MAH MBA CET 2026 Exam - Registration, Notification, Dates, Admit Card, Pattern, Syllabus, Sample Papers, Cutoff, Previous Year Papers

The MAH MBA CET 2026 application form is expected to be released in the 4th week of December 2025. To be eligible, you must have completed a Bachelor's Degree in any stream from a university approved by the UGC or Association of Indian Universities with a minimum of 50% marks in aggregate or equivalent for the General Category. Aspirants from the backward class categories, belonging to the state, can apply for the exam with at least 45% in a Bachelor's Degree. Those in the final year of their graduation can also send their MAH MBA CET applications.

The State CET Cell, Maharashtra, conducts the MAH MBA CET every year to grant admission to MBA and MMS programmes in the participating colleges. The exam is tentatively held in March/ April 2026 in computer-based test mode. Major sections include Abstract Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, and Verbal Ability/ Reading Comprehension, and overall, there are 200 questions. One mark is awarded for every correct answer, while there is no penalty for incorrect answers. The exam duration is 150 minutes.

Around 70,000 - 1,00,000 applicants compete for seats in over 300 institutes. Top colleges often require scores near the 99.99th percentile for admission. The direct link to the MAH MBA CET 2026 application form is provided below. On this page, check all the details about the MAH MBA/MMS CET 2026 exam, such as the application form, eligibility, exam pattern, syllabus, cutoff, counselling, etc.

N.B. As per recent media reports, from 2026 onwards, the exam may be conducted twice a year, once in March or April (mandatory attempt) and again in May (optional). Test-takers can submit their best score out of the two for further selection rounds. This approach is being considered to ease exam pressure and provide greater flexibility.

The Maharashtra Common Entrance Test, or MAH MBA CET, is a management entrance exam for students who want to pursue an MBA degree in Maharashtra. Conducted annually by the State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra, the MAH CET MBA exam is used to provide admission to various types of management courses offered by different institutes across the state. The types of colleges that accept MAH MBA CET scores include all government of Maharashtra management education institutes, university departments of management education, university-managed management education institutes, and all unaided management education institutes covered under the act. The MAH CET MBA participating colleges follow a common admission process, or CAP, where aspirants are allotted seats based on their MAH MBA CET scores. Candidates who have valid CAT/ GMAT/ CMAT/ MAT/ XAT/ ATMA scores can also participate in the MAH CET MBA CAP process.

The MAH MBA CET 2026 Information Brochure will be released by the State CET Cell. Candidates can find all the necessary information about the MAH MBA CET 2026 in the information brochure by accessing the official website or by using the direct link below:

Aspiring candidates appearing for the MAH MBA CET 2026 should keep track of all the crucial dates of the exam events. Candidates can view all the MAH MBA CET 2026 exam dates in the table below:

The MAH MBA CET 2026 exam will be conducted by the State Common Entrance Test Cell at the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), Maharashtra. Along with other CETs for admission to Engineering, Architecture, Pharmacy, MCA, and other courses, the DTE Maharashtra conducts the MAH MBA CET exam every year on various dates. The State CET Cell releases the information bulletin and notification for the MAH CET exam.

For admissions through MAH CET 2026 and other CET exams, the Government of Maharashtra has established the "Admissions Regulating Authority" and the "State Common Entrance Test Cell" under the provisions of the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions & Fees) Act 2015 (Mah. Act No. XXVIII of 2015). The Competent Authority for conducting CETs is the Commissioner of the State CET Cell. Candidates from Maharashtra and other states can appear for the MAH MBA CET exam.

The Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) Maharashtra is responsible for maintaining and enhancing the standard and quality of education. It does so by laying policies, establishing and developing the government. Institutions, guiding and supervising private institutions, interacting with industry and national-level institutions, and coordinating with other departments of the State Government, Government of India, and Statutory Organisations.

