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The MHT CET cutoff is the closing rank at which the last candidate secures admission to a specific college and branch combination during the Centralised Admission Process (CAP). Understanding the cutoff trends is essential for setting a realistic score target, shortlisting colleges during option form filling, and predicting admission chances before results are declared.
This page provides a comprehensive breakdown of MHT CET cutoff percentiles and closing ranks covering: how the cutoff works, marks vs percentile mapping, college‑wise and branch‑wise trends, category‑wise data, and round‑wise patterns across recent CAP cycles.
For the broader examination context, refer to the MHT CET complete guide. To understand the score you need, first read about the MHT CET Syllabus and exam pattern.
There are two distinct cutoff thresholds in MHT CET:
Qualifying Cutoff: The minimum score a candidate must obtain in the examination to be eligible to participate in CAP counselling. This is expressed in absolute marks:
| Category Minimum Qualifying Marks (out of 200) | |
| General / Open | 90 marks (45%) |
| SC / ST / OBC / EWS / PwD | 80 marks (40%) |
Scoring at or above the qualifying cutoff does not guarantee admission to any particular college; it only makes the candidate eligible to register for CAP.
Admission Cutoff: The closing rank at which the last seat in a specific college, branch, and category combination is filled during a CAP round. This is expressed as a rank number. Admission cutoffs are competitive and significantly higher than the qualifying threshold at top institutions.
The MHT CET merit list is prepared based on percentile scores, not raw marks. Since the examination is conducted in multiple shifts, the CET Cell uses a normalisation process to adjust for variation in difficulty across shifts. The resulting percentile is used to generate the Maharashtra (MH) rank and the All India (AI) rank separately.
Candidates with the same percentile are differentiated by tie‑breaking rules, typically based on marks in specific subjects (Mathematics for PCM, Biology for PCB) in descending order.
The relationship between marks scored (out of 200) and percentile varies slightly each year based on overall difficulty and candidate distribution. The following table reflects indicative trends from recent cycles:
| Marks Scored (out of 200) Approximate Percentile Approximate Rank (MH Category) | ||
| 190 and above | 99.95 to 99.99 | Top 100 to 300 |
| 180 to 189 | 99.80 to 99.95 | 300 to 1,000 |
| 170 to 179 | 99.50 to 99.80 | 1,000 to 3,000 |
| 160 to 169 | 99.00 to 99.50 | 3,000 to 7,000 |
| 150 to 159 | 97.00 to 99.00 | 7,000 to 20,000 |
| 140 to 149 | 95.00 to 97.00 | 20,000 to 35,000 |
| 130 to 139 | 92.00 to 95.00 | 35,000 to 55,000 |
| 110 to 129 | 85.00 to 92.00 | 55,000 to 1,00,000 |
| 90 to 109 | 75.00 to 85.00 | 1,00,000 to 1,80,000 |
| Below 90 | Below 75.00 | Below cutoff threshold |
These figures are indicative. The actual percentile for a given score changes each year depending on the difficulty of the paper and the number of candidates. Candidates should use these ranges for planning purposes and verify using the official percentile calculator once results are declared.
The CET Cell releases the cutoff PDFs using coded category abbreviations. Understanding these codes is essential for reading the official cutoff lists:
| Code Category | |
| GOPENS | General / Open (State Merit) |
| GOPENH | General / Open (Home University) |
| GSCS | SC (State Merit) |
| GSCH | SC (Home University) |
| GSTS | ST (State Merit) |
| GSTH | ST (Home University) |
| GOBCS | OBC (State Merit) |
| GOBCH | OBC (Home University) |
| GEWS | EWS (State Merit) |
| GVJS | VJNT (State Merit) |
| GSBS | SBC (State Merit) |
| LOBCS | OBC Ladies Quota (State Merit) |
| DEFOPENS | Defence / Ex‑servicemen Open |
| PWDOPENS | PwD Open |
MH category candidates with a home university preference (the university under which their Class 12 college falls) are allotted under the Home University (H) codes, while the state‑level merit applies to the broader pool.
Based on trends across multiple recent cycles, the following percentile benchmarks apply for popular branches:
| Branch | Target Percentile (General, Top Tier) | Target Percentile (General, Mid Tier) |
| Computer Science and Engineering | 99.80 and above | 95 to 99 |
| Artificial Intelligence and Data Science | 99.50 and above | 93 to 99 |
| Information Technology | 99.70 and above | 94 to 99 |
| Electronics and Telecommunication | 99.00 to 99.50 | 90 to 97 |
| Electrical Engineering | 98.00 to 99.00 | 85 to 95 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 96.00 to 98.00 | 75 to 90 |
| Civil Engineering | 90.00 to 95.00 | 65 to 85 |
| Chemical Engineering | 88.00 to 93.00 | 65 to 82 |
Top‑tier colleges include COEP, VJTI, SPIT, PICT, and DJ Sanghvi. Mid‑tier colleges include government autonomous colleges, government‑aided private colleges, and well‑ranked private unaided institutes in Pune, Mumbai, and Nashik.
