The MCAER PG CET Syllabus 2026 was prescribed by the Maharashtra Agricultural Universities Examination Board (MAUEB) through subject-wise PDFs at mcaer.org along with the official notification. The MCAER PG CET 2026 is held faculty-wise, so the question paper and the syllabus vary by subject — Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Agricultural Engineering, Food Technology, Home Science (Community Science), Fisheries Science, Agricultural Biotechnology, Agri Business Management, and M.Sc Post Harvest Technology. Each subject CET draws its topics from the corresponding UG curriculum followed at the State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) of Maharashtra. The MCAER PG CET Syllabus 2026 also includes some common areas such as research methodology, basic statistics, and English comprehension. Candidates can download the subject-wise syllabus PDF from the official portal and plan their preparation accordingly. Also see the MCAER PG CET Previous Year Question Papers and the MCAER PG CET Answer Key 2026 for additional preparation support.
Latest: – MCAER PG CET 2026 was conducted on 11-13 April 2026. Answer key and merit list are out at mcaer.org. Counselling rounds are under way from May 2026 onwards.
MCAER PG CET Syllabus 2026
What is the MCAER PG CET Syllabus 2026?
The MCAER PG CET Syllabus 2026 is the official list of topics and units from which the 200 multiple-choice questions in each subject CET are drawn. MAUEB releases the syllabus separately for each faculty — Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Agricultural Engineering, Food Technology, Home Science, Fisheries Science, Agricultural Biotechnology, Agri Business Management, and M.Sc Post Harvest Technology — aligned with the corresponding UG curriculum at the State Agricultural Universities of Maharashtra. The MCAER PG CET Syllabus 2026 PDF for each subject is hosted at mcaer.org and lists units, sub-topics, and indicative weightage. Some common content — research methodology, basic statistics, English comprehension, general agricultural knowledge — typically features across multiple faculty CETs. Candidates should download the PDF for their specific subject and follow it strictly for focused preparation.
Exam Pattern at a Glance
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Mode | Offline (OMR-based, paper-pencil) |
| Medium | English |
| Total Questions | 200 MCQs |
| Total Marks | 200 |
| Duration | 2 hours (120 minutes) |
| Marking | +1 per correct, no negative marking |
| Subject Paper | Faculty-specific (one of 10 subject CETs) |
MCAER PG CET Syllabus 2026 Download Link – Visit mcaer.org and check the information brochure or the “Recent News” section for the subject-wise syllabus PDFs released by MAUEB.
How to Download the Syllabus
- Visit the official website mcaer.org.
- Click on the MCAER PG CET 2026 section or the information brochure link.
- Look for the “Syllabus” tab or download the master information brochure PDF.
- Within the brochure, navigate to the section for your chosen subject CET / faculty.
- Note down the list of units, topics, and sub-topics specific to your subject.
- Save the PDF for offline reference and print key sections for active revision.
Faculty-wise Syllabus Topics
Agriculture
Agronomy, soil science, plant physiology, genetics and plant breeding, agricultural microbiology, agricultural entomology, plant pathology, agricultural economics, agricultural extension, horticulture basics, agri-meteorology, statistics, and basic research methodology.
Horticulture
Fruit crops, vegetable crops, ornamental and landscape horticulture, plantation and spice crops, post-harvest management, seed production, horticulture genetics and plant breeding, horticulture economics, propagation and nursery management.
Forestry
Silviculture, forest mensuration, forest ecology and biodiversity, forest soil and watershed management, forest economics and policy, wood science and technology, agroforestry, wildlife management, and forest products.
Agricultural Engineering
Soil and water conservation engineering, farm power and machinery, irrigation and drainage engineering, post-harvest engineering, food process engineering, renewable energy, agricultural structures, and instrumentation.
Food Technology
Food chemistry, food microbiology, food processing and preservation, food engineering unit operations, dairy technology, cereal and pulse technology, fruit and vegetable processing, packaging, food safety and quality management.
Home Science / Community Science
Food and nutrition, dietetics, human development, family resource management, textiles and clothing, extension and communication, child development, and community nutrition.
Fisheries Science
Aquaculture, fish biology and taxonomy, fishery economics and management, fish processing technology, fishing technology, fish nutrition and health, aquatic environment, and fisheries extension.
Agricultural Biotechnology
Biochemistry, molecular biology, microbial biotechnology, plant tissue culture, plant and animal biotechnology, genetic engineering, bioinformatics, and intellectual property rights related to biotechnology.
Agri Business Management
Principles of management, agricultural marketing, agri-finance and cooperatives, rural marketing, agri supply chain and logistics, agri-policy and economics, organisational behaviour, and quantitative aptitude relevant to management studies.
