Maharashtra MBA CET 2026 Slot 1 Details

Date : 6th April (Monday) 2026

Slot : 09:00 am to 11:30 am

Total Number of Questions : 200

Total Time Allotted : 150 minutes

No. of Choices per question : 5 choices

No. of Sections : 4 sections

Negative Marks : No negative marking

CET 2026 Paper Pattern

The MBA CET examination was structured in a section-wise format, featuring a convenient drop-down arrow on top of the screen on the right-hand side, allowing candidates to effortlessly select their desired area of focus. The allocation of questions and topics was meticulously detailed in the table provided below, offering a clear breakdown of the content covered.

Note : In the Logical Reasoning section there were 11 questions from Quantitative Ability area.

Section 1 : Logical Reasoning & Analytical Puzzles

Analytical Puzzles: In the normal course, there would be at least 3 to 4 sets of analytical puzzles comprising 25 to 30 out of 75 questions. In a major deviation from the standard pattern, in this slot, not even one analytical puzzle set is given. One question based on circular arrangement and one comparison question were given. But the rest are all logical reasoning questions.

Logical Reasoning: As all 75 questions are individual LR questions (except for one Input – Output set of 2 questions), this section appears to be lengthy. It gives a feeling that you go on answering the questions, but the end never comes.

After a long-time, input-output questions returned to CET. There is one set of 2 questions and 2 individual questions. By the very nature of the input-output questions, they are time-consuming. Earlier, there used to be a set of 5 questions in one input-output set. Students prefer to attempt such sets, as they get to answer 5 questions quickly once the logic is cracked. With just one or two questions in a set, students may prefer to skip these questions. The overall difficulty level was perceived as mostly with a few time-consuming questions. Students suggested that skipping some of the more time-intensive questions could have freed up time for other sections. They felt that attempting about 50 questions in 60 minutes would have been a sound approach, with the option to spend even less time here to focus on other areas.

In addition, there were questions on topics such as Coding Decoding, Blood Relations, Direction Sense and Clocks. Questions based on Critical Reasoning were absent. Arithmetic-based questions were also included. A well-planned time management strategy would have been advantageous for this section. The combination of questions in this section, as recalled by students, is detailed in the following table:

Section 2 : Abstract Reasoning

In this section, there were 25 questions with good variety. Those who had practised T.I.M.E. handouts would have found these question types familiar. Many students reported that the overall difficulty level was easy to moderate. Finding the wrong figure in the series has appeared after a very long time. It is given two patterns – With six figures and with seven figures.

One could have easily attempted around 20 questions in 20 minutes.

Section 3 : Quantitative Ability

Student feedback suggests the difficulty level of this section ranged from easy to moderate, with only a small number of questions proving genuinely challenging for well-prepared students. The section comprised 40 Quantitative Ability questions, along with 10 Data Interpretation questions. There were no data sufficiency, quantitative comparison, or Approximation questions. Based on student accounts, the questions covered a range of topics, including percentages, profit and loss, time and work, time and distance, averages, mixtures and allegations, geometry, mensuration, and probability.

Many questions were straightforward, which would have helped students build confidence for tackling more complex problems. The Data Interpretation questions are calculation intensive. One DI set is a case let, and the other one involves a table and a pie chart. Some pie charts used percentages, and some questions involved analysing two pie charts. Following is the breakdown of the questions in this section based on student recollections.

A good number of attempts in this section is 30 to 35 by spending about 50 minutes.

Section 4: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section was manageable and straightforward. This segment included several Reading Comprehension (RC) questions, comprising four passages, each ranging from 400 to 450 words and accompanied by five questions. The vocabulary questions featured a diverse array, including synonym and antonym pairs, the identification of synonyms and antonyms for a given word, and fill-in-the-blank questions with one blank and five options. The grammar questions covered various topics, such as idioms, phrases, error spotting, fill-in-the-blanks with appropriate prepositions and selecting correct sentences from a set of five. No new question types were introduced in this section.

Detailed Break-up of questions as follows:

Reading Comprehension:

The topics addressed included Cybercrime, Women's Empowerment, Tariffs in relation to the U.S., and Electric Vehicles.

• Each passage contained 400-450 words.

• All passages were accompanied by five questions each.

• A total of four questions focused on making inferences from the text, while the remaining questions were primarily direct.

• The passages on Cybercrime and Electric Vehicles were straightforward, making them easier to solve.

Vocabulary:

• In the section featuring 4 questions on synonyms, one question posed a challenge for students with an average vocabulary due to the similarity of the answer choices.

• Additionally, there was 1 question on antonyms that proved to be somewhat difficult for the students.

• In the fill-in-the-blank category, 5 questions were presented, with 4 of them being relatively easy to answer.

Grammar:

• A total of five questions regarding the meanings of idioms or phrases were presented, all of which were manageable.

• Additionally, three questions required the selection of the appropriate preposition to fill in the blanks, and these were relatively straightforward.

• The sections on active and passive voice, direct and indirect speech, sentence correction, error spotting, and improving the highlighted segments were all simple and did not require much time to complete.

Verbal Ability:

• In the recent examination, there was only a single question of para jumbles, which comprised five sentences that required appropriate sequencing. The inclusion of answer options facilitated an uncomplicated resolution of the task.

Overall, the exam's difficulty level ranged from easy to moderate, and a student who had adequately prepared should have been able to answer between 35 and 40 questions within the 40-minute time limit.

Based on the student feedback on the overall, the paper can be classified as easy to moderately difficult. From what the students have reported, the correct selection of questions along with speed is the key to a good score. A judicious distribution of time and choice would have ensured a comfortable number of attempts with good accuracy. A good student should have attempted around 130 -140 questions. However, students aiming for the top colleges should have attempted around 145 - 150 questions.