Registration Closes for MET 2026 as Manipal Moves to Next Phase

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) concludes MET 2026 Phase 1 registration on March 23. Slot booking for the April entrance exam starts on March 31.

The registration window for the first phase of the Manipal Entrance Test (MET) 2026 officially closes today, March 23, 2026. The Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) had previously extended the deadline from mid-March to allow more aspirants to apply for its various undergraduate and postgraduate programs, including the highly sought-after B.Tech courses at the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT). With the conclusion of the application phase, the focus now shifts to the Online Test Booking System (OTBS), which is the next vital step for all registered candidates.

The MET is a mandatory entrance examination for students seeking admission to MAHE campuses in Manipal, Bengaluru, and Jamshedpur. Following the closure of the portal today, no further applications for Phase 1 will be entertained. However, candidates who miss this deadline may still have the opportunity to apply for Phase 2, which is scheduled to open its registration portal in late April.

Next Step: Online Test Booking System (OTBS)

Registered candidates must now prepare for the slot booking process, which allows them to choose their preferred exam date, time, and test center. This process is conducted on a first-come, first-served basis. According to the official 2026 schedule, the slot booking window will open on March 31 and remain active until April 2, 2026. It is important to note that a hall ticket can only be generated after a candidate successfully completes their slot booking.

Exam Pattern and Preparation Guidelines

The MET 2026 remains a computer-based test (CBT) consisting of 60 questions to be completed within 120 minutes. For B.Tech aspirants, the paper covers Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and English. The marking scheme includes +4 for every correct answer and -1 for every incorrect Multiple Choice Question (MCQ), while numerical-type questions do not carry negative marking. This balanced structure tests both the speed and accuracy of the candidates.

• Mathematics: 20 Questions
• Physics: 15 Questions
• Chemistry: 15 Questions
• English: 10 Questions

As the exam dates approach in mid-April, candidates are advised to utilize the official mock tests available on the Manipal portal. These practice sessions are designed to familiarize students with the digital interface of the exam and the difficulty level of the questions. High-weightage topics typically include Calculus and Vectors in Mathematics, and Modern Physics and Mechanics in the Physics section.

Admission and Counselling Transition

Once both phases of the MET are concluded in May, MAHE will release a common merit list based on the best score achieved by candidates who appeared in both attempts. The centralized online counselling process is expected to begin in the second week of June 2026. During counselling, seats are allotted based on the MET rank, availability of branches across campuses, and the preferences submitted by the students.

Apart from B.Tech, several other programs in Health Sciences, Management, and Humanities also utilize the MET scores for their initial screening. Candidates applying for these specialized courses should check if their specific department requires an additional "Department Test" (DT) following the MET. Successful candidates from the 2026 cycle are expected to join their respective campuses for orientation in late July or early August.

Conclusion

The closing of MET 2026 Phase 1 registration today marks the end of the initial application journey for thousands of engineering and professional degree aspirants. As the admission cycle moves into the high-stakes phase of slot booking and examination in April, candidates must remain vigilant regarding the upcoming OTBS deadlines. With the Phase 1 exams scheduled for April 13 and 14, the next three weeks are crucial for final revisions and mock test practice. The transition to the examination stage brings students one step closer to securing a seat at one of India’s premier private universities for the 2026-27 academic year.