CUET PG (Common University Entrance Test Postgraduate) Exam Pattern for Maths: 75 Questions, +4/-1

The Mathematics paper is a computer-based test of 75 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes. Each question carries 4 marks, a wrong answer costs 1 mark and an unanswered question costs nothing, so the maximum is 300. Every question tests mathematics knowledge and every question is compulsory (NTA 2026 bulletin, sections 2.4 and 2.5; NTA SCQP19 syllabus).

SCQP19 is NTA's question paper code for "Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Electronics" (bulletin, Appendix II). The paper is one block of 75 questions across seven units: Algebra, Real Analysis, Complex Analysis, Integral Calculus, Differential Equations, Vector Calculus and Linear Programming. Treat any unit-wise weightage table as an estimate, because the paper has no sections to hold a fixed split. Our CUET PG syllabus page lists the topics in each unit.

Your score is 4 × correct − wrong. If you answer all 75, that becomes 5 × correct − 75, so every full attempt lands on a multiple of five. This table is our arithmetic from the NTA marking scheme.

A 280 needs 71 correct answers with 4 wrong, or 70 correct with 5 left blank, so it does not need a flawless paper.

Skipping changes the picture. Take 45 correct answers. Answering all 75 gives 150. Answering only the 50 you were fairly sure of, and getting those 45 right, gives 4 × 45 − 5 = 175. The 25 skipped questions cost nothing, while guessing them would have cost marks if you were right less often than one time in five.

Yes, once your chance of being right reaches 20%. The expected gain from one attempt is 4p − (1 − p) = 5p − 1, where p is your probability of being right. It is zero at p = 0.2, which is one in five (our calculation from the +4/-1 scheme).

Two rules of thumb fail against this scoring: "attempt all 75" and "never guess". The first ignores everything below the 20% line. The second ignores a question where you have crossed out two options and sit near one in two.

Here is the cost of attempting too much, with illustrative accuracies:

• 60 attempted at 80% accuracy: 48 correct, 12 wrong, 4 × 48 − 12 = 180.
• 70 attempted at 70% accuracy: 49 correct, 21 wrong, 4 × 49 − 21 = 175.
• 75 attempted at 60% accuracy: 45 correct, 30 wrong, 4 × 45 − 30 = 150.

Going from 60 to 70 attempts added only one correct answer, which means those ten extra questions were right 10% of the time. That is below the 20% line, so the extra attempts lost five marks.

Expected value is not what happens on one paper. For 20 guesses, each with a 1-in-4 chance, the expected gain is +5 marks with a standard deviation of about 10 (our calculation). A poor run is normal. Our recommendation: attempt freely above one-in-three confidence, and guess below that only on questions where you have removed at least one option.

Attempt every question where your honest accuracy on that type is at least 20%, and plan 72 seconds per question on average (90 minutes ÷ 75). Use this worksheet on a timed mock or past paper.

Use a past paper as a timed diagnostic by following our CUET PG Mathematics question paper guide. If you are weighing this exam against the Indian Institutes of Technology Joint Admission Test for MSc (IIT JAM), the entrance test for Master of Science (MSc) programmes, our MSc Maths entrance exam comparison covers that choice.

Compare five lines. As of 9 November 2026, NTA's information bulletin page still carries the 2026 bulletin, so the 2026 pattern is the latest official one. As of November 2026, the March 2027 exam dates are tentative and the 2027 bulletin is expected in December 2026; confirm both on NTA's CUET PG site.

When the 2027 bulletin appears, check each of these against the table above:

1. Questions per paper: pass if it still says 75.
2. Duration: pass if it still says 90 minutes.
3. Marking: pass if it still says +4, -1 and 0 for unanswered.
4. The SCQP19 syllabus note: pass if it still says 75 questions, subject-specific, all compulsory.
5. Scoring of papers held in more than one shift: the 2026 bulletin says raw marks are converted to an NTA Score for such papers (section 10.1 and Appendix V). Pass if the clause is unchanged.

If any line differs, redo the sums with the new numbers. For a marking scheme of +R and -P, the break-even confidence is P ÷ (R + P). For +4/-1 that is 1 ÷ 5 = 20% (our formula).

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We provide online mathematics preparation for CUET PG as well as for the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Eligibility Test (CSIR NET), the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) and IIT JAM. Our guide to what recorded CUET PG Mathematics classes should include sets out the checks to run on any recorded course before you pay. If you want a paid course now, the alternative is our CSIR NET and GATE Mathematics 2027 course. It costs ₹15,999 one time, with access through 30 June 2027, or four instalments of ₹3,999.75 (as of November 2026). A ₹999 Demo Plan gives 10 days of access. The course includes PDF notes, assignments, previous-year-question discussion, mock tests, analytics and continuous doubt support with weekly doubt sessions or personal mentoring. It is built for CSIR NET and GATE, so ask us whether it fits your CUET PG plan before you buy. Digital products are non-refundable, except that a serious health issue immediately after purchase can be considered. That is why the demo comes first.

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