Checked 30 September 2026. From the 2026 bulletins: APPGCET booklet V4, TG CPGET-2026 brochure and dates, NTA CUET (PG) 2026 Information Bulletin. All three cycles for 2027 are yet to be notified.
A graduate in Andhra Pradesh usually has three PG entrance tests within reach: AP PGCET for the state's universities and colleges, TG CPGET (still widely called TS CPGET) for Telangana's universities, and CUET-PG, run by the National Testing Agency for central and other participating universities. They look alike from a distance — all are 90-minute objective tests — but they differ on negative marking, qualifying marks, who can take the seats, and when they run. This guide sets them side by side from their own 2026 bulletins.
Where other pages get this wrong
CUET-PG has negative marking; AP PGCET and TG CPGET do not.
Commonly published instead: comparison pages often describe all three as "100 MCQs, no negative marking" or copy one exam's pattern onto the others.
The NTA bulletin for CUET (PG) 2026 sets 75 questions, +4 for a correct answer and −1 for a wrong one. The AP PGCET 2026 papers and the TG CPGET 2026 brochure both set 100 questions with no negative marking. The strategy for a doubtful question is therefore opposite in CUET-PG.
Official: the three 2026 bulletins.
Side by side
| Item | AP PGCET | TG CPGET | CUET-PG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conducted by (2026) | Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, for APSCHE | Kakatiya University, Warangal, for TGCHE | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Admissions run by | Commissionerate of Higher Education, AP (CAP portal) | Directorate of Admissions, Osmania University | Each participating university |
| Questions and time | 100 questions, 90 minutes | 100 questions, 90 minutes | 75 questions, 90 minutes |
| Marking | +1 / 0, maximum 100 | +1 / 0, maximum 100 | +4 / −1, maximum 300 (ours: 75 × 4) |
| Qualifying mark | 35%; no minimum for SC/ST | 25% for OC/EWS/BC; no minimum for SC/ST | None set by NTA; universities decide |
| Medium | English, except language tests | Not stated in the brochure | English and Hindi, except language papers |
| Tests / papers | 31 codes (30 held in 2026) | 44 test codes | 157 paper codes (ours, Appendix II); up to 4 per candidate |
| Universities | 17 plus affiliated colleges and 7 private universities | 9 | Participating universities listed by NTA |
| Tie-break | Older candidate first | Older candidate first, then qualifying-exam marks | Universities rank on their own merit lists |
| Revaluation | None | None | Answer-key challenge only |
| Key objection fee | Rs 300, refunded if valid | Rs 200, refunded if correct | Rs 200, non-refundable |
Sources: APPGCET-2026 Instruction Booklet V4 and master papers; TG CPGET-2026 Information Brochure, Examination Pattern and Phase-1 counselling notification; NTA CUET (PG) 2026 Information Bulletin (all official). The CUET-PG maximum and paper-code count are our arithmetic.
The marking difference changes technique. In AP PGCET and TG CPGET a blank answer is always a waste: answer everything. In CUET-PG a blind guess on a four-option question is worth, on average, (1/4 × 4) − (3/4 × 1) = +0.25 marks (our arithmetic) — still positive, but a wrong answer costs a quarter of a right one, and one eliminated option raises the expected value to about +0.67. CUET-PG also gives you 1.2 minutes per question against 0.9 minutes in the two state tests (ours: 90 ÷ 75 and 90 ÷ 100).
| Measure (ours) | AP PGCET | TG CPGET | CUET-PG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes per question | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| Expected marks, blind guess (4 options) | +0.25 | +0.25 | +0.25 of a 4-mark question |
| Expected marks, one option eliminated | +0.33 | +0.33 | +0.67 of a 4-mark question |
| Cost of a wrong answer | 0 | 0 | −1 |
Our arithmetic on the official marking schemes.
Fees: what each costs to apply
The three exams price extra papers differently. AP PGCET charges the full fee for every test; TG CPGET charges a lower fee for each additional subject; CUET-PG's base fee already covers two papers.
| Category | AP PGCET (per test) | TG CPGET (first + each extra) | CUET-PG (up to 2 + each extra) |
|---|---|---|---|
| OC / General | Rs 850 | Rs 800 + Rs 450 | Rs 1,400 + Rs 700 |
| BC (AP, TG) / OBC-NCL or EWS (CUET) | Rs 750 | Rs 800 + Rs 450 | Rs 1,200 + Rs 600 |
| SC / ST | Rs 650 | Rs 600 + Rs 450 | Rs 1,100 + Rs 600 |
| PwD | By community category | Rs 600 + Rs 450 (PH) | Rs 1,000 + Rs 600 |
| Centre outside India | — | — | Rs 7,000 + Rs 3,500 |
Sources: APPGCET-2026 Instruction Booklet V4; TG CPGET-2026 Information Brochure and Important Dates; NTA CUET (PG) 2026 Information Bulletin (all official).