The following marks ranges (out of 200) are required to achieve target admission outcomes:
| Target Admission Required Score Range | |
| CSE at COEP / VJTI (General) | 185 to 200 |
| CSE at SPIT / PICT (General) | 175 to 190 |
| CSE at good private colleges - Pune / Mumbai (General) | 155 to 175 |
| Mechanical at COEP / VJTI (General) | 155 to 170 |
| CSE at mid‑range government colleges (General) | 140 to 165 |
| Admission to any participating college (General) | 90 and above |
For reserved categories, the score requirement is lower by approximately 20 to 60 marks depending on category and branch.
CAP is conducted in multiple rounds (typically three to four). The cutoff pattern across rounds follows a consistent logic:
The most competitive round. Candidates with the highest ranks secure their preferred choices. Closing ranks in Round 1 are generally the lowest (most competitive) across all rounds for premium college‑branch combinations. Candidates who receive a preferred allotment in Round 1 and wish to retain it should freeze the allotment.
Opens after candidates who received Round 1 allotment either freeze, upgrade, or decline. Vacated seats and newly opened seats become available. Closing ranks in Round 2 are typically slightly higher (less competitive) for the same college‑branch combinations since the pool of unallotted seats is smaller.
A similar pattern continues. Candidates who have not secured admission in Rounds 1 or 2 continue competing. Some branches at some colleges may become accessible at this stage as candidates who previously held those seats upgrade or move out.
Some cycles include a Round 4 (as seen in MHT CET 2025 where Round 4 choice filling opened on August 28 and allotment was displayed on September 1, 2025). After CAP rounds, individual institutions conduct their own rounds for remaining seats under institutional quota.
Practical strategy: Candidates should not withdraw from a mid‑preference allotment in Round 1 hoping for a significantly better option in Round 2, unless they have a concrete basis for expecting a higher choice to open up.
The CET Cell publishes separate cutoff lists for the AI and MH categories:
Non‑Maharashtra candidates who scored well in JEE Main may find AI category seats at Maharashtra colleges accessible through JEE Main score rather than MHT CET, depending on the college's intake policy.
The closing rank for any college‑branch‑category combination changes every year. Key factors include:
Number of Applicants: An increase in the total number of candidates writing MHT CET compresses ranks and makes cutoffs more competitive.
Exam Difficulty: A more difficult examination results in lower raw scores but the normalisation process adjusts the percentile. However, the distribution of high scorers affects top‑college cutoffs.
Seat Matrix Changes: If a college increases or decreases its approved intake, cutoffs shift accordingly. New colleges joining CAP add more seats and can slightly ease pressure on existing cutoffs.
Branch Popularity: Branches like CSE, AI, and Data Science have seen year‑on‑year demand increases, pushing closing ranks lower (more competitive) consistently.
Category Reservations: Any change in reservation percentages as per government orders directly affects available seats by category and hence the cutoffs.
JEE Main Score Usage: Non‑Maharashtra candidates using JEE Main scores for AI category seats can shift the competitive pressure in AI category cutoffs.
During CAP option form filling, candidates must enter their college and branch preferences in order of priority. Cutoff data from previous cycles guides this process:
The CAP option form allows a large number of preferences, so candidates should fill as many realistic options as possible rather than limiting to a short list.
Based on data patterns from 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025:
Candidates targeting top government colleges should aim for a score of 170 marks or above (99+ percentile) in the PCM group.
Is a 95 percentile good in MHT CET?
A 95 percentile corresponds to approximately 140 to 145 marks out of 200. At this percentile, candidates can expect admission to well‑ranked private engineering colleges and some lower‑ranked government colleges. However, top government colleges like COEP and VJTI for competitive branches like CSE are not accessible at this score in the general category.
What rank is needed for COEP CSE?
For Computer Science Engineering at COEP Pune in the general category (GOPENS), candidates typically need a rank below 700 in the MH merit list, corresponding to approximately 180+ marks (99.9+ percentile).
Can a 90‑percentile candidate get admission?
Yes, candidates with 90 percentile can secure admission at private engineering colleges in Maharashtra. Government colleges for popular branches would not be accessible at this percentile for general category, but mid‑range private colleges and less competitive branches at government colleges are reachable.
Does the cutoff change every year?
Yes, the closing rank for every college‑branch‑category combination changes every year. The direction of change depends on the factors described above. Historical data provides a trend; the actual cutoff can vary by 500 to 5,000 ranks from one year to the next for mid‑range colleges, and by a smaller margin for premium colleges.