Maharashtra MBA CET 2026 Slot 5 Details

Date : 8th April (Wednesday) 2026

Slot : 9:00 am to 11:30 am

Total Number of Questions : 200

Total Time Allotted : 150 minutes

No. of Choices per question : 5 choices

No. of Sections : 4 sections

Negative Marks : No negative marking

CET 2026 Paper Pattern

The MBA CET examination was structured in a section-wise format, featuring a convenient drop-down arrow on top of the screen on the right-hand side, allowing candidates to effortlessly select their desired area of focus. The allocation of questions and topics is detailed in the table provided below, offering a clear breakdown of the content covered.

Section 1 : Logical Reasoning & Analytical Puzzles

Analytical Puzzles: Only 7 questions were asked from this area, 1 from linear arrangement, 1 from distribution, 2 from comparison and 3 from quant-based Reasoning. Out of 7 questions, 5 were of an easy level, and the student could have attempted all of these. The remaining two questions were easy but time-consuming. Also, in a few questions, you need to make a few assumptions to get the final arrangement.

Logical Reasoning: According to student feedback, this section was slightly time-consuming and lengthy than other slots. The overall difficulty level was perceived as easy to moderate. Students suggested that skipping some of the more time-intensive questions would be a smart choice. They felt that attempting 40 to 45 questions in 50 minutes would have been a sound approach.

In addition, there were questions on topics such as Coding Decoding, Blood Relations, Direction Sense, Order ranking, Venn diagrams, Number Series, Miscellaneous types and data sufficiency. There were 4 and 1 questions based on number and letter series respectively. There were 5 questions from the data sufficiency topic, comprising both logical and quant varieties. There were a couple of quant questions based on topics such as permutations and progressions in this section. Surprisingly, there were DI Questions also in this section. Questions based on clocks, Inequality and deductions( syllogism) were absent. A well-planned time management strategy would have been advantageous for this section.

Verbal and Critical Reasoning : Critical Reasoning accounted for around 7-8 questions, ranging from easy to moderate. For few questions it required careful reading as it was slightly lengthy. Almost all the questions were based on Assertion and Reason.

The combination of questions in this section, as recalled by students, is detailed in the following table:

Section 2: Abstract Reasoning

The section consisted of 25 questions and followed the expected pattern established in previous years, with no significant surprises in terms of content or structure. Overall, the difficulty level was easy, and the entire section could be managed effectively within 20 minutes.

In terms of performance, 20 to 22 questions were easily doable. While one or two questions acted as minor speed breakers, they did not significantly impact the overall flow. We consider 21 to 22 questions to be a strong attempt for this section.

Section 3: Quantitative Ability

Student feedback indicates that this slot was easy to moderate, but relatively lengthy due to calculations. A few questions were straightforward and quick to solve, with minimal lengthy calculations. The section consisted of 35 questions from Quantitative Ability and 15 questions from Data Interpretation. A significant number of questions were from Numbers and Time, Speed & Distance, with approximately 3-4 questions from each of these topics. Other areas covered included Simple Equations, Simple Interest & Compound Interest, Probability, permutations and combinations, Mensuration, and Simplification.

Overall, the paper primarily tested basic conceptual clarity and fundamental problem-solving skills rather than complex or tricky approaches. While a few questions (around 3–4) were slightly unconventional & time consuming.

The Data Interpretation sets were also largely manageable, with most questions being easy to moderate and requiring basic calculations rather than intensive computation.

Overall Difficulty Level: Easy-Moderate

Section 4: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension:

Verbal section was organized into three parts : Vocabulary (20 questions) slightly tougher, Grammar (10 questions), and Reading Comprehension (20 questions). This structure results in a total of 50 questions in the verbal section. Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension receive the most emphasis, reflecting their critical importance in assessing verbal aptitude. Grammar, while receiving comparatively less focus, remains a vital aspect of the evaluation process.

Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary together account for 40 out of the 50 verbal questions. This section was slightly moderate as compared to the other slots .Vocabulary, which is a consistent component of Verbal Ability, primarily consists of Synonyms, Antonyms, Idioms/Phrases, Spellings, and Word Meanings. 

The paper includes 2 questions on Error Identification and 1 on Voice. This indicates that the focus is on applying fundamental grammar rules, such as subject-verb agreement, verb tenses, modifiers, and pronouns, rather than addressing very rare grammatical exceptions. Additionally, there are 1 questions on Indirect Speech, which required you to test for tense consistency, pronoun changes, and the correct use of reporting verbs.

Reading time in RC could have resulted in a bit of an issue for students with average reading speed.

The exam's overall difficulty ranged from easy to moderate.

Based on the student feedback on the overall, the paper can be classified as easy to moderate. From what the students have reported, the correct selection of questions along with speed is the key to a good score. Since there wasn’t any element of surprise in the type of questions, a judicious distribution of time and choice would have ensured a comfortable number of attempts with a good accuracy. A good student should have attempted around 145 -150 questions. However, students aiming for the top colleges should have attempted more than 165 questions.