The National Testing Agency (NTA) has opened a special reallocation window for candidates appearing in the Common University Entrance Test Undergraduate (CUET UG) 2026 after several students raised concerns regarding exam centres being allotted far from their preferred cities.

The CUET UG 2026 admit cards were released on May 5, while the examinations are scheduled to begin from May 11 and continue till May 31 in computer-based test (CBT) mode across the country.

Students Raise Concerns Over Distant Exam Centres

Soon after the release of admit cards, many candidates reported that they had been assigned examination centres located hundreds of kilometres away from their chosen cities. Several students highlighted issues related to long-distance travel, safety concerns, accommodation costs, and difficulty in reaching the allotted centres.

In response to these complaints, NTA introduced a reallocation facility allowing affected students to select alternate available cities and vacant examination slots on a first-come-first-serve basis.

NTA Explains Centre Allocation Process

The agency stated that CUET UG 2026 is among the largest computer-based entrance examinations conducted globally, making centre allocation a highly complex process. According to official data:

• Total registered candidates: 15,68,866
• Total test instances: 67,56,321
• Distinct subject combinations: 12,906
• Total examination shifts: 35

NTA further clarified that approximately 43% of candidates are concentrated in just three states — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Delhi — resulting in extremely high demand for limited CBT examination infrastructure in certain city-subject-shift combinations.

Majority Received Preferred Cities

Despite the challenges, NTA reported that:

• 79% of candidates received their first-choice city
• 96.6% received one of their preferred cities
• Only 3.4% were allotted centres outside their selected preferences

Candidates falling under this remaining 3.4% category are eligible to use the newly opened reallocation window.

How to Access the Reallocation Facility

Students can log in to the official CUET UG portal and choose from available vacant slots in alternate cities. The facility is available for a limited period and allocations will be processed based on seat availability.

Important Advice for Candidates

NTA has advised all students to:

• Download and verify their admit cards carefully
• Check examination centre details in advance
• Plan travel arrangements early
• Keep valid ID proof ready for examination day

Candidates facing difficulties can also contact the NTA helpdesk through the official support channels.

About CUET UG 2026

The Common University Entrance Test (CUET UG) is conducted by the National Testing Agency for admission to undergraduate programmes in central, state, deemed, and participating universities across India. The examination serves as a common admission platform for higher education institutions under the National Education Policy (NEP).