completed or final year appearing (as per university-specific criteria)	Bachelor’s degree completed or final year appearing
Nationality	Open to Indian nationals; foreign candidates as per university norms	Open to Indian and foreign nationals
Course Details Availability	Detailed course-wise eligibility and paper codes provided by participating universities	Detailed institute-wise courses and eligibility given in Annexure II
Admission Mode	CUET PG score-based admission followed by university-level counselling	Centralised counselling through JAM Online Application Processing System (JOAPS)

CUET PG vs IIT JAM Score Accepting Colleges

There are a lot of top tier institutes for both CUET PG and IIT JAM the scores of which are accepted by a range of colleges but aspirants focus on central universities and other participating universities like Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), University of Delhi (DU), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), and Jamia Hamdard for postgraduate courses in arts, commerce, science, and social sciences. While the IIT JAM scores are primarily accepted by top IITs like IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore for M.Sc., Joint M.Sc and PhD. While CUET PG opens doors to a larger number of universities offering diverse streams. IIT JAM focuses on top technical and science institutes.