CUET PG cheat sheet

CUET PG is a single computer-based test used for admission to participating postgraduate programmes; the National Testing Agency (NTA) publishes the subject-wise schedule, and each candidate writes the paper(s) mapped to the programme(s) applied for.

Each subject paper is 75 questions (75 marks) with a 105-minute duration; the paper is bilingual (English and Hindi) except for language papers, where the language itself is tested.

Marking scheme: +4 for each correct answer, -1 for each incorrect answer, 0 for unattempted; expected raw score of pure random guessing on a 75-question paper with 4 options is 75 x (0.25 x 4 - 0.75 x 1) = 0.

Break-even accuracy: a guess is score-neutral at p = 1/5 = 20% correctness because +4p - 1(1 - p) = 0 gives 5p = 1; guess only when elimination pushes confidence above 20%.

Effective score = 4C - W, where C is correct and W is wrong; since C + W <= 75, maximizing 4C - W means converting near-certain eliminations into attempts and leaving 2-option coin flips only if risk tolerance allows.

Normalization may be applied across shifts for multi-shift papers, so percentile depends on the cohort of that shift; raw marks are not directly comparable across shifts.

Subject papers span disciplines such as Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences, Commerce, Management, Computer Science, and language papers; the syllabus for each is published by NTA.

Domain-specific paper pattern: many science papers combine a general/aptitude component with subject-specific sections; read the official syllabus for the exact section split before planning revision.

Admission is programme-specific: universities may use CUET PG scores with their own eligibility, weightage for interview/portfolio, and cutoffs; a high score is necessary but not sufficient for every programme.

Percentages: a increase of x% followed by a decrease of y% gives net change = x - y - xy/100; successive increases of x% and y% give net = x + y + xy/100.

Profit and loss: SP = CP(1 + profit%/100); successive discounts d1 and d2 give net price factor (1 - d1/100)(1 - d2/100), equivalent to a single discount of d1 + d2 - d1d2/100.

Simple vs compound interest: SI = PRT/100; CI amount = P(1 + R/100)^T; the difference CI - SI over 2 years equals P(R/100)^2.

Time-speed-distance: average speed for equal distances at speeds u and v is the harmonic mean 2uv/(u + v), not the arithmetic mean; relative speed adds for opposite directions and subtracts for same direction.

Time and work: if A alone takes a days and B alone takes b days, together they take ab/(a + b) days; using rates 1/a + 1/b = 1/T is safer than memorizing the formula.

Ratio and proportion: if a:b = c:d then ad = bc; for three quantities in continued proportion a:b = b:c, b^2 = ac, so b is the geometric mean of a and c.

Permutations and combinations: nPr = n!/(n - r)!; nCr = n!/(r!(n - r)!); nCr = nC(n - r); total subsets of an n-element set is 2^n.

Probability: P(A union B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A intersect B); for independent events P(A intersect B) = P(A)P(B); conditional probability P(A|B) = P(A intersect B)/P(B).

Averages and mixtures: alligation rule gives ratio of quantities = (mean - cheaper)/(dearer - mean); if a group of n has mean m and a subgroup of k has mean s, the remaining n - k has mean (nm - ks)/(n - k).

Number series: check first differences, then second differences; alternating series often interleave two independent arithmetic or geometric progressions, so test odd and even positions separately.

Coding-decoding: compute the letter-position shift (A = 1 ... Z = 26) between plain and coded words; constant shift, reversal, and position-based substitution are the three most common rules.

Blood relations: draw a family tree with gender-marked nodes and vertical generational levels; 'maternal uncle' means mother's brother, 'paternal aunt' means father's sister.

Syllogism: use Venn diagrams; a conclusion follows only if it holds in every possible diagram consistent with the premises; 'some A are B' does not imply 'some B are not A'.

Direction sense: track net displacement as a vector; after moving a m north, b m east, c m south, d m west, net displacement = sqrt((b - d)^2 + (a - c)^2).

Reading comprehension: the correct option must be supported by the passage text, not by outside knowledge; extreme words such as 'always' and 'never' usually signal a wrong inference option.

Para jumbles: find the opening sentence (usually a general statement with no pronoun references), then chain sentences by pronouns and connectors such as 'however', 'therefore', 'this'.

Error spotting and fill-in-the-blanks test subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, preposition collocation, and article use; check the verb against the true subject, ignoring parenthetical phrases.

