MHT CET 2027: Sessions, Eligibility, Pattern & Fees

MHT CET 2027: the session system is the story

MHT CET — the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test — is conducted by the State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra, for admission to B.E./B.Tech, B.Pharmacy and (through the PCB group) agriculture and allied undergraduate programmes in colleges across Maharashtra. It is the main gateway to Maharashtra's state quota engineering and pharmacy seats, and most candidates in the state take it alongside JEE Main, which the state also accepts for a portion of seats under the CAP (Centralised Admission Process) rules.

The 2027 examination notice has not been issued yet. But the last cycle changed the exam's shape in a way every 2027 aspirant needs to know: MHT CET 2026 was held in two sessions — a first attempt in April and a second attempt in May — and candidates could register for one attempt or both, CET Cell counting the better performance. For 2026, registrations opened on 10 January 2026 and — after two extensions from the original 12 February closing — closed on 24 February 2026, with a late window to 27 February carrying a Rs 500 additional fee. Session 1 ran from 11 to 19 April 2026 for the PCM group and 21 to 26 April 2026 for the PCB group; Session 2 ran from 14 to 17 May 2026 (PCM) and 10 to 11 May 2026 (PCB). Registrations hit a record 11.43 lakh applications across both groups and attempts. The 2027 notice is expected to follow a similar calendar — applications likely around January 2027 — but the two-session structure, dates and fees for 2027 are confirmed only when CET Cell posts the 2027 information brochure at cetcell.mahacet.org.

Who is eligible

You must be an Indian citizen, and you must have passed — or be appearing in — Class 12 (HSC) or an equivalent examination. For engineering, Physics and Mathematics are compulsory, with one of Chemistry, Biotechnology, Biology, a Technical Vocational subject, Computer Science, IT and similar listed subjects as the third. For pharmacy, Physics and Chemistry are compulsory with Mathematics or Biology. The minimum is 45% aggregate in the qualifying subjects for the general category and 40% for reserved-category candidates belonging to Maharashtra state. There is no age limit. Diploma holders in Engineering and Technology and B.Sc. graduates with Mathematics can also be eligible for specific admission routes under the brochure rules.

Where you studied matters as much as your marks. Maharashtra candidates are clubbed into Type A–E candidatures based on domicile and place of passing HSC/degree, and the seat matrix and reservations differ by candidature type; outside-Maharashtra (OMS) candidates compete for a much smaller pool. Read the candidature-type table in the brochure before assuming which quota you fall in — this is the single most misunderstood part of MHT CET admissions.

Exam pattern

Pattern below is the confirmed 2026 cycle — the latest confirmed. CET Cell has not published a 2027 pattern; the 2027 information brochure is the authority.

MHT CET is an online computer-based test with no negative marking. The PCM paper has 150 questions for 200 marks: Physics 50 questions (1 mark each), Chemistry 50 questions (1 mark each) and Mathematics 50 questions (2 marks each), over 180 minutes. The PCB paper substitutes Biology (Botany + Zoology, 100 questions of 1 mark) for Mathematics, taking the paper to 200 questions over 180 minutes, still 200 marks total. About 20% of the questions come from the Class 11 syllabus and 80% from Class 12. In the new structure you may sit one session or both; if both, your better percentile is used. Because scores are percentile-normalised across shifts, a "topper score" in one session is not directly comparable with raw marks in another.

Fees and how to apply

For 2026, the fee per attempt was Rs 1,300 for general-category, outside-Maharashtra and J&K migrant candidates, and Rs 1,000 for reserved categories — SC, ST, OBC, SBC, SEBC, EWS, PwD, orphans and transgender candidates. Both attempts cost double. CET Cell also pushed Aadhaar and APAAR ID authentication (through DigiLocker) hard in 2026, and many applicants assumed both were compulsory; CET Cell later clarified that candidates facing technical difficulty could submit the form without completing Aadhaar/APAAR authentication — but creating the APAAR ID in DigiLocker before you start remains the smoother path.

• Register at cetcell.mahacet.org with your mobile number and email.
• Fill the form — personal details, category and candidature type, qualifying exam details, and your choice of one attempt or both.
• Upload photograph, signature and supporting documents in the prescribed size.
• Pay the fee online and submit; download the confirmation page.
• Download the admit card when released for your session, and check the provisional answer key after the exam to file objections in the window CET Cell opens.

Documents to keep ready

Class 10 marksheet/certificate (date of birth proof), Class 12 marksheet or appearing details, Maharashtra domicile certificate if claiming state candidature, caste certificate and caste validity certificate for reserved categories, EWS or non-creamy-layer certificate as applicable, PwD/UDID certificate for PwD applicants, Aadhaar card and APAAR ID, and scanned photograph and signature.

Common mistakes

Applying in the wrong candidature type and discovering it during CAP; assuming one attempt is enough when the two-attempt structure rewards a second sitting; leaving Aadhaar/APAAR authentication problems until the last day; and treating MHT CET as a back-up to JEE without separate preparation — the Mathematics paper's 2-marks-per-question weight makes it a different test from JEE Main, and state-college cut-offs reflect that.

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