PUCET Exam 2023

PUCET Exam 2023: PUCET Counselling will have started on 22nd August 2023 and will continue till 24th August 2023. All the candidates who have applied for the counselling process before 11th June 2023 will have to appear physically at their specified centres for PUCET counselling.

North India’s Punjab region has always been a hub of educational diversity. Be it for Engineering courses or programs like MBBS, It houses the country’s premier educational universities that are known for their educational excellence. At the same time, the Government of Punjab is committed to strengthening its schools, colleges, and universities and is thus helping meritorious and deserving students by offering Punjab Scholarships.

To pursue higher education from the coveted academic institutes of Punjab, one has to qualify for university-specific or national-level entrance exams. One of these is the PUCET exam which is conducted by the revered Panjab University. This blog will take you through the important information pertaining to PUCET 2023 and its related components. 

Name	PUCET (Panjab University Common Entrance Test)
Conducting Body	Panjab University, Chandigarh
Exam Frequency	Once a year
Mode of Exam	Offline
Exam Variants	PUCET UG and PUCET PG
Time Duration	70 Minutes for each section in UG exam 90 Minutes for PG Exam
Mode of Language	English
Questions Type	70 Minutes for each section in UG exam 90 Minutes for the PG Exam
Marking Scheme	2 marks for every correct answer
Negative Marking	Deduction of 0.25 marks for every incorrect answer

Also Read: Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET) 2021

Latest Updates

PU CET 2023: The PU CET 2023 Counselling process started on 22nd August and will continue till 24th August 2023 for admission to BPharma and BSc (Hons.) 1st year. The reporting date at students’ respective departments on the basis of the Seat Allotment list was 1st August 2023. The three steps of the counselling process are form completion, choice locking, and reporting to the college. Candidates who are part of this admission process must keep themselves updated about the latest updates.

What is PUCET Exam? 

PU CET is a university-level entrance examination organised by Panjab University, Chandigarh. The main aim of the test is to provide admission for Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Doctorate courses to students across disciplines.

Aspirants who wish to seek admission in Bachelor of Science [BSc Hons] and Bachelor of Pharmacy [B. Pharm], the PUCET UG entrance exam is conducted through a proper choice Based credit system. The university also conducts PUCET-PG for those who want to enrol in master-level courses like LLM, MA Economics, MCom, MBA, etc. The other details relevant to the exam have been explained in the following paragraphs. 

PUCET Dates 2023

the PU CET admission form was released on 24th May 2023 on the official website of Panjab University. All the students who were interested in studying at this nationally recognised university were required to submit their application before 11th June 2023. Students who wanted to appear for the PUCET vai Sports quota were supposed to submit all their documents before 19th June 2023. The table below highlights all the PU CET important dates for 2023.

Events	Dates
Availability of Application Form	24th May 2023
Last date to submit the Application form	June 11, 2023
Last date for uploading of photograph, signature and Sports certificates	19th June 2023
Display of Tentative Merit List	28th June 2023
Dates for Inviting Objectives Against the Tentative Merit List	29th June 2023
Online Filling of Preferences for BSc and BPharma	28th June to 2nd July 2023
Display of Provisional Merit List	7th July 2023
Date of Reporting	17th to 19th July 2023
Start of Teaching Classes	21st July 2023
Physical Counselling Dates	Physical Counselling Dates

PU CET Courses

UG Programmes

Panjab University offers admission to certain undergraduate programmes through the entrance exam. Here are all the courses listed below-

B.Pharm.	B.Sc. Anthropology	B.Sc. (Hons) Biochemistry	B.Sc. (Hons) Biophysics
B.Sc.Biotechnology	B.Sc. Botany	B.Sc. Chemistry	B.Sc. Geology
B.Sc. Mathematics	B.Sc. Physics/ BSc Physics with specialisation in electronics	B.Sc. Microbiology	B.Sc.  Zoology

PG Programmes

PU CET offers admissions to one-year and two-year PG programmes in subject areas. Here are some popular programmes offered by Panjab University through PU CET-

