The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), which runs the All India Quota (AIQ) admission process for MBBS, BDS and other medical seats, has closed registration for Round 1 of NEET UG Counselling 2026. If you registered in time, your next task is choice filling and choice locking — the step where you decide, and then confirm, which colleges and courses you are willing to accept a seat in. Getting this window wrong, or missing it, can mean losing a Round 1 seat entirely and having to wait for later rounds. This piece lays out the exact dates ahead and what a candidate should be doing right now.
Registered candidates must fill and lock their college-course preferences within the given window, because seats in Round 1 are allotted only from locked (or last-saved) choices, and missing the deadline can cost you an entire round.
What just happened, and what's next
MCC shut the Round 1 registration link at 3 pm on August 12, 2026, with the payment window staying open a little longer, till 6 pm the same day, for anyone who had started but not finished paying the registration and security fees.
Choice filling — where candidates arrange colleges and courses in order of preference — stays open until August 13. Choice locking, which finalises that list so it cannot be edited further, runs from 4 pm on August 12 to 11 am on August 13, 2026.
After that, MCC's computers process the seat allotment between August 13 and August 16, and the Round 1 result is expected on August 17, 2026.
| Stage | Date/Time |
|---|---|
| Registration closed | August 12, 2026, 3:00 pm |
| Payment window closed | August 12, 2026, 6:00 pm |
| Choice filling ends | August 13, 2026 |
| Choice locking window | August 12, 4:00 pm – August 13, 11:00 am |
| Seat allotment processing | August 13 – August 16, 2026 |
| Round 1 result | August 17, 2026 |
| Reporting to allotted institute | August 18 – August 22, 2026 |
| Institute verifies joined candidates | August 23, 2026 |
Why choice locking matters more than choice filling
Many candidates treat choice filling as the important step and choice locking as a formality. It isn't. If you fill choices but never lock them, MCC's system will still use whatever list you last saved at the time the window closes — but locking removes any risk of an accidental last-minute edit or a browser glitch undoing your order.
The order in which you rank colleges genuinely decides your fate. The allotment software works strictly top-down: it tries to give you your first choice, and only moves to your second if that seat is unavailable to you given your rank and category. Once locked, this order cannot be changed for that round.
- Rank colleges by genuine preference, not just by perceived prestige — a lower-ranked choice you'd actually accept is more useful than an aspirational one you might reject.
- Include a realistic spread of colleges: some ambitious options, some middle-of-the-road, and a few you would definitely join if allotted.
- Double check course type (MBBS vs BDS) and quota (AIQ, deemed university, central institute, ESI, AFMC where applicable) against your eligibility before locking.
The registration fees you should already have paid
MCC's registration for Round 1 involved two components: a non-refundable registration fee and a refundable security deposit, both varying by category.
For most general or EWS (Economically Weaker Section) candidates, this worked out to a combined Rs 11,000 at registration; for SC, ST, OBC and PwD (Persons with Disability) candidates, the combined amount was Rs 5,500. The security deposit is refundable later depending on how a candidate's counselling journey concludes.
- Registration fee: Rs 1,000 for UR/EWS candidates; Rs 500 for SC/ST/OBC/PwD candidates.
- Security deposit (refundable): Rs 10,000 for UR/EWS candidates; Rs 5,000 for SC/ST/OBC/PwD candidates.
- Total paid at registration: Rs 11,000 (UR/EWS) or Rs 5,500 (SC/ST/OBC/PwD).
What happens after allotment
If you receive a seat in the August 17 result, you must physically report to the allotted institute between August 18 and August 22, 2026, carrying your original documents for verification. The institute itself then verifies the data of all joined candidates by August 23.
Missing the reporting window without valid reason typically forfeits the allotted seat and can also affect your eligibility for later counselling rounds, so this deadline deserves the same seriousness as the exam itself.
What this means for you as a NEET aspirant
If you missed the registration deadline this time, you are not necessarily locked out of AIQ counselling forever — MCC typically conducts multiple rounds (Round 2, mop-up, and sometimes a stray vacancy round) later in the year, and fresh registration or re-registration windows open for those. But every round you miss delays your admission and narrows the pool of seats still available.
If you did register, the discipline now shifts to accuracy: verify your rank, category certificate status, and document readiness before you lock choices, because errors discovered after allotment are far harder to fix than errors caught now.
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See My CollegesFrequently asked questions
I registered but haven't locked my choices yet — what should I do?
Log in before the choice-locking window closes at 11 am on August 13, 2026, review your ranked list of colleges and courses carefully, and lock it. If you don't lock it, MCC will use your last-saved choice order.
What if I didn't register for Round 1 at all?
You cannot join Round 1 now that registration has closed, but MCC usually opens fresh or repeat registration for later rounds (Round 2, mop-up, or stray vacancy). Watch mcc.nic.in for the next window.
When will I know if I got a seat?
The Round 1 seat allotment result is expected on August 17, 2026, on the MCC website.
How much time do I get to report to my allotted college?
Candidates allotted a seat in Round 1 can report to the institute between August 18 and August 22, 2026, for document verification and admission formalities.
Is the security deposit refundable if I don't get a seat or don't join?
The security amount (Rs 10,000 or Rs 5,000 depending on category) is refundable, but the exact refund conditions and timelines depend on MCC's rules for that counselling cycle, including whether you upgrade, withdraw, or fail to report.
Can I change my locked choices later?
No. Once the choice-locking window closes, that preference order is final for Round 1 and cannot be edited. You can revise your preference list in subsequent rounds if you remain in counselling.
The next milestone is the Round 1 result on August 17, 2026, followed immediately by a tight reporting window at your allotted institute. Keep your documents, category certificates and admission fee arrangements ready now, so you aren't scrambling if a seat comes through.
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