India, May 27 -- Maharashtra's Common Entrance Test (CET) examinations saw a sharp rise in participation this year, with nearly 4 lakh more students appearing compared to last year, reflecting growing competition for professional courses across the state.

According to the State CET Cell, 16.29 lakh students appeared for various CET examinations for admissions to professional courses in the 2026-27 academic year, up from 12.46 lakh last year - an increase of around 3.83 lakh candidates.

A total of 18.12 lakh students registered for 20 CET examinations conducted between March 24 and May 20, with 89.89% appearing for the tests. Around 1.83 lakh students remained absent. The computer-based examinations were held at 340 centres across all 36...