The examination is designed to assess visual and creative ability rather than academic subject knowledge, so it draws on drawing skill, observation, sense of colour and composition, design thinking and general awareness of art and craft. The pattern and the specific components are notified by the State Common Entrance Test Cell before each session, and candidates should follow that notification rather than earlier patterns, since the mode and structure have changed over the years. Scores are used to prepare a merit list for the centralised admission process covering government art institutions, aided institutions and unaided private colleges offering fine art degrees across Maharashtra. Candidates take part in online registration, document verification and successive rounds of seat allotment before reporting to the allotted institution. The syllabus, duration, marking scheme, list of participating institutions and the full admission timetable are published in the official information brochure for the year.

Candidates must have passed the higher secondary certificate examination, that is class 12, or an equivalent examination from a recognised board, and candidates from any stream are ordinarily eligible since selection is based on artistic aptitude. Some institutions also admit candidates who hold a recognised art foundation or intermediate drawing qualification, as specified in the brochure. Students appearing in the qualifying examination may apply provisionally and must produce the result before admission. Admission to state-quota seats requires the candidate to meet the Maharashtra domicile, category and reservation conditions defined by the state. Any minimum marks, age condition and required documents are stated in the official information brochure released by the State Common Entrance Test Cell.