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Before submitting the MHT CET application, every candidate must confirm that they satisfy the eligibility conditions set by the State Common Entrance Test Cell, Government of Maharashtra. Applying without meeting the eligibility criteria can lead to rejection of the application or cancellation of the seat even after the Centralised Admission Process (CAP). This page covers every eligibility parameter in full detail.
For context on how eligibility fits into the overall MHT CET journey, refer to the MHT CET complete guide.
| Parameter Requirement | |
| Age Limit | No upper age limit |
| Qualifying Examination | Class 12 (HSC) or equivalent |
| Minimum Marks (General) | 45% in Class 12 |
| Minimum Marks (Reserved) | 40% in Class 12 |
| Subject Condition (PCM) | Physics + Mathematics as compulsory subjects |
| Subject Condition (PCB) | Physics + Biology as compulsory subjects |
| Domicile | Maharashtra and Non‑Maharashtra candidates both eligible |
| Nationality | Indian nationals eligible; NRI / OCI / PIO through separate quota |
The State Common Entrance Test Cell does not prescribe an upper age limit for MHT CET. Any candidate who has passed or is appearing in Class 12 in the relevant examination year is eligible to apply, regardless of age. There is also no lower age limit as long as the academic qualification condition is met.
This is in contrast to national‑level examinations such as NEET, which has an age restriction. For MHT CET, age is not a disqualifying factor.
Candidates must have passed or appeared in the Class 12 (Standard XII / HSC) examination or an equivalent examination recognised by a board established by law in India.
Equivalent examinations that are accepted include:
Candidates who appeared in Class 12 in the current examination year and are awaiting results may also apply provisionally. However, they must meet the minimum marks requirement at the time of document verification during CAP counselling.
There is no restriction on the number of years since passing Class 12. Candidates who passed Class 12 in prior years and wish to appear for MHT CET are eligible as long as all other conditions are satisfied.
The subject combination in Class 12 determines which MHT CET stream a candidate is eligible for. This is a strict requirement and must be checked carefully.
Candidates must have studied the following in Class 11 and 12:
Compulsory Subjects:
Third Subject (any one of the following):
Candidates must have studied the following in Class 11 and 12:
Compulsory Subjects:
Candidates who studied Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology in Class 12 are eligible to appear in both PCM and PCB papers. They must select the PCMB option during registration and pay the applicable fee for both streams.
Candidates who hold a Diploma in Engineering and Technology from a Polytechnic institute recognised by the Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education (MSBTE) or any other recognised technical board may be eligible for direct second‑year admission (lateral entry) at certain institutes. They are not required to appear for MHT CET PCM in the standard route. Lateral entry admissions follow a separate process under the Diploma to Degree programme.
Candidates must have secured a minimum aggregate percentage in the subjects used for eligibility determination. The specific subjects counted for this percentage vary by course:
For Engineering (PCM): Minimum marks are calculated in Physics, Chemistry (or alternative third subject), and Mathematics combined.
For Pharmacy / Agriculture (PCB): Minimum marks are calculated in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology combined.
| Category Minimum Marks Required | |
| General / Open Category | 45% |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 40% |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 40% |
| Other Backward Class (OBC) | 40% |
| Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | 40% |
| Persons with Disabilities (PwD) | 40% |
| Vimukta Jati and Nomadic Tribes (VJNT) | 40% |
| Special Backward Class (SBC) | 40% |
Important: Candidates appearing in Class 12 in the current year are allowed to apply provisionally. If their final result does not meet the minimum percentage requirement, their candidature will be cancelled at the document verification stage, even if they have already appeared for the examination.
One of the most important aspects of MHT CET eligibility is the domicile condition, which determines whether a candidate competes under the Maharashtra (MH) category or the All India (AI) category.
Candidates who qualify under the Maharashtra category have access to 85% of the seats in government, government‑aided, and private unaided engineering and pharmacy colleges participating in CAP. To claim MH category status, at least one of the following conditions must be met:
Condition 1: Domicile of Maharashtra The candidate holds a domicile certificate (also called a permanent resident certificate) of Maharashtra issued by the competent authority.
Condition 2: Parent's Employment in Maharashtra Government The candidate's parent or legal guardian is employed in the Maharashtra State Government or a government undertaking.
