MAH CET 2026: Exam Dates, Application Form (Extended), Syllabus, Pattern, Cutoff, Prep Tips

MAH MBA CET 2026 will be conducted on April 6, 7 and 8, 2026 and also on May 9, 2026. This year, the exam will be conducted in 2 phases. Candidates can choose to appear for one or both attempts. Fee is to be paid per attempt. If a candidate attempt both sessions, best of the two percentiles will be considered for admission.

MAH CET score is accepted by over 300 colleges and institutes in Maharashtra. These include government as well as private institutions. Some of the top colleges which accept MBA CET scores are Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies Mumbai, SIMSREE Mumbai, Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research Mumbai, S. IES College of Management Studies Mumbai, Department of Management Sciences (PUMBA) University of Pune, Xavier Institute of Management & Research Mumbai, COEP Technological University, MET's Institute of Management Mumbai, Lala Lajpatrai Institute of Management Mumbai, Thakur Institute of Management Studies and Research Mumbai, Rizvi Institute of Management Studies and Research Mumbai, Indira College of Engineering and Management Pune, Shree C. E. Society's Indira Institute of Management Pune, Vivekanand Education Society's Institute of Management Studies and Research Mumbai, Alkesh Dinesh Modi Institute for Financial and Management Studies Mumbai, St. Francis Institute of Management and Research Mumbai, Agnel Charities Agnel Seva Sangha's for. C. Rodrigues Inst. Of Management. Studies Navi Mumbai.

MAH MBA CET 2026 admit card release date has not been announced yet, but since the first exam session is scheduled on April 6, 7 and 8, candidates can expect the admit card to release by mid March. The hall ticket for May 9 session can be released by mid April. The CET cell will announce the dates soon.

Yes, MAH MBA CET counselling is cut off-based which is held after the result announcement. MAH CET counselling is conducted round-wise. In this process, candidates have to register online, participate in online counselling and confirm admission by submission of documents and final admission by making fee payment. After that, the admission cell, prepares cut offs and seat allotment lists category wise for MBA/MS admission. Candidates from outside Maharashtra state are also eligible for MAH CET CAP under the All India Seats category. The registration, exam and counselling processes for All India Seats category students are same as that of Maharashtra State category candidates.

The latest change in MAH MBA CET is that candidates will get the opportunity to make two attempts in the exam - April and May. Those who make two attempts, can use best of both scores for CAP registration and seat allotment. 

You cannot change your MAH MBA CET exam centre after the admit card has been issued. You will have to take the test at the exam centre that has been allotted to you. Candidates will not be allowed to take the test at any other exam centre either.

You must make prior arrangements to reach the exam centre on time. If you have been allotted the test centre in another city you must visit the city a day before so that there is no delay in reaching the examination centre. Candidates are supposed to be at the centre at least 30 minutes before the exam commencement. Once the gates are closed, candidates will not be allowed inside the venue. They cannot even take the exam in another session. Thus, download the MAH CET admit card as soon as it is released and make arrangements for the exam day in advance.

MAH MBA CET exam is held in about 48 cities. In every city, there is at least one exam centre. Since MAH CET is a state-level exam, the number of test cities is more within Maharashtra than in rest of India. The exam is held in 36 cities of Maharashtra and 12 cities in rest of the country. Outside Maharashtra, the test centres for the exam are allotted mainly in capital cities of certain states. Check below the names of test cities where the exam is held.

Test cities in Maharashtra: Ahmednagar, Akola, Amravati, Aurangabad, Beed, Bhandara, Buldhana, Chandrapur, Dhule, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Hingoli, Jalgaon, Jalna, Kolhapur, Latur, Mumbai, Mumbai Sub Urban, Nagpur, Nanded, Nandurbar, Nashik, Osmanabad, Palghar, Parbhani, Pune, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Satara, Sindhudurga, Solapur, Thane, Wardha, Washim and Yavatmal

Test cities outside Maharashtra: Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Bangalore, Bhopal, Delhi, Delhi-NCR, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ranchi, Panaji and Verna

MAH MBA CET preparation can be done in two ways – 1. Join a coaching institute 2. Prepare by self study. If you choose the former, you will get complete guidance from the teachers and mentors, but if you choose the later, you will have to be your own guide. Self study will require a lot more discipline and dedication. Take simple yet impactful steps. First of all, check the exam syllabus and see how much time you will require to cover the topics. If you are already familiar with the topics included in the MAH MBA CET syllabus, you will be able to have an estimation of the time required.