M.Sc Post Harvest Technology
Post-harvest physiology and biochemistry, storage and warehousing, processing technologies for cereals / pulses / oilseeds, fruit and vegetable processing, value addition, food engineering basics, and quality control.
Section Weightage (Indicative)
The exact section-wise weightage is published in the subject-specific syllabus PDF on mcaer.org. Based on past papers, the approximate distribution for the Agriculture CET (as an illustrative example) is as follows. Candidates should verify this from the official syllabus PDF for the 2026 cycle.
| Section (Agriculture CET — Indicative) | Approximate Questions |
|---|---|
| Agronomy | 25–30 |
| Soil Science / Plant Physiology | 20–25 |
| Genetics and Plant Breeding | 20–25 |
| Plant Protection (Entomology / Pathology) | 20–25 |
| Agricultural Economics / Extension | 15–20 |
| Horticulture / Agri-Meteorology | 10–15 |
| Research Methodology / Statistics / English | 20–25 |
Preparation Tips
- Start with the official subject-wise syllabus PDF and mark units by your existing strength and weight in the exam.
- Build a study plan that allocates more time to weak units and revision time to strong areas.
- Use standard UG textbooks recommended at SAUs as your primary reference; supplement with NCERT for basics.
- Practice MCQ-based question banks and previous year question papers to build accuracy and time management.
- Keep a separate set of notes for definitions, formulae, classifications, and process flows that are easy to test in MCQs.
- Revise common areas — research methodology, basic statistics, English comprehension — regularly since they recur across faculties.
- Take regular full-length mock tests under timed conditions to simulate the actual 2-hour, 200-question OMR exam.
- Since there is no negative marking, attempt all questions in the actual exam; do not leave any blank.
Reference Books
Standard UG textbooks recommended at MPKV Rahuri, PDKV Akola, VNMKV Parbhani, and BSKKV Dapoli are the best starting point for each subject. ICAR e-Course modules and ICAR JRF preparation books are also useful supplementary resources, especially for Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, and Fisheries CETs. For Agri Business Management, standard management and microeconomics textbooks are recommended. For Food Technology and Post Harvest Technology, books by Y. H. Hui, P. J. Fellows, and L. R. Verma are commonly used.
MCAER PG CET 2026 – An Overview
| Exam and Syllabus Aspect | Aspect Information |
|---|---|
| Name of Exam | MCAER PG CET 2026 |
| Full Name of Exam | Maharashtra Council of Agricultural Education and Research Post Graduate Common Entrance Test |
| Conducting Body | Maharashtra Agricultural Universities Examination Board (MAUEB) |
| Syllabus Mode | Online PDF released by MAUEB |
| Number of Subject CETs | 10 faculties |
| Total Questions / Marks | 200 MCQs / 200 marks |
| Duration | 2 hours (120 minutes) |
| Marking Scheme | +1 per correct, no negative marking |
| Medium | English |
| Common Areas | Research methodology, basic statistics, English comprehension |
| Reference | Standard UG textbooks at SAUs of Maharashtra |
| Official Website | mcaer.org |
| Similar Exams | Agricultural Entrance Exams |
MCAER PG CET Syllabus 2026 FAQs
The MCAER PG CET Syllabus 2026 is released by MAUEB at mcaer.org as part of the information brochure and as subject-wise PDFs. Candidates should visit the official website, open the brochure or the syllabus section, and navigate to the unit-wise list specific to their subject CET / faculty.
No. The MCAER PG CET Syllabus 2026 varies by subject CET because the question paper is faculty-specific. Each of the 10 faculties has its own list of topics. Common areas such as research methodology, basic statistics, and English comprehension typically appear across multiple subject CETs.
MCAER PG CET 2026 was conducted in offline (OMR-based, paper-pencil) mode in English. Each subject CET had 200 MCQs carrying 200 marks, with a duration of 120 minutes. There was no negative marking. Each correct answer fetched 1 mark and incorrect or unattempted answers carried 0.
Standard UG textbooks recommended at MPKV Rahuri, PDKV Akola, VNMKV Parbhani, and BSKKV Dapoli are the best starting point for each subject. ICAR e-Course modules and ICAR JRF preparation books are useful supplementary resources for Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, and Fisheries CETs. Standard management and microeconomics textbooks support Agri Business Management. Books by Y. H. Hui, P. J. Fellows, and L. R. Verma support Food Technology and Post Harvest Technology preparation.
Start with the official subject-wise syllabus PDF and identify your strong and weak units. Allocate more time to weak units and use the strong areas as revision anchors. Combine textbook reading with MCQ-based question banks and previous year question papers, and take regular full-length mock tests under timed conditions to simulate the 2-hour, 200-question OMR exam. Since there is no negative marking, attempt every question in the actual paper.
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