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Campus Talk: MHT‑CET to follow JEE Main model, will be held twice in Maharashtra

With two exam sessions, the registration process will also have to start sooner.

mht-cetFrom the upcoming admission cycle, there will be two sessions per subject group. (Express Photo)

In an important development for Class 12 students across Maharashtra, the MHT-CET will now be conducted twice, on the lines of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main. The plan is to hold two sessions to give aspirants another chance.

The MHT-CET is a state-wide entrance test held for admission to professional courses such as engineering, pharmacy, agriculture, architecture, etc. It is generally held in April with one session each for Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics (PCM) and Physics, Chemistry, Biology (PCB) groups of subjects.

From the upcoming admission cycle, there will be two sessions per subject group. Candidates will have a choice to appear for both or only one attempt, as per their convenience. In case of two attempts, the best of the two scores will be considered for admission, as per the practice followed by JEE Main, the national-level entrance test for engineering and technology admissions.

As per the information shared by Dilip Sardesai, the Commissioner of Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell, for admission to the academic session 2026-27, both attempts of MHT-CET will be held between March to May 2026. However, for admissions of academic year 2027-28, the two attempts will be spread over a longer period, just like the two sessions of JEE-Main. For example, JEE-Main 2025 had its first session in January 2025, followed by a second session in April 2025.

“The new system is to allow students a choice to appear for MHT-CET as per their convenience. Apart from allowing a chance for aspirants to up their scores, a CET held twice will also allow students another chance should they miss the first one for any reason. In the existing system of one attempt, if a candidate missed it due to any reason, there was no such chance,” an official from the CET Cell said.

With two exam sessions, the registration process will also have to start sooner.

Along with MHT-CET, the plan includes two attempts for MBA/MMS CET too, which determines admission to popular postgraduate courses of the management stream. This CET is generally held in April. To conduct two sessions, this CET, too, will have an early start.

Curated For You

Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting. Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive: Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses). Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers. Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis). Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students. Credentials & Trustworthiness Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized. Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families. She tweets @Pallavi_Smart ... Read More

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  • Joint Entrance Examination MHT-CET
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