CET Graduation Exam Pattern 2026 — 150 Questions, 300 Marks and 1/3 Negative Marking
Last updated: July 2026 · 8 min read
Quick Answer
CET Graduation 2026 has one offline OMR paper with 150 multiple-choice questions for 300 marks. Duration is 3 hours, plus 10 minutes for checking option E on unanswered questions. Each question carries 2 marks. A wrong answer deducts 1/3 of that question's marks, so one wrong answer deducts 0.67 marks. Every question has 5 options A-E; mark E if you are not attempting. If none of the 5 circles is darkened, the same 1/3 deduction applies. More than 15 fully blank questions out of 150 means disqualification.
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Pattern at a Glance
RSSB Advertisement 09/2026 keeps the Graduate paper at 150 questions, 300 marks and 3 hours. This is different from CET Senior Secondary 2026, which moved to 120 questions and 240 marks.
The Graduation paper remains one combined, bilingual, offline OMR paper. Each question has 5 options: A, B, C, D and E. Option E is the deliberate skip marker.
The exam dates are 1-3 December 2026. Online applications run 4 July 2026 to 2 August 2026, 11:59 PM. Admit cards come through SSO login and the recruitment portal, not by post.
Negative Marking and E-Option Rule
Every wrong answer deducts 1/3 of the question marks. Since each question carries 2 marks, one wrong answer deducts 0.67 marks.
If you do not want to attempt a question, darken E. E gives zero marks and keeps the question out of the blank-circle disqualification count.
If no circle is darkened for a question, the same 1/3 deduction applies. More than 10% such fully blank questions means disqualification. For CET Graduation, that means 16 or more blank rows out of 150.
Qualifying Marks and Score Validity
The qualifying threshold is 40%. SC/ST candidates get a 5% relaxation, so their threshold is 35%. Qualifying CET does not itself give a job; it only makes the candidate eligible for post-specific recruitment stages.
The 2026 CET Graduation score is valid for 3 years from the result date under the personnel department notification dated 16.01.2025.
The 2024 CET Graduation score had 1-year validity and expired on 11 February 2026. This means all candidates, including 2024 qualifiers, need to apply again for the 2026 cycle.
Attempt Strategy
Do not treat E as a failure. E is the official zero-mark skip option. It is safer than random guessing when you cannot eliminate options.
In mocks, separate your review into 4 columns: correct, wrong, E-marked skips and fully blank rows. The fully blank row count should be zero if you always mark E for skipped questions.
Use the extra 10 minutes only for OMR verification: every row should have exactly one darkened circle. Check especially the questions you skipped during solving time.
How to Attempt the CET Graduation 2026 OMR Safely
Read the paper structure first
Remember the fixed pattern: 150 questions, 300 marks, 3 hours and 5 options A-E. Each question carries 2 marks.
Mark E for every deliberate skip
If you are not attempting a question, darken E. Do not leave all 5 circles blank.
Apply the 1/3 penalty before guessing
A wrong answer deducts 0.67 marks. Guess only when you can eliminate enough options to make the attempt worth the risk.
Keep fully blank rows at zero
More than 15 fully blank rows out of 150 disqualifies the attempt. Marking E for every skip keeps the blank count at zero.
Use the extra 10 minutes for OMR verification
After solving time, check each OMR row and confirm exactly one circle is darkened, especially for skipped questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CET Graduation 2026 exam pattern?
The paper has 150 questions, 300 marks and 3 hours. It is an offline OMR-based single paper with 5 options A-E for every question.
How many marks does each CET Graduation question carry?
Each question carries 2 marks because the paper has 150 questions for 300 marks.
What is the negative marking in CET Graduation 2026?
Each wrong answer deducts 1/3 of the question marks. Since each question is worth 2 marks, one wrong answer deducts 0.67 marks.
What is option E in the CET Graduation OMR?
Option E is the not-attempting option. If you decide to skip a question, darken E. If none of A, B, C, D or E is darkened, the same 1/3 deduction applies.
How many blank questions lead to CET Graduation disqualification?
More than 10% of the paper with no circle darkened leads to disqualification. In a 150-question paper, 10% is 15 questions, so 16 or more fully blank questions disqualify the attempt.
What are the CET Graduation qualifying marks?
The minimum qualifying marks are 40%. SC/ST candidates get a 5% relaxation, so their qualifying threshold is 35%.
Related Guides & Links
Practise before December
Use full CET Graduation mocks to calibrate accuracy, E-marked skips and OMR checking before the 1-3 December 2026 exam.