MHT CET CAP Round 1 Cutoff for 2026 Released; CSE and AI Disciplines Remain Highly Competitive

The Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHT CET) Cell has officially released the cutoff for the first round of the Centralized Admission Process (CAP) for the year 2026. This announcement is crucial for candidates seeking admission to Bachelor of Engineering (BE) and Bachelor of Technology (BTech) programs, as it provides detailed college-wise, branch-wise, and category-wise closing percentiles. Students can access this information on the official counselling portal, which also includes the results of the CAP round 1 seat allotment.

The release of the cutoff coincides with the seat allotment results, allowing candidates to evaluate their performance against the closing scores of various colleges. For those who are not satisfied with their assigned seats, the round 1 cutoff serves as a valuable tool for making informed decisions in subsequent counselling rounds. Additionally, official PDFs detailing the MHT CET 2026 cutoff for various branches, including Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), are available for download.

This year, Maharashtra has expanded its engineering seat offerings to 1,92,180 across 380 institutes, a notable increase from 1,77,985 seats in 372 institutes last year. Despite the addition of over 14,000 seats, the demand for popular branches such as CSE, AI, Information Technology, and Electronics & Telecommunication remains high, as evidenced by their competitive closing ranks at top government and autonomous engineering colleges. In contrast, branches like Mechanical, Civil, and Production Engineering have shown to be more accessible across various institutions.

The CAP round 1 cutoff represents the closing ranks at which admissions were granted for specific colleges and branches. It is determined by several factors, including the number of applicants and their respective scores. However, candidates should be aware that this cutoff is not definitive; the closing percentiles may fluctuate in the upcoming rounds as students accept, freeze, float, or surrender their allotted seats.

For candidates who did not secure admission to their preferred institutions, a careful analysis of the round 1 cutoff is essential before the next counselling round. By comparing closing ranks across different colleges, students can make more strategic choices, thereby enhancing their chances of obtaining a better seat in CAP round 2. Those who have been allotted a seat in round 1 must complete the seat acceptance and institute reporting process within the designated timeframe to maintain eligibility for further counselling opportunities.