The MHT-CET PCM paper is 180 minutes long, but you never get to choose how to spend all 180. The CET Cell splits it into two fixed halves. For the first 90 minutes only Physics and Chemistry are open. At 90 minutes they are submitted automatically, and only then does Maths open, for the last 90.
That rule shapes your whole plan. Spare minutes in the first half cannot be carried into Maths, and you cannot go back to Physics or Chemistry once Maths is open. This article sets out the rule from the CET Cell's own brochure, then gives a minute plan built around it.
The rules below are from the MHT-CET 2026 Information Brochure. The 2027 brochure was not out on 17 October 2026. We will update this page if it changes anything.
The short answer
- Minutes 1 to 90: Physics and Chemistry, 100 questions, 1 mark each. Both subjects are open together, in any order you like.
- Minute 90: Physics and Chemistry are submitted automatically. You cannot reopen them.
- Minutes 91 to 180: Maths, 50 questions, 2 marks each.
- Time per question: 54 seconds in the first half, 108 seconds in Maths.
- The plan in one line: two rounds through each half, then fill every blank before the section closes.
How the 180 minutes work
The brochure describes the PCM paper as two groups, Physics and Chemistry in one and Mathematics in the other, with a total of 180 minutes. In its words, Physics and Chemistry are enabled for the first 90 minutes, and only after those 90 minutes are complete is that group auto submitted and Mathematics enabled for its 90 minutes.
| Part of the paper | Minutes | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physics and Chemistry | 1 to 90 | 100 (50 + 50) | 100 |
| Mathematics | 91 to 180 | 50 | 100 |
In 2026 the PCM paper ran in two shifts. Here is how the two halves fell on the clock, worked from the shift timings in the brochure:
| 2026 shift | Last entry | Paper starts | Physics and Chemistry close, Maths opens | Paper ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | 8:45 AM | 9:00 AM | 10:30 AM | 12:00 PM |
| Afternoon | 1:45 PM | 2:00 PM | 3:30 PM | 5:00 PM |
The 2026 schedule also lets you log in ten minutes early to read the instructions, at 8:50 AM or 1:50 PM. Use that time. Reading the instructions before the clock starts costs you nothing.
The two rules that shape your plan
Rule 1: you cannot open Maths early
Maths opens only after the first 90 minutes are over. If you finish Physics and Chemistry at minute 70, the 20 minutes left can only be spent on Physics and Chemistry. They do not move to Maths.
So there is no reason to rush the first half in the hope of gaining Maths time. Use every minute of the first 90 on the first 100 questions.
Rule 2: you cannot go back
At minute 90, whatever you have marked in Physics and Chemistry is submitted. Questions you meant to come back to, and questions you left blank, are finished.
Because there is no negative marking, a blank at that point is a wasted chance. Our article on the MHT-CET marking scheme shows what a last minute guess is worth.
The numbers per question
- Physics and Chemistry: 90 minutes for 100 questions is 54 seconds a question.
- Maths: 90 minutes for 50 questions is 108 seconds a question, or 1 minute 48 seconds.
The brochure also says questions appear on screen one at a time, and advises candidates not to spend too much time on any one question. At 54 seconds a question, a single Physics problem that takes four minutes uses the time of four other questions.
A plan for the first 90 minutes
This plan is our suggestion, not a CET Cell rule. Adjust the minutes to your own speed once you have tried it on a full mock.
- Minutes 0 to 60, first round. Go through all 100 questions once. Answer any question you can do in about a minute. If a question will clearly take longer, skip it and note it for review. Do not get stuck.
- Minutes 60 to 82, second round. Go back to the questions you skipped. Start with the ones you think you can solve, not the hardest ones.
- Minutes 82 to 88, fill every blank. Find every unanswered question and mark an answer. Rule out what you can in a few seconds, then choose.
- Minutes 88 to 90, stop. Keep two minutes as a buffer. Do not start a new calculation in the last two minutes.
Physics first or Chemistry first?
Both are open together, so the order is yours. If Chemistry theory questions go faster for you than Physics numericals, doing Chemistry first can build up spare time early, which you then spend on the Physics problems that need it. If Physics is your stronger subject, start there. Try both orders on two mocks and keep the one that gives you more answered questions by minute 60.
A plan for Maths
Maths gives you twice the time per question, and every question is worth 2 marks. The same shape works, with longer rounds.
- Minutes 90 to 150, first round. Answer every question you can do in under two minutes. Skip long ones and note them.
- Minutes 150 to 172, second round. Work through the skipped questions, easiest first.
- Minutes 172 to 178, fill every blank. A blank Maths question throws away a chance at 2 marks.
- Minutes 178 to 180, stop. Check that nothing is left unanswered.
If you finish the first half early
Finishing Physics and Chemistry with time left is good news, but the time stays where it is. Use it on that half:
- Recheck the numericals you answered fastest, where a slip is most likely: units, powers of ten and signs.
- Look again at the questions you guessed. A second read sometimes rules out one more option.
- Do not change an answer you worked out carefully just because you feel unsure. Change it only if you find a real mistake.
Practise the switch
The hardest moment in the paper is minute 90. You go from 54 second Chemistry questions straight into 108 second Maths questions, with no break, after an hour and a half of work. If you have only ever practised one subject at a time, that change of gear can cost you the first few minutes of Maths.
The only fix is to sit full 180 minute papers in the real order, with the same lock: no Maths before minute 90, and no going back after it. Do this at the same time of day as your likely shift, morning or afternoon.
Two hall rules matter for practice too. The brochure does not allow calculators, digital watches or smart watches in the hall, so practise without them, and get used to keeping time without a watch on your wrist.
Where these facts come from
- MHT-CET 2026 Information Brochure, State CET Cell, Maharashtra: section 7.3 (the two groups, the first 90 minutes for Physics and Chemistry, the automatic submission and Maths opening for the next 90); section 7.1 (150 questions in 180 minutes, questions shown one at a time, the advice not to spend too long on one question); the examination schedule (2026 entry, login and paper timings for both shifts); the general instructions (no calculators, digital watches or smart watches in the hall).
- CET Syllabus and its Marking Scheme, MHT-CET 2026, State CET Cell, dated November 2025: 50 questions per subject, 1 mark for Physics and Chemistry, 2 for Maths, 90 minutes per paper.
- Our arithmetic: the seconds per question and the clock times for the 90 minute switch are worked from the official figures. The minute plans are our suggestion.
More on the exam: our MHT-CET 2027 exam date page, the full MHT-CET PCM syllabus, and how the clock compares with JEE Main in MHT-CET vs JEE Main.
Practise with the real lock
munotes publishes MHT-CET PCM mock tests that run in the CET Cell's order: Physics and Chemistry for 90 minutes, then Maths for 90. Once Maths opens, Physics and Chemistry cannot be reopened. If you finish the first section early, the mock lets you move on, and reminds you that the real exam keeps Maths closed until the 90 minutes are over, so sit out the full 90 when you practise. Each mock has 150 original questions with a worked solution for every one, and a new mock is added every week.