Bhubaneswar, March 25: The Common PG Entrance Test (CPET) 2026 is set to commence from 5th May, 2026, as per the notification issued by the Higher Education Department. The entrance examination will be conducted from 5th May to 18th May, 2026.

For the academic session 2026–27, a total of 58,708 candidates have applied for admission to 31,915 postgraduate seats across various institutions in the state.

It is noteworthy that the application process was conducted through the SAMS portal from 27th February to 22nd March, 2026. The applicant data will be handed over to the State Selection Board (SSB) on 26th March, 2026.

Admit cards for the entrance examination will be made available on 30th April, 2026. Candidates can download their admit cards from the official SSB website starting from 30th April, 2026.

Selection of Candidates for postgraduate courses will be based on their marks secured in the CPET examination.

The Higher Education Department has also set a target to commence postgraduate classes in all universities and colleges by 10th July, 2026.