The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), which runs the central counselling process for NEET UG admissions, has switched on Round 1 choice filling for the 2026 session at mcc.nic.in. This is the stage where every registered candidate lists out, in order of preference, the medical, dental and nursing colleges they are willing to accept a seat in — and it directly decides which college a student ends up at, given their NEET rank. The window opened two days later than the original plan and now runs on a tight schedule leading up to the Round 1 result. Anyone who has completed registration for the 15% All India Quota (AIQ) or for seats in AIIMS, JIPMER, ESIC colleges, central universities, deemed universities or AFMC Pune needs to act within this window without delay.
Choice filling and locking for MCC NEET UG 2026 Round 1 closes at 11 AM on August 13, 2026 — the order you lock your preferences in, not just the colleges you list, will determine your allotted seat.
What exactly opened, and when
MCC's Round 1 choice filling facility went live at 12 noon on August 8, 2026, on the official portal mcc.nic.in. It was originally due to start on August 6 but was pushed back by two days through a separate notice from MCC — a reminder that counselling dates can shift, so candidates should check the portal directly rather than relying on any single date they may have noted earlier.
Only candidates who have already completed Round 1 registration and fee payment can access the choice filling section. If you haven't registered yet, filling choices is not possible until that step is done.
The full Round 1 timeline
MCC has laid out a compressed but clear schedule for this round. Every stage — registration, choice filling, locking, processing and reporting — happens back-to-back over about two weeks.
| Stage | Date and Time |
|---|---|
| Registration and fee payment | August 5 to August 12, 2026 (till 3 PM) |
| Payment facility available till | August 12, 2026, 6 PM |
| Choice filling window | August 8, 12 noon to August 13, 11 AM |
| Choice locking window | August 12, 4 PM to August 13, 11 AM |
| Seat allotment processing | August 13 to August 16, 2026 |
| Round 1 result | August 17, 2026 |
| Reporting to allotted college | August 18 to August 22, 2026 |
Which seats are covered in this round
Round 1 through MCC covers a specific set of seats — not every MBBS or BDS seat in the country. It is important to know this before you start building your list, so you don't waste time searching for colleges that are handled by state counselling authorities instead.
- 15% All India Quota seats in state government medical and dental colleges
- All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) across locations
- JIPMER, Puducherry and Karaikal
- ESIC medical colleges
- Central universities — AMU, BHU, Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia
- Deemed universities offering MBBS, BDS and BSc Nursing
- Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune
How the choice filling and locking process works
The process is entirely online. Candidates log in with their NEET UG roll number and password, open the choice filling tab on their dashboard, add every college and course combination they would accept, and then arrange these in strict order of preference — the college you want most should be at the top.
Locking is a separate, mandatory step. The system opens locking at 4 PM on August 12, and both filling and locking close together at 11 AM on August 13. If a candidate does not manually lock their list, MCC's system will auto-lock whatever order was last saved — so it is safer to lock deliberately rather than let the deadline decide for you.
Take a screenshot or print of the final locked list once you're done, purely for your own record.
How seats get allotted after locking
Once the window closes, MCC processes allotment from August 13 to August 16 purely on the basis of NEET rank and the locked order of choices — there is no human discretion involved at this stage. A candidate is offered the highest-ranked choice on their list for which their rank clears the cutoff at that point in the process.
The result is due on August 17, and candidates who are allotted a seat must report to that college between August 18 and August 22 to confirm admission. Missing the reporting window can put a seat at risk, so this date deserves as much attention as the choice filling deadline itself.
What this means practically for your list
The single biggest mistake candidates make at this stage is listing colleges in an order that doesn't reflect their true preference — for example, listing a 'safer' college above a more preferred one out of anxiety about missing a seat. Since MCC allots the highest possible choice on your list that your rank qualifies for, listing your true first choice first costs you nothing and only helps.
Equally important is choosing to include only colleges, courses and quotas you would genuinely be willing to join, because getting allotted a seat in Round 1 can affect your eligibility to freely upgrade or withdraw in later rounds, depending on the rules for that admission category.
- Cross-check every entry for the correct course (MBBS/BDS/BSc Nursing), category and quota before locking.
- Use the seat matrix released ahead of choice filling to shortlist realistic options for your rank.
- List choices in genuine order of preference — not in order of perceived 'safety'.
- Lock manually well before 11 AM on August 13 rather than relying on auto-lock.
- Keep your login credentials, admit card and category/PwD/domicile certificates ready for the reporting stage.
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See My CollegesFrequently asked questions
When does MCC NEET UG 2026 Round 1 choice filling close?
The choice filling window closes at 11 AM on August 13, 2026. Choice locking opens at 4 PM on August 12 and closes at the same time.
What happens if I don't lock my choices manually?
MCC's system will auto-lock the choice order you last saved when the window closes. It is better to review and lock the list yourself rather than depend on auto-lock.
Which seats does this round cover?
The 15% All India Quota seats in state government colleges, AIIMS, JIPMER, ESIC medical colleges, select central universities (AMU, BHU, DU, Jamia Millia Islamia), deemed universities, and AFMC Pune.
When will the Round 1 result be declared?
MCC is scheduled to release the Round 1 seat allotment result on August 17, 2026, after processing allotment from August 13 to August 16.
By when must an allotted candidate report to their college?
Candidates allotted a seat in Round 1 must report to the college between August 18 and August 22, 2026.
Can I still register if I haven't done so yet?
Registration and fee payment for this round runs from August 5 to 12 (till 3 PM, with payment accepted till 6 PM). Choice filling is only available to candidates who have completed registration.
Does the order of my choices matter, or just which colleges I list?
Order matters as much as the list itself. MCC allots the highest-ranked preference on your locked list that your NEET rank qualifies for at that stage, so your true first choice should be listed first.
With the choice filling window active on mcc.nic.in until 11 AM on August 13, candidates should finalise and lock their preference list well ahead of the deadline rather than waiting till the last hour when portal traffic tends to be heaviest. Keep an eye on mcc.nic.in for the Round 1 result on August 17 and be ready to report to your allotted college between August 18 and August 22.
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