
Will CUET become the JEE of non-STEM courses? It's already acting like one
Delhi University's 2025-26 cut-off lists have made it official: CUET is no longer just a procedural shift. It's become a high-stakes race.With the highest cut-off at Hindu College reaching a staggering 950/1,000 for Political Science and top courses like Psychology, English, and Economics requiring normalised scores above the 99th percentile, CUET is functioning as a national merit barometer for humanities and commerce -- much like JEE does for engineering.'CUET is undoubtedly emerging as a national-level benchmark for non-STEM disciplines. It is bringing some structure and clarity to a space that was previously fragmented and fuzzy,' says Avnee Khosla, Vice President at Shoolini University.ONE EXAM TO LEVEL THEM ALL?From unpredictable college-specific interviews and shifting board cut-offs to one uniform entrance -- CUET has brought visibility and order to arts and commerce courses that were often treated as backups.But she's quick to add a big 'but.''If CUET begins to turn into the hyper-competitive, coaching-driven pressure cooker that JEE is, a democratising tool will morph into a gatekeeping one,' Khosla says.The recently released DU cut-offs underscore that concern. Of the 1,528 unique course-college combinations, the highest ranks were dominated by BA (Hons.) courses in Political Science, Psychology, English, and Economics -- fields that 59% of CUET applicants reportedly chose.Even B.Com (Hons.) programmes saw cut-offs upwards of 917 (SRCC), placing them squarely in the 98-100 percentile range.
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A PRESSURE TEST IN THE MAKINGDr. Meenakshi Khurana, Dean at Manav Rachna University, believes CUET is already echoing the structure -- and stress -- of JEE.'Yes, in many ways, CUET is starting to play a role similar to what JEE does for engineering. There's definitely more pressure now on students to crack a single high-stakes exam,' she says.Postponements and late announcements in 2025 only added to that stress.'Even minor disruptions can create major anxiety,' she says. 'So yes, in terms of pressure and preparation load, CUET is starting to resemble JEE, but we must be cautious that it doesn't start replicating its drawbacks too.'RISING COACHING DEPENDENCE, RISING INEQUALITY?advertisementAll the experts we spoke to pointed to the same concern: the rapid rise of coaching centres for CUET and the access gap it's creating.'Sadly, this is a pattern India knows too well. Whenever we introduce a centralised exam, coaching ecosystems inevitably come in to profit from the scenario,' says Khosla.'It is not just about talent; it's about test readiness. And that is increasingly outsourced to private coaching.'Dr. Enid Verghese Jacob from Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science agrees. She says CUET, though launched with good intentions, has brought new inequities into the system.'The rise of specialised CUET coaching institutes gives an unfair advantage to urban and affluent students In contrast, rural students often lack access to quality coaching and cannot afford expensive preparation,' she says.This is even more troubling when you consider how narrow the admissions window has become. With top DU colleges requiring 97-99+ percentiles for popular humanities and commerce courses, even a few percentile points can make or break a candidate's chances.
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advertisementIS THE TEST OUTPACING THE CLASSROOM?CUET may also be hollowing out regular school learning.'Students and teachers [now] view school as merely a stepping stone to external exam preparation,' says Dr. Verghese Jacob.And with the DU admission landscape tilting so sharply towards CUET scores, board exams seem to be losing their relevance.Dr. Khurana echoes the concern: 'The frequent changes in exam patterns, syllabus updates, and lack of clarity are definitely causing a lot of stress for students.''LET'S NOT SHIELD STUDENTS FROM UNCERTAINTY'Still, not everyone sees CUET's unpredictability as a problem.'We are over-focussing on stability, when what students need are skills to navigate uncertainty,' says Khosla.She believes CUET can actually help students build test-smart thinking, if it moves away from rote memory and towards comprehension, reasoning, and logic.'This is a moment for our education system to shift gears; from 'teaching to test' to 'teaching for thinking',' she says.A TEST IN SEARCH OF TRUSTDespite everything CUET promises, it still lacks something JEE has: trust and buy-in.advertisement'Many students and parents still don't know much about CUET,' says Verghese Jacob. 'That makes them hesitant to prepare for it when board and other entrance exam preparations take years of commitment.'
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A major reason is the lack of universal adoption. While DU and other central universities rely on CUET, many private institutions do not, causing confusion and fragmented strategies.'CUET won't become the standard until private institutions also adopt it and until it has the same support system that JEE has -- coaching centers, study materials, and trust from everyone involved,' Jacob says.ONE EXAM, MANY DISCIPLINES - ONE SIZE FITS NONE?Another challenge? CUET uses a standardised MCQ format across a wide range of fields, some of which may need a different kind of evaluation.'Disciplines like humanities, social sciences, or design have always required a more holistic evaluation such as writing skills, critical thinking, creativity,' notes Dr. Khurana.Vishal Khurma, CEO of Woxsen University, adds: 'Humanities, social sciences, and creative domains are inherently pluralistic. For CUET to hold similar stature [as JEE], it must assess aptitude but also nurture diversity in learner profiles.'advertisementCase studies, interviews, scenario analysis, portfolios -- these may need to be part of CUET's next evolution.SO, WHAT NOW?For now, CUET is walking a tightrope. It's trying to make admissions fairer. But it's in danger of becoming a pressure machine.If CUET wants to be the non-STEM answer to JEE, it will need to make some choices: Does it reward application or memory? Does it level the field -- or just raise the bar?'In an ideal world, every student, regardless of their background, should get a fair shot at quality education,' Khosla says. 'Inclusivity and not exclusivity will be key to CUET's true success.'- Ends

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