| Papers | AP PGCET OC (ours) | TG CPGET OC (ours) | CUET-PG General (ours) | AP PGCET SC/ST (ours) | TG CPGET SC/ST (ours) | CUET-PG SC/ST (ours) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rs 850 | Rs 800 | Rs 1,400 | Rs 650 | Rs 600 | Rs 1,100 |
| 2 | Rs 1,700 | Rs 1,250 | Rs 1,400 | Rs 1,300 | Rs 1,050 | Rs 1,100 |
| 3 | Rs 2,550 | Rs 1,700 | Rs 2,100 | Rs 1,950 | Rs 1,500 | Rs 1,700 |
Our arithmetic on the official fees, before late fees and gateway charges.
Our arithmetic from the three 2026 bulletins.
What would all three cost me? Application fee comparer
Pick your category and how many papers you would write in each exam. The comparer adds up the 2026 application fees. Categories are matched as closely as the three bulletins allow.
2026 fees before late fees, gateway charges and GST. CUET-PG charges the "up to two papers" fee even for one. Our arithmetic.
Who can take the seats
This is the question that decides most choices, and the three exams answer it very differently. AP PGCET reserves 85% of each course for local candidates of Andhra Pradesh (by the four-year study rule) and opens the other 15% to AP locals, candidates with 10 years' residence in AP (their own or a parent's), and children or spouses of government and similar employees within AP. TG CPGET does the same for Telangana: 85% local, 15% unreserved on Telangana-linked conditions. A candidate schooled and educated entirely outside Telangana is eligible only for the National Integration Quota — 20% supernumerary seats in each course in campus and constituent colleges, at the prescribed fee, with no hostel. CUET-PG has no state-local rule of its own; each university applies its own admission and reservation policy.
| Question | AP PGCET | TG CPGET | CUET-PG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main seat pool for an AP-educated graduate | 85% local seats of your AP area + 15% unreserved | NIQ only (20% supernumerary, campus and constituent colleges), if educated entirely outside Telangana | As each participating university decides |
| Reservation framework | AP: SC 15%, ST 6%, BC 29%, EWS 10% extra | Telangana's own rules (not compared here) | University's own (NTA does not allot seats) |
| Seats listed for 2026 | 37,475 sanctioned (CAP data, ours) | 43,052 in the tentative college list (ours); 47,237 convener seats reported for Phase 1 | Not published as one pool |
| Counselling processing fee | Rs 750 OC/BC, Rs 550 SC/ST/PWD, per test code | Rs 250, Rs 200 SC/ST | Per university |
Sources: G.O.Ms.No.20 (2025) and CHE notification, 01.09.2026; TG CPGET-2026 Information Brochure and Phase-1 counselling notification; NTA CUET (PG) 2026 Information Bulletin (official). TG CPGET's 47,237 is reported by Telangana Today; the 43,052 and 37,475 are our sums of the official lists, which is why the TG figures conflict.
How many sit each exam
| Exam (2026) | Registered | Appeared | Qualified | Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP PGCET | 19,118 | 16,406 | 15,020 | 91.55% | Reported, The Hans India |
| TG CPGET | 52,697 | 45,462 | 42,526 | 93.54% | Reported, Telangana Today |
| CUET-PG | Not researched | — | No qualifying mark | — | NTA result notice, 24 April 2026 |
Sources: The Hans India, 30 May 2026 and Telangana Today, CPGET 2026 results (reported); NTA result notice (official). Neither state council published its figures in an official press note we could find.
The two state tests qualify nine in ten candidates or more; in both, rank inside the test is what separates candidates. TG CPGET draws almost three times as many candidates who sit as AP PGCET (45,462 against 16,406, reported).
The calendar: all three fit in one year
In 2026 the three exams did not collide. CUET-PG closed applications in January and sat in March; AP PGCET sat in May; TG CPGET sat in July. A candidate could have written all three.
| Step | CUET-PG 2026 | AP PGCET 2026 | TG CPGET 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 14 Dec 2025 – 14 Jan 2026 | 09 Feb – 28 Mar 2026 (late fee to 09 Apr) | 15 May – 15 Jun 2026 (revised; late fee to 19 Jun) |
| Correction window | 18 – 20 Jan 2026 | 10 Apr 2026 | — |
| Test | March 2026 (admit cards issued for sittings from 06 to 27 March) | 08 – 11 May 2026 | 08 – 16 Jul 2026 |
| Result | 24 Apr 2026 | 30 May 2026 (reported) | 05 Aug 2026 |
| Phase 1 allotment / reporting | Per university | Allotment 22 Sep; reporting 22 – 25 Sep 2026 | Fee and self-reporting by 23 Sep 2026 (extended) |
Sources: NTA CUET (PG) 2026 Information Bulletin, admit-card notices and result notice; APPGCET-2026 Important Dates and CHE schedule; TG CPGET-2026 Important Dates and counselling notices (official). The AP result date is reported.
