CET registrations surge by nearly 4 lakh in Maharashtra; PCM records highest turnout

According to data released by the State Common Entrance Test Cell, 16.29 lakh students appeared for various CET examinations for admissions to professional courses in the academic year 2026-27, up from 12.46 lakh students in 2025-26 — an increase of around 3.83 lakh candidates.

Pune: The number of students appearing for Maharashtra’s Common Entrance Test (CET) examinations has risen sharply this year, with nearly four lakh more candidates taking the exams compared to last year, reflecting growing competition for professional courses across the state.

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According to data released by the State Common Entrance Test Cell, 16.29 lakh students appeared for various CET examinations for admissions to professional courses in the academic year 2026-27, up from 12.46 lakh students in 2025-26 — an increase of around 3.83 lakh candidates.

A total of 18.22 lakh students registered for 20 CET examinations conducted between March 24 and May 20, of which 89.89% appeared for the tests. Around 1.93 lakh students remained absent. The computer-based examinations were conducted at 340 centres across all 36 districts of Maharashtra.

Among all examinations, the MHT-CET PCM group recorded the highest number of candidates. A total of 8.01 lakh students registered for the PCM CET across both attempts, while 7.39 lakh appeared for the examination.

The PCB group saw 4 lakh registrations and 3.59 lakh appearances, while the MBA-MMS CET recorded 1.86 lakh registrations and 1.57 lakh appearances.

Together, the PCM, PCB and MBA-MMS examinations accounted for more than 76% of total CET registrations and over 77% of candidates who appeared for CETs this year, underlining the dominance of engineering, medical and management admissions in the state’s entrance ecosystem.