MHT CET 2026 Counselling Commences: Over 11.64 Lakh Registrations, Cutoffs Awaited at cetcell.mahacet.org

The State Common Entrance Test Cell, Mumbai, has commenced the admission process for the MHT CET Exam 2026, which includes counselling, cutoff declarations, and the overall admission process for various professional courses in Maharashtra. As of today, August 26, 2026, candidates are actively engaging with the initial stages of the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) portal.

This year’s MHT CET cycle has witnessed a significant surge in participation, with total registrations surpassing 11.64 lakh candidates, driven primarily by the new two-attempt format. The MHT CET 2026 cutoff, which represents the minimum score or rank required for admission, will be released by the State CET Cell, Maharashtra, after each round of CAP counselling.

MHT CET 2026: Admission Process and Key Dates

The MHT CET (Maharashtra Common Entrance Test) is conducted by the State Common Entrance Test Cell, Mumbai, for admission to engineering, pharmacy, and agriculture courses across Maharashtra. For the 2026 academic session, the entrance test was tentatively scheduled to be conducted in a two-session format across April and May, allowing candidates to appear in both months. The authorities consider the best of two percentiles for final merit ranking, a key catalyst for the surge in participation this year.

The MHT CET results are declared in percentiles, not raw scores, with a Normalization Process used to convert raw marks from different shifts onto a common scale of 0 to 100. If a candidate appeared for both sessions of the MHT CET 2026, the CET Cell automatically selects the highest overall total percentile score for their merit ranking. The provisional and final merit lists are uploaded as downloadable PDFs onto the State Common Entrance Test Cell’s portal at cetcell.mahacet.org.

MHT CET 2025 Counselling Schedule (Reference)

While the specific dates for MHT CET 2026 counselling are awaited, candidates can refer to the MHT CET 2025 schedule to understand the typical timeline for the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) rounds. This provides a clear indication of the sequence of events from registration to seat acceptance.

MHT CET 2026 Cutoff and Eligibility for CAP

The MHT CET Cutoff 2026 is the minimum score or rank required for admission into various engineering and pharmacy programs across Maharashtra. This cutoff will be released by the State CET Cell, Maharashtra, after each round of the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) counselling. To participate in CAP portal counselling, General/Open category candidates must score a minimum of 45 percentile. For reserved category students, including SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and PwD, the minimum benchmark for CAP participation is 40 percentile.

The MHT CET CAP Merit List 2026 depends on a standardized weightage system known as the 50:50 Formula. This formula gives 50% weightage from the Class 12 board examination percentile and 50% weightage from the normalized MHT CET 2026 percentile score. This integrated approach ensures a all-around evaluation of candidates for admission.

MHT CET 2026: Marks vs Percentile Analysis

Understanding the relationship between raw marks and percentile is crucial for candidates. Based on MHT CET 2025 data, a score of 54 marks typically falls within the 50-59 marks range, corresponding to approximately an 80 percentile. This conversion is a result of the normalization process which accounts for variations in difficulty across different exam shifts. Approximately 7.75 lakh students applied for the engineering stream (PCM Group), while approximately 3.88 lakh students applied for pharmacy and agriculture (PCB Group) in the 2026 cycle.

How to Access MHT CET 2026 Merit Lists

Candidates can access the provisional and final merit lists for MHT CET 2026 directly from the official portal of the State Common Entrance Test Cell. These lists are crucial for understanding admission eligibility and counselling participation.

1. Go to the official website, cetcell.mahacet.org.
2. Navigate to the MHT CET 2026 section.
3. Look for the ‘Provisional Merit List’ or ‘Final Merit List’ link.
4. Click on the relevant link to download the PDF.
5. Search for your name or application number within the downloaded list.

Written by Simran

Simran is currently working as a Senior Content Writer at Findmycollege , where she creates engaging and research-driven learning resources for students. She has completed her Graduation in Journalism from Delhi University. With 4 years of experience in the EdTech industry, she has previously contributed to leading platforms like Leverage Edu and Aakash. Her expertise lies in simplifying Engineering and Medical entrance exam content to guide aspirants in their preparation journey. Beyond writing, Simran enjoys sketching, watching movies, and finding creative inspiration in everyday life.

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