MHT CET Paper Analysis 2026 May 20 Shift 1: Difficulty Level, Answer Key & Student Reactions

The Maharashtra State CET Cell held the MHT CET 2026 Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics (PCM) first shift exam on May 20, 2026, from 09:00 to 12:00 at various exam centers in Maharashtra. Students are eager for MHT CET Paper Analysis, such as difficulty levels, MHT CET chapter wise weightage​, and estimated scoring, as this marks the last phase of exams.

According to initial reactions shared by students, the overall difficulty appeared to be moderate based on the first shift MHT CET Paper analysis for 20 May 2026. Chemistry was perceived as the easiest and most scoring subject, while mathematics was lengthy and calculation-intensive. Physics had a balanced mix of conceptual and formula-based questions.

Also Check: 

• MHT CET May 18 Shift 1 Paper Analysis
• MHT CET May 18 Shift 2 Paper Analysis
• MHT CET May 19 Shift 1 Paper Analysis
• MHT CET May 19 Shift 2 Paper Analysis
• MHT CET May 20 Shift 2 Paper Analysis
• MHT CET May 21 Shift 1 Paper Analysis

Read the complete blog to know the complete subject-based MHT CET 2026 Exam analysis information, MHT CET subject wise marks distribution​, and projected marks vs percentiles, as well as updates for MHT CET Answer Key release date.

MHT CET Paper Analysis for May 20 Shift 1 Paper

The MHT CET Paper Analysis will help students analyze the difficulty level, topics asked in the paper, and the nature of questions section-wise. From student reviews, it was found that the MHT CET 2026 May Shift 1 Paper was balanced overall, and the subject Mathematics took a lot of time than Physics and Chemistry.

Most candidates found that questions in MHT CET were from the syllabus of the Maharashtra Board and NCERT. Questions directly related to chemistry were observed in the Chemistry paper, while the Physics paper had some moderate numericals.

Estimate your percentile based on this shift’s overall difficulty level with the help of our MHT CET Percentile Predictor.

May 20 Shift 1 MHT CET 2026 Difficulty Level

Refer to the following table for a quick overview of the shift 1 MHT CET May 20 question paper.

Subject-wise MHT CET PCM Paper Analysis 2026

The MHT CET PCM exam consists of 2 sections, Paper 1 and Paper 2. The first 90 minutes of testing are for Physics and Chemistry combined, and the second 90 minutes of testing are for Mathematics. Let’s now go through the detailed subject wise MHT CET 2026 May 20 exam analysis for the morning shift below.

MHT CET 2026 Paper Analysis for Physics Section

From the MHT CET 2026 Shift 1 Paper Analysis, it is seen that the Physics paper was of a moderate level. Mostly, questions are asked about formulas and numerical calculations. Tricky conceptual questions are asked in Class 12.

• Current Electricity
• Electrostatics
• Semiconductor
• Ray Optics
• Thermodynamics
• Modern Physics
• Magnetic Effects of Current
• Oscillations

MHT CET 2026 Exam Analysis for Chemistry Section

Chemistry was relatively easier compared to other sections of the May 20 Shift 1 exam paper. As per the reports, many questions asked were directly related to theories and points from the NCERT textbooks. Organic chemistry had good weightage, along with physical chemistry numericals.  Take a look at the MHT CET high-weightage​ discussed in Chemistry:

• Chemical Bonding
• Coordination Compounds
• Amines
• Electrochemistry
• Biomolecules
• Thermodynamics
• p-Block Elements
• Solutions

MHT CET Paper Analysis for Maths Section

Mathematics was relatively more challenging in terms of calculation and time. Many students found the calculations tricky in some integration- and coordinate-geometry-related questions. Important topics discussed from Mathematics:

• Integration
• Differential Equations
• Probability
• Vectors
• Matrices and Determinants
• Application of Derivatives
• Straight Line and Plane
• Trigonometry

Student Reactions on May 20 MHT CET Shift 1 paper​

Students who have taken the MHT CET 2026 May 20 Shift 1 PCM exam had mixed reactions after the exam. 

• Rohit felt that the Physics paper was balanced. He stated that there were no difficult topics, but some numerical problems took more time to solve, which made the questions tricky.
• For Ananya Deshpande, the easiest part of the examination paper was Chemistry. As per her observations, the majority of the questions were very close to the NCERT concepts and quite easily attempted.
• As far as the Mathematics portion is concerned, Siddharth Patil informed that the Mathematics part was quite lengthy and included several questions requiring calculations. He added that the sections related to Integration and Probability required quite some time for their completion.
• On the other hand, Priyanka Joshi observed that the pattern of this paper was not very different from the previous MHT CET examination papers. Hence, she thought that candidates having prepared through mock and previous year question papers must have easily handled the test.

MHT CET Answer Key 2026

The Official MHT CET Answer Key 2026 for PCM streams will be uploaded on the website of Maharashtra State CET Cell. Students will not only receive the provisional answer key but will also be provided their response sheet and question paper PDF through the website using their login details.

According to the tentative schedule, the Maharashtra CET Answer Key 2026 is scheduled to be published in the first week of June 2026. Post the release of the provisional answer key, candidates will have the chance to evaluate their performance, calculate their expected score, and raise objections to the provisional answer key before the release of the official answer key.

MHT CET PCM Group Answer Key​ by CollegeDost 

How To Download MHT CET Answer Key PCM 2026

Here are the steps through which candidates can download the MHT CET 2026 Answer Key PDF and response sheet:

Step 1: Visit the official website of the Maharashtra State CET Cell.

Step 2: Click on the ‘Candidate Login’ option available on the homepage.

Step 3: Enter your registered Email ID and Password.

Step 4: Go to the “Answer Key/Response Sheet”/“Objection Tracking” section.

Step 5: Download the MHT CET PCM group Answer Key 2026 and response sheet PDF.

MHT CET Subject wise Marks Distribution

While calculating the scores, using the MHT CET PCM group Answer, it is important to know the marking scheme. Take a look at the MHT CET subject wise Marks Distribution​ for the PCM group mentioned below

MHT CET Marks vs Percentile 2026

To make it easier for the students to estimate their performance, an MHT CET Marks vs Percentile analysis is given below based on the difficulty level of the paper

Conclusion

As per the MHT CET Paper Analysis 2026 May 20 Shift 1, the level of difficulty of the exam paper as a whole can be said to be moderate. In terms of subjects, Chemistry was the easiest one, while Mathematics was the most time-consuming subject.

The expected percentile may vary depending on normalization and candidate performance in all shifts. It is recommended for candidates to cross-check their answers with the unofficial answer key and determine their expected score in the MHT CET exam 2026.

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