'Maharashtra CET Exams To Be Held Twice A Year From Next Academic Session, Over 14 Lakh Students To Benefit': Minister Chandrakant Patil

Mumbai: Maharashtra's government will commence conducting Common Entrance Tests (CETs) twice annually beginning from the upcoming academic year, presenting students with additional prospects to elevate their scores for admissions into technical, professional, medical and other higher education programs, according to Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil's announcement on Monday.

Over 14 lakh students stand to benefit from this decision, which extends the two-attempt system that was initially implemented this year for engineering, medical and management entrance exams to all CETs administered by the State Common Entrance Test Cell. The CET Cell oversees the administration of 19 different entrance examinations for admission to various courses in Maharashtra.

This year's examinations were held between March and May, with the tentative schedule unveiled in November of the previous year. Patil explained that the revised policy will grant students a second chance to enhance their scores if they are dissatisfied with their performance in the initial examination. Initially, students appearing for engineering, medical and management courses were granted the option of two attempts for the first time this year.

However, the expanded policy will now encompass other courses, such as law and Bachelor of Education (BEd) programs. Patil affirmed that the additional attempt would enable students to improve their scores if they feel unsatisfied with their initial examination results. The Maharashtra government had initially planned to conduct engineering CETs in December, followed by a repeat session in March-April, similar to the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) format.

However, in response to requests from students across the state, the CET Cell opted to schedule the examinations between March and May. The CET Cell is currently working on a standard operating procedure for the two-attempt system, which is anticipated to be finalized within the next 15 days. This framework will encompass examination centers, test conduct, rules and regulations, and the system for evaluating answer papers.

Patil emphasized that further details regarding the examination schedule and the implementation of the two-attempt system would be disclosed once the procedures are finalized.