To appear for the MAH MBA CET 2026 exam, a candidate must fill out the online application form released on the official website. Those who have filled out the MAH MBA CET application form 2026 before the deadline, within the eligibility criteria prescribed by the exam authority, can take the exam. The registration process for the MAH MBA CET 2026 exam is given below

• Fill in basic information like name, phone number, email ID, parents’ names, gender, marital status, date of birth, religion, region, mother tongue, annual family income, and nationality.
• Fill in the permanent address and/or correspondence address
• Correctly enter your mobile number and email ID
• Generate an application number after OTP verification
• Provide domicile and category details
• Select graduation passing year, course duration, graduation branch /stream, and graduation marks type, and fill in the details
• Provide exam centre preferences
• Upload your photo and signature
• Review and validate your details
• pay the application fee

The application fee for the MAH MBA CET 2026 exam can be paid using a Debit Card, Credit Card, Online Banking, and other modes like QR and UPI.

The MAH MBA CET 2026 eligibility criteria that have been laid by the State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra, are listed below.

• A bachelor's degree in any stream or an equivalent course from a recognised university.
• Candidates must score a minimum of 50% marks in graduation (in any stream).
• Candidates from Maharashtra, belonging to backward classes, EWS, and PwD, need a minimum of 45% marks in graduation. 
• Candidates from a state other than Maharashtra must have a valid CMAT/ CAT/ GMAT/ GMAT/ MAT/ XAT/ ATMA score to be eligible to apply for admissions to management colleges of Maharashtra under MAH MBA CET counselling 2026.

Right from the release of the exam notification, till a candidate successfully secures a seat in their dream college and course, the stages involved in the MAH MBA CET exam are:

• Beginning and conclusion of the MAH MBA CET application process
• Release of the admit card of the MAH MBA CET
• Appearing for the MAH MBA CET exam
• Declaration of MAH MBA CET result
• Beginning of the counselling process
• Reporting at the allotted colleges and submission of fees
• Beginning of academic activities

The MAH MBA CET 2026 exam will have Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). The total number of questions will be 200, and there will be five answer options for each question. The MAH MBA CET 2026 exam has no negative marking system for any wrong answer. The MAH MBA CET 2026 exam pattern has been provided below:

Candidates can check the detailed MAH MBA CET syllabus 2026 from the various sections provided in the table below.

The list of MAH MBA CET 2026 exam centres is available here. The exam centres listed below will help candidates choose the relevant exam centre while filling out the MAH MBA CET 2026 application form.

Maharashtra State CET Cell releases the MAH MBA CET admit card 2026 online on the official website. The admit card is a prerequisite document to appear for the examination. MBA aspirants can access their admit cards through the official website using their Registration Number/ Roll Number and Password/ Date of Birth.

All the applicants who have successfully registered for the MAH MBA CET 2026 exam will receive official admit cards. A hard copy of the admit card will not be sent to any candidate. Each candidate's MAH MBA CET 2026 admit card will contain the following information:

• Candidate's Name

• Candidate's Roll Number/ Application Number

• Candidate's Contact Details

• Candidate's Photo and Signature

• Exam Date and Slot

• Reporting Time

• Exam Centre Address

It is mandatory for the candidates to carry all their important documents like Admit Card, recent passport-size photographs, ID proof, and a Xerox copy of ID proof in advance to the exam hall. Candidates have to attach a recent passport-size photograph to the admit card. MAH MBA CET 2026 hall ticket remains available for download till exam day. The MAH MBA CET 2026 admit card is also required for counselling. Hence, it must be kept in a safe place.

Here are the documents that candidates must carry to the MAH MBA CET 2026 exam hall.

1. MAH MBA CET 2026 Admit Card

2. Photo Identity Proof Issued by the Govt. of India, such as a Driver's License, PAN Card, Aadhaar Card, Passport, Voter ID, or Student Identity Card.

Besides these documents, candidates must not take anything into the exam hall. If one is found possessing any prohibited item, they may not be permitted to take the further exam and may be dismissed from the exam hall. Here are a few items that must not be carried to the MAH MBA CET 2026 exam centre.

• Mobile Phone / Laptop / Tablet

• Bluetooth Devices like watches, earphones, beepers, scanners, etc.

