MH SET Exam Pattern 2026: Paper 1, Paper 2, Marking Scheme and Qualifying Marks

MH SET Exam Pattern 2026 decides how Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) tests candidates for Assistant Professor eligibility in Maharashtra and Goa. MH SET 2026 exam will be held as two compulsory papers on the same day, with no negative marking in either. Candidates need to know the paper wise structure, marking scheme, and minimum qualifying marks before the 2026 exam, now rescheduled to 6 September 2026.

Table of Contents

MH SET 2026 Marking Scheme
MH SET 2026 Paper 1 Pattern
MH SET 2026 Paper 2 Pattern
MH SET 2026 OMR Sheet Rules
MH SET 2026 Exam Day Guidelines

MH SET Written Exam Pattern 2026

MH SET 2026 written test runs as two papers back to back in a single sitting. Paper 1 checks teaching and research aptitude, while Paper 2 checks subject specific knowledge in the discipline a candidate picked at the time of application.

Paper	No. of Questions	Total Marks	Duration
Paper 1	50	100	1 hour
Paper 2	100	200	2 hours
Total	150	300	3 hours

All questions in both papers are compulsory and set in objective (MCQ) format.
MH SET is conducted offline in OMR based mode, with responses marked on an OMR answer sheet, not typed or computer based.
There is no negative marking for a wrong answer in either paper.
The subject for Paper 2 must be selected from SPPU's official list of 32 disciplines at the time of application.

MH SET Marking Scheme 2026: Marks Per Question

MH SET 2026 total marks can make the per-question value easy to miss, and it is not 1 mark per question the way many other exams work.

Paper	Marks Per Question
Paper 1 (50 questions, 100 marks)	2 marks per question
Paper 2 (100 questions, 200 marks)	2 marks per question

Both papers award 2 marks for every correct answer, and nothing is deducted for a wrong one, so attempting every question carries no downside once you have read it.

MH SET Paper 1 Pattern 2026

MH SET 2026 Paper 1 is common to every candidate regardless of subject, and is designed to test general teaching and research skills rather than subject knowledge.

Paper 1 checks reasoning ability, comprehension, divergent thinking and general awareness of the candidate.
Questions are not subject specific and stay the same for every MH SET candidate, whatever discipline they picked for Paper 2.
Paper 1's syllabus lines up with the same Teaching and Research Aptitude structure used in UGC NET's Paper 1.

MH SET Paper 2 Pattern 2026

MH SET 2026 Paper 2 tests the subject a candidate chose while filling out the application, and follows a different structure for one specific subject.

Paper 2 consists of 100 compulsory questions based on the candidate's chosen postgraduate subject.
For every subject except Mathematical Science, all 100 questions are attempted from a single combined question set.
Mathematical Science candidates instead attempt all 100 questions from either Sections I and II, or Sections I and III, not the full paper as one block. Check the current subjectwise instructions before the exam, since this structure is specific to that one subject.
Paper 2's syllabus is aligned with UGC NET and UGC-CSIR NET's subject syllabi at the postgraduate level.

MH SET 2026 OMR Sheet and Test Booklet Code Rules

MH SET 2026 uses a physical OMR answer sheet for both papers, and a few practical rules around which should be known before exam day.

Each paper's question booklet comes in 4 sets, coded A, B, C and D, and candidates must shade the same code on the OMR sheet that is pre printed on their booklet.
The top part of the OMR sheet is issued along with the admit card ahead of the exam, so candidates can practice shading their seat number and subject code beforehand.
No corrections are allowed on the OMR sheet once submitted, and candidates are responsible for any loss caused by a shading error.
Carry a black ballpoint pen, since OMR sheets are typically not read correctly with pencil or other pen colours.

MH SET Minimum Qualifying Marks 2026

MH SET 2026 sets a minimum qualifying percentage a candidate must clear to be considered for the Assistant Professor eligibility certificate, calculated as an aggregate across both papers combined, not separately for Paper 1 and Paper 2.

Category	Minimum Qualifying Marks (Aggregate)
Open / EWS / Orphan	40%
SC / ST / PwD (40% or more disability) / Transgender / Orphan	35%
OBC / DT(A)(VJ) / NT(B) / NT(C) / NT(D) / SBC (non-creamy layer only)	35%

MH SET Qualifying Marks vs Cutoff Marks: What's the Difference

MH SET 2026 candidates often confuse the fixed minimum qualifying marks with the actual cutoff, and the two are not the same number.

Minimum qualifying marks (40% or 35%, by category) are a fixed floor set by SPPU. Scoring below this means a candidate is not considered at all, regardless of how the exam went overall.
The actual cutoff, the score that decides who is finally shortlisted in a given subject and category, depending on that year's difficulty level and number of candidates.
Recent MH SET cycles have shown cutoffs running higher than the fixed minimum, for example around 50% for Open category in some subjects, so clearing the minimum qualifying mark alone is not a guarantee of a strong rank.

MH SET Exam Day Guidelines 2026

MH SET 2026 runs Paper 1 and Paper 2 back to back on the same day, so a few practical points matter more here than in exams with separate sittings.

Candidates attempt Paper 1 and Paper 2 consecutively in one sitting, without a break in between.
Carry a printed admit card and a valid photo ID to the exam centre, entry is not permitted without both.
Reach the centre well before the reporting time on the admit card, since OMR instructions and booklet distribution take time before the exam itself starts.
Bring a black ballpoint pen for OMR shading, since this is the standard requirement across recent cycles.

MH SET exam pattern has stayed consistent even as the 2026 exam date itself moved from July to September, so the structure covered here, two papers, 300 marks, 2 marks a question, no negative marking, is safe to prepare against regardless of when the revised date is finally confirmed. Use the minimum qualifying marks as a floor to clear, not a target, and check the current cutoff trend for your specific subject and category closer to the exam.

Relevant Links
MH SET Eligibility	MH SET Application Process
MH SET Syllabus	MH SET Previous Year Papers
MH SET Admit Card

MH SET Exam Pattern 2026 FAQs

Ques: Can candidates use a calculator during the MH SET 2026 exam?

Ans: No. The official question booklet explicitly prohibits the use of any calculator or log table during the exam.

Ques: Is rough work allowed during MH SET 2026, and where should it be done?

Ans: Yes, but only in the space provided at the end of the question booklet itself, not on separate sheets.

Ques: Can a candidate use extra time left over from Paper 1 on Paper 2?

Ans: No. Paper 1 and Paper 2 run as separately timed papers, 1 hour and 2 hours respectively, so time cannot be carried over between them.

Ques: Can candidates keep their question booklet after the MH SET exam?

Ans: Yes. Candidates can retain the question booklet and a carbonless copy of the OMR sheet, while the original OMR sheet must be handed to the invigilator.

Ques: Does the exam pattern vary by subject, or is it the same for all 32 disciplines?

Ans: The 100 question, 200 mark, 2 hour structure is the same for every subject except Mathematical Science, which follows its own sectional format.