MHT CET exam pattern, marking scheme and how to prepare
Maharashtra Common Entrance Test
MHT CET for engineering (PCM) is a 3-hour computer-based test with 150 multiple-choice questions for 200 marks: Physics 50 marks, Chemistry 50 marks and Mathematics 100 marks, with no negative marking. The syllabus gives 20% weight to Class 11 and 80% to Class 12. The pharmacy group takes Biology instead of Maths.
At a glance
- Conducted by
- State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra
- Mode
- Computer-based test (CBT)
- PCM questions
- 150 MCQs for 200 marks
- Marking
- No negative marking
- Duration
- 3 hours: Physics and Chemistry 90 min, then Maths or Biology 90 min
- Syllabus weight
- 20% Class 11, 80% Class 12
Section-wise pattern
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | 50 | 50 (1 each) |
| Chemistry | 50 | 50 (1 each) |
| Mathematics | 50 | 100 (2 each) |
PCM group, 200 marks in all. The pharmacy and agriculture group (PCB) sits Physics, Chemistry and Biology instead; its Biology paper is set at NEET level and the exact distribution is in the CET Cell brochure.
How admission works
Seats are filled through centralised counselling rounds, and merit is based on your MHT CET percentile score. Class 12 marks are used for eligibility, so check the minimum percentage in the CET Cell brochure for your category.
What the pattern means for you
- Maths carries half the marks (100 of 200): it decides your percentile more than any other subject.
- No negative marking, so never leave a question blank.
- Physics and Chemistry are one 90-minute block and cannot be revisited after you move to Maths, so finish them cleanly first.
- 20% of the syllabus is Class 11: do not skip units such as kinematics, laws of motion or the periodic table.
Concepts to revise first
Each is a one-minute animated lesson, in English and Hindi, with the exam-style answer written out. They cover the Class 11 and 12 ideas this route tests; CogniGuru does not have MHT CET-specific question banks.
Physics
- Projectile Motion — why 30° and 60° land at the same spot
- Work, Energy, Power — why pushing a wall does zero work
- Why is the work done by centripetal force zero? — Class 11
- Torque vs Force — why pulling at an angle feels weaker
- Moment of Inertia — why a ring is harder to spin than a disc
- Simple Harmonic Motion vs Periodic Motion — why 'it repeats' isn't the test
- Electric Field vs Electric Potential — the vector and the scalar
- Why can electric field lines never cross? — Class 12
Chemistry
- Mole vs Molar Mass vs Avogadro's Number — Class 9
- Orbit vs Orbital — Class 11
- How to find sp, sp² or sp³ hybridisation — Class 11
- Electronegativity vs Electron Affinity — Class 11
- Le Chatelier's Principle Explained — Class 11
- Galvanic vs Electrolytic Cell — Class 12
- Molarity vs Molality vs Normality — does heating a solution change its concentration?
- Periodic Trends — why potassium is BIGGER than sodium despite more protons
Mathematics
- Function vs Relation — Class 11
- One-one vs Onto Functions — Class 12
- Domain vs Range — why one value can quietly break a function
- Definite vs Indefinite Integral — Class 12
- Differentiation vs Integration — two questions about the same curve
- Dot Product vs Cross Product — Class 12
- What is conditional probability? P(A|B) explained — Class 12
- Permutations vs Combinations — the one question that decides which formula to use
Biology
- Transcription vs Translation — Class 12
- Genotype vs Phenotype — can you tell someone's genotype just by looking at their phenotype?
- DNA vs RNA — the master copy never leaves the building
- Mitosis vs Meiosis — why your body runs two completely different kinds of division
- Photosynthesis vs Respiration — do plants really stop breathing in daylight?
- Codominance vs Incomplete Dominance — does a 'mixed' phenotype always mean the same thing?
- Why does the F2 generation show a 3 : 1 ratio? — Class 10
- Dominant vs Recessive Traits — does dominant mean more common, or recessive mean it vanishes?
Get my AI tutor for MHT CET concepts
An AI tutor that explains any Class 11 or 12 doubt one minute at a time, in English or Hindi. Join the waitlist.
Common questions
- Is there negative marking in MHT CET?
- No. For the 2026 cycle there was no negative marking, so an unattempted question can never beat a guess.
- How many marks is MHT CET (PCM) out of?
- 200 marks: Physics 50, Chemistry 50 and Mathematics 100, across 150 questions.
- How is the MHT CET syllabus split between Class 11 and 12?
- Published summaries of the syllabus give 20% weight to Class 11 and 80% to Class 12.
- Will CogniGuru give me MHT CET mock papers?
- Not yet. CogniGuru explains the Class 11 and 12 concepts that MHT CET tests, one minute at a time, with the exam-style answer written out. It does not have MHT CET question banks or mock tests, so use the official previous papers for practice.
Check the official source
This describes the 2026 cycle as published. The brochure for your year decides everything, so confirm on the official site before you plan around any number. Official site: cetcell.mahacet.org.