The State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra, has officially activated the online portal for Centralised Admission Process (CAP) Round 1 Option Form Submission and Confirmation today, Saturday, September 5, 2026. Candidates eligible for admission into four-year Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) and six-year Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) programmes across Maharashtra can now log in and submit their prioritized college-course preferences through ph2026.mahacet.org.
Maharashtra B.Pharmacy CAP Round 1 Important Schedule & Dates
Aspirants must strictly adhere to the official CAP Round 1 admission calendar released by the State CET Cell:
- Conducting Authority: State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra
- Official Admissions Portal: ph2026.mahacet.org
- Online Option Form Submission Window: September 5 to September 7, 2026 (11:59 PM)
- Display of Provisional Seat Allotment Result: September 10, 2026
- Online Seat Acceptance (Freeze / Betterment): September 11 to September 14, 2026 (Up to 03:00 PM)
- Physical Reporting & Fee Payment at Allotted Institute: September 11 to September 14, 2026 (Up to 05:00 PM)
- Display of Vacant Seats for CAP Round 2: September 16, 2026
Understanding the Category-Wise Seat Matrix & Cutoff Trends
Before locking preferences, candidates are strongly advised to analyze the newly released category-wise seat matrix:
- Seat Distribution: Seats are categorized across Maharashtra State (MS) General Open (GOPEN), reserved categories (SC, ST, VJ/DT, NT, OBC, SBC), EWS (10%), TFWS (5% supernumerary seats), and All India Quota (AI – 15% seats based on NEET/MHT CET).
- Tuition Fee Waiver Scheme (TFWS): Meritorious candidates with family annual income under Rs. 8 Lakhs should prioritize TFWS codes to avail of 100% tuition fee waiver in participating engineering and pharmacy institutes.
- Previous Year Cut-Off Analysis: Cross-reference your final State General Merit Number against last year's closing percentiles for top colleges such as ICT Mumbai, Poona College of Pharmacy, Government College of Pharmacy Karad/Amravati, and Bombay College of Pharmacy.
Critical Choice Filling, Auto-Freeze & Betterment Rules
Candidates must understand the operational rules governing CAP Round 1 allocation:
- Maximum Options: Candidates can enter a minimum of 1 and up to 300 college choices in descending order of preference.
- Auto-Freeze Rule on Preference #1: If a candidate is allotted their First Preference seat, it will be automatically frozen. Such candidates cannot participate in subsequent CAP rounds and MUST pay the seat acceptance fee and report to the allotted institute to confirm admission. Failure to report leads to complete forfeiture of the seat.
- Betterment Option (Preferences 2 to 300): Candidates allotted any seat other than their first preference can claim the seat by paying the non-refundable Rs. 1,000/- seat acceptance fee online and select 'Betterment' to compete for higher preferences in CAP Round 2 while safely retaining their Round 1 seat.
- Self-Freeze: If a candidate is satisfied with a seat allotted between preferences 2 and 300 and does not wish to participate further, they may choose 'Self-Freeze' and proceed for final institute reporting.
Step-by-Step Guide to Submit CAP Round 1 Option Form
Follow these instructions to successfully submit and confirm your pharmacy choices:
- Visit the official portal at ph2026.mahacet.org.
- Click on 'Registered Candidate Login' and enter your Application ID (e.g., PH26100xxx) and Password.
- Access the 'Fill CAP Round 1 Option Form' link on the candidate dashboard.
- Filter institutes by University, District, Institute Type (Government, Aided, Unaided), and Course (B.Pharm or Pharm.D).
- Select your preferred colleges and drag or arrange them strictly in order of priority.
- Review the draft option form carefully, verify college choice codes, and click 'Confirm Option Form'.
- Validate confirmation using the One-Time Password (OTP) sent to your registered mobile number and download the printout for future reference.