Maharashtra’s higher and technical education department has decided to reschedule the two attempts of the state’s Common Entrance Test (MHT-CET) for engineering and pharmacy courses, with both now set to be held after the Class 12 board examinations.
The two attempts for the current academic year were initially scheduled for December 2026 and April 2027. However, following feedback from parents, counsellors and educationists, both will now be held between March and May, according to officials aware of the developments.
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Maharashtra announced the two-attempt format in November last year to bring the CET in line with national-level entrance examinations such as the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and reduce academic stress on students by giving them a second chance to improve their scores.
The two CET attempts for the 2025-26 academic year were held in April and May, as the decision to introduce the format came late last year. From the current academic year, however, the state had planned to hold the first attempt in December and the second in April.
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“However, when we took feedback from across Maharashtra, we saw a difference of opinion in the rural areas of the state,” said a senior official of the higher and technical education department. “Some parents, including counsellors from Dharashiv, Nandurbar, and Chandrapur, had demanded that if two CETs are to be held, they should be scheduled after the Class 12 exams.”
After seeking the opinion of educationists, the department has decided against holding the first attempt in December. Both tests will now be conducted during the March-April or April-May period, the official said.
“A gap of four weeks will be kept between the two CETs. Also, like this year, the highest score out of the two CETs will be considered,” the official added.
The provisional schedule for all CETs in the current academic year will be announced within the next week, officials said.