L.L.M	MA Economics/English History/Geography	M. Pharma
M.C.A	M.E Chemical/Food Technology/Electrical Engineering/Computer Science/Mechanical Engineering	MSc in Physics/Chemistry/Mathematics
MA. Journalism and Mass Communication	MBA	MA Philosophy/Political Science/Psychology/Women Studies
MTech Material Science and Technology/Microelectronics	MSc in Biochemistry/Biophysics/Forensic Sciences/Zoology/Botany/Statistics	M. Physical Education

In the case of ME./MTech programmes, candidates who qualify for the GATE exams will be given preference over the PU CET PG entrance exam. 

Eligibility Criteria 

In order to appear for the PUCET, it is a prime responsibility for a candidate to adhere to the eligibility criteria guidelines. Not fulfilling the eligibility parameters can lead to the cancellation of the application by the managing authority. The below-given information will help you understand the eligibility criteria of PUCET. 

PUCET UG:

Nationality

An application seeking admission in Punjab University, Chandigarh through PUCET has to be of Indian origin. 

Qualification

The basic qualification for applying for PUCET is 10+2 from a recognized board. While the General Category candidates must have scored 50% in 10+2, 45% marks should have been secured by SC, ST, OBC, and PWD candidates. Furthermore, an applicant should have passed class 12th in the Science stream with Physics, English, and Chemistry and one of the subjects like Mathematics, Biology, or Biotechnology. 

Age Limit

Candidates should be 17 years and above as of 31st December at the time of admission formalities. 

PUCET PG:

To appear for the PUCET PG exam, it is important for the candidates to have a UG degree in the required field with minimum required marks. Along, with this candidates must attain the minimum required marks in the exam.

Note: The eligibility criteria for PUCET PG will vary according to the course you want to pursue. It is advised to go through the website to understand the parameters.

PUCET Exam Pattern 

Making a distinctive space in any university is a daunting process altogether. To pass an examination with flying colours, one should be well versed with both, the syllabus and exam pattern. The below-mentioned information will take you through vital details pertaining to the PUCET examination pattern including marks distribution.  

PUCET UG:

Before you go on to understand the exam pattern of the PUCET UG exam, here are some important points- 

• The UG exam will have sections like Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, Computer Science, etc out of which candidates are expected to choose a suitable combination as per their subjects in 10+2
• The  medium of the exam will be English only 

Subject	Total Questions	Total Marks	Duration
Paper – I Physics	60	120	70 minutes
Paper – II Chemistry	60	120	70 minutes
Paper – III Biology	60	120	70 minutes
Paper – IV Mathematics	60	120	70 minutes
Paper – V Biotechnology	60	120	70 minutes
Paper – VI Computer Science	60	120	70 minutes

PUCET PG:

For the PUCET PG exam, the exam pattern as well as the sections of the exam will differ as per the subject you choose. However, below we have mentioned the exam pattern for MCA (Masters of Computer Applications) for the indicative purposes- 

Sections	Total Questions
Mathematics	40
Computer Science	15
English	10
Reasoning and Aptitude	10

PUCET Syllabus

You should be accustomed to the essential topics that are important to cover for clearing the PUCET examination. We are listing down the important topics from BiPC subjects and Mathematics, you need to thoroughly practice. 

PUCET UG:

Subjects	Main Topics
Physics	Structure of Atom, Classifications of Elements and Periodicity in Properties, Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure, Hydrogen, S-blocks elements, Organic chemistry- some basic principle and techniques, Thermodynamics, Equilibrium, Redox Reactions, Hydrocarbons, etc.
Chemistry	Structure of Atom, Classifications of Elements and Periodicity in Properties, Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure, Hydrogen, S-blocks elements, Organic chemistry- some basic principles and techniques, Thermodynamics, Equilibrium, Redox Reactions, Hydrocarbons, etc.
Biology	Diversity in Living World, Structural Organization in Animals and Plants, Cell Structure and Functions, Plant Physiology, Human Anatomy and Physiology, etc.
Mathematics	Sets, Relation and Functions, Principle of Mathematical Induction, Binomial Theorem, Sequence and Series, Conic Sections, Introduction to Three- Dimensional Geometry, Limits and Derivatives, Mathematical Reasoning, Statics and Probability, etc

