Pune: The MHT-CET for the physics, chemistry, mathematics (PCM) group begins today across Maharashtra, marking a crucial step for students seeking admission to engineering courses.While the state common entrance test cell will commence the PCM group exams from April 11, the physics, chemistry, biology (PCB) group exams will begin from April 21. The entrance test is a gateway for engineering, pharmacy, and medical courses in the state.Experts said that students have an advantage this year as the CET syllabus aligns closely with the Std XII state board curriculum. “Students can leverage their recent board exam preparation to score well in CET. Instead of starting new topics, they should revise and practise high-weightage chapters,” RB Garud, an entrance exam expert, told TOI.The exam follows a multiple-choice format and is designed with a balanced difficulty level. Around 70% of the questions are expected to be easy, 15% moderate, and 15% difficult. Experts advise students to first attempt questions they are confident about to build momentum and avoid unnecessary stress.“Subject-wise, physics often appears challenging, but key areas such as mechanics, electricity, light, heat, sound, and modern physics carry higher weightage. In chemistry, students should focus on organic chemistry, along with d-block and p-block elements. For mathematics, calculus and geometry remain crucial scoring areas,” according to Garud.The PCM group examination will be conducted over eight days, from April 11-20, in two shifts each day (morning and afternoon). The exam is being held in a computer-based format across 198 centres in 36 districts of the state.A statement issued by the CET cell stated: “This year’s introduction of multiple attempts is expected to provide students with greater flexibility and improve their chances of securing admission to top professional courses.”Two attempts introduced for first timeFor the first time, students are being given two opportunities to appear for the CET, similar to the national-level JEE (Main) pattern. The first attempt is scheduled from April 11-20, while the second attempt will be held from May 14-16, 2026.A total of 4,79,332 students are appearing in the first attempt, while 2,96,553 students have registered for the second attempt. In total, 7,75,885 students will take the PCM CET across both attempts.Students were required to choose during registration whether to appear for one or both attempts. If a student appears for both, the higher percentile score will be considered for admission.Increase in registrationsThere has been a rise of 15,070 registrations for the PCM CET compared to last year. In 2025, 4,64,262 students had registered, while this year, the number has increased to 4,79,332 for the first attempt alone.Student demographicsAmong the registered candidates for the first attempt:2,89,707: Male students1,89,604: Female students21: Transgender students2,750: Orphan students2,060: Differently abled (PwD) studentsGrowth over the yearsRegistrations for PCM CET have shown consistent growth over the past four years:2023–24: 3,13,7312024–25: 3,79,7942025–26: 4,64,2622026–27: 7,75,885 (combined for both attempts)