Ideally, you should start MAH MBA CET preparation about nine months in advance. That will give you an ample time to understand and master the topics included in the syllabus through theory and practice questions. Join online study groups for problem solving and doubt clearing. Staying in contact with peers will keep you motivated for preparation.

Last date to fill the MAH CET application form was February 25, 2026. Earlier, the last date was February 12, which was later extended to Feb 20. With the registration deadline, the fee payment deadline was also February 25, 2026.

MAH CET exam is conducted for MBA and MMS courses offered by over 300 management institutes in India. Entrance exam qualifying candidates can select colleges and courses in the CAP registration form.

For MAH MBA CET 2026 candidate has to be a graduate or must be in final year of their bachelor's degree programme. The minimum score requirement is 50% for General candidates and 45% for Reserved category candidates.

MAH CET is not only for Maharashtra students. Candidates belonging to other States of the country can also appear for it. They can apply under All India category. The exam is conducted in 12 locations outside Maharashtra for All India category candidates.

MAH MBA CET application fee is INR 1,500 for General category candidates and INR 1300 for Reserved category candidates. There is no fee relaxation for non-Maharashtra candidates. The MAH CET fee is to be paid at the time of application submission. The fee payment is to be done in online mode only through debit/credit card or net banking. 

Unlike in other MBA entrance exam, MAH CET MBA has no option to change test city during form correction. Candidates can only change their name, date of birth, photo and signature. Basically there is no way to change your test city option once you’ve submitted the MAH CET application form. Thus, you need to be very careful in selecting the test cities. The exam is held in 36 cities across Maharashtra and 12 cities in rest of India. While filling the MAH MBA CET application form, check the list of test cities, and select three which are within your accessibility. The city of first preference should be the city you are residing in or are expected to be at the time of exam. The second and third options can be cities where you can reach easily.

The MAH MBA CET application form is not released offline. Candidates have to fill the online application form only. There is no provision of submitting the application form offline either. Aspirants, who wish to apply for the exam, need to access a computer or laptop with high-speed internet to fill the MAH MBA CET application form. The process of fee payment is also online. After filling the application form, candidates have to make the fee payment via debit card, credit card, net banking or e-wallets to complete the registration process of the MBA CET.  Candidates can fill the form from any location. All they need to keep in mind is that the internet speed is good so that there is no error in fee payment. The MBA CET fee amount is non-refundable.

Candidates can submit the MAH MBA CET application fee before the last date of form submission. It is not mandatory to pay the fees at the time of exam registration. They can register for the exam on a particular day and complete the form filling process or fee payment on another day, however, all the activities have to be completed within the deadline otherwise the form will not be accepted.

Until the exam fee is paid, the application form submission will remain incomplete. Thus, candidates must ensure that they pay the fee on time and check the acknowledgement slip generated upon successful fee payment. In case the acknowledgement is not received within 24 hour of form submission, candidates must reach out to MAH MBA CET exam helpdesk to check the status.

Logical Reasoning section of MAH CET is usually seen as the toughest. It is so mainly because about 75 questions are asked from this section the MBA CET. Even though the difficulty level of Logical Reasoning questions is moderate, the sheer number make it a challenging ask. At the same time, the Quantitative Ability questions are less (50) but tougher than Logical Reasoning questions.

There is no negative marking in MAH MBA CET. Every question carries 1 mark. No marks are deducted for making incorrect attempt or leaving questions. However, candidates must avoid guess work and try to solve questions first before marking an answer. 

The duration of MAH CET exam is 2.5 hours or 150 minutes. Candidates are expected complete the paper in the given time limit. There will be no sectional time limit so candidates can answers the questions as per their own strategy. No extra time will be given to any candidate for completing the test under any circumstances.

 In the MAH MBA CET exam, candidates will be required to punch in their answers on screens by using the computer mouse. They will be required to select an option and click on it. To save time on rough work use the screens calculator.

Since MAH MBA CET does’t have sectional time limit, you can re-check your answers as many times as you want till the exam time limit gets over. However, it is important that you keep a check on the time and not waste it in rechecking the answers repeated.