PUCET UG:

Candidates must understand that the detailed syllabus of the PUCET exam will vary as per the course you choose, hence, you may refer to the official website to check for it. However, below we have tabulated the PUCET PG syllabus for the common sections-

General Knowledge	Verbal Ability	Reasoning
Government and Politics	Foreign Words Noun & Pronoun Errors	Blood Relations
Business and Economy	Reading Comprehension	Artificial Language
Awards and Honors	Idioms & Phrases	Cubes and cuboids
Personalities	Etymology & Roots	Directions
Science & Technology	Subject-Verb Agreement	Analogies
Indian History and World History	Antonyms-Synonyms	Alphanumeric series
Arts & Music	Prepositions and Conjunctions	Input-Output

How to Apply for PUCET?

1. Visit the official website for PUCET UG and PUCET PG.
2. Click on the Register option
3. Enter the required information – Name, date of birth, and contact information.
4. A login ID and password will be generated.
5. Login to fill in the rest of the application form – Personal & academic details.
6. Select the course & exam centre of your preference
7. Upload the documents – Photograph, signature & thumb impression
8. Complete the application form by submitting the application fee.

Application Fee

To complete the application process applicants have to pay a certain amount of required fees.

Category	Amount (In INR)
Unreserved Category	2,175
Reserved Category	1,088

• Online Payment: Applicants can pay through online mode via credit/debit card or Internet banking
• Offline Mode: Applicants can also pay through offline mode via SBI bank challan. Print out the bank slip and pay the application fee at the nearest SBI branch
• The application fee is non-refundable.
• For additional courses, applicants have to pay Rs 575.

Latest Updates on Central Universities Common Entrance Test 2021

Reservations

The reservations of seats for each course is as follows-of the seats in each course is given below. Candidates selected via merit seats are not included in the reservation. The university also has additional seats reserved for candidates from categories like wards of Kashmiri displaced people, wards of Kargil warriors, border area students, rural area students etc  

General Category.	53.5%
Reserved Category	46.5%
Scheduled Castes.	15%
Scheduled Tribes	7.5%
Backward Classes	5%
Sports	5%

Documents Required

Candidates may need the below-mentioned important documents during the application process and counselling. Stated below is the list for the same-

• Provisional seat allocation letter
• PU CET admit card 2023
• Class X marks sheet
• Class XII marks sheet
• Medical examination report
• Category certificate (if applicable)
• PwD certificate (if applicable)

Admit Card

Applicants are issued admit cards a few weeks before the entrance examination. Students can download the admit card online. Here is how you can download your PUCET admit card:

• Login to your account using your Login ID & password.
• Click on the admit card option.
• Check all the details on admit card are correct & download it
  • If there are any issues with the details of your admit card, raise a ticket at the concerned authority and resolve it.
  • No applicant is allowed to enter the examination hall with the admit card.
  • Take two printouts of the admit card.

Answer Key

The answer key for the entrance exam is released within days of the exam. Students can check the answer key and calculate their marks based on it. Here is the link for the PU CET Answer Key- link 

Results

The entrance exam results are released in the 3rd week of June 2021 and all candidates can check and download their scorecards from this link-  https://results.puchd.ac.in. After the result is declared, the university releases comprehensive merit lists which determine who is selected for PU CET counselling.

Merit List for UG and PG Programmes

The Merit List for all the subjects and programmes is released by Panjab University, Chandigarh. Candidates have to check their name on the subject-wise merit list,  candidates whose names appear on the list are eligible for counselling. 

