Pune, May 27 -- The number of students appearing for Maharashtra's Common Entrance Test (CET) examinations has risen sharply this year, with nearly 400,000 more candidates taking the exams compared to last year, reflecting growing competition for professional courses across the state. According to data released by the state CET Cell, 1.629 million students appeared for various CET examinations for admissions to professional courses in the academic year 2026-27, up from 1.246 million students in 2025-26 - an increase of around 383,000 candidates. The MHT-CET PCM group recorded the highest number of candidates. A total of 801,000 students registered for the PCM CET across both attempts, while 739,000 appeared for the examination. The PCB group saw 400,000 registrations and 359,000 appearances, while the MBA-MMS CET recorded 186,000 registrations and 157,000 appearances....