Maharashtra Common Entrance Test • Conducted by State Common Entrance Test Cell, Government of Maharashtra
State-Level CBT Entrance Examination Conducted by the State Common Entrance Test Cell
MHT CET (Maharashtra Common Entrance Test) 2026 is the state-level entrance examination conducted by the State Common Entrance Test Cell, Government of Maharashtra, for admission to undergraduate Engineering, Technology, Pharmacy, and Agriculture-related courses across government, government-aided, university, and private institutions in Maharashtra. It is among the largest state-level entrance exams in India, with several lakh candidates appearing annually, reflecting Maharashtra's position as one of India's most industrialized and education-dense states.
MHT CET is conducted entirely as a Computer-Based Test (CBT), and uniquely among major state exams, 2026 marked the first year it was held in two separate sessions — once in April and again in May — giving candidates a genuine opportunity to attempt the exam twice and have their better performance considered, a structural feature that distinguishes it from most other state CETs which are held only once.
Conducting Body
State CET Cell, Maharashtra
Govt. of Maharashtra
Exam Mode
Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Fully Online
Total Questions
150 (200 Marks)
Across PCM/PCB Groups
Marking Scheme
+2 Maths, +1 Phy/Chem
No Negative Marking
Maharashtra is home to some of India's most respected engineering institutions, including COEP Technological University Pune (one of Asia's oldest engineering colleges, established in 1854), VJTI Mumbai, SPIT Mumbai, PICT Pune, and Walchand College of Engineering Sangli, all of which draw significant intake through MHT CET rank. Mumbai and Pune, Maharashtra's leading cities, are also major national hubs for IT, finance, automotive, and manufacturing industries, giving graduates of Maharashtra's engineering colleges strong access to internship and placement opportunities.
Starting with the 2026 cycle, MHT CET introduced a two-session format (PCM and PCB groups each tested across an April session and a May session), departing from its historical single-window exam schedule. This change, broadly mirroring JEE Main's two-session approach, gives candidates a second opportunity to improve their score, with percentile-based normalization applied to ensure fairness across sessions of differing difficulty.
• PCM Group (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics): For Engineering and Technology aspirants, testing all three subjects in a single sitting.
• PCB Group (Physics, Chemistry, Biology): For Pharmacy and Agriculture-related course aspirants, substituting Mathematics with Biology.
• Candidates Targeting Both Streams: Candidates interested in keeping both Engineering and Pharmacy/Agriculture options open can appear for both Mathematics and Biology papers, sitting for an extended combined test.
MHT CET-based admission reserves 85% of seats at government, government-aided, and university-managed institutions for candidates holding valid Maharashtra State Candidature (across defined Candidature Types A through E, based on domicile, schooling location, and parental employment history within the state), with the remaining 15% All India quota seats open to candidates from any Indian state, admitted through either JEE Main or MHT CET scores depending on the specific institution's policy.
Many Maharashtra engineering aspirants prepare for both JEE Main (for NIT/IIIT access and the 15% All India quota at state colleges) and MHT CET (for the bulk of Maharashtra's own state-quota seats) simultaneously, given substantial syllabus overlap, though MHT CET's zero negative marking and distinctive Mathematics-weighted marking scheme (+2 per Mathematics question versus +1 for Physics/Chemistry) require a somewhat different preparation and scoring mindset.
Candidates must have passed Class 12 with Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects alongside Chemistry, Biology, or a vocational subject, securing a minimum aggregate of 45% marks in the relevant subject combination (relaxed to 40% for candidates belonging to Maharashtra's reserved categories). There is generally no strict upper age limit specified for MHT CET engineering aspirants.
| Operational Parameter | Official Specification |
|---|---|
| Full Examination Title | Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHT CET 2026) |
| Governing Authority | State Common Entrance Test Cell, Government of Maharashtra |
| Mode of Examination | Computer-Based Test (CBT), Fully Online |
| Total Duration | 3 Hours (90 Minutes Mathematics/Biology + 90 Minutes Physics & Chemistry) |
| Total Marks | 200 (100 Mathematics, 50 Physics, 50 Chemistry for PCM Group) |
| Total Questions | 150 (50 Mathematics, 50 Physics, 50 Chemistry for PCM Group) |
| Marking Scheme | +2 Per Mathematics Question, +1 Per Physics/Chemistry Question, No Negative Marking |
| Language Options | English, Marathi, Urdu (Urdu available only for PCB Group) |
| Official Web Portal | cetcell.mahacet.org |
Maharashtra's engineering education landscape spans autonomous institutions with excellent placement records (COEP, VJTI, SPIT, PICT), numerous government and government-aided colleges, and a very large number of private self-financing institutions spread across Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Aurangabad, and other cities, giving MHT CET-qualified candidates an exceptionally wide spectrum of institutional choice during counselling.
Many engineering colleges in Maharashtra, including several top-tier private institutions, admit a portion of their seats through JEE Main rank (particularly for the 15% All India quota) alongside their MHT CET-based state quota seats, meaning ambitious Maharashtra students frequently prepare for and appear in both JEE Main and MHT CET simultaneously to maximize their range of admission options.
MHT CET (Maharashtra Common Entrance Test) is a state-level entrance exam conducted by the State Common Entrance Test Cell, Government of Maharashtra, for admission to Engineering, Pharmacy, and Agriculture-related courses across Maharashtra.
Starting from the 2026 cycle, MHT CET introduced a two-session format (April and May), giving candidates the option to attempt the exam twice, with the better performance considered through percentile normalization.
No, MHT CET has zero negative marking across all questions in both PCM and PCB groups.
It refers to specific eligibility categories (Types A through E) based on domicile, schooling location, and parental employment history within Maharashtra, which determine eligibility for the 85% state-quota seats at subsidized fees.
Yes, candidates from any Indian state can appear for MHT CET, but admission to the 85% state-quota seats is generally restricted to candidates holding valid Maharashtra State Candidature.
Revise chapter-wise mathematical formulas before launching your test: