Engineering entrance exams play an important role in shaping a candidate's future. The choice of exam, college, and course impacts their career. As a result, many students often find themselves differentiating between exams that align best with their strengths, particularly in terms of MHT CET vs JEE Mains difficulty level. Among the various exams, JEE Main and MHT CET are frequently compared. Both these exams provide admission to top BTech colleges in India. JEE Main admits candidates to institutes like IITs, NITs, and GFTIs. On the other hand, MHT CET admits candidates to several top higher-state engineering colleges. By thoroughly understanding the key differences like difficulty level, exam, eligibility, and scope between these two exams - candidates can make informed decision and choose the best path.
Both JEE Main and MHT CET are entrance exams conducted for admission into various engineering programs and Government and private colleges in India and across Maharashtra. However, candidates must note that MHT CET can be cleared with JEE Main paper one preparation, as its questions. Are primarily based on the Maharashtra State Board syllabus. On the other hand, JEE Main cannot be cracked through MHT CET preparation. JEE Main requires rigorous preparation since its questions are highly conceptual. Candidates need a deep understanding of the differences between these two exams to make an informed decision about which exam to attempt.
The Maharashtra Health and Technical Commerce Entrance Test, MHT-CET, is a state-level entrance exam. DTE, on behalf of the government of Maharashtra, organizes this exam. It acts as a pathway for admission to various UG. Engineering and technical programs across Maharashtra state. The exam is conducted annually and follows the CBT format.
Check below for a detailed overview of the MHT CET exam:
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Category |
Information |
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Exam Name |
Maharashtra Health and Technical Common Entrance Test (MHT CET) |
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Exam Level |
State-Level |
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Competition |
Relatively lower competition as it is a state-level exam. |
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Application Process |
Online |
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Available Languages |
English, Urdu, Marathi |
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Mode of Examination |
Online |
JEE main is a national-level exam for engineering and architecture programs. NTA conducts this exam. It admits student students to one engineering Institute in India and qualifies candidates for the JEE advanced exam. The exam is held twice a year at 300 centres. Depending on the subject, candidates can take the exam both in online and offline mode. Refer to the table below for an overview of the JEE. Main exam:
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Category |
Information |
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Exam Name |
JEE Main (Paper 1) |
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Exam Level |
National-Level |
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Competition |
Highly competitive, as candidates from across India and abroad participate. |
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Application Process |
Online |
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Languages Offered |
English, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, and Urdu |
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Examination Mode |
Online for B.E. & B.Tech |
Both these exams are conducted at different levels, but the difference between JEE and CET lies in eligibility requirements. Below is a breakdown of both the exam's eligibility criteria.
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Criteria |
JEE Main Eligibility |
MHT CET Eligibility |
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Educational Qualification |
Must have passed class 12th or an equivalent exam from a recognized board. |
Must have completed the class 12th (or equivalent) from a recognized board/university. |
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Age Requirement |
No age restrictions. Candidates should check the specific age criteria set by JEE Main participating colleges on their official websites. |
No age restrictions. |
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Mandatory Subjects |
Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics (Compulsory) Biology/Biotechnology (Optional) |
Physics and Mathematics (Compulsory) Chemistry/Biology/Biotechnology/Technical/Vocational subjects (Optional) |
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Minimum Percentage Criteria |
General & OBC: 75% aggregate Reserved Categories: 65% aggregate |
General Category: 50% (aggregate of 5 subjects) Reserved Categories & PwD: 45% (aggregate of 5 subjects) |
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Nationality Requirements |
Open to Indian citizens, NIOS candidates, and applicants from Nepal, Bhutan, PIO, and OCI categories. Candidates from other foreign countries are eligible only for Other State Quota Seats or All India Quota Seats. |
Eligible applicants include Indian citizens, wards of NRIs, OCIs, Persons of Indian Origin, Indian workers in Gulf countries, and Foreign Nationals. |
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The question is JEE preparation enough for MHT CET depending on the exam pattern as well? As both exams are conducted in CBT mode, they are conducted at multiple centres. The exam pattern plays an important role and students must have a thorough understanding of JEE main 2025 exam pattern along with MHT CET to have better clarity. The following table compares the exam pattern of both exams.
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Criteria |
MHT CET |
JEE Main (Paper 1) |
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Total Questions |
150 questions |
90 (Candidates must attempt 75) |
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Negative Marking |
No negative marking |
MCQs: 1 mark deducted per incorrect answer Numerical Value Questions: No negative marking |
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Exam Duration |
3 Hours |
3 Hours |
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Scoring System |
Physics & Chemistry: 1 mark is given per correct answer Maths: 1 mark awarded per correct answer |
4 marks are given for each correct response |
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Subjects Covered |
Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics |
Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics |
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Mode of Exam |
Computer-Based Test |
Computer-Based Test |
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Question Format |
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
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Language Options |
English |
English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu |
In past years, the MHT CET syllabus has undergone slight variations. Since CET is based on class 11th and 12th standard board curriculum, any reduction in topic will also apply to the CET exam. However, despite the syllabus reduction in CBSE, the NTA will not remove any topics from the JEE Main syllabus. This is the difference between JEE and CET syllabus. Since JEE Main is a national-level exam that requires candidates to study from NCERT books, candidates preparing for it can also appear for MHT CET. However, for MHT CET, they will need to focus on improving their speed. On the other hand, candidates who are preparing for CET and JEE both will need to study topics in Depth and with more conceptual approach.
As stated earlier, while the difficulty level of MHT CET and JEE Main is considered similar, JEE demands more in-depth preparation and a deeper understanding of concepts. Moreover, as a national-level exam, JEE Main has significantly higher competition. In contrast, MHT CET faces comparatively lower competition since it is restricted to only candidates from Maharashtra. This increases competition in the JEE Main exam. This factor contributes to the question of CET or JEE which is best for engineering according to your needs and goals.
