rediffGURU Radheshyam Zanwar, founder of Zanwar Classes, counsels students about how to register and prepare for various competitive exams.
Every year lakhs of students appear for their class 12 examination from various boards across India.
Even before the results are out, students have to register and start preparing for competitive exams at the state and national level.
With multiple competitive exams like the MHT-CET (Maharashtra Common Entrance Test), COMEDK (Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka) and EAMCET (Engineering, Agriculture and Medical Common Entrance Test), it is normal for students and parents to feel overwhelmed and uncertain about which exams to focus on and how to improve their chance of admission.
rediffGURU Radheshyam Zanwar, founder of Zanwar Classes, has been preparing aspirants for competitive exams such as MHT-CET, IIT-JEE and NEET-UG.
- You can post your career-related questions to rediffGURU Radheshyam Zanwar HERE.
Anonymous: Hello sir I want to give MHT CET PCM (physics chemistry math) 2026 but I have two marklists, one is PCB marklist (February 2025) and the other is maths isolated marklist (June 2025).
I have passed both exams and I also fulfil the MHT CET 120 marks PCM criteria as I have 143 marks in physics and chemistry from the PCB marklist and math marks from the maths isolated marklist.
I have three main doubts.
1. At the time of application form filling, it asks to enter total marks and obtained marks. Which marks should I upload -- only the PCB marklist, math isolated marklist or the combined PCB and maths isolated marks?
2. At the time of CAP application form filling after the exam, it asks to enter the HSC seat number. Which seat number should I enter -- PCB marklist seat number or the math isolated marklist seat number?
Also, how will I be able to enter the PCM marks in this case as I will be appearing for the PCM CET? Will the marks be entered manually or through some other process? This is my main issue.
3. With two marklists, will I get admission in an engineering college or will I face any difficulties?
Please help sir.
Here is a point-by-point reply to your questions
1. How to fill application form (MHT-CET 2026)
Enter and upload your combined PCM marks. That means the physics and chemistry marks from your PCB February 2025 HSC marksheet and the mathematics marks from your maths isolated June 2025 marksheet.
Do not upload only the PCB or only the maths score separately; both marksheets are required to demonstrate that you meet the required criteria.
2. CAP application (after CET exam)
When you are asked for the HSC seat number, enter the main HSC seat number from your PCB Feb 2025 marksheet.
The maths isolated marks are linked as an improvement/isolated subject and during CAP you will upload both marksheets.
Do not enter CET marks manually for PCM. The CET score is automatically fetched and HSC PCM eligibility is verified using the uploaded documents.
3. Can you get admission with two marksheets?
Yes, you can get engineering admission with PCB + maths isolated marksheets.
This is accepted in Maharashtra and many students do it. As long as both marksheets are valid, you meet PCM eligibility and documents are uploaded correctly, admission is usually smooth. Colleges may verify both marksheets during admission but this does not cause rejection if everything is in order.
However, it is highly recommended that you download the brochure from the CET cell website to get the latest updates. For more clarification, I would suggest visiting any ARC or engineering college near your home and getting it clarified; this will help you to relax.
Good luck.
Pallavi: I have completed my schooling of 12 years in Karnataka so I'm eligible for home state quota for NITK, Surathkal.
All my documents are from Karnataka but my OBC-NCL is from central government and the category is present in the central list but it is not present in state list of Karnataka as I originally belong to Bihar and hence caste (Koeri) is Bihar.
Am I eligible for HS OBC-NCL quota in Karnataka or just home state general quota?
You will be eligible for the home state quota at the NITK Surathkal based on completing your 12th in Karnataka but for OBC-NCL vertical reservation within that HS quota, you need your caste to be in the Karnataka state OBC list (a central OBC-NCL certificate alone does not make you eligible for HS OBC-NCL quota if your caste isn't in the Karnataka list).
So you'd be HS general with central OBC-NCL for overall OBC reservation, not HS OBC-NCL.
However, it is strongly recommended that you go through the brochure published by the Karnataka CET cell.
Tanya: Sir, I completed my class 12 from CBSE with PCM in 2025 and I am currently preparing for the COMEDK exam through which admissions are given to top private engineering colleges in Bangalore.
However, my class 12 result was not very good because I did not prepare properly.
I got an RT (Repeat in Theory) in chemistry.
In my CBSE marksheet, I am shown as overall pass because I had taken six subjects due to which chemistry became an additional subject.
As chemistry is a compulsory subject for engineering colleges, I appeared for the NIOS On-Demand Improvement Examination for chemistry subject and cleared it.
Sir, I want to know whether two marksheets from different boards -- one being the CBSE marksheet showing overall pass and the other being the NIOS marksheet for a single-subject improvement in chemistry -- will be accepted by top private engineering colleges in Bangalore.
Also, will these documents be accepted during COMEDK counselling document verification?
Yes. Generally, top private engineering colleges and COMEDK counselling accept a CBSE overall pass marksheet along with an NIOS single-subject chemistry pass marksheet, provided chemistry is cleared and you meet the eligibility criteria.
Still, final acceptance depends on COMEDK/college verification rules.
However, it is highly recommended that you carefully review the COMDEK brochure.
If you have doubts about our clarification or reply, it would be better to visit the administrative office of any top engineering college in person and ask them directly without any hesitation and resolve your problems/doubts across the table instantly.
With this, you will be free from the stress that you hold in your mind. Now, focus more on COMDEK and try to score more. Best of luck for a bright future.
- You can post your career-related questions to rediffGURU Radheshyam Zanwar HERE.
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