Condition 3: 11 Years of Study in Maharashtra The candidate has studied for a minimum of 11 years in educational institutions located within Maharashtra, starting from Class 1.
Condition 4: Parent's Domicile The candidate's parent holds a domicile certificate of Maharashtra.
Candidates who do not satisfy any of the Maharashtra domicile conditions compete under the All India category. They have access to 15% of seats in participating institutions that are open to all‑India students.
Non‑Maharashtra candidates may also use their JEE Main score for admission to engineering colleges in Maharashtra under the AI category. However, for pharmacy and agriculture programmes, MHT CET PCB score remains the relevant criterion.
Kashmiri migrant candidates (displaced persons from Jammu and Kashmir) have a small reservation as per the Government of India directives and can avail a separate quota in Maharashtra engineering admissions.
Seats for Non‑Resident Indians (NRI), Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) are managed separately by individual institutes under their NRI quota, which constitutes a specified percentage of the total seats in each institute (typically 5 to 15% depending on institute type).
NRI category candidates must meet the subject and minimum marks conditions similar to general candidates. However, they are generally not required to participate in CAP counselling and directly apply to institutions through their NRI quota.
Once a candidate clears the eligibility conditions and participates in CAP, the seat allotment also follows a category‑based reservation structure as mandated by the Maharashtra government:
| Category Reservation Percentage (approx.) | |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 13% |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7% |
| Other Backward Class (OBC) | 19% |
| Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | 10% |
| VJNT (Vimukta Jati and Nomadic Tribes) | 11% |
| Special Backward Class (SBC) | 2% |
| Persons with Disabilities (PwD) | 5% (horizontal reservation) |
| Open / General | Remaining seats |
Horizontal reservations (PwD, Ex‑Servicemen, etc.) apply across all categories. Candidates claiming reserved category status must produce the relevant certificate issued by the competent Maharashtra government authority during document verification.
Candidates should keep the following documents ready:
| Document Purpose | |
| Class 10 Mark Sheet | Date of birth verification |
| Class 12 Mark Sheet / Hall Ticket | Academic eligibility and percentage |
| Aadhaar Card | Identity verification |
| Domicile Certificate | Maharashtra domicile claim |
| Caste Certificate | SC / ST / OBC / VJNT / SBC reservation claim |
| Non‑Creamy Layer Certificate | OBC / VJNT / SBC reservation |
| Income Certificate | EWS reservation claim |
| PwD Certificate | Disability reservation |
| School Transfer Certificate | Study in Maharashtra (for 11‑year condition) |
All documents must be issued by the competent authority. Self‑generated or unsigned certificates are not accepted during document verification at CAP facilitation centres.
Candidates sometimes apply for the PCM stream without Mathematics in Class 12 or for the PCB stream without Chemistry. This leads to rejection at document verification. Always confirm the subject combination before registering.
Even though there is a relaxation for reserved category candidates to 40%, applying with marks below this threshold leads to cancellation of candidature. Calculate the percentage in the relevant subjects accurately before applying.
Candidates who have lived in Maharashtra for many years but do not hold a domicile certificate are not automatically eligible for MH category seats. The domicile certificate must be obtained from the respective Tahsildar's office before the document verification date.
Candidates who are eligible for OBC or EWS reservation but apply under the general category miss the benefit of lower cutoffs and reserved seats. Verify category eligibility and produce the correct certificate.
Diploma holders in Engineering should check the lateral entry provisions rather than appearing for MHT CET PCM, since direct second‑year admission has its own eligibility and admission process.
Eligibility is verified at two stages:
Candidates must ensure that the name on all documents matches exactly with the name in the MHT CET application. Discrepancies in spelling across documents (for example, between Class 10 mark sheet and Aadhaar card) should be rectified before appearing for document verification.
Non‑Maharashtra candidates can appear in MHT CET and seek admission to colleges under the AI category (15% seats). However, they cannot claim state quota seats. Admission through the AI category is based on a separate merit list derived from MHT CET scores or JEE Main scores.
For pharmacy and agriculture courses, MHT CET PCB scores are used for AI category admission as well, since JEE Main does not cover Biology.
Before submitting the MHT CET application, verify each of the following:
For the next step, read about the MHT CET Application Process to understand how to fill the form correctly.