Data interpretation: read axis units and the legend before computing; percentage change between two values is (new - old)/old x 100, and 'percentage points' differ from 'percent'.

Physics: Newton's second law F = ma; work-energy theorem W = change in kinetic energy; momentum is conserved when net external force is zero.

Physics: for a projectile, range R = u^2 sin(2theta)/g and maximum height H = u^2 sin^2(theta)/(2g); maximum range occurs at theta = 45 degrees.

Physics: Ohm's law V = IR; power P = VI = I^2R = V^2/R; resistors in series add, in parallel 1/R = sum of 1/Ri.

Chemistry: pH = -log[H+]; pOH = 14 - pH at 25 degrees C; a buffer follows the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation pH = pKa + log([A-]/[HA]).

Chemistry: ideal gas law PV = nRT; at STP (273.15 K, 1 atm) one mole occupies 22.4 L; molarity = moles of solute per litre of solution.

Chemistry: Le Chatelier's principle predicts that increasing pressure shifts equilibrium toward the side with fewer gas moles; a catalyst changes rate but not the equilibrium constant.

Biology: DNA replication is semi-conservative; transcription makes mRNA from a DNA template; translation at the ribosome reads codons 5' to 3' using tRNA anticodons.

Biology: Mendelian monohybrid F2 phenotypic ratio is 3:1 and genotypic ratio is 1:2:1; a test cross with a recessive homozygote reveals the unknown genotype.

Biology: enzymes lower activation energy without changing reaction equilibrium; Michaelis-Menten V = Vmax[S]/(Km + [S]), where Km is the substrate concentration at half Vmax.

Accounting equation: Assets = Liabilities + Equity; every transaction preserves this balance, which is the basis of double-entry bookkeeping.

Depreciation: straight-line = (Cost - Salvage)/Useful life per year; written-down value method applies a fixed rate to the opening book value each year.

Financial ratios: current ratio = current assets/current liabilities; debt-equity ratio = total debt/shareholders' equity; return on equity = net income/equity.

Time value of money: present value PV = FV/(1 + r)^n; net present value is the sum of discounted cash flows minus initial investment; accept a project when NPV > 0.

Economics: price elasticity of demand = (% change in quantity demanded)/(% change in price); demand is elastic when |E| > 1 and inelastic when |E| < 1.

Economics: GDP by expenditure is C + I + G + (X - M); nominal GDP uses current prices while real GDP uses base-year prices, so real GDP isolates volume change.

Management: Maslow's hierarchy orders needs physiological, safety, social, esteem, self-actualization; Herzberg separates hygiene factors (prevent dissatisfaction) from motivators (drive satisfaction).

Marketing: the 4Ps are Product, Price, Place, Promotion; the product life cycle stages are introduction, growth, maturity, and decline.

Statistics for commerce: mean, median, and mode are measures of central tendency; standard deviation is the square root of variance, and coefficient of variation = (SD/mean) x 100.

Number systems: convert binary to decimal by summing bit x 2^position; hexadecimal digits map to 4-bit binary groups; 1 byte = 8 bits.

Data structures: a stack is LIFO and a queue is FIFO; a binary search tree has left subtree values less than the node and right subtree values greater.

Complexity: binary search is O(log n) on a sorted array; merge sort is O(n log n) in all cases; bubble sort worst case is O(n^2).

Databases: primary key uniquely identifies a row and cannot be null; foreign key references a primary key in another table; SQL SELECT projects columns while WHERE filters rows.

Networking: IPv4 addresses are 32 bits and IPv6 are 128 bits; TCP is connection-oriented and reliable, UDP is connectionless and unreliable.

Operating systems: a process is a program in execution; deadlock requires mutual exclusion, hold and wait, no preemption, and circular wait simultaneously.

Boolean logic: AND outputs 1 only if all inputs are 1; OR outputs 1 if any input is 1; XOR outputs 1 when inputs differ; De Morgan's laws: NOT(A AND B) = (NOT A) OR (NOT B).

Reasoning: in seating arrangement puzzles, fix one anchor person and place others relative to that anchor; in ranking puzzles, total = rank from top + rank from bottom - 1.

Programming: a variable's scope determines visibility; pass-by-value copies the argument while pass-by-reference lets the function modify the caller's variable.