The State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra, is releasing the Provisional Vacant Seat Matrix for CAP Round 3 today, August 19, 2026. Engineering aspirants seeking First Year B.E. and B.Tech admissions across government, government-aided, and private engineering colleges in Maharashtra can access the college-wise and category-wise vacant seats PDF at fe2026.mahacet.org and cetcell.mahacet.org.
MHT CET B.Tech CAP Round 3 Counselling Calendar & Key Milestones
Candidates participating in the third and final centralized admission round must track the following revised schedule:
- Conducting Authority: State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra
- Official Counselling Portal: fe2026.mahacet.org | cetcell.mahacet.org
- Display of Provisional Vacant Seats for CAP Round 3: August 19, 2026 (Today)
- Online Option Form Submission & Confirmation (Choice Filling): August 20 to August 22, 2026
- Declaration of CAP Round 3 Provisional Seat Allotment: August 24, 2026
- Online Seat Acceptance (Fee Payment): August 25 to August 28, 2026
- Physical College Reporting & Document Verification: August 25 to August 28, 2026 (Up to 5:00 PM)
- Commencement of Institute-Level Spot Rounds for Vacant Seats: August 29, 2026 onwards
Strategic Importance of CAP Round 3 Seat Matrix
The Round 3 vacancy list reflects seats vacated due to non-reporting, cancellations, and upgrades from CAP Rounds 1 and 2:
- Targeting Top Institutes: Candidates can identify remaining seats in premier engineering colleges (COEP, VJTI, SPIT, PICT, Walchand, etc.) across high-demand branches like Computer Engineering, AI & Data Science, and IT.
- Dynamic Seat Conversion: Category-specific vacancies that remain unfilled after Round 2 may be converted according to state government dynamic reservation rules during Round 3 allocation.
- Betterment Opportunities: Candidates who have confirmed their admission in Round 1 or Round 2 with "Betterment" status can submit fresh higher-preference choices without losing their existing seat.
Crucial Choice Filling & Seat Acceptance Rules for Round 3
Candidates must carefully review these mandatory regulations before confirming their preference forms:
- Fresh Option Form Mandatory: Preferences filled during earlier rounds are not valid for Round 3. All participating candidates must log in between August 20 and August 22 to enter, reorder, and confirm fresh college options.
- Automatic Seat Lapsing on Upgradation: If a candidate is allotted a fresh seat in CAP Round 3, their previous admission from Round 1 or 2 will be automatically cancelled, and the earlier seat will be allotted to another candidate in real-time.
- Auto-Freeze in Final Round: Any seat allotted in CAP Round 3 is final, and candidates must complete physical reporting by August 28 to secure their admission.
Step-by-Step Guide to Download Seat Matrix & Fill Option Form
Follow these instructions on the official Maharashtra CET Cell portal:
- Navigate to the official engineering admission portal at fe2026.mahacet.org.
- Under the "Downloads / Important Links" section, click on "Provisional Vacant Seats for CAP Round III" to download the PDF.
- Note down the 9-digit Choice Codes for your targeted colleges and engineering branches.
- Log in starting August 20 using your Application ID and Password.
- Enter, arrange, and verify your preferred choice list on the online option form.
- Confirm and lock your option form using OTP verification before August 22 (11:59 PM) and save the acknowledgement printout.