Maharashtra Introduces Fourth CAP Round for Engineering Admissions; Aims to Reduce Vacant Seats

Maharashtra State CET Cell adds a fourth CAP round for engineering admissions from 2025-26 to reduce vacant seats. Check the official schedule and new rules.

In a significant policy shift aimed at optimizing seat allocation and reducing the number of vacant seats in engineering colleges across the state, the Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell has officially introduced a fourth round to its Centralised Admission Process (CAP) for the academic year 2025-26. This is a major change from the previous system, which traditionally consisted of three CAP rounds followed by a spot admission process.

The addition of a new round provides a crucial opportunity for candidates who were unable to secure a seat in the initial phases, as well as for those seeking to upgrade their college or course preferences. The decision, officially announced via the counselling schedule on the State CET Cell's website, is expected to benefit a large number of MHT CET and JEE Main qualified aspirants.

What the New Policy Means for Aspirants:

The new four-round structure is designed to offer more flexibility and a better chance for all eligible candidates to secure admission. The key features of this revised counselling process include:

• More Chances for Betterment: Candidates who choose to "Float" their seat in the first three rounds will have an additional opportunity to be considered for a higher-preference college or course in the new fourth round.
• Reduced Vacancy: The fourth round is expected to significantly reduce the number of vacant seats that often remain after the first three rounds, ensuring that more meritorious students are admitted into the state's engineering institutions.
• Revised Auto-Freeze Rules: To ensure the process is efficient, a seat will be "auto-frozen" if a candidate is allotted their first preference in any round. In Round 2, seats allotted from the top three preferences will be auto-frozen, and in Round 3, seats from the top six preferences will be auto-frozen. This helps to secure admissions faster.

The schedule for the first round of CAP is currently underway, with seat acceptance and reporting at institutes open until August 3. The schedule for the new fourth round has also been published, with the provisional allotment result set to be displayed on September 1, 2025.

Aspirants are advised to carefully study the new rules and the complete counselling schedule available on the official website, fe2025.mahacet.org, to strategize their choices effectively and to stay up-to-date with the process.