Maharashtra Common Entrance Test, most commonly known as MHT-CET is an online state-level entrance exam. B. Pharm. and Pharm. D. programs aspirants in Maharashtra need to clear this exam. It’s conducted once a year, usually in the month of March. But this year, in the wake of COVID-19, the MHT-CET 2020 exam has been postponed to July and August 2020. The exam witnesses a massive number of candidates each year making it extremely competitive! Also, as the exam date is fast approaching, there’s a dire need for putting a preparation strategy in place and following it religiously. This blog will cover some important preparation tips, syllabus, subject-wise preparation tips, books to be referred, and important tips for the exam day. 

MHT-CET 2020

MHT-CET is conducted in two groups i.e. PCM (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics) and PCB (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology), and candidates can appear in any one or both examination groups. For seeking admission to First-year Pharmacy, the candidates are obligated to appear for Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and/or Biology. The exam is conducted via Online mode (Computer Based Test) for PCM and PCB groups separately. All the questions will be based on Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education’s syllabus.

Exam Pattern

The MHT-CET is an online exam with the duration of 180 minutes each for PCM and PCB. The exam pattern will be as follows: -

• All the questions will be based on the syllabus of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. (Std. 11^th and std. 12^th)
• 11^th syllabus will have 20% of weightage while Std. 12^th syllabus will have 80% weightage.
• The exam will contain all multiple-choice questions (MCQs) with 4 options each.
• There WON’T be negative marking

Syllabus

The syllabus of MHT-CET will be as follows: -

• All the questions be from the syllabus of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics subjects from Std. 11^th and 12^th.
• Following is the subject-wise syllabus of Std. 11^th that will be included in the MHT-CET exam: -
  • These topics from std. 11^th Physics will be included- Measurements, Scalars and Vectors, Force, Friction in solids and liquids, Refraction of Light, Ray optics, Magnetic effect of electric current, Magnetism.
  • These topics from std. 11^th Chemistry will be included- Some basic concepts of chemistry, States of matter: Gases and liquids, Redox reaction, Surface chemistry, Nature of chemical bond, Hydrogen, s-Block elements (Alkali and alkaline earth metals), Basic principles and techniques in organic chemistry, Alkanes.
  • These topics from std. 11^th Mathematics will be included- Trigonometric functions, Trigonometric functions of Compound Angles, Factorization Formulae, Straight Line, Circle and Conics, Sets, Relations and Functions, Probability, Sequences and series.
  • These topics from std. 11^th Biology will be included-

Section I – Botany- Diversity in organisms, Biochemistry of cell, Plant Water Relations and Mineral Nutrition, Plant Growth and Development.

Section II – Zoology- Organization of Cell, Animal tissues, Human Nutrition, Human Respiration

• The whole syllabus of std. 12^th, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology will be included in MHT-CET exam.

Preparation Tips MHT-CET 2020 B. Pharm Exam

Success in any examination surely depends upon one’s performance. But the first step towards success is ‘thorough preparation’. Your performance entirely depends upon how thoroughly have you prepared for the exam and how well can you regenerate it on the examination day. We have made a list of some important tips that will come handy to crack MHT-CET 2020! Let’s dive right into it!

• Know every exam detail

Checking every exam detail including the syllabus, exam pattern, subject-wise weightage, etc. is imperative before starting the exam preparation. Students also need to keep track of the important examination dates, instructions, and guidelines issued by the DTE.

You can check it here: - http://cetcell.mahacet.org/

• Timetable

Preparing a timetable for MHT-CET exam preparation and adhering to it can make wonders happen! A timetable helps students to stay focused and goal-oriented. It also makes the process of preparation easy and well-organized. It helps to put things in perspective and avoid missing topics and confusion.

• Revision

An excellent preparation, backed by thorough revision guarantees success! A thorough revision is needed before the exam to brush-up every concept and help remember it better during exams.

• Sample papers and mock tests

Students need to analyze the past years’ questions papers to find a pattern of questions and their occurrences. The mock tests should be taken as seriously as the real exam as this will help you get used to writing the exam and keep away the last-minute exam pressure. The atmosphere at an exam centre can be daunting to many, which might lead to a lower performance. To avoid that, you can get into the exam mode while you prepare for it. This includes, timing your paper-solving, answering your practice papers honestly, without copying, etc.

