Delhi University Allows Class 12 Marks for Admissions as Over 13,300 Seats Stay Vacant
Admissions to undergraduate courses at the University of Delhi entered a mop-up round for the second consecutive year, with multiple colleges permitted to admit students based on their Class 12 Board exam marks instead of Common University Entrance Test (CUET) scores.
The university announced that more than 13,300 of the approximately 71,600 undergraduate seats across its affiliated colleges remained vacant following multiple rounds of CUET-based seat allocations conducted through candidate preferences.
While vacant seats in prominent colleges located on the North Campus are set to be filled through a spot admission round on the university's Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS) portal using CUET scores, several other institutions, primarily off-campus colleges, were granted permission to admit students using Class 12 results.
On August 20, 2026, the university published an initial list of 11 colleges, mostly off-campus, authorized to process admissions through Class 12 marks. Four additional colleges were added to the list on August 21, and further additions were made on August 23, including institutions such as Indraprastha College for Women and Gargi College.
Until 2022, Delhi University admitted undergraduate students almost entirely on the basis of Class 12 results, with individual colleges issuing course cut-off percentages. The system was replaced when the University Grants Commission (UGC) mandated CUET across all Central universities to standardize entry across different state and central examination boards.
Under the CUET system, candidates rank specific course and college combinations, leading to low registration numbers for certain less-sought-after combinations. To resolve seat vacancies, the UGC issued standard operating procedures in 2024 allowing universities to utilize their own entrance tests or Class 12 marks if required.
During the previous year, the university similarly allowed colleges to hold a mop-up round based on board exam results after nearly 7,000 seats remained unfilled. University officials stated that CUET continues to serve as the primary mode of undergraduate admission, with Class 12 scores utilized strictly as an auxiliary measure for remaining vacancies.
