Pharmacy admission through MHT‑CET: B.Pharm and Pharm.D

Summary: Maharashtra State candidates must write MHT‑CET for B.Pharm or Pharm.D, and either the PCM or the PCB group is accepted. B.Pharm is a four-year course and Pharm.D a six-year course. Admission runs through its own CAP, with a merit list based on your CET score and ties broken by Maths or Biology, then Physics, then Chemistry.

Pharmacy is one of the few professional courses in Maharashtra open to both PCM and PCB students through the same entrance. That makes it a common second option for NEET aspirants and a first choice for students interested in drugs, formulation, analysis, or the pharmaceutical industry. The rules below are from the MHT‑CET 2026 information brochure and the 2026‑27 CAP brochure. Check the brochures for your year before relying on them.

Eligibility

B.Pharm (4 years)

For a Maharashtra State candidate, the 2026 brochure asks for:

• Indian citizenship.
• Class 12 or equivalent passed with English as one of the subjects and Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics or Biology as optional subjects individually.
• An appearance in all subjects of MHT‑CET with a non-zero score.

The CET brochure adds that students with a Class 12 qualification from non-formal, non-classroom schooling (such as the National Institute of Open Schooling or state open school systems) are not eligible for B.Pharm.

Pharm.D (6 years)

Class 12 with Physics and Chemistry as compulsory subjects along with Mathematics or Biology, or a D.Pharm from a Pharmacy Council of India approved institution, plus a non-zero MHT‑CET score for Maharashtra State candidates.

All India candidates

For All India candidature seats, a NEET score is preferred over MHT‑CET. Maharashtra State and Minority candidates, however, must write MHT‑CET for B.Pharm and Pharm.D.

PCM or PCB for pharmacy

Both work. The brochure asks for a non-zero score in MHT‑CET without restricting pharmacy to one group, and the pharmacy merit rules refer to "Mathematics or Biology". So a PCB student does not need to write PCM for pharmacy, and a PCM student does not need Biology.

Which group to write depends on everything else you want to keep open:

The group choice is fixed once you submit the CET form. Pick it with your full set of options in mind.

How merit is decided

The pharmacy merit list is based on the CET score. When two candidates have the same score, the 2026‑27 CAP brochure breaks the tie in this order:

1. Higher score in Mathematics or Biology in CET
2. Higher score in Physics in CET
3. Higher score in Chemistry in CET
4. Higher percentage in Physics, Maths or Biology, and Chemistry together in Class 12
5. Higher percentage in Maths or Biology in Class 12, then Physics, then Class 12 aggregate

For a PCB student, this means the Biology paper, which is 100 of the 200 marks, is also the first tie-breaker. For a PCM student, Maths plays that role.

The pharmacy CAP

Pharmacy has its own CAP portal (for 2026‑27, ph2026.mahacet.org), separate from engineering, and it usually runs later. At the time of writing, the 2026‑27 pharmacy CAP was at the Round I option form stage in late September 2026, while engineering admissions for the year had already closed. The rounds follow the same general rules as engineering: auto-freeze for a first preference in Round I, top three in Round II and top six in Round III; the choice to freeze, accept for betterment, or skip a lower allotment; and no betterment after the final round. Our post on percentile and CAP rounds explains these in detail.

Since engineering and pharmacy CAPs have separate timelines, a student applying to both must track both schedules. Before accepting a seat in one, read the cancellation and refund rules in the brochure, because the other process may still be running.

Tuition Fee Waiver Scheme seats are also available in pharmacy for eligible Maharashtra State candidates whose parents' annual income is below the limit set in the brochure (Rs. 8 lakh in 2026‑27), and students admitted on these seats cannot change institute or course later.

Before you choose pharmacy

Pharmacy should be a choice, not only a fallback. A few questions worth discussing at home:

• Does the student like Chemistry? Pharmaceutical chemistry, analysis and pharmacology are central to the course. A student who struggles with organic chemistry will find the degree hard going.
• B.Pharm or Pharm.D? Pharm.D is longer and more clinical, with hospital-based training. B.Pharm leads to industry, regulatory, quality and research roles, and to M.Pharm.
• Is the college approved? Check that the institute and intake are approved by the Pharmacy Council of India for the year, and look at the college's facilities, laboratories and faculty before filling options. Our post on judging a college has a checklist that works for pharmacy too.

PCB students weighing pharmacy against other courses should also read our post on what the PCB group opens.

Preparing for the CET with pharmacy in mind

There is no separate pharmacy paper. You prepare for the same PCM or PCB CET as everyone else. For PCB students, the Biology paper carries 100 of the 200 marks, so NCERT and State Board Biology done thoroughly is the single biggest lever. Our NEET Biology notes are a good base, and the MHT‑CET course page describes how we prepare CET alongside NEET.

Common questions