Maharashtra’s MHT-CET to be held twice a year from 2026

MHT CET 2026: From the 2026 admission cycle, MHT-CET will be conducted in two sessions — April and May. Appearing for at least one session will be mandatory for admission to professional courses, while appearing for both will remain optional.

MHT CET 2026: For students who take both attempts, the best of the two scores will be considered for admission — replicating the JEE Main format (Express Photo/ representative)

The Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHT-CET) will now be held twice a year, beginning with the 2026-27 academic session. The move brings the state-level entrance exam at par with the national Joint Entrance Examination Main (JEE Main), which offers engineering aspirants two chances to improve their performance and secure admissions to professional courses.

The decision was announced by Maharashtra’s Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday, after a review meeting with the State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell, which conducts various entrance tests for higher education in Maharashtra.

Patil said, “At the national level, two JEE entrance examinations are conducted, giving students two opportunities. Similarly, students in Maharashtra will also get two opportunities through these two entrance exams.”

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From the 2026 admission cycle, MHT-CET will be conducted in two sessions — first in April and then in May 2026. Appearing for at least one session will be mandatory for admission to professional courses, while appearing for both will remain optional.

For students who take both attempts, the best of the two scores will be considered for admission, replicating the JEE Main format followed for national-level engineering admissions.

Read | JEE Main 2026: IIT Mandi’s most opted BTech courses this year; new AI-Data Science debuts strong

The scores of MHT CET serve as an eligibility criterion for students aspiring to pursue engineering, pharmacy, agriculture, architecture, and other professional courses. It is usually held in April and divided into separate sessions for Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics (PCM), and Physics, Chemistry, Biology (PCB) groups. Under the new system, each group will now have two opportunities within the same academic year.

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An official from the Higher Education Department said the revised format aims to make the examination process more student-friendly and flexible. “The new system is designed to give students another chance if they miss the first exam or wish to improve their score. Earlier, missing the single annual exam meant losing a full year,” the official explained.

The state government also plans to extend this two-attempt system to the MBA/MMS CET, the entrance test for postgraduate management courses. Traditionally held in April, the MBA/MMS CET will now also have two sessions — one in April and another in May. Candidates can appear for one or both exams, with the higher score considered for admission.

Officials added that holding the entrance exams twice a year would not only reduce exam stress among students but also align Maharashtra’s testing system with national best practices in higher education admissions. This reform, they said, represents a significant step toward ensuring greater fairness, flexibility, and opportunity for all aspirants across the state.