NEET PG 2026 Round 1 Choice Locking Deadline Today: Seat Result Oct 24

The first round of NEET PG counselling 2026 has reached a critical juncture. Today, 22 October, at 10:00 AM, the window for filling and locking your choice of medical colleges and postgraduate courses will close permanently. Any MBBS graduate who has not yet submitted and locked their preferences faces exclusion from Round 1 seat allocation entirely. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) will then process all locked choices and release provisional seat allotment results on 24 October. This is a hard deadline—there is no extension, and missing it means waiting for subsequent rounds.

Why Today's Deadline Matters for Your PG Admission

The choice-filling and locking window is the single most important step in NEET PG counselling. Once you lock your preferences, the MCC's algorithm will match your rank, category, and locked choices against available seats across all participating medical colleges and courses. If you do not lock by 10 AM today, the system will treat you as a non-participant in Round 1, and you will automatically be excluded from seat allocation in this round.

This is not a soft deadline. The MCC does not grant extensions or accept late submissions. Even if you attempt to fill choices after 10 AM, the portal will reject your submission. Your only recourse would be to participate in Round 2 or subsequent rounds, which may have fewer available seats and lower-ranked colleges. For many aspirants, missing Round 1 means a significant delay in joining a PG programme.

Step-by-Step Guide to Fill and Lock Your Choices

The process is straightforward but requires careful attention. Begin by visiting the official MCC portal at mcc.nic.in. Select the postgraduate medicine option and log in using your registration credentials (your NEET PG roll number and password). Once logged in, locate the 'Choice Filling' section and open it.

• Visit mcc.nic.in and select postgraduate medicine counselling
• Log in with your registration details (roll number and password)
• Open the 'Choice Filling' option from the dashboard
• Browse and select your preferred medical colleges and courses in order of priority
• You can add, remove, or reorder choices as many times as you wish before locking
• Review all your selections carefully—college name, course (MD/MS/PG Diploma/DNB), and the order
• Once satisfied, click 'Lock Choices' and submit
• Save your confirmation receipt for future reference
• Do not close the browser or navigate away until you see the final submission confirmation

How to Prioritise Your College and Course Choices

The order in which you list your choices is critical. The MCC algorithm processes your preferences sequentially: it attempts to allocate you to your first choice, and only if that is not possible does it move to your second choice, and so on. This means your first choice should be a college and course you genuinely want, but also realistic given your rank and category. Your second and subsequent choices should form a safety net—colleges and courses that are more likely to be available at your rank.

Many aspirants make the mistake of placing their dream college first without considering their actual rank position. If your rank does not qualify for that college in your chosen course, you will not be allocated there, and the algorithm will move to your next choice. Conversely, if you place only highly competitive choices and your rank does not match any of them, you may end up unallocated in Round 1. A balanced preference list—mixing aspirational, realistic, and safety options—maximises your chances of a good allocation.

What Happens If You Don't Lock Your Choices Today

If you do not lock your choices by 10 AM on 22 October, you will not receive a seat in Round 1. The MCC will not automatically lock your choices or allocate you a default seat. Instead, you will be marked as a non-participant in this round and will have to wait for Round 2 counselling, which typically begins after Round 1 admissions are complete.

The consequences are significant. Round 2 usually has fewer available seats because many have already been filled in Round 1. The colleges and courses available in Round 2 may be less preferred or located in less accessible regions. Additionally, the delay means you will join your PG programme later than your peers, potentially missing the start of the academic year or important orientation programmes. Some colleges may also have already begun their academic calendar by the time Round 2 admissions are processed.

When Will Provisional Seat Allotment Results Be Released

The MCC will release the provisional seat allotment result for Round 1 on 24 October 2026. This is a provisional list, not the final allocation. After the provisional result is published, there is typically a window during which candidates can raise objections or file complaints if they believe there is an error in their allocation or if their documents were not processed correctly.

It is crucial to understand the difference between provisional and final results. The provisional list is the MCC's initial allocation based on your locked choices and rank. If you have an objection—for example, if you believe your rank was miscalculated or your category was wrongly assigned—you must file a complaint during the objection window. After all objections are reviewed and resolved, the MCC will publish the final seat allotment result. Only after the final result is released will you be required to report to your allocated college for admission formalities.

Admission Reporting and Document Verification After Allocation

Once the final seat allotment result is published, you will receive an allocation letter from the MCC. This letter will specify your allocated college, course (MD/MS/PG Diploma/DNB), and the date by which you must report to the college for admission. The reporting date is typically 3–7 days after the final result is released, though this can vary.

When you report to your allocated college, you must bring all original documents: your NEET PG admit card, your MBBS degree certificate, your medical registration certificate (MRC), your allocation letter, and any other documents specified by the college. The college will verify these documents, conduct a final eligibility check, and complete your admission formalities. Failure to report by the specified date may result in your seat being cancelled, and you will lose your allocation. Therefore, keep monitoring the MCC website and your email for updates on the reporting date and required documents.

Common Mistakes to Avoid Before Locking

Many aspirants make preventable errors in the final hours of choice filling. The most common is waiting until the last minute. If you attempt to fill and lock your choices at 9:50 AM, you risk a server overload or internet connectivity issue that could prevent your submission. Fill your choices well in advance—ideally by 9 AM—to allow time for troubleshooting if something goes wrong.

Another frequent mistake is not reviewing your locked choices carefully. Once locked, you cannot change them. If you accidentally lock a choice with a typo or in the wrong order, you are stuck with it for Round 1. Before clicking 'Lock', read through your entire preference list at least twice. Verify the college name, course name, and the sequence. A third common error is not understanding your rank position relative to available seats. If you are unsure whether your rank qualifies for a particular college and course, consult the previous year's cutoff data or speak to a counsellor before finalising your choices.

What to Do If You Face Technical Issues

If you encounter a technical problem—such as the portal not loading, your login credentials not working, or an error message when you try to lock—do not panic. First, try clearing your browser cache and cookies, then refresh the page. If the issue persists, try accessing the portal from a different browser or device. If you still cannot access the portal, contact the MCC helpline immediately. The MCC typically provides a phone number and email address on its website for technical support.

However, do not rely on technical support to extend your deadline. The MCC will not grant an extension simply because you had a technical issue, unless it was a widespread server outage affecting many candidates. This is why filling your choices early is so important—it gives you time to resolve any technical problems before the deadline. If you are unable to access the portal from home, visit an internet café or a friend's house, but do so well before 10 AM.

Frequently asked questions

Today is the final opportunity to lock your NEET PG Round 1 choices. Do not wait until the last minute—fill and lock your preferences by 9 AM at the latest to avoid technical issues. Monitor the MCC website on 24 October for the provisional seat allotment result, and be prepared to report to your allocated college with all required documents within the specified timeframe.