The TANCET is a state-level entrance exam, which is held once in a year. Through it, the Education Department, Government of Tamil Nadu offers admission for various postgraduate professional courses in the government and private colleges of the state.
The Anna University, Chennai is all set to conduct the Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test 2026 is all set to be held MBA, MCA, M.E., M.Tech., M.Arch., and M.Plan, for the academic year 2026-27, in which lakh of aspirants are likely to take part in this entrance exam.
Here, we have discussed all you need to know about the TANCET 2026. Read this article to check what’s the important dates, who is eligible to participate in this entrance exam, what’s the application fee, how to apply and much more.
TANCET 2026 Overview
The TANCET 2026 will be held across the state at various exam centres. Anna University, Chennai will hold this entrance exam as per schedule. Refer to the table below for an overview of it.
| Exam Name | TANCET 2026 |
| Conducting Authority | Anna University |
| Exam Level | State-level |
| Exam Frequency | Once a year |
| Courses Offered | MBA, MCA, M.E., M.Tech., M.Arch., M.Plan |
| Academic Session | 2026–27 |
| Mode of Examination | Offline (OMR-based) |
| Question Type | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Exam Duration | 2 Hours |
| Medium of Exam | English |
Important Dates
The Anna University, Chennai will announce the important dates for the TANCET 2026 with the notification brochure. Refer to the table below to check the expected timeline.
| Event | Expected Date |
| Notification Release | January 2026 |
| Online Application Start | January 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | February 2026 |
| Application Correction Window | February 2026 |
| Admit Card Release | March 2026 |
| TANCET 2026 Exam Date | March 2026 |
| Answer Key Release | March 2026 |
| Result Declaration | April 2026 |
| Scorecard Download | April 2026 |
| Counselling Process Begins | May 2026 |
Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria to apply for the Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test 2026 are given below, go through the listed points to check if you are eligible to apply for this entrance examination.
- MBA: You must have pursued a three-year Bachelor’s degree in any subject from a university recognised by the UGC.
- MCA: You must have pursued BCA, BSc (IT), or BSc (CS) from an institution recognised by the AICTE, or have pursued a Bachelor’s degree in any subject from a university recognised by the UGC, and studied Mathematics at the Intermediate level.
- ME/MTech: You have pursued a bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Technology from an AICTE-recognised institution.
- MArch: You have pursued a Bachelor’s of Architecture from a university recognised by AICTE.
- MPlan: You have pursued Bachelor’s of Engineering, Planning, Architecture or Technology from an institution recognised by the AICTE.
The minimum in the qualifying exam is 50% score as aggregate; for reserved category candidates, it is only 45%. Candidates who are in the final year or semester of the qualifying exam are also eligible to participate in the TANCET 2026.
Application Fee
In order to apply for the Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test 2026, the payment of the application fee is mandatory. Refer to the table below to check what you are required to deposit to apply for it.
| Category | Application Fee |
| UR / OBC / EWS | ₹1,000 |
| SC / ST / SCA / PwBD | ₹500 |
Make sure you deposit the application fee by the due date; to pay it, you have multiple payment options, which are debit card, credit card, and NET banking.
Exam Pattern
The Anna University, Chennai will conduct the Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test 2026 in offline mode using the OMR sheets across the state.
A total number of 100 objective-type questions will be asked from concerned subjects for the ME, MTech, MPlan and MArch programmes. For MCA and MBA, details are given below:
MBA:
| Section | Number of Questions |
| Analysis of Business Situations | 20 |
| Reading Comprehension | 20 |
| Quantitative Ability | 20 |
| Data Sufficiency | 20 |
| English Usage | 20 |
| Total | 100 |
MCA:
| Section | Number of Questions |
| Quantitative Ability | 25 |
| Analytical & Logical Reasoning | 25 |
| Computer Awareness | 25 |
| General English | 25 |
| Total | 100 |
Each question carries a weightage of 1 mark, there is also a provision of negative marking. For each incorrect response, ⅓ marks are all set to be deducted. To touch all MCQs, each one will get a time duration of 2 hours, and the medium is English.
How to Apply?
In order to apply for the TANCET 2026, we have shared the complete step-by-step instructions available below.
- Go to the official website of the Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test at https://tancet.annauniv.edu/.
- Find and click on the option that reads ‘TANCET 2026 Registration’ and go to the application page.
- Registration yourself by providing all the details accurately, and then login to access the dashboard.
- Fill in the application form by providing all the details and uploading the required documents (certificate/marksheet, photograph and signature).
- Deposit application fee using one of the provided payment gateway, and review your application form.
- Click on the Submit button to apply for the TANCET 2026, and make sure to take a printout of the confirmation page.