Is section 1 compulsory for CUET 2025: Syllabus & Marking Scheme

Overview: If you're preparing for CUET 2025, you may have questions like is section 1 compulsory for CUET? To help you out, this article breaks down the eligibility for the CUET exam, its structure, and the allowed subject combination for efficient preparation. 

While preparing for CUET, having a clear idea about the exam sections, how many subjects you can choose and compulsory test papers is important. Talking about section 1, also known as the language paper in CUET, consists of 13 languages for which the exam would be conducted.

In this regard, this article aims to answer all the questions like 'Is section 1 compulsory for CUET, or how many subjects are allowed in CUET?'

Download FREE Study Material for CUET 2025 by cuet.com

CUET Exam Pattern 2025

You can only select 5 subjects from all the 3 sections in CUET exam. Talking about the CUET exam the 3 sections are: 

Criteria	Language Test	Domain Test	CUET General Aptitude Test
Mode	Online (Computer Based Test)	Online (Computer Based Test)	Online (Computer Based Test)
Number of test papers	13	23	1
Duration	60 minutes	60 minutes	60 minutes
Type of Questions	Objective	Objective	Objective
CUET Exam Total Marks	250	250	250

CUET Section 1 Compulsory or Optional? 

Talking about is section 1 compulsory for CUET or not, remember, section 1A is not mandatory for CUET UG admissions across 280+ universities in India, however, it is advised to appear in at least any one of the language papers since maximum CUET universities like DU, JNU, BHU, AMU etc suggest taking it. 

List of languages: 

Assamese	Kannada
Bengali	Malayalam
English	Marathi
Gujarati	Odia
Hindi	Tamil
Telugu	Urdu
Punjabi	-

UNLOCK PYPs for CUET Preparation

CUET Syllabus for Section 1 (Language Paper)

Now that you know the answer to is section 1 compulsory for CUET or not, yu may want to know the CUET syllabus also. There are 13 languages in Section 1 to choose from. 

• Your proficiency will be tested through Reading Comprehension based on different types of passages–Factual, Literary and Narrative, [Literary Aptitude and Vocabulary] MCQ Based Questions.
• The Question Paper of the Language Test will not be bi-lingual.

There will be three types of passages (maximum 300-350 words) testing the following -

1. Factual 
2. Narrative 
3. Literary 

You'll be evaluated based on your ability to understand a passage's central theme and the meanings of words used in the text. You must also thoroughly prepare for:

1. Verbal Ability
2. Rearranging the sentences 
3. Choosing the correct word 
4. Synonyms and Antonyms 
5. Vocabulary 

Taking at least 1 paper from Section 1  makes you eligible for many universities. Mastery of language skills can significantly enhance your CUET preparations, so preparing for it can provide a competitive edge and boost your score. 

CUET Marking Scheme for Section 1 

Since, you now have answers to is Section 1 mandatory in CUET or not, check the overview of the CUET marking scheme in the table below. 

Particulars	Details
Total Questions to be Attempted	50
Marking Scheme	5 marks for the correct answer
Negative Marks	-1 mark for the incorrect answer
Total marks	250

Attempt SuperGrads CUET Scholarship Test

What is a Good CUET Subject Combination?

The answer to the question is section 1 compulsory for CUET is NO; the scoring CUET subject combinations that you can choose are: 

• 1 language paper+ 3 domain papers+ 1 GAT. 
• 4 domain papers+ CUET GAT 
• 2 language papers + 2 domain papers+ 1 GAT
• 4 domain papers+ 1 language paper 

All the subject combinations are correct as long as they satisfy the CUET eligibility criteria of your desired course and universities: 

Key Takeaways 

The article answers all the questions, such as,' Is section 1 compulsory for CUET, and how many subjects should I choose? Section 1 focuses on Indian languages, which is optional for admissions across 280+ universities in India. 

• Language Proficiency Assessment: Section 1 evaluates language skills through reading comprehension, verbal ability, grammar and vocabulary, which are critical for academic success. 
• Structure of Section 1: The section is divided into 13 papers (languages) to choose from for an ideal subject combination.
• Marking Scheme: The language test consists of 50 questions, lasting 60 minutes. Each correct answer earns 5 marks, while incorrect answers incur a penalty of 1 mark. 
• Importance of Language Skills: Mastery of the language section can significantly boost your overall CUET performance, so preparing with CUET sample papers, mocks, and PYPs provides a competitive edge in securing university admission.