• Physical and mental well-being

As the exam season approaches, “Each second counts” is something that you might have frequently heard, or read. Even if that might be true, you need to understand the importance of maintaining your physical and mental health. Negativity and ignorance of mental health can affect exam performance. Hence, you need to maintain a fit mind and body to ace your exam!

• Don’t let the uncertainty affect your preparation

MHT-CET 2020 has been postponed a couple of times due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the exam dates and if they will be postponed again. Uncertainty can be daunting but don’t let it affect you. Look on the brighter side, and think of the delay as some extra preparation time!

• Time management and subject allocation

Classify the topics and subjects that need more attention and allot more time and effort for that instead of distributing your time equally. But you also need to be extremely careful about not missing out on any topics while micromanaging.

• Avoid studying new topics last minute

The last moments of preparation are crucial and should be strictly reserved for revision. Students should avoid learning anything new or introducing your memory to a completely new concept last minute. Doing so can lead to the jumbling of information, confusion, and panic.

• Don’t overlook the weak areas

Overlooking the topics that are tough or need more practice, can hamper your performance. You should instead identify them, focus on them, and master them for the exam! Gain clarity on topics that are doubtful or confusing. You can talk to your teachers, instructors, or seniors and gain clarity.

• Understand the concepts

Students need to understand the concepts thoroughly instead of rote learning. Understanding a concept thoroughly is committing it to the memory forever! Rote learning can lead to memory gaps and blackouts during the exam.

• Stick to the basics

In the ocean of the available study materials, one should stick to the basics. Focus on the std 11^th and 12^thtextbooks first and use reference books for additional preparation!

• Use flashcards and notes

Make flashcards and notes for last-minute revision. You can save ample of time with this and avoid confusion.

Best Books for MHT-CET 2020 B. Pharm Preparation

MHT-CET exam is entirely based on the syllabus of Maharashtra state board education and hence, students should primarily focus on std 11^th and 12^th textbooks. After completing the entire syllabus from these textbooks, one can move on to other reference books for additional preparation. Various reference books provide practice papers and mock tests which can come in handy during preparation. Let’s take a look at some of these reference books for MHT-CET 2020: -

• Complete Reference Manual MHT-CET 2020 Mathematics- MTG Editorial Board
• Marvel Physics (Multiple Choice Questions) for MHT-CET- A. J. Bapat
• Concepts of Physics – Vol. 1 and 2- H.C. Verma
• MHT CET Chemistry- Arihant
• MHT CET Chemistry (Marvel) For XII Science- Mayur Mehta, Chitra Joshi, Rekha Diwekar
• MHT CET Mathematics (Marvel) For XII Science- Hemant G Ainapure
• Complete Reference Manual MH-CET Biology- Arihant
• RD Sharma for Mathematics

Subjectwise Preparation Tips for MHT-CET 2020 B. Pharm Exam

Candidates are advised to thoroughly go through the subject wise syllabus and prepare accordingly. Focus on developing study techniques that work the best for each specific subject rather than applying the same study techniques throughout. Here are some subject-wise tips for you to prepare for MHT-CET 2020: -

Physics

For Physics, students need to work towards perfecting their fundamental concepts first. Secondly, they need to focus on solving the derivations. Regularly solving the Physics numerical part will improve your calculation skills and reduce the time taken to solve them. Referring to the previous year’s question papers can also be of great help.

Chemistry

Students can score the most marks in Chemistry in MHT-CET exam. Thoroughly focusing on std. 12^th Chemistry syllabus, understanding the basic concepts of Chemistry, and regularly solving the chemical equations and numerical can help score great marks in this subject.

Biology

Biology consists of Zoology and Botany. Students need to focus on it thoroughly and be well versed with the terminology used. Focus equally on both Zoology and Botany as the marks are equally distributed between them.

Mathematics

Acing the calculation skills and improving your speed while calculating can lead to a great result in this subject. Since the students aren’t allowed to use a calculator or any other device during the exam, one needs to practice without them. Making a list of all the formulas on a single sheet can come in handy for last-minute revision.

Important Tips for Exam Day

Here are some important tips for students to follow on the exam day: -

• Carry your admit card to the examination centre.
• Enter the examination centre before the gate closure time.
• Time your paper well as no extra time will be granted.
• Don’t carry gadgets like cell-phones, calculators, watch calculators, alarm clocks, digital/smartwatches with build-in calculators, or any other electronic devices, inside the examination hall.

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