State Engineering CETs
Admission to BE/BTech in government, aided and private engineering colleges within each state through state counselling. They are the main route to state seats such as COEP and VJTI (Maharashtra), Jadavpur University (West Bengal), RVCE and UVCE (Karnataka) and JNTU and Osmania (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana).
Eligibility
You must have passed or be appearing in Class 12 with Physics and Mathematics plus Chemistry or another listed subject. The minimum aggregate is usually 45% (40-45% for reserved categories); KCET also requires 45% in PCM. Domicile matters: state-quota seats generally need domicile or schooling in the state, although several tests (WBJEE, MHT-CET, AP and TG EAPCET) admit out-of-state candidates to some seats. There is usually no upper age limit; WBJEE sets a minimum age of 17.
Age limit: Generally no upper age limit; WBJEE requires a minimum age of 17 by 31 Dec of the admission year
Exam pattern
MHT-CET (PCM): 150 MCQs in 3 hours. Mathematics questions carry 2 marks each and Physics and Chemistry 1 mark each, with no negative marking; Class 11 topics carry about 20% weight. WBJEE: two papers (Mathematics, and Physics plus Chemistry) with three categories of MCQs; Category 1 has negative marking. KCET: separate 60-question, 80-minute papers in each subject, with no negative marking; engineering rank is 50% KCET score and 50% board PCM marks. AP and TG EAPCET: 160 MCQs (80 Mathematics, 40 Physics, 40 Chemistry) in 3 hours, with no negative marking.
Syllabus at a glance
Based on each state's Class 11 and 12 board syllabus, which overlaps heavily with NCERT PCM. MHT-CET follows the Maharashtra HSC syllabus. KCET follows the Karnataka PUC syllabus. AP and TG EAPCET follow the respective intermediate board syllabi. WBJEE follows the WBCHSE syllabus with some JEE-level depth in Mathematics.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| MHT-CET 2027 registration | Dec 2026 - Feb 2027 | expected |
| KCET 2027 registration (KEA) | Jan - Feb 2027 | expected |
| MHT-CET 2027 two attempts (PCM), both after HSC boards, about four weeks apart | Mar - May 2027 | expected |
| KCET 2027 exam | Apr 2027 (third or fourth week) | expected |
| WBJEE 2027 exam | Late Apr - early May 2027 (a Sunday) | expected |
| AP EAPCET and TG EAPCET 2027 (engineering stream) | May 2027 (TG early May; AP mid-May) | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- State board Class 11 and 12 PCM textbooks (HSC Maharashtra, Karnataka PUC, AP/TG Intermediate, WBCHSE)
- NCERT Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics textbooks, Class 11 and 12
- MHT-CET Triumph series by Target Publications
- WBJEE Engineering Solved Papers by Arihant
- KCET Chapterwise Solved Papers by MTG
- Objective Mathematics by R.D. Sharma
How toppers play it
- MHT-CET: Mathematics questions are worth double, so 50 Mathematics questions carry 100 of the 200 marks. With no negative marking, attempt all 150. In 2027, use the first attempt for a strong score and the second to improve on it.
- KCET: Board PCM marks make up half your engineering rank, so prepare as hard for your Class 12 board exams as for the entrance test. Each paper is 60 questions in 80 minutes, so practise at that pace.
- WBJEE: Only Category 1 questions carry negative marking, and Category 2 questions have partial marking. Answer Categories 2 and 3 carefully and guess sparingly in Category 1.
- AP and TG EAPCET: Mathematics is half the paper (80 of 160 questions) and there is no negative marking. Solve the official master question papers and practise in Telugu or English, whichever you will use in the exam.
- Download each state's own previous papers. Questions repeat closely within a state but not across states.