Summary: A PCB MHT‑CET score is accepted for B.Pharm and Pharm.D, for the state agriculture universities' degree courses (except B.Tech Agricultural Engineering, which needs PCM), and, under the 2026 rules, for nine specific engineering disciplines such as Biotechnology and Food Engineering. MBBS, BDS and other medical courses go through NEET, not MHT‑CET.The PCB group of MHT‑CET has Physics and Chemistry for 90 minutes and Biology for 90 minutes, 200 questions and 200 marks, with no negative marking. The Biology paper alone is 100 of those marks. A student who is preparing seriously for NEET already has most of what the CET Biology paper asks. The question is what the score leads to.
Everything below comes from the MHT‑CET 2026 information brochure (technical courses) and the MHT‑CET 2026 brochure for agriculture courses, both on cetcell.mahacet.org. Eligibility rules change, so confirm in the brochure for your year.
Medical courses are not in this list
This needs saying clearly because families sometimes get it wrong. MBBS, BDS and other courses under the national medical counselling go through NEET. MHT‑CET does not give admission to them. For a PCB student, CET is a separate door, not a second route to MBBS.
Pharmacy
B.Pharm (4 years) and Pharm.D (6 years) accept either the PCM or the PCB group. For B.Pharm, Class 12 must include English, Physics and Chemistry, and Mathematics or Biology; for Pharm.D, Physics and Chemistry with Mathematics or Biology. For PCB students, the Biology score is the first tie-breaker in the pharmacy merit list. Our post on pharmacy admission through MHT‑CET covers this in detail.
Agriculture and allied degrees
The agriculture brochure for 2026 covers admission to the state agriculture universities' four-year degree courses. The group each course accepts:
| Course | CET group accepted |
|---|---|
| B.Sc. (Hons) Agriculture | PCM or PCB |
| B.Sc. (Hons) Horticulture | PCM or PCB |
| B.Sc. (Hons) Forestry | PCB only |
| B.F.Sc. (Fisheries Science) | PCB only |
| B.Tech Food Technology | PCM or PCB |
| B.Sc. (Hons) Community Science | PCM or PCB |
| B.Tech Biotechnology | PCM or PCB |
| B.Sc. (Hons) Agri Business Management | PCM or PCB |
| B.Tech Agricultural Engineering | PCM only |
A few details from the brochure worth knowing:
- The general Class 12 requirement is at least 45% (40% for reserved categories and persons with disability), with English passed.
- Students who did not take Biology or Mathematics in Class 12 may have to complete deficiency courses prescribed by the university, depending on the course.
- For agriculture admission, other entrance exams such as JEE and NEET are also considered equivalent, and merit uses the entrance score along with other weightages under the admission rules notified by the government. Read the current rules for the exact method.
- Agriculture admissions have their own CAP portal, separate from engineering and pharmacy.
Engineering disciplines open to PCB
This surprises most families. Under the 2026 eligibility rules, a Maharashtra State candidate who passed Class 12 with Physics and Chemistry and one of Mathematics, Biology, Biotechnology or certain other subjects, with 45% (40% for reserved categories, EWS and PwD from Maharashtra) in those subjects together, and who has a non-zero score in PCB MHT‑CET, is eligible for these disciplines:
- Agriculture Engineering
- Biotechnology
- Food Engineering
- Leather Technology
- Packaging Technology
- Pharmaceutical Engineering
- Printing Engineering
- Fashion Technology
- Textile Chemistry
The full list of engineering branches (Computer, Mechanical, Civil and so on) needs Physics and Mathematics in Class 12 and a PCM CET score. Note the difference between "Agriculture Engineering" in this engineering list and "B.Tech Agricultural Engineering" in the agriculture university list above, which the agriculture brochure restricts to PCM. They are admitted through different processes.
Choosing among these options
A decision table we use with PCB families:
| If the student | Look first at |
|---|---|
| Likes Chemistry and lab work | B.Pharm, Pharm.D, Pharmaceutical Engineering, Textile Chemistry |
| Likes Biology and field work | B.Sc. Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Fisheries |
| Likes Biology and technology | Biotechnology (either route), Food Technology or Food Engineering |
| Is interested in business | B.Sc. Agri Business Management |
| Is set on MBBS only | NEET, with CET written as a separate option in case plans change |
Should a PCMB student write both groups?
The brochure allows it. If the student is genuinely undecided between engineering and medicine-related courses, writing both keeps every option open. If the student is clearly on one side, preparing for both groups at CET level usually thins out preparation. In our experience, most PCMB students are better served by committing to one group early in Class 12 and using the other as a board subject only.
How to prepare the PCB paper
Biology carries half the marks, so a strong NCERT base plus the State Board Biology book is the core. The CET Class 11 Biology list for 2026 is short: Biomolecules, Respiration and Energy Transfer, Human Nutrition, and Excretion and Osmoregulation. The rest of the Biology paper is Class 12. Our NEET Biology notes and the post on reading NCERT Biology for NEET help with both exams. For Physics and Chemistry, see State Board textbook or NCERT.
Our NEET programme includes CET-pattern practice for PCB students in the final months.
Common questions
Can I get MBBS through MHT‑CET?
No. MBBS and BDS admissions go through NEET. MHT‑CET PCB is used for pharmacy, agriculture and some engineering disciplines.
Can a PCB student do engineering in Maharashtra?
Yes, in nine specific disciplines listed in the 2026 rules, including Biotechnology, Food Engineering, Pharmaceutical Engineering and Agriculture Engineering. The main branches need PCM.
Which agriculture courses need PCB only?
In the 2026 agriculture brochure, B.Sc. (Hons) Forestry and B.F.Sc. (Fisheries Science) need the PCB group. B.Tech Agricultural Engineering needs PCM. The others accept either.