Over 23,000 students apply for Odisha's CPET

Bhubaneswar: More than 23,000 students have applied for the Common PG Entrance Test (CPET) in the state. They are hoping to gain admission to postgraduate courses for the 2025-26 academic year. The application process will remain open until March 28. The higher education department expects that total applications may reach over 60,000, similar to last year’s number of 62,544. This year, 116 higher education institutions are providing 29,456 PG seats, which is an increase from last year's 28,926 seats. Admission to these courses will be based solely on CPET scores. Applicants can make changes to their Common Application Form (CAF) on March 29 between 10 a.m. and 11:45 p.m. The Odisha Computer Application Centre (OCAC) will send applicant data to the State Selection Board (SSB) on April 4. The CPET-2025 is scheduled to take place from May 4 to May 18. Hall tickets will be issued on April 28. The SSB will provide test scores to OCAC on May 26, and the date for announcing CPET results will be revealed later. The admission process will consist of two phases. Phase-I will include four selection rounds, with the first two following existing reservation policies. If there are still available seats after phase-I, there may be a phase-II for new applicants. The higher education department plans to begin PG classes in universities and colleges by July 10. Starting classes on time will help ensure that courses, exams, and results are completed as scheduled.