Maharashtra Common Entrance Test • Conducted by State Common Entrance Test Cell, Government of Maharashtra
Understanding Opening and Closing Percentiles Across Maharashtra's Engineering Colleges
MHT CET cutoffs are expressed as opening and closing percentiles (rather than raw scores) for each specific college-branch-category combination, published by the State CET Cell after each CAP counselling round. Cutoffs vary substantially based on college reputation, branch demand, category reservation, and Maharashtra State Candidature status.
Cutoff Basis
Opening & Closing Percentile
Per College-Branch-Category
Most Competitive
COEP/VJTI CS
Consistently Very High Percentiles
Variation Factor
College + Branch + Category + Candidature
Highly Granular
Published By
State CET Cell
After Each CAP Round
Among Maharashtra's engineering colleges, COEP Technological University Pune (one of Asia's oldest engineering institutions), VJTI Mumbai, SPIT Mumbai, and PICT Pune consistently command the highest (most competitive) closing percentiles for their Computer Science and allied branches, given their strong placement records and long-standing academic reputation.
| Branch Category | Relative Competitiveness | General Observation |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science & Engineering / Information Technology | Extremely High | Consistently the most sought-after branches at every top college |
| Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering | High | Strong traditional demand, especially at top Mumbai/Pune colleges |
| Mechanical / Civil / Chemical Engineering | Moderate | Competitive but meaningfully more accessible than CS/IT |
Within the same college, the 85% state-quota seats (filled through MHT CET for candidates holding valid Maharashtra State Candidature) typically see different competitive dynamics than the 15% All India quota seats, which may be filled through either JEE Main or MHT CET scores depending on the specific institution's policy, creating two somewhat distinct applicant pools competing for different seat allocations.
Closing percentiles vary substantially across Maharashtra's reservation categories (Open, SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and various sub-categories), since each category maintains its own separate merit list and proportionally reserved seats as mandated by Maharashtra's state reservation policy.
• Total number of candidates and their percentile distribution, which shifts based on the specific year's two-session paper difficulty and normalization outcomes.
• Any changes in sanctioned seat intake across colleges and branches.
• Evolving student preference trends, particularly rising demand for Computer Science and IT-adjacent branches relative to traditional core branches.
COEP Technological University Pune, VJTI Mumbai, and SPIT Mumbai consistently have among the highest, most competitive closing percentiles, particularly for Computer Science and allied branches.
Yes, the 85% state-quota seats (for Maharashtra State Candidature holders) and 15% All India quota seats represent somewhat distinct applicant pools with different cutoff dynamics.
Yes, each of Maharashtra's reservation categories maintains its own separate merit list with correspondingly different closing percentiles.
Revise chapter-wise mathematical formulas before launching your test: