Admissions
NEET UG 2026 Round 2 Counselling Begins: Check Registration, Choice Filling, Seat Allotment and Reporting Dates
Published on
30 August 2026
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has started the second round of NEET UG 2026 counselling for undergraduate medical and dental admissions.
Registration and fee payment for All India Quota (AIQ), Deemed Universities and Central Universities began on September 3, 2026. Candidates participating in this round must complete the required registration and choice-filling process within the prescribed deadlines.
According to the latest MCC schedule, the Round 2 seat allotment result will be announced on September 11, followed by reporting and joining at the allotted institutions.
The counselling process is relevant for candidates seeking admission to eligible MBBS and BDS seats covered under the MCC counselling framework.
MCC has issued an updated Round 2 schedule covering registration, choice filling, locking, seat processing and reporting.
| Counselling Activity | Date |
|---|---|
| Tentative seat matrix | September 1–2, 2026 |
| Registration and fee payment | September 3–8, 2026 |
| Choice filling | September 3–9, 2026 |
| Choice locking | September 8, 4 PM to September 9, 10 AM |
| Seat allotment processing | September 9–10, 2026 |
| Round 2 seat allotment result | September 11, 2026 |
| Reporting/joining | September 12–18, 2026 |
| Verification of joined candidates | September 19, 2026 |
MCC's September 2 update is the latest schedule currently available on its official UG counselling portal.
Candidates participating in the MCC Round 2 process can complete their registration and fee payment from September 3 to September 8.
The payment window will close at 6 PM on September 8.
Students should avoid waiting until the final hours because an incomplete registration or unsuccessful payment can prevent them from participating in the subsequent choice-filling stage.
Candidates who are already registered should also check whether any additional action is required under the Round 2 rules before proceeding.
Choice filling is one of the most important stages of the counselling process.
Candidates can submit their college and course preferences from September 3 until 10 AM on September 9.
During this period, students should carefully arrange their preferred:
The order of choices matters because seat allotment is processed according to the candidate's merit, applicable category and availability of seats in the selected preferences.
Students should therefore avoid adding colleges randomly simply to increase the number of choices.
The choice-locking window will open at 4 PM on September 8 and remain available until 10 AM on September 9.
Candidates should review their preference list before locking it.
Once choices are locked, changes may not be possible through the normal choice-filling process. Students should therefore verify the order of preferences, course selection and college details carefully before completing the locking process.
Round 2 is relevant to multiple groups of NEET UG candidates, including students who did not receive a seat in Round 1 and eligible candidates seeking an upgrade under the applicable MCC rules.
Candidates who received a Round 1 seat and selected the Float option can participate for possible upgradation, subject to the counselling rules.
Those who selected Freeze retain their allotted Round 1 seat and are not considered for an upgrade through Round 2.
MCC has also introduced changes in the handling of candidates who opted to float. Under the revised process, candidates in the relevant Float category do not have to physically report to the allotted institution merely for document verification; the institute can verify their documents online.
The Round 2 process can offer candidates access to seats that were not available or were not allotted during the first round.
MCC's current UG counselling portal lists newly added seats, clear vacancies and virtual vacancies for Round 2. Candidates should check the latest seat matrix before finalising their preferences because seat availability can change between counselling rounds.
This is particularly important for students whose preferred colleges were unavailable during Round 1.
Candidates should distinguish between MCC counselling and state-level counselling.
For the state counselling process, Round 2 is scheduled to run separately, beginning on September 7 and continuing through September 11, according to the schedule reported with the MCC announcement.
Students participating in state counselling should follow the notification issued by their respective state counselling authority rather than assuming that the MCC dates apply to every state process.
After choice filling and locking are completed, MCC will process seat allotments on September 9 and 10.
The Round 2 result is scheduled for September 11.
Candidates who receive a seat should carefully read the allotment instructions and complete the reporting or joining process within the prescribed period.
The joining window for Round 2 is September 12 to September 18.
Candidates allotted seats in Round 2 must complete the required admission formalities at the allotted institution within the deadline.
The reporting/joining period will continue until September 18.
After candidates join, verification of the joined candidates is scheduled for September 19 by MCC or the respective state counselling authorities, depending on the counselling route.
Students should keep all original documents and the required copies ready before travelling to the allotted college.
MCC has separately issued a PwD assessment notice for Round 2 dated September 2.
Candidates claiming PwD/PwBD benefits should carefully follow the applicable assessment and certification requirements before participating in the counselling process.
This is particularly important because PwD eligibility and certification can affect seat allotment under the applicable reservation rules.
Candidates should treat Round 2 choice filling as a decision-making exercise rather than simply submitting a long list of colleges.
A practical approach is to divide preferences into three groups:
High preference: Colleges and courses the candidate would genuinely join if allotted.
Realistic preference: Institutions where the candidate has a reasonable possibility of securing a seat based on rank, category and previous allotment trends.
Backup preference: Acceptable colleges that provide a safer option if higher preferences are unavailable.
Students should also compare annual fees, bond conditions, hostel arrangements, location, hospital exposure and course-specific factors before placing a college high on their list.
Candidates participating in Round 2 should:
