PU CET Eligibility Criteria 2026

Students planning to appear for the Panjab University Common Entrance Test (PU CET) should understand one important thing before filling the application form: meeting the eligibility criteria is mandatory. Many candidates focus heavily on preparation and registration but overlook eligibility requirements such as qualifying subjects, minimum marks, category relaxation, and course-specific academic requirements. Missing any of these conditions can lead to cancellation of admission, even after clearing the entrance examination.

PU CET (UG) is conducted by Panjab University for admission into selected undergraduate science and professional programs such as B.Sc. (Hons.) and B.Pharmacy. The entrance process primarily targets students from Science streams and evaluates candidates through subject-based examinations. According to the official PU CET admission information, undergraduate admissions are offered for programs including B.Sc. (Hons.) disciplines and B.Pharmacy.

This complete guide explains PU CET Eligibility Criteria in detail, specifically for undergraduate admissions.

1.0PU CET UG 2026 Eligibility Criteria

The PU-CET (U.G) 2026 is conducted for admission to B.Sc. (Hons.) under the Honours School System (4-year program as per NEP-2020) and B.Pharmacy.

General Academic Requirements

To be eligible for the PU-CET (U.G.) 2026 entrance test, candidates must meet specific academic benchmarks:

• Qualifying Examination: Applicants must have passed or appeared in the 10+2 examination conducted by the CBSE, New Delhi, or any other equivalent examination from a recognized Board, University, or Council.
• Minimum Aggregate Marks: General category candidates must have secured at least 50% marks in their qualifying 10+2 examination.
• Relaxation for Reserved Categories: A 5% relaxation in the minimum eligibility marks (reducing the requirement to 45%) is granted to candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Backward Class (BC), and Persons with Disability (PwD) categories.
• The "No Compartment" Rule: It is mandatory to clear all subjects in the 10+2 examination. Candidates having a compartment in their March 2026 exams are not eligible for admission, even if they qualify for the entrance test.

Age Limit

• Minimum Age: Candidates must have attained the age of 17 years as of the year of admission (2026).
• Upper Age Limit: Panjab University generally does not impose an upper age limit for undergraduate admissions through PU CET.
• Nationality: While primarily for Indian nationals, the test is also open to foreign nationals and NRIs, provided they meet the basic eligibility criteria and obtain an eligibility certificate from the University Registrar if applicable.

Subject Combinations & Course-Specific Criteria

Eligibility is often determined by the subjects studied in the 10+2 framework.

Important Note on Compartments

Candidates having a compartment in their 10+2 examination held in March 2026 are not eligible for admission, even if they qualify for the entrance test.

2.0Eligibility for International Students & NRI Quota

Panjab University has specific guidelines for International Students, Foreign Nationals (FN), and Non-Resident Indians (NRI).

3.0New NRI Quota Norms (2026-27)

Panjab University has significantly tightened its NRI admission policy following a 2024 Supreme Court ruling to prevent the misuse of the quota.

• First-Degree Blood Relatives Only: Admissions under the NRI quota are now strictly limited to first-degree blood relatives. This includes the candidate's spouse, children (natural, adopted, or foster), siblings, parents, and paternal/maternal grandparents. Distant relatives and cousins are no longer eligible.
• Merit Basis: For these categories, merit is determined based on academic transcripts or other standardized tests like the SAT-II.

Entrance Test Waiver

For the academic session 2026-27, the condition of appearing in the Entrance Test is waived off for NRI/Foreign National candidates seeking admission to most UG and PG programs (except BDS/MDS). Admission for these categories is based on combined merit or academic transcripts.

Supernumerary Seats

• 10% seats are reserved for NRIs/Wards of NRIs.
• 25% supernumerary seats are created for Foreign Nationals/International students.

4.0Mandatory Registration Requirements

Academic Bank of Credits (ABC ID)

For the 2026 admission cycle, it is mandatory for all candidates applying through the JAC Chandigarh portal to provide a valid 12-digit Academic Bank of Credits ID (ABCID). Candidates must create this ID via DigiLocker or the official ABC portal.

JEE Main for Engineering

While PU CET is for Science and Arts, admission to B.E. and B.Arch. courses at PU institutes (like UIET and Dr. SSBUICET) are based on JEE (Main) - 2026 scores rather than the PU CET.

5.0Reservation & Concessions

Panjab University follows a strict reservation policy as per Government of India and University norms.

• Scheduled Castes (SC): 15% reservation.
• Scheduled Tribes (ST): 7.5% reservation.
• Backward Classes (BC): 5% reservation (candidates must belong to the non-creamy layer).
• Persons with Disability (PwD): 5% horizontal reservation.
• Sports Category: 5% reservation based on graded achievements in recognized tournaments.
• Defence Category: 5% reservation for sons/daughters/spouses of defence personnel as per defined precedence.

Additional supernumerary seats are also available for:

• One Girl Child out of two girl children.
• Kashmiri Migrants.
• Border Area / Rural Area Students.
• Cancer/AIDS/Thalassemia Patients.
• Transgender Students.

6.0Final Merit Calculation Formula

Admission is purely merit-based. For most UG Science courses, the final merit list is prepared using the following weightage:

• PU-CET (U.G.) Entrance Test: 75%.
• Qualifying Examination (10+2): 25%.
• Additional Weightage: NCC, NSS, and other activities as per University norms.

For PG courses, the weightage varies; for example, MCA is 50% Entrance and 50% Qualifying Examination, while LL.M. is based 100% on the Entrance Test result.