To study the syllabus for MAH CET MBA/MMS, candidates must choose the right reference books. Although the CAT preparation books are common study material for all MBA entrance exams in India including MAH CET, candidates must refer to exam specific books to know the nuances of the exam. Books for MAH MBA CET are available in the market and they include sample questions of various difficult levels for practice. Candidates planning to appear for MAH MBA CET must refer to the books specific to the exam. Given below is the list of best books for MAH CET MBA preparation:

Book Name	Authors/Publishers Name
MAH CET (MBA/ MMS) Entrance Guide	Odisha Publications
50+ Solve Papers	Arihant
Mathematics for MBA Entrance Exams	RS Agarwal
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension	TIME
Maharashtra MBA CET	Arihant Publications

It is tough to say that as there is no set pattern of sectional weightage in MAH CET anymore. Since the last two years, the number of questions for each section of the exam, varies for every slot. Meaning that, if in one slot there are 75 questions on LR and 25 AR, in the second slot there can be 60 questions on LR and 40 questions on AR. Similarly, there could be 50 questions on QA in one slot but in the next slot it could be 40. The total number of questions remain 200 in all the slots but the sectional weightage changes. So, one can really not prepare for the exam with the target of scoring maximum in a particular section. They need to prepare for all sections as any section can have maximum questions and the potential to score maximum.

The Logical Reasoning section of MBA CET has the maximum weightage. This section carries 75 marks and Abstract Reasoning section carries 25 marks. So, together they carry 100 questions, i.e. 1/2 of the total number of questions. Quantitative Aptitude and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension sections carry 50 marks each.

Thus, candidates must prepare for this section well. Most of the times, the Logical Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning questions have been easy to moderate in terms of difficult level. However, candidates should not ignore it at any cost as a good overall score and overall percentile will be directly related to one’s performance in these two sections. If you score low in these two sections, you score will fall drastically.

Yes, MAH CET exam pattern has changed for 2026 session. This year, candidates will get two attempts and they can use best of the two scores for admission. Sectional compositions and exam duration remains the same as previously.

MAH MBA CET is usually of moderate difficulty level exam. Since it is a Reasoning heavy test, preparation for it must be done by keeping Logical and Abstract Reasoning as maim focus.

MAH CET exam is of 2.5 hours of 150 minutes. There is no break or sectional time limit in the exam so candidates have to time themselves.

It is not compulsory to attempt all the sections if MAH CET exam, but candidates must not skip a section all together as meeting sectional cut offs is also important. If you haven't answered questions of one section at all, it will reflect badly on the overall score.

The address of MAH MBA CET test centre will be mentioned on the admit card. The candidates will get to know of their test centre only after downloading the MAH CET admit card. Once they know the address, they should check the distance and time taken from their home to the centre. This is important as candidates have to reach their MAH CET test centre as per the reporting time mentioned in their admit card. For both shifts of MAH CET, the reporting time in 1 hour before the commencement of the exam.

Candidates must note that there is no provision to change the test centre after the admit card has been released. They should visit the MAH CET test centre a day before the exam to check traveling options, etc.

No, candidates cannot change their MAH CET exam centre as the test arrangements are done in a particular order based on candidate roll numbers. Test takers have to appear at the same test centre in the same slot as mentioned in their MBA CET admit card.

Every candidate will be required to carry two copies of the MAH MBA CET admit card. Along with the admit card copies, candidates will have to carry the original copy of a valid identity proof, which can be any of the following:

• College University ID card
• Aadhaar card
• PAN card
• Voter ID card
• Passport

Candidates can also show at the exam centre, a photo identity proof issued by a gazetted officer on official letterhead along with photograph or a photo identity proof issued by a people's representative on official letterhead along with photograph. Ration Card & Learning Driving License are not accepted as valid ID proof.

No, the digital copy of MBA CET admit card will not be acceptable as a valid ID proof. The admit card of every candidate is to be checked manually by the test centre staff and the invigilator. It is to be signed and stamped by the authorities. One signed and stamped copy is submitted at the exam centre and one copy is to be retained by the student. Thus, the digital copy of the admit card is not accepted.

Candidates need to carry two print outs of their admit card to the MAH CET test centre, in A4 size sheet. Candidates must affix a recent passport size photo on the admit card (preferably the one uploaded with the application form).

Candidates not carrying the hard copy of their MAH CET admit card will not be allowed to appear for the exam under any circumstances.

MAH CET exam is of 200 marks and around 75000 candidates appear for it every year. It has been seen in the past that about 130+ marks convert into 99+ percentile. JBMIS, SIMSREE, PUMBA, Welingkar's have MAH CET cut off in 98.95- 99.99 percentile range.

Official MAH MBA CET answer key will contain each question and its status - your answer, right answer and not attempted questions. Following information are mentioned on MAH MBA CET answer key:

• Candidate name
• MBA CET registration number
• MAH CET exam centre and exam slot
• Test date and time
• Section-wise Questions
• Status (attempted/not attempted)
• Right option/answer Candidate's response

Yes, candidates can raise objection against official MAH MBA CET answer key by filling an online form available in student dashboard. Option to raise objection will be available for only 2-3 days. Candidates will have to exercise this option within the given duration only. There is no fee to be submitted for raising objection but candidates will have to upload supporting document in favour of their claim.