Which to write
A decision in four lines
- You studied in AP and want a state university or college seat: AP PGCET is the exam. It is the only route to the 85% local seats and to fee reimbursement on Regular seats.
- You want a central university: CUET-PG. Check the university's own list of accepted paper codes before choosing up to four papers.
- You are thinking of Telangana: read the local rules first. If you were educated entirely outside Telangana, only the NIQ seats in campus and constituent colleges are open to you.
- Writing two or all three is affordable and, on the 2026 calendar, clash-free. Prepare for CUET-PG's negative marking separately.
The syllabi overlap more than the patterns do. AP PGCET and TG CPGET both set graduate-level subject papers; TG CPGET prints marks per part or unit for many of its tests (for example Mathematics as five 20-mark blocks, Computer Science as six weighted units), which AP PGCET does not. Preparing the subject well serves all three — the differences are timing, marking and the seats you are allowed to take.
Practise it, don't just read it
Whichever exam you choose, the subject knowledge is the same. Drill it one topic at a time.
The ProSyllabus AP PGCET library has topic quizzes for English, Commerce, Economics, Chemistry and Computer Science — the five largest tests by seats after Life Sciences and Mathematics.
Does CUET-PG have negative marking?
Yes. The NTA bulletin for CUET (PG) 2026 gives +4 for a correct answer and deducts 1 mark for each incorrect answer, over 75 questions in 90 minutes.
Can an Andhra Pradesh student write TS CPGET?
Yes, but a candidate schooled and educated entirely outside Telangana is eligible only for the National Integration Quota: 20% supernumerary seats in campus and constituent colleges, with no hostel.
What is the qualifying mark in TG CPGET compared with AP PGCET?
TG CPGET needs 25% for OC, EWS and BC candidates; AP PGCET needs 35%. Neither has a minimum for SC and ST candidates.
Which is cheaper to apply for, AP PGCET or CUET-PG?
For one paper AP PGCET is cheaper (Rs 850 OC against Rs 1,400 General). For two papers CUET-PG is cheaper (Rs 1,400 against Rs 1,700), because its base fee covers two papers.
Can I write AP PGCET, TG CPGET and CUET-PG in the same year?
In 2026 the three tests ran in March (CUET-PG), May (AP PGCET) and July (TG CPGET), so all three could be written. Check the 2027 notices, which are not out yet.
Who conducted TG CPGET 2026?
Kakatiya University, Warangal, on behalf of the Telangana Council of Higher Education. Admissions and counselling were run by the Directorate of Admissions, Osmania University.
More in this series
- AP PGCET test codes: which of the 31 tests leads to which PG course
- AP PGCET 2026 seats and fees: 37,475 seats and what each seat type costs
- AP PGCET qualifying marks: 35 out of 100, the SC/ST exemption and pass rates
- AP PGCET local status and reservation: 85/15, AU vs SVU, and private seats
- AP PGCET previous papers 2026: the 30 master papers and a plan built on them
- AP PGCET notice board — official updates
Sources
- official — APPGCET-2026 Instruction Booklet V4
- official — APPGCET-2026 master question papers with preliminary keys
- official — APPGCET-2026-27 Admissions — Notification for Online Admissions (CHE, dated 01.09.2026)
- official — G.O.Ms.No.20, Higher Education (EC), 12.05.2025 — local and non-local rules
- official — TG CPGET-2026 Information Brochure (TGCHE, conducted by Kakatiya University)
- official — TG CPGET-2026 Important Dates (revised, 04-08-2026)
- official — TG CPGET-2026 Examination Pattern
- official — TG CPGET-2026 Phase-1 counselling notification (Directorate of Admissions, OU)
- reported — Telangana Today — CPGET 2026 results, 93.54 per cent qualify
- official — NTA — CUET (PG) 2026 Information Bulletin
- official — NTA — CUET (PG) website
- official — NTA — Declaration of result for CUET (PG) 2026
- reported — The Hans India — APPGCET-2026 result story (30 May 2026)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
