Fadnavis also said MPSC chairperson Vivek Bhimanwar’s remarks on the issue had been misunderstood.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said there is no immediate plan to shift Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) recruitment examinations to a computer-based test (CBT) format. He assured candidates that the existing offline Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheet-based system will continue for now. “There is currently no plan to conduct the MPSC examinations online. We have already postponed the earlier decision to hold the examinations online, and we will continue with the existing system,” Fadnavis said while addressing concerns over the state’s preparedness to conduct recruitment exams digitally. The chief minister also said remarks made by MPSC chairperson Vivek Bhimanwar on the issue had been misconstrued. “Whatever the MPSC chairperson said was distorted. Nowhere did he state that the examinations are switching online,” Fadnavis said.

MPSC had announced CBT model from 2027

In June, the Bhimanwar-led commission announced plans to introduce computer-based testing for competitive examinations for Group A, B and C posts from 2027. The proposal faced strong opposition from civil service aspirants, who raised concerns about the availability and reliability of digital examination infrastructure. Candidates also cited the possibility of technical problems, malpractice at private examination centres and connectivity issues, particularly in rural areas. Under the proposed system, the Maharashtra Civil Services Gazetted Group A and Group B Combined Preliminary Examination, Maharashtra Group B Non-Gazetted Services Preliminary Examination and Maharashtra Group C Services Preliminary Examination were to be conducted two or more times a year. Candidates would take the tests on computers instead of marking answers on OMR sheets.

Fadnavis promises consultation with aspirants

Fadnavis said the government would consult students and aspirants before considering any future change to the examination system. “Even in the future, if we consider making any such change, no decision will be taken without first discussing it with the students and aspirants,” he said. Following the opposition, the MPSC deferred the proposed transition to CBT until July 2027 and also put on hold its plan to conduct the Maharashtra Group-C Services Combined Preliminary Examination 2026 through the online format. The commission had maintained that computer-based testing would help speed up the declaration of results and allow examinations to be conducted more efficiently and on schedule. However, student groups have demanded that the traditional OMR-based system remain in place until reliable digital examination facilities are available across Maharashtra.