• Calculator

• Stationery Items

• Notebooks or Textbooks

• Bag / Luggage

2Here are some important guidelines students must follow while answering questions in MAH MBA CET 2026:

• Answers to any question will be considered for final evaluation only when candidates have submitted the answers by clicking on “Save & Next” or “Mark for Review & Next”.
• The Marked for Review status acts as a reminder that candidates have been set to look at the question again.
• Candidates may click on the question number on the question palette at the right of their screens to go to that numbered question directly.
• To change an answer to a question, candidates must first select the question and then click on the new answer option, followed by a click on the Save & Next button.
• Only those questions that are saved or marked for review after answering will be considered for evaluation.

Candidates preparing for the MAH MBA CET 2026 exam should keep in mind that the syllabus is quite extensive. However, since reasoning questions make up about 50% of the exam, it is advisable to focus on these areas to significantly improve test performance. The difficulty level of the MAH MBA CET exam ranges from moderate to difficult. Students aspiring to take the MAH MBA CET exam must follow the MAH MBA CET 2026 preparation tips mentioned below for at least six months:

• Emphasise speed and accuracy: Candidates must focus on speed and accuracy if they want to attempt 200 questions in 150 minutes. They should practice reading frequently and keeping track of their time while answering questions.
• Develop reasoning abilities: Since reasoning questions carry a lot of weightage, developing your reasoning abilities can help you perform well on the exam. Mock tests and exam preparation materials can help build problem-solving skills.
• Make a preparation plan: After reviewing the syllabus, the candidate should make a plan that focuses on boosting their knowledge of the most commonly asked topics while also solidifying their understanding of all other topics.
• Choose the right study materials: Candidates should pick appropriate textbooks and practice tests. The correct books and study materials can facilitate the process of getting ready and promote rapid improvement.
• Identify strong and weak areas: Students should identify their strong and weak areas in all three sections.
• Improve quant skills: For the quantitative section, candidates must learn new shortcuts and tricks. They must be well-versed in basic mathematical concepts like graphs, charts, planes, etc.
• Enhance reasoning skills: To increase efficiency in the logical and reasoning section, candidates must solve puzzles and other mind-exercising activities.
• Read and learn new words: Candidates must make a habit of reading newspapers and good articles daily and noting down new words.
• Take mock tests: Aspirants should take as many MAH MBA CET 2026 mock tests during their preparation and analyze each mock. Without analysing the mock, attempting a mock test may not be useful.
• Improve English proficiency: Candidates who are weak in the VARC section must read different articles and novels, converse in English with friends, and even watch English TV series and movies.

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Candidates taking the MAH MBA CET 2026 exam must be familiar with the following information:

• The time for the test is 2 hours and 30 minutes; however, candidates may have to be at the venue for approximately 4 hours, including the time required for logging in, collecting the Hall Ticket, going through the instructions, etc. 
• All tests will be provided in English. Candidates can attempt any question at any point in time within these 150 minutes. 
• All the questions will have multiple choices. 
• Out of the five answers to a question, only one will be the correct answer. Candidates have to select the most appropriate answer and ‘mouse click’ the alternative that they feel is appropriate/correct. The alternative/ option that they have clicked on will be treated as their answer to that question. 
• There will be no penalty for wrong answers. However, candidates are advised not to mark answers by random guessing.

Here are some general instructions regarding the MAH MBA CET 2026 specified by the exam authority.

• The conduct of a re-exam is at the absolute discretion of the test conducting body. Candidates will not have any claim for a re-test.
• The decision of the State CET Cell in all matters relating to the conduct of CET will be final and binding on the candidate. 
• State CET Cell would analyse the responses (answers) of individual candidates with those of other candidates to detect patterns of similarity between right and wrong answers.
• If the examination is held in more than one session, the scores across various sessions will be equated to adjust for slight differences in difficulty level.

The MAH MBA CET participating colleges 2026 that will offer admission to Maharashtra State category candidates to the regulated MBA/MMS programs have been mentioned below. The admission process is conducted through the DTE CAP round. 

