Checked 25 September 2026. From the MAH-B. Design CET 2026 brochure, the 2026-27 CAP admission notices and the UG/PG technical admission brochure 2026-27. Check the 2027 brochure when it is published.
Eligibility for MAH B.Des CET is simple for the exam and more detailed for admission. To sit the test you need 10+2 (passed or appearing) with 45% aggregate — 40% if you are reserved-category, EWS or a person with a disability — and there is no age limit and no required stream. For admission, the 40% relaxation applies only to reserved, EWS and PwD candidates belonging to Maharashtra; everyone else needs 45%. To be admitted, what matters is your candidature: a Maharashtra candidate competes for state seats on the MAH-CET score, while an All India candidate may use either UCEED or MAH-CET — and UCEED scorers are ranked first. This guide explains both, with a chooser for your own case.
MAH-B. Design CET 2026 brochure (section 4) and admission notice no. 1, 2026-27.
Who can take the test
| Requirement | Rule (2026 brochure) |
|---|---|
| Qualifying exam | Passed or appearing in 10+2 or equivalent |
| Marks | At least 45% aggregate; 40% for reserved categories, EWS and persons with disabilities |
| Stream | Not specified — science, commerce and arts students can all apply |
| Age | No age limit (the 2026 Maharashtra merit list on the CAP portal includes candidates born in 1987) |
| For admission (not the test) | 45% aggregate; 40% only for reserved, EWS and PwD candidates belonging to Maharashtra |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Registration IDs (2026) | APAAR ID and Aadhaar were both mandatory to register |
From section 4 of the 2026 brochure and the 22 January 2026 registration notice. NRI, OCI, PIO, CIWGC and foreign-national applicants are exempt from the CET and apply separately through the CET Cell's foreign-national portal.
Admission: Maharashtra or All India?
| Candidature | Score used | Other route |
|---|---|---|
| Maharashtra State (types A–E) | MAH-B. Design CET — a non-zero score is required | D.Voc. in the same or allied sector |
| All India (and J&K / Ladakh migrants) | Either a non-zero positive UCEED score, or all parts of MAH-B. Design CET with a non-zero score | D.Voc. |
| Minority (Maharashtra-domiciled member of a notified linguistic or religious minority) | MAH-B. Design CET | Minority seats in minority institutes |
| NRI / OCI / PIO / foreign national | Exempt from the CET; 10+2 with 45% | Separate portal |
From admission notice no. 1 (2026-27) and section 4 of the 2026 brochure.
The rule that surprises All India applicants is this one, in the CET Cell's own words: "preference shall be given to the candidate obtaining non-zero positive score in UCEED over the candidates who obtained non-zero score in MAH-B. Design CET". The merit lists show what it means in practice — in the 2026 All India list, ranks 1 to 136 were all UCEED candidates, and only then did MAH-CET scorers start. If you live outside Maharashtra and want an All India seat, sitting UCEED as well is the stronger route.
| All India merit list | UCEED candidates | MAH-CET candidates | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 73 | 190 | 263 |
| 2026-27 | 136 | 298 | 434 |
From the CET Cell's final All India merit lists. With 93 All India seats in 2026-27, the UCEED candidates alone outnumbered the seats — though many also hold seats elsewhere and never take a Maharashtra one.
The five Maharashtra candidature types
| Type | Who (2026 brochure) |
|---|---|
| A | Passed SSC and HSC from Maharashtra, or domiciled in / born in Maharashtra |
| B | Parent domiciled in Maharashtra, with a domicile certificate |
| C | Parent a Government of India (or GoI undertaking) employee posted in Maharashtra before the CAP application deadline |
| D | Parent an employee or retired employee of the Government of Maharashtra or its undertaking |
| E | SSC and/or HSC from the disputed Maharashtra–Karnataka border area, with Marathi as mother tongue |
Summarised from section 4(A)(1) of the 2026 brochure; claim one type only, and read the full wording for the documents each needs.
Which seats can you compete for?
Minority seats, J&K and Ladakh migrants, and women-only courses
Three smaller groups have their own seats. Minority candidates — Maharashtra-domiciled members of a notified linguistic or religious minority — compete for minority seats in minority institutes: in 2026-27 the only one was Aditya College, Borivali, a Hindi linguistic-minority institute with 15 of its 30 seats in the minority quota. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh migrant candidates are treated like All India candidates for eligibility and had a separate counselling round in 2026 (18–20 August, reporting 21–25 August, per admission notice no. 3); that notice and the portal's dates page named different venues for it, so check the latest notice. And four of the ten 2026-27 courses — the Fashion Design programmes at Mangaldeep, Sumanbai and Ken Kendre and Interior Design at Sumanbai — are coded "Only For Female".
| Question | Answer (official rules) |
|---|---|
| I am in Class 12 now. Can I apply? | Yes — "passed / appearing" candidates can sit the CET; your 10+2 marks must reach 45% (40% reserved) for admission |
| Does a zero score count? | No — admission needs a non-zero MAH-CET score (or a non-zero positive UCEED score for All India seats) |
| I have a D.Voc. Do I need the CET? | At CAP, a D.Voc. passed in the same or an allied sector is a separate eligibility clause. Separately, after CAP, All India seats still vacant are filled on UCEED scores and then D.Voc. marks |
| Can I claim two candidature types? | No — only one Maharashtra type (A–E) may be claimed |
From the 2026 brochure, admission notices 1 and 3 and the UG/PG technical admission brochure 2026-27.