Check the UG Merit List  

Check the PG Merit List

UG and PG Counselling

All candidates whose names appear on the subject-wise merit list released by Panjab University have to attend the counselling session. The entire counselling process is physical and candidates must mark their attendance on the day of counselling to get admission in their desired programme. They have to carry all the required original documents and photocopies for the process. 

Colleges Accepting PU CET

There are a few universities and colleges in Chandigarh that accept PU CET score for certain courses and specialisations. Here is a list of colleges-

• Panjab University, Chandigarh
• Goswami Ganesh Dutta Sanatan Dharma College, Chandigarh
• DAV College, Chandigarh
• Mehr Chand Mahajan Dayanand Anglo Vedic College, [MCMDAV] Chandigarh

PUCET Previous Cut Off

To help candidates have a better idea about what will be the cut off for the year 2023, we have stated below the cut-off for some of the courses of UG and PG levels-

B.Sc Mathematics 2019

Category	Total Merit Marks	CET Percentile Marks
General (Unreserved category)	24.91	11.56
SC	21.75	9.999
ST	21.8	7.5

B.Sc (Biotechnology/ BioPhysics/ Botany/ Zoology/ Biochemistry/ Chemistry/ Microbiology/ Anthropology/ Geology/ Physics/), B.Pharmacy 2019

Category	Total merit Marks	CET Percentile Marks
General (Unreserved category)	28.56	14.46
SC	19.26	5.91
ST	19.40	4.40

Here is the 2018 cut-off for the PUCET PG exam-

Category	Cutoff
Unreserved	20% of total marks (M.A. English and History – 35% of total marks Masters in Disaster Management – 37.5%)
OBC/SC/ST/PWD	15% of total marks (M.A. English and History – 30% of total marks)

PUCET Exam Centres

PUCET 2021 will be conducted across 4 test centres in Punjab:

• Chandigarh
• Ludhiana
• Muktsar Rural
• Hoshiarpur

Things to Keep in Mind

• Carry your admit card & valid identification card to the examination centre
• Do rough work on the allotted area 
• Applicants should try to attempt the question he/she is confident about, Marks are deducted for every wrong answer.
• Complete your application form, any information left incomplete, the university won’t accept the application form of that applicant.
• Applicants of the reserved category must upload their caste certificate to avail of concession on the application fee.

How to Prepare for PUCET?

• Students should attempt mock tests & sample papers. This helps to evaluate their performance, identify strong and weak areas and improve those areas.
• Consistency is the key, try to be consistent with your PUCET exam preparation, and plan your day in a way that at least you spare one-two hour dedicated to the PUCET examination.
• Don’t just mug up new topics, it is essential to revise the previous topics in order to avoid confusion in topics & also improve your memory of those topics.
• Make notes of important formulas. Making notes will help in the quick revision of all important topics.
• A day before your exam don’t over-exhaust yourself, it is important to keep your mind calm. On the day before your exam relax and revise in a way that you are done before night and able to sleep properly.

Best Books for PUCET 

There are a variety of books available for reference. They are easily available in local markets or you can order them online. Applicants can also refer to the previous year’s question papers.

• Panjab CET 12 years solved papers
• Arihant Organic Chemistry
• Quantitative Aptitude by Arun Sharma.
• Physics by H. C Verma. (Vol 1&2)
• Physics by OP Agarwal (Vol 1 & 2)
• A Guide to Critical Legal Studies by Mark Kamen.
• Last 10 years PUCET solved question bank.
• Mathematics by SL Loni (Plane Geometry)
• Arihant ISC Chapter-wise Solved Papers Chemistry class 12th

FAQs

Check out the Toughest Exams in India!

Apart from the regional educational institutions, scores of national-level academic institutions also conduct their own entrance exams. And be it PUCET or other such tests, to score well, you should devise a study plan that lays emphasis on both, your strengths and weaknesses. Choosing a career line after the 12th can certainly be confusing. Take the psychometric test specially designed by experts at Leverage Edu which will help you understand what path you should pursue based on your likings, skills, and knowledge!