CUET History at a glance

Paper code

314 (History)

Questions

50 multiple-choice questions, all compulsory

Time

60 minutes

Marking

+5 for a correct answer, minus 1 for a wrong answer; 250 maximum

Syllabus

12 units, 12 chapters in our chapter map

How the CUET History paper is structured

CUET History (paper 314) has 12 themes, one for each chapter of the NCERT class 12 book Themes in Indian History, Parts I to III (four themes per part). The syllabus gives only theme titles, with no sub-topics.

That makes the NCERT chapter the syllabus: sources, maps, timelines and the questions inside each chapter are the material to study.

CUET History syllabus, unit by unit

Unit titles and topics as printed in NTA’s CUET UG 2026 syllabus PDF.

Themes in Indian History, Part I

Themes in Indian History, Part II

Themes in Indian History, Part III

Chapter map

Each row is one chapter of study, with the book it comes from. Where a syllabus topic is missing from that book, the row says so.

1. Bricks, Beads and Bones: The Harappan CivilisationNCERT Themes in Indian History Part I, chapter 1
2. Kings, Farmers and Towns: Early States and EconomiesNCERT Themes in Indian History Part I, chapter 2
3. Kinship, Caste and Class: Early SocietiesNCERT Themes in Indian History Part I, chapter 3
4. Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings: Cultural DevelopmentsNCERT Themes in Indian History Part I, chapter 4
5. Through the Eyes of Travellers: Perceptions of SocietyNCERT Themes in Indian History Part II, chapter 1
6. Bhakti-Sufi Traditions: Changes in Religious Beliefs and Devotional TextsNCERT Themes in Indian History Part II, chapter 2
7. An Imperial Capital: VijayanagaraNCERT Themes in Indian History Part II, chapter 3
8. Peasants, Zamindars and the State: Agrarian Society and the Mughal EmpireNCERT Themes in Indian History Part II, chapter 4
9. Colonialism and the Countryside: Exploring Official ArchivesNCERT Themes in Indian History Part III, chapter 1
10. Rebels and the Raj: The Revolt of 1857 and Its RepresentationsNCERT Themes in Indian History Part III, chapter 2
11. Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement: Civil Disobedience and BeyondNCERT Themes in Indian History Part III, chapter 3
12. Framing the Constitution: The Beginning of a New EraNCERT Themes in Indian History Part III, chapter 4

What changed from 2025 to 2026

• Theme titles rewritten to match the rationalised NCERT chapters: I 'The Story of the First Cities: Harappan Archeology' -> 'Harappan Civilisation and Archaeology'; II 'How Inscriptions tell a story' -> 'Political and Economic Systems in Early States: Inscriptional Evidences'; IV 'A History of Buddhism: Sanchi Stupa' -> 'History of Buddhism and Jainism: Cultural Developments' (scope wider); X 'Representation of 1857' -> 'Revolt of 1857: Patterns and Representations'; XI 'Mahatma Gandhi through Contemporary Eyes' -> 'Mahatma Gandhi and National Movements'.
• Part II re-ordered to NCERT order: 2025 V Ain-i-Akbari, VI Hampi, VII Bhakti-Sufi, VIII Travellers -> 2026 V Travellers, VI Bhakti-Sufi, VII Vijayanagara, VIII Mughal agrarian society. Same four topics.

Compared against NTA’s CUET UG 2025 syllabus PDF. When the 2027 syllabus is out, this section will compare 2027 with 2026.

Books to study from

• NCERT Themes in Indian History Part I (class 12)
• NCERT Themes in Indian History Part II (class 12)
• NCERT Themes in Indian History Part III (class 12)

NCERT books are on ncert.nic.in; NIOS course material is on nios.ac.in.

Other CUET UG 2027 syllabi

CUET UG 2027 overview: exam pattern, dates and how to choose subjects