CUET UG 2026 Exam Schedule Revised: May 28 Papers Postponed Due to Bakrid Holiday. NTA issues official notice postponing both shifts of 28 May 2026 — new dates to be announced separately

  Admin | May 25, 2026

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially postponed all CUET UG 2026 examinations that were scheduled for 28 May 2026, covering both Shift 1 (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM) and Shift 2 (3:00 PM – 6:00 PM). The decision was announced on 24 May 2026 through an official notice and an NTA post on X (formerly Twitter), citing a government-ordered revision to the Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) holiday date that directly conflicted with the original exam schedule.

Key Facts at a Glance

What NTA Said

In its official post on X and the public notice released on 24 May 2026, NTA stated that the postponement was a direct consequence of the Government of India revising the date of the Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) national holiday. The agency referenced the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Office Memorandum dated 22 May 2026, which formally notified the change in the holiday calendar.
The NTA notice read in part: examinations scheduled for 28 May 2026 in both shifts stand postponed in view of the change in the date of the holiday on account of Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid). The agency added that revised examination dates for the candidates affected by this change would be announced separately, and urged all candidates to visit the official CUET portal regularly and rely only on official communications rather than information circulated on social media.

What This Means for Affected Candidates

Students who had their exam slot assigned for 28 May 2026 will not appear on that date. Their examination will be rescheduled to a new date, which NTA will announce through its official channels. Candidates do not need to re-register or take any fresh action at this stage — their existing admit cards remain valid for identity and application reference purposes, and NTA will issue updated admit cards or slot notifications once the revised dates are confirmed.
The postponement applies only to the 28 May slots. All other dates in the CUET UG 2026 window — including papers being conducted from 25 to 27 May and 29 to 31 May — remain unchanged as per the original schedule.

Immediate Action Checklist for Affected Candidates

• Check your admit card: Confirm whether your exam was scheduled for 28 May 2026. If yes, your slot has been postponed.
• Bookmark the official portal: Visit cuet.nta.nic.in daily for the revised date announcement — NTA has confirmed it will publish the new dates there.
• Do not rely on unofficial sources: NTA explicitly advised candidates to avoid social media rumours and third-party notifications about new dates.
• Continue preparation: Use the additional time productively — revise NCERT chapters, practise previous year papers, and take timed mock tests before the rescheduled slot.
• Check your registered email and SMS: NTA may also communicate revised dates directly to registered candidates via email and mobile alerts.

Context: CUET UG 2026 at a Glance

CUET UG 2026 is India's largest undergraduate entrance examination, with 15,68,866 candidates registered across 37 subjects, generating over 67 lakh individual test instances. The exam has been conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode across all shifts from 11 May 2026, covering 13 languages, 23 domain subjects, and the General Aptitude Test. Each subject paper carries 50 compulsory MCQs in 60 minutes, with a marking scheme of +5 for correct answers and −1 for incorrect responses.
With the 28 May postponement, NTA will need to find accommodation within the existing window or extend beyond 31 May to reschedule the affected shifts. Any extension or buffer date announcement will be communicated separately through official channels.

Upcoming CUET 2026 Milestones

cuetsamarth.com will update this article as soon as NTA announces the revised exam dates for the postponed 28 May 2026 slots. Bookmark this page and follow our latest news section for real-time CUET 2026 updates.