The Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (collectively referred to as MH-CET or MAH-CET) is a comprehensive, state-level entrance examination framework conducted annually by the State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra. It serves as the definitive gateway for securing admissions into various undergraduate and postgraduate professional courses across government, government-aided, and private un-aided institutions within the state.

Types of CET Exams While MHT-CET specifically targets undergraduate technical, engineering, and health science courses, the umbrella MAH-CET covers a wide variety of professional domains:

MHT-CET: Engineering (B.E./B.Tech), Pharmacy (B.Pharm/Pharm.D), and Agricultural courses.

MAH-MBA/MMS-CET: Master of Business Administration and Master of Management Studies.

MAH-MCA-CET: Master of Computer Applications.MAH-LL.B. (3 & 5 Years) CET: Integrated and standalone Law degrees.

MAH-B.HMCT / M.HMCT CET: Graduate and postgraduate courses in Hotel Management and Catering Technology. Key Exam Specifications (Undergraduate MHT-CET)

Mode of Exam: Conducted entirely online as a Computer-Based Test (CBT).

Duration: 180 minutes (3 hours), split into two 90-minute sessions depending on the stream.

Streams: Sub-divided into PCM (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) for Engineering and PCB (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) for Pharmacy/Agriculture.

Marking Scheme: Total weightage is 200 marks. Mathematics questions carry 2 marks each, while Physics, Chemistry, and Biology carry 1 mark per question.

No Negative Marking: Candidates do not lose marks for incorrect answers.

Eligibility & Seat Allocation

Academic Prerequisites: Candidates must have passed their Class 12 (HSC) or equivalent examination in the Science stream. A minimum of 50% aggregate marks is required for the General category, and 45% for reserved categories.

Syllabus Base:The curriculum closely aligns with the Maharashtra State Board syllabus, with approximately 20% weightage from the Class 11 syllabus and 80% from the Class 12 syllabus.

Quota Priority: While open to all-India candidates, the admission framework highly favors Maharashtra domicile candidates, reserving a substantial state quota (typically around 85%) for local residents. Outside-state candidates are often evaluated via national exams like JEE Main for engineering.

The 50:50 Merit Rule: For compilation of the  final merit list, a formula assigns 50% weightage to the Class 12 board marks in core subjects and 50% weightage to the normalized MHT-CET percentile score.

📌 Quick Facts

Conducting Body: State Common Entrance Test Cell (CET Cell), Maharashtra.

Exam Mode: Online (Computer-Based Test).

Duration: 3 hours (180 minutes)

Exam Structure & Pattern

The most popular variants of the exam feature distinct question formats:

Engineering (PCM) & Pharmacy/Agriculture (PCB) Streams These exams feature multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and strictly test application over theory.Physics & Chemistry: 50 questions each (1 mark per question).

Mathematics: 50 questions (2 marks per question).

Biology (For PCB): 100 questions (1 mark per question).

Negative Marking: None.

Eligibility Criteria

While specific requirements vary by course, the general parameters include:

Nationality: Must be an Indian Citizen.

Domicile: Open to all-India candidates, but a significant majority of seats (typically ~85%) are reserved for Maharashtra-domicile candidates.

Educational Qualification:

For Undergraduate: Passed Class 12 (HSC) or equivalent with a minimum of 50% aggregate (45% for reserved categories/PwD) in relevant subjects.For Postgraduate (MBA): A minimum 3-year bachelor's degree in any discipline with 50% aggregate (45% for reserved categories).