The State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell announced the results of the first MHT-CET 2026 examination for the Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM) group on Monday. This examination determines admissions to engineering, pharmacy, and agriculture programmes for the academic year 2026-27. A total of 26 students achieved a perfect 100 percentile score, with 24 candidates hailing from Maharashtra and two from outside the state.
Examination Details
The test was conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode between April 11 and April 20, spanning 16 sessions over eight days. Out of 4,79,332 registered candidates, 4,54,069 appeared, resulting in an impressive attendance rate of 94.73%. Among those who appeared were 2,73,135 male candidates, 1,80,916 female candidates, and 18 transgender candidates. The exam was held at 186 centres across all 36 districts of Maharashtra. Unlike previous years, no examination centres were established outside the state this time.
Top Performers
The list of students securing 100 percentile includes candidates from Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Chandrapur, Thane, Gondia, Solapur, Latur, Dharashiv, and Yavatmal districts. Notably, four of the 26 top scorers are girls. Among the Maharashtra candidates who achieved the highest percentile are Aryan Shailendra Kunjir, Ibadur Rahman Kamrul Barlaskar, and Namish Kaushik from Pune; Adarsh Raj and Reyan Kumar from Mumbai; Aryan Ajit Sharma, Kanishk Devendra Wagh, Aishwarya Atul Lade, and Shaurya Fulbandhe from Nagpur; and Janhavi Mishra from Chandrapur. Two candidates from outside Maharashtra — Agastya Pachauri from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh and Aryaman Dokania from Kolkata in West Bengal — also secured 100 percentile.
Two-Attempt System Introduced
The CET Cell has introduced a two-attempt system for MHT-CET PCM, MHT-CET PCB, and MBA/MMS entrance examinations from this year. This initiative aims to provide students an opportunity similar to the JEE (Main) examination, which is conducted twice a year. Under the new system, candidates who appear for both attempts will be considered for admission based on the better percentile score obtained in either examination. Officials stated that the initiative was introduced following directives from Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil.
Scorecards and Admission Process
The CET Cell has made individual scorecards available through candidates’ login accounts. The centralised admission process (CAP) for engineering, pharmacy, and agriculture programmes is expected to commence shortly.
Percentile vs Percentage
The CET Cell clarified that results are declared in percentile and not percentage. While percentage reflects the marks obtained out of the total marks, percentile indicates a candidate’s relative performance compared with all other test-takers. Officials explained that percentile scores are calculated through a standard statistical process and accurately reflect a candidate’s position in the competition. Students have therefore been advised to focus on percentile scores while assessing admission prospects rather than comparing percentages.