MAH MBA CET question paper is released in the form of a PDF as a response sheet and answer key at the examination website. Candidates who have appeared for the test can access the MAH CET question paper and answer key by using their login credential. This is the first time that Maharashtra State CET Cell will be releasing the official question paper and answer keys. Here’s how to download:

• Go to Maharashtra State CET website
• Go to login window
• Enter registered email ID and password
• Go to the tab indicating question paper
• Download PDF and save on desktop

Previous years MAH MBA CET question papers can be downloaded from Shiksha here: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/mah-cet-exam-question-papers

MAH CET score is the total marks awarded to the candidate out of 200. It is calculated on the basis of every correct attempt across all sections of the exam. MAH CET percentile is calculated from the rank of the candidate as compared to rest of the candidates.

MBA CET percentile score is calculated from the highest raw score in each session of the MAH MBA CET. The the highest Raw Score in each session (of a candidate) will be 100 percentile indicating that 100 per cent of candidates scored equal to or lesser than the highest scorer for that session. The highest Raw Score is normalized to achieve the MAH CET percentile in the following way:

MBA CET Session	Total Candidates Appeared	the highest Raw Score	Candidates Scored EQUALorLESS THAN the highest Raw Score	MAH MBA CET Percentile Score
1	2249	154	2249	100.00 [ (2249/2249)*100]
2	2272	157	2272	100.00 [ (2272/2272)*100]
3	2216	149	2216	100.00 [ (2216/2216)*100]

MAH CET score is valid for admission for one year only. Those who have appeared for MAH CET 2024, can seek admission to participating colleges this year only (2024-25 batch) Candidates who will appear in MAH MBA CET 2025, their scores will be valid for admission to 2025-2026 batch of MBA programmes only. Those who wish to take a break of one year will have to appear for the exam again.

It is good to take a break and appear for the MAH CET exam next year again instead of taking admission in a college that is not of your choice. If you’ve scored below expectation in the current attempt, skip the year, prepare for the exam again, score better the next year and pursue MBA from a college that meets all your parameters.

MAH CET score normalization process is undertaken to ensure that all candidates are judged on the same plane. This is done because MAH MBA CET is a multi-session exam and it may be possible that one session can be slighter easier or tougher than another. 

MAH CET score normalization ensures that no candidate has an advantage or disadvantage over another due to differences in difficulty level of their exam session. So, before the preparation of the MBA CET result and merit list, the Maharashtra CET normalizes the exam scores. Percentile scores are scores based on the relative performance of all candidates who appear for MAH CET. Basically, the marks obtained by every candidate are transformed into a scale ranging from 100 to 0 for each session.

MAH CET cut off is calculated on the basis of following factors:

• Number of exam sessions
• Total number of candidates
• Difficulty level of the exam
• Number of seats in college
• Previous year's closing cut offs

In the MAH CET CAP, there are three categories in which the seat allotment is done: 1. Maharashtra State Candidature, 2. All India Candidature/Jammu and Kashmir Migrant Candidature Candidate and 3. NRI/OCI/PIO Foreign National, Children of Indian workers in the Gulf countries. Given below are the category wise MAH CET CAP eligibility criteria. Maharashtra State Candidature: The candidate should be an Indian National and must have passed Bachelor's Degree or equivalent with at least 50 per cent marks in aggregate from a recognised university (at least 45 per cent in case of candidates belonging to backward class categories and PwD belonging to Maharashtra State only). The candidate must have obtained more than zero score in MAH CET exam. All India Candidature/Jammu and Kashmir Migrant Candidature Candidate: The candidate should be an Indian National and must have passed 3-year Bachelor's Degree or equivalent with at least 50 per cent marks in aggregate from a recognised university. They must have also scored more than zero score in MAH CET/XAT/MAT/ATMA/GMAT/CAT/CMAT. NRI/OCI/PIO Foreign National, Children of Indian workers in the Gulf countries: The candidate should have passed minimum three-year duration Bachelor's Degree with 50 per cent marks or equivalent, awarded by the University recognized by the UGC or AIU. Any other criterion declared from time to time by the State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra as defined under the ACT.

Yes, MAH MBA CET 2026 will be needed for CAP round. It may have to be uploaded with other documents at the time of registration, choice filling and document verification. Colleges might also as for a copy of the same for completing admission formalities. So preserve your admit card even after the exam.