MAH MBA CET exam analysis for the past few years, including the difficulty level and good attempts, has been tabulated below:

The State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra, will first release the provisional MAH MBA CET answer key along with the question paper and the candidate's response sheet. Candidates will have the opportunity to submit their grievances against the provisional answer key during the objection window. The MAH MBA CET answer key contains all the correct answers to the questions asked in the exam. By using it, test-takers can match their responses and calculate their raw score. The final answer key will be released along with the results on the official website. Here are the steps to download the MAH MBA CET 2026 answer key.

• Step 1: Go to cetcell.mahacet.org
• Step 2: Click on the “Candidate Registration A.Y 2026-26” link available on the right side of the homepage.
• Step 3: Enter the login credentials, namely the application number and password, and then find and click on the "Objection Tracking" tab.
• Step 4: You will be redirected to a new page, and the answer key will be displayed on your screen. Make sure to check the answer key thoroughly before raising any objections.
• Step 5: You can download the answer key in PDF format and match your answers using your candidate response sheet.

Test-takers can check their MAH MBA CET result 2026 using their login credentials (CET Application Number and Date of Birth). Here are the steps to check the MAH MBA CET 2026 result-

• Step 1: Visit the official Maharashtra State CET cell website - cetcell.mahacet.org.
• Step 2: On the home page, click the 'View Score Card' link to check the MAH CET 2026 (MBA/ MMS) result.
• Step 3: A webpage will redirect to the new webpage.
• Step 4: Next, enter valid MAH CET login credentials, including application number and date of birth, without any mistakes.
• Step 5: Next, choose the “I’m not a robot” checkbox and click on the login button.
• Step 6: The MAH CET result 2026 for MBA/ MMS will appear on the screen.
• Step 7: Finally, download the scorecard as a PDF file and take a printout of the same for future reference.

MAH MBA CET result 2026 will be available in the form of a scorecard. The following details will be mentioned on the merit list for the MAH CET MBA 2026 exam: 

• Participant’s name

• Roll number of the candidate

• All India Rank (Serial Number)

• Total Score

• Overall Percentile

MAH MBA CET cutoff is the minimum mark candidates must possess to become eligible for the further selection process of MBA/ MMS/ PGDM admission in colleges in Maharashtra. Check the expected MAH MBA CET 2026 cutoff for the top participating colleges provided below.

Candidates qualifying for the first round, i.e. CBT exam, will be considered for the second phase, which is the MAH MBA CET 2026 counselling process. The State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra, conducts the counselling process through the CAP (Centralised Admission Procedure). Usually, three to four rounds of counselling are conducted after the CBT exam. State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra, will be responsible for releasing the MAH MBA CET 2026 merit list for Maharashtra & Minority Seats along with All India Seats CAP Round-I. Provisional vacancies will be announced after CAP Round 2 for admission to MBA/MMS.

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MAH MBA CET is a state-level entrance exam conducted in the state of Maharashtra for Management aspirants seeking admission into courses such as MMS/MBA/PGDM/PGDMB offered by various Maharashtra colleges. However, there are many alternatives for the Management aspirants who sometimes cannot cut to these top management colleges in Maharashtra. The journey does not end there for them. Several other popular management exams are conducted at the national level.

Exams like CMAT, CAT, and MAT allow students to get into some of the top Management Institutes in India including the IIMs (Indian Institute of Management). So all the management aspirants are suggested that in addition to applying for the MAH MBA CET exam, they must also explore the possibility of cracking the national-level management entrance exams. If a candidate fails to secure a seat in the MAH MBA CET participating college, then he/she will still have a chance to crack one of these exams. If not anything, the candidates will be at least well prepared for next year’s MAH MBA CET entrance exam due to having prepared for other top-level management entrance exams like CAT, CMAT, MAT, etc.

In case a candidate needs any information or assistance regarding the MAH MBA CET exam, they can contact the exam authority using the following details.

• Address: State Common Entrance Test Cell, 8th Floor, New Excelsior Building, A.K.Nayak Marg, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra-400001
• Phone No: +91-022-2264 1151, 2262 0601, 2269 0602
• Helpline Number: +91-9513850008 (10:00 AM to 06:00 PM)