Reservation and documents at CAP
Reservation follows Maharashtra's rules and applies only to Maharashtra candidates. At CAP you must produce, in original: a Caste Validity Certificate (SC, VJ/DT, NT, OBC, SBC, SEBC), a Tribe Validity Certificate (ST), a Non-Creamy Layer certificate valid up to 31 March 2027 for the 2026-27 round (all backward classes except SC/ST), and an EWS certificate in the state's prescribed format. Without the originals or valid receipts at verification you are treated as General. A reserved candidate who registered for the CET but cannot produce the certificate pays the fee difference at CAP (₹500 in 2026-27).
| Category (at CAP) | Documents |
|---|---|
| SC, VJ/DT, NT(A–D), OBC, SBC, SEBC | Caste certificate + Caste Validity Certificate; NCL for all but SC |
| ST | Caste certificate + Tribe Validity Certificate |
| EWS | EWS eligibility certificate in the state format (GR of 31/05/2021) |
| Persons with disabilities, Defence, Orphan | As listed in the admission brochure |
| Everyone | Class 10 and 12 marksheets, MAH-CET score card (or UCEED), candidature documents, Aadhaar |
From admission notices 1 and 3 (2026-27) and the UG/PG technical admission brochure 2026-27. Receipt-holders must produce the certificates by the last reporting date of CAP Round IV or lose the category.
Ties and D.Voc.
If two candidates have the same score, the CET Cell ranks them by the higher 10+2 aggregate percentage, then the higher SSC aggregate, then SSC Mathematics, then SSC Science. D.Voc. holders in the same or an allied sector are eligible without the CET for some seats; the admission brochure also uses D.Voc. marks to fill All India seats left vacant after UCEED candidates. NID DAT, NIFT and other design tests are not accepted for any B.Design seat under these rules — only MAH-B. Design CET, UCEED and D.Voc. are named.
Where other pages get this wrong
Only MAH-B. Design CET, UCEED and D.Voc. give entry to B.Design seats through Maharashtra CAP.
Commonly published instead: "NID DAT / NIFT scores are accepted for MAH B.Des admission" or "MIT Institute of Design Pune admits through MAH B.Des CET".
The CET Cell's rules name only MAH-B. Design CET, UCEED and D.Voc. The CAP institutes are MIT Academy of Engineering, Alandi and G. S. Mandal's MIT, Aurangabad — not MIT-VPU / MIT Institute of Design, which admits through its own process.
Practise it, don't just read it
Eligibility is settled once you have 45% in 10+2. The score is what decides the college — start with Part C.
The ProSyllabus MAH B.Des CET library has quizzes for Design Awareness and General Knowledge, Principles of Design and Art History, Visual and Spatial Reasoning and Logical and Analytical Reasoning — the Part C ground. The first one is free.
What is the eligibility for MAH B.Des CET?
10+2 or equivalent, passed or appearing, with at least 45% aggregate (40% for reserved categories, EWS and persons with disabilities; for admission that 40% applies only to candidates belonging to Maharashtra). No age limit and no specified stream.
Is there an age limit for MAH B.Des CET?
No. The brochure prints no age limit, and the 2026 merit list includes candidates born in 1987.
Can commerce or arts students take MAH B.Des CET?
Yes. The brochure specifies no stream or subjects, only 45% aggregate in 10+2.
Can students from other states take MAH B.Des CET?
Yes. They compete for All India seats, where candidates with a non-zero UCEED score are ranked ahead of MAH-CET scorers.
Is UCEED accepted for MAH B.Des admission?
Yes, for All India seats — and UCEED scorers are preferred over MAH-CET scorers there.
Can I apply in Class 12 for MAH B.Des CET?
Yes. Candidates appearing in 10+2 can take the test.
Are NID DAT or NIFT scores accepted?
No. Only MAH-B. Design CET, UCEED and D.Voc. are named in the CET Cell's B.Design rules.
What documents are needed for MAH B.Des CAP?
Marksheets, the score card, candidature documents and, for reserved categories, caste or tribe validity, non-creamy layer (valid to 31 March 2027 for 2026-27) or EWS certificates.
How are ties broken in MAH B.Des CET merit?
By the higher 10+2 aggregate, then SSC aggregate, then SSC Mathematics, then SSC Science.
Do NRI or foreign students need MAH B.Des CET?
No. NRI, OCI, PIO, CIWGC and foreign-national candidates are exempt from the CET; they need 10+2 with 45% and apply through the CET Cell's foreign-national portal.
Which minority institute offers B.Des through CAP?
In 2026-27, Aditya College of Art, Architecture and Design in Borivali, a Hindi linguistic-minority institute, with 15 of its 30 seats in the minority quota.
Sources
- official — CET Cell — Information Brochure, MAH-B. Design CET 2026 (updated 16 Mar 2026)
- official — CET Cell — B.Design CET 2026 registration notice (22 Jan 2026)
- official — B.Design CAP 2026-27 — admission notice no. 1 (8 Jul 2026)
- official — B.Design CAP 2026-27 — admission notice no. 3, full CAP schedule (20 Jul 2026)
- official — CET Cell — Information Brochure for UG & PG technical admissions 2026-27 (2 Jul 2026)
- official — B.Design CAP portal 2026-27
- official — B.Design CAP 2026-27 — important dates
- official — B.Design CAP 2026-27 — seat matrix, CAP Round I
- official — CET Cell — Information Brochure, MAH-B. Design CET 2025
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
