BHU PET 2026: CAP-PG Counselling Open, Dates, Eligibility, Cutoff and Seat Allotment

BHU PET 2026 (Banaras Hindu University Postgraduate Entrance Test) is the admission route for postgraduate courses at Banaras Hindu University, one of India’s largest central universities. Since 2022, BHU has stopped its own PET exam and now uses CUET PG scores conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), followed by its own Centralised Admission Process for PG (CAP-PG). The CAP-PG 2026 registration window has closed on 4 June 2026 and the counselling phase is currently active through the official portal at bhucuetpg.samarth.edu.in.

• CAP-PG First Round Seat Allotment: Expected in the third week of June 2026. Last year, the first allotment list was published on 22 June 2025 for around 4,000 PG seats across 16 faculties.
• Document Verification & Reporting: Will begin within 3-4 days of the first allotment list. You should keep all your originals, mark sheets, CUET PG scorecard and category proof ready.
• CAP-PG Round 2: Likely in the first week of July 2026, based on the two-round plus spot round cycle BHU has followed since 2023.
• Spot Round / Mop-up: Held only if seats remain vacant after the regular rounds. In 2025, the spot round opened on 12 August 2025 for a limited list of departments.

What is BHU PET 2026?

BHU PET 2026 refers to the postgraduate admission process at Banaras Hindu University for the 2026-27 academic session. Earlier, the university conducted a separate Postgraduate Entrance Test (PET) for around 4,000 PG seats. From 2022, BHU has joined the Common University Entrance Test for postgraduate programmes, popularly known as CUET PG, which is held by the National Testing Agency.

So when students search for "BHU PET 2026", they are actually looking at two stages put together:

• Stage 1 - CUET PG 2026: The national entrance exam held by NTA. You have to register, appear in your chosen test paper and obtain a valid score.
• Stage 2 - BHU CAP-PG 2026: The Centralised Admission Process for PG held by BHU itself. You use your CUET PG score to register here, fill choices and take part in seat allotment.

BHU offers PG admission across 140+ programmes including MA, MSc, MCom, MFA, MPEd, MEd, MPA, LLM and PG diplomas. The university has 16 faculties covering Arts, Science, Social Science, Commerce, Law, Education, Performing Arts, Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vijnan and more. Admission to MBA and similar specialised programmes runs through separate processes and is not part of CAP-PG.

For 2026, the CUET PG exam has already been held and the CAP-PG registration closed on 4 June 2026. The counselling for over 4,000 seats is now active.

BHU PET 2026 Highlights

Here is a quick snapshot of BHU PET 2026 (CAP-PG) at a glance:

BHU PET 2026 Important Dates

The BHU PET 2026 timeline runs in two parts - the CUET PG exam (already over) and the BHU CAP-PG counselling (now active). The table below lists upcoming events first, followed by past events in the order they happened.

Note: All upcoming dates are based on last year’s CAP-PG cycle. Confirmed dates will be announced by BHU on the official portal.

BHU PET 2026 Eligibility Criteria

To apply for BHU PET 2026 (CAP-PG), you must first qualify CUET PG 2026 in the relevant test paper. The eligibility also varies by programme. Here are the broad rules:

Nationality:

• Indian citizens are eligible to apply.
• Foreign nationals can apply through the International Students Cell of BHU under separate guidelines.

Age Limit:

• There is no upper age limit for most BHU PG courses.
• For some specialised programmes like MPEd, the age limit may apply as per university norms.

Educational Qualification:

• For most MA, MSc, MCom courses - a Bachelor’s degree (3-year or 4-year) in the relevant stream with at least 50% aggregate marks (45% for reserved categories).
• For LLM - LLB or 5-year integrated law degree with at least 50% marks.
• For MEd - BEd with 50% marks.
• For MPEd - BPEd with 50% marks.
• Candidates appearing in the final year of their Bachelor’s are also eligible, provided they submit the final mark sheet at the time of admission.

CUET PG Score:

• You must appear in the CUET PG paper code corresponding to the BHU programme you wish to apply for.
• A valid CUET PG 2026 scorecard is mandatory at the time of CAP-PG registration.

You should always check the programme-specific eligibility table in the BHU CAP-PG 2026 information bulletin before locking your choices.

BHU PET 2026 Application Process (CAP-PG)

The BHU PET 2026 application is now closed. The CAP-PG registration window ran from 20 May 2026 and closed on 4 June 2026 at bhucuetpg.samarth.edu.in. If you have already registered, your application moves to the choice filling and seat allotment stage automatically.

No fresh CAP-PG 2026 registration is being accepted. Only registered candidates can take part in choice filling and Round 1 allotment.

Here is how the CAP-PG registration worked for the 2026 cycle:

Step 1 - New Registration:

• You had to register using your CUET PG 2026 application number, date of birth and a valid email ID.
• A separate BHU CAP-PG login was created on the Samarth portal.

Step 2 - Filling the Application Form:

• Personal details, academic details and category were filled in.
• CUET PG 2026 score and paper code were auto-fetched.

Step 3 - Document Upload:

• Recent passport photo and signature.
• Class 10 and 12 mark sheets.
• Bachelor’s degree mark sheets / provisional certificate.
• Category certificate (SC / ST / OBC-NCL / EWS / PwD), if applicable.
• CUET PG 2026 scorecard.

Step 4 - Programme Selection & Fee Payment:

• You could choose multiple programmes across BHU faculties under one application.
• Application fee was Rs. 500 for General/OBC/EWS and Rs. 250 for SC/ST/PwD per programme group (as per the official notice).
• Fee was paid online through net banking, UPI or card.

Step 5 - Choice Filling:

• Registered candidates filled their preferred course-college combinations in order of priority.
• Choice filling closed shortly before the Round 1 allotment.

