CAP Round 4 Introduced for MAH MBA CET 2025 - Complete Guide to New Admission Rules

Maharashtra's New Centralized Admission Process and New CAP Round Rules

The Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Department has announced major changes to the Maharashtra’s CAP admission process for MBA CET CAP Round 2025 - Centralized Admission Process for professional degree programs. One of the most notable updates is the addition of a fourth CAP round, providing aspirants with more opportunities to secure admission in their preferred colleges

In a significant shift from the previous format, the state government has decided to increase the total number of CAP rounds from three to four. This change will be implemented from the upcoming academic session and is expected to make the entire counselling and admission system more flexible, transparent, and student-friendly.

These updated rules are being released just before the declaration of CET results, which determine eligibility for admissions to full-time technical courses such as MBA/MMS others across Maharashtra.

With these reforms, the admission process is expected to become more merit-driven and accessible to all categories of students, including those from reserved and economically weaker backgrounds.

This major update is designed to give aspirants more attempts to get into top colleges and to reduce the number of vacant seats at the end of the CAP cycle.

Minister Patil also mentioned that a Government Resolution (GR) would be published soon to make these new guidelines officially binding on all institutions participating in the CAP.

A major change introduced is the auto-freezing of seats based on preference.

Let’s break it down:

● Round II: If a student is allotted a seat among their first 3 preferences, the seat will be auto-frozen.
● Round III: If the allotment falls within the first 6 preferences, it will also be auto-frozen.

👉 Once auto-frozen, students must accept the seat and cannot participate in subsequent rounds. This move ensures quicker seat filling and better planning for students and colleges alike.

Students are now allowed to revise their college/course preferences before Rounds II, III, and IV. This additional flexibility helps candidates re-strategize based on remaining seats and improves chances of betterment.

Under the revised rules:

● Colleges must now publish the number of seats available under management quota.
● This ensures greater transparency and reduces backdoor entries.

The new rules also define a clear process for admission cancellations.

Candidates can now cancel their admission online via the CAP portal. Key highlights include:

● Refunds can be processed before the deadline, subject to a deduction of ₹1,000.
● No refund if the cancellation is after the deadline.
● Once cancelled, the seat becomes available in the next round.

It is mandatory for colleges to display the list of eligible applicants, merit list, and complete admission schedule on their official websites.

To ensure full transparency, all participating institutes must regularly update:

● Eligibility lists
● Merit lists
● Final seat allotments
● Admission timelines

MAH MBA CET 2025 - CAP ROUND - New Rules Explained

👉 "Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Admission Rules) Amendment, 2025"

🗓️ Effective for CAP 2025 admission process

CAP ROUNDS Rules	Auto-Freeze Condition
CAP ROUND 1	If 1st Preference is Allotted → Auto Freezed
CAP ROUND 2	If allotted in top 3 preferences → Auto Freezed
CAP ROUND 3	If allotted in top 6 preferences → Auto Freezed
CAP ROUND 4	Final – Admission confirm in any allotted college

MAH MBA CET 2025 - CAP ROUND - Betterment New Rules Explained

•If Betterment in next CAP, previous CAP seat will automatically Cancelled
•If no Betterment, you’ll have option to get previous CAP seats, else move to further Round
•Auto-freeze → Visit ARC for doc verification
•No Self Verification = Seat Cancelled

CAP ROUNDS	When Betterment Allowed
CAP ROUND 1	Only if NOT allotted 1st preference
CAP ROUND 2	Only if NOT allotted top 3 preferences
CAP ROUND 3	Only if NOT allotted top 6 preferences
CAP ROUND 4	Final – no betterment after this

MAH MBA CET 2025 - CAP ROUND Old Vs New Rules Explained

Aspect	Old Rule (Till 2024)	New Rule (2025 Onwards)
Cap Rounds	Final round was Round III	Final round is Round IV
Option Form Edit	Allowed in Rounds II and III	Allowed in Rounds II, III and IV
Auto-Freezing Of Seat	No auto-freeze; manual freeze required	Round II: Auto-freeze if allotted top 3 preferences Round III: Auto-freeze if allotted top 6
Participation/Betterment Eligibility	All candidates could participate in next round if they accepted seat	If auto-freezed in top 3/6, cannot participate in next rounds
Seat Acceptance and Reporting	Self-scrutiny option available + online payment of acceptance fee
Seat Retention	Seat retained if no upward allotment in next round
Final Allotment	After Round III	After Round IV
Seat Cancellation	Seat may be canceled	Seat automatically forfeited if candidate doesn’t confirm acceptance online or at ARC

CAP ROUND FINAL NOTE - Summary

Rule/Change	What You Should Do	Mistake to Avoid
Round IV added	Use it if you're still waiting for betterment	Ignoring it or assuming CAP ends in Round III
Betterment chances expanded	Understand Auto-freeze logic and track preferences	Not understanding your freeze status
Process now more defined	Follow instructions, pay fees, confirm seat	Missing confirmation or fee deadlines