No, the MAH CET application form and MAH CET Counselling form are different and candidates have to fill them separately. The MAH CET application form is valid for the entrance test only and the MAH CET counseling application form has to be filled by only those candidates who qualify the entrance test and wish to participate in the seat allotment process. The MAH MBA CET counseling registration form is released about 2 months after the entrance test result announcement. The candidates will have to fill the counseling form at the MAHA CET counseling portal.

Those who shall have filled the MAH CET MBA/MMS application form and appeared for the exam, will not have to pay the registration fee at the time of CAP. However, those who will be participating in MAH CET CAP through CAT/CMAT/MAT/ATMA/GMAT score will have to pay the registration fee of Rs 1000 (Rs 800 for registered category candidates).

Listed below are the top colleges for MAH MBA CET cut offs 60 to 70 percentile.

MBA College	MAH MBA CET Percentile
Chhatrapati Shahu Institute of Business Education & Research, Kolhapur	60.06
Sinhgad Institute of Business Administration and Research, Pune	61.31
BP Hivale Education Society's Institute of Management Studies Career Development Research, Ahmednagar	61.90
RC Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Shirpur	61.90
Department of Management Studies, North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon	62.65
ISMS Sankalp Business School, Pune	62.65
Prof. Ram Meghe Institute of Technology & Research, Amravati	62.65
Pankaj Laddhad Institute of Technology & Management Studies, Yelgaon	62.74
KIT's Institute of Management Education & Research, Kolhapur	63.63
Alard Institute of Management Sciences, Pune	63.63
MVP Institute of Management Research & Technology, Nashik	63.63
Chintamanrao Institute of Management Development & Research, Sangli	64.85
Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering, Wanadongri, Nagpur	64.85
Vidya Bharati Mahavidyalaya Department of Research and PG Studies in Science & Management, Amravati	64.99
Sinhgad Institute of Management and Computer Applications, Pune	64.99
Jayawantrao Sawant Institute of Management & Research, Pune	65.22
Jaywantrao Sawant College of Engineering, Pune	65.22
Department of Commerce & Management, Shivaji University, Kolhapur	65.37
Al-Ameen Educational and Medical Foundation, College of Engineering, Koregaon, Bhima	65.79
MES Institute of Management and Career Courses (IMCC), Pune	66.31
Mahatma Phule Institute of Management & Computer Studies, Pune	66.33
G. S. College of Commerce & Economics Department Of Management Sciences And Research, Nagpur	67.17
Indira Institute of Business Management, Navi Mumbai	67.66
Sadhu Vaswani Institute Of Management Studies For Girls, Koregaon, Pune	68.07
Marathwada Mitra Mandal's Institute of Mangement Education Research & Training, Pune	68.07
Saibalaji Education Society, IIMHRD (W), Nere Marunje, Pune	68.07
Marathwada Mitra Mandal's College of Engineering, Pune	(68.14
HNCC Department of Management Studies, Solapur	68.14
Progressive Education Society's Modern College of Engineering, Pune	68.18
Humera Khan Institute Of Mangement Studies & Reserch, Mumbai	68.40
J. D. C. Bytco Institute of Management Studies & Research, Nashik	69.19
Jayawant Institute of Management Studies, Tathawade, Pune	69.37
Anjuman-I-Islam's Allana Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai	69.51
Dr. Ambedkar Department of Management Studies & Research, Nagpur	69.74

Yes, the correction window for MAH CET 2026 application form will be opened for 2-3 days after registration process will end. Candidates will get to edit:

·       Name

·       Date of birth

·       Photo

·       Signature

·       Gender

Candidates applying for MBA counselling through MAH CET exam will not have to pay fee. Those applying through CAT/MAT/CMAT/XAT/ATMA will have to pay the counselling fee.

Yes, you can crack MAH MBA CET without coaching but you will need to prepare in a disciplined manner. Prepare for atleast 6 months to complete each topic properly and practice enough mocks. Refer to online tutorials for problem solving.

The official MAH MBA CET answer key has question wise official answers and candidate's response. One can use the answer keys to calculate their raw MBA CET score by adding 1 mark to each of their responses which are correct as per the official key and 0 to responses which are incorrect as per the official key. The grand total of all correct answers will be the candidate's raw score out of 200.

Documents to upload at the time of filling out MAH CET application form are Aadhaar card, passport size photo and signature.

MAH MBA CET is an annual exam so it is conducted only once. However, for MAH CET 2026, the pattern has slightly changed. While the exam remains annual, candidates are being given two attempts – April and May. Those who make two attempts get to use best of the two scores for admission.

Yes, skipping questions is allowed in MAH CET. If you skip a question you will be marked 0 for it. However, it is advised to not skip too many questions as it may affect the overall score.