Starting this year, both attempts of the Maharashtra Health and Technical Common Entrance Test (MHT-CET) for admission to Engineering and Pharmacy courses will be held after the Class 12 board examination.
The higher and technical education department said the decision followed consultation with parents, admission counsellors and others who had raised concerns that the first attempt, likely in December, was too close to the Class 12 Board exam.While the CET cell is yet to declare a final schedule, both attempts are likely to be held between March and May, at least four weeks apart. A candidate’s best score of the two will be considered for admissionAs per the original plan, the first attempt was scheduled for December 2026 and the second for April 2027. “However, before finalisation of the schedule, the higher and technical education department of the state as well as the CET Cell received several representations stating that the timing of the first attempt of the CET is very close to the Class12 examination, which is likely to cause difficulties for candidates to manage studying for both exams,” said an official from the CET Cell. This led to the decision to hold both attempts after the Maharashtra State Board’s Class 12 exams, scheduled for February, the official added.The state introduced the two-attempt system in November last year to align MHT-CET with national entrance examinations such as the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), while giving students another chance to improve their scores and easing the pressure of a single high-stakes test. As the decision came late, both attempts for the 2025-26 academic year were held in April and May.
While planning this year’s schedule to ensure a significant gap between the two attempts, the state sought feedback from students and other stakeholders. The response, officials said, was very different, particularly from districts in the interiors such as Nandurbar, Dharashiv and Chandrapur.
The representations pointed out that practical assessments for Class 12 board exams begin in January. “Preparing and appearing for MHT-CET’s first attempt, just before the practical assessments, according to many, was unfair for students. And they preferred that both attempts be held after the Class 12 exam,” said an official.