BHU PET 2026 Syllabus

The BHU PET 2026 syllabus is the CUET PG 2026 syllabus released by NTA. The syllabus is highly subject-specific. Since there are 150+ test papers, each paper has its own detailed syllabus PDF on the CUET PG website.

Here are the broad syllabus groups for popular BHU PG programmes:

Arts and Humanities Papers:

• History, Political Science, Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology, Geography, Economics.
• Each paper covers the standard Honours-level syllabus from Indian universities.

Languages:

• Hindi, English, Sanskrit, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil and other Indian languages.
• Focus is on literature, grammar, history of the language and linguistic theory.

Science Papers:

• Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Statistics, Botany, Zoology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Computer Science.
• Syllabus is based on Bachelor’s-level honours topics.

Commerce, Management and Law:

• Commerce - Accounting, Business Studies, Financial Management, Marketing.
• LLM - Indian Constitution, Jurisprudence, Public International Law, Family Law and other major branches.

Professional Programmes:

• MEd - Educational Philosophy, Educational Psychology, Methods of Teaching.
• MPEd - Anatomy, Physiology, Sports Training, Sports Psychology.
• MFA / MPA - Theory of Performing Arts and Fine Arts.

You should download the exact PDF for your paper from the CUET PG portal and not depend on second-hand summaries. The questions stick closely to the listed topics.

BHU PET 2026 Admit Card

The BHU PET 2026 admit card was released by NTA as the CUET PG 2026 admit card. This admit card was used at the CUET PG exam centre. For the CAP-PG counselling phase, a separate admit card is not required - you only need your CUET PG scorecard and CAP-PG application details.

Key facts about the CUET PG 2026 admit card:

• Released in the first week of March 2026, around 3-4 days before the exam.
• Downloaded from pgcuet.samarth.ac.in using application number and date of birth.
• Contained candidate name, photo, exam date, slot, reporting time and centre address.

Documents to carry along with the admit card on exam day:

• One valid photo ID - Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID, Passport or Driving Licence.
• One recent passport-size photo (same as in the form).
• PwD certificate, if applicable.

No candidate is allowed inside the exam hall without the admit card and a valid government photo ID.

BHU PG Courses and Top Faculties

BHU offers over 140 PG programmes across 16 faculties and 6 institutes. The CAP-PG counselling covers all these PG seats under one umbrella, which makes BHU one of the largest PG admission processes in India.

Top faculties offering PG courses through CAP-PG:

• Faculty of Arts: MA in History, Political Science, Economics, English, Hindi, Sanskrit, AIHC, Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology, Linguistics.
• Faculty of Science: MSc in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Statistics, Botany, Zoology, Biochemistry, Computer Science, Biotechnology, Geology, Geography.
• Faculty of Social Science: MA in Social Work, MA in History of Art, MA in Anthropology.
• Faculty of Commerce: MCom in Business Finance, Marketing, Banking and Insurance.
• Faculty of Law: LLM (1-year) with specialisations in Constitutional Law, Business Law and Human Rights.
• Faculty of Education: MEd, PG Diploma in Guidance and Counselling.
• Faculty of Performing Arts: MPA in Vocal, Instrumental, Dance.
• Faculty of Visual Arts: MFA in Painting, Sculpture, Applied Arts, Art History.
• Mahila Mahavidyalaya: Women-only PG seats across major arts and science programmes.
• Arts Faculty at Rajiv Gandhi South Campus (Barkachha): Additional MA and MSc seats.

Why students prefer BHU PG admissions:

• NIRF ranking - BHU has consistently figured among the top 10 universities in India.
• Subsidised PG fee structure, mostly in the Rs. 4,000 - Rs. 12,000 per year range.
• Strong research culture across science and humanities.
• Wide PhD pipeline - many PG students get a direct shot at BHU PhD admissions later.

BHU PET 2026 Seat Intake and Reservation

BHU offers around 4,000+ PG seats every year through CAP-PG. The exact seat matrix varies year-to-year and gets locked just before Round 1 allotment.

Indicative seat distribution by faculty (last year):

Reservation policy:

• SC - 15%
• ST - 7.5%
• OBC-NCL - 27%
• EWS - 10%
• PwD - 5% horizontal reservation

Reservation follows the central university norms and is applied at the time of merit list preparation. There is also a sub-quota for Kashmiri migrants and some supernumerary seats for foreign nationals.

BHU PET 2026 Preparation Tips

Since CAP-PG admissions are CUET PG-based, BHU PET 2026 preparation really means preparing for your CUET PG paper. If you are aiming for the next cycle (CUET PG 2027) or appearing in the spot round, here is what helps:

Build a strong subject foundation:

• Stick to standard Bachelor’s textbooks. CUET PG questions are largely concept-based.
• For science papers, NCERT plus DU / BHU / IGNOU PG entrance level books work well.
• For humanities, follow the UGC NET syllabus alongside CUET PG. The two overlap heavily.

Practice with past papers:

• Solve at least 3 years of CUET PG previous question papers for your subject.
• BHU PET papers from before 2022 are still relevant for subject-wise practice.

Take mock tests:

• Time yourself for 105 minutes for 75 MCQs.
• Avoid blind guessing - the negative marking (-1) can pull your score down badly.

Smart revision in the last month:

• Maintain a single revision notebook for formulas, definitions and one-liners.
• Cover high-weight topics first - they decide your final percentile.

For CAP-PG choice filling:

• List as many BHU programmes as you are eligible for, even those you think are a stretch.
• Order them strictly by your real preference, not by perceived chance of getting in.
• Do not leave out lower-priority choices - they save you in Round 2 if your top choices do not click.