NEET UG Choice Filling Last Date 2026 Today: Deadline Time, Choice Locking Rules and Round 1 Allotment Schedule

The NEET UG 2026 Round 1 choice-filling window closes today, August 13, 2026, at 11:00 AM, according to the official Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) schedule. Candidates participating in counselling for 15% All India Quota seats and applicable seats in Deemed Universities, Central Universities, AIIMS, JIPMER and other MCC-participating institutions must complete their preferences before the deadline.

The choice-locking facility also closes at 11:00 AM today. It opened at 4:00 PM on August 12. MCC specifies that all deadlines operate according to server time, so candidates should not wait until the final minutes to save or lock their preferences.

NEET UG Choice Filling 2026: Latest Update

MCC's official Round 1 schedule confirms these dates and times.

Is Today the Last Date for NEET UG Choice Filling?

Yes.

For MCC Round 1 counselling, today—August 13, 2026—is the final day for choice filling.

The facility remains available only until:

11:00 AM on August 13, 2026

as per MCC server time.

Candidates should therefore finish their preferences now rather than assuming the portal will remain open throughout the day.

NEET UG Choice Locking Deadline

The choice-locking facility opened on:

August 12, 2026 at 4:00 PM

and closes on:

August 13, 2026 at 11:00 AM

according to the official MCC schedule.

Candidates should verify that their final preference order is correct before locking.

Choice Filling and Choice Locking Are Different

Candidates often confuse these two stages.

Choice Filling

This is when candidates:

• Add colleges

• Add courses

• Rearrange preferences

• Delete choices

• Change preference order

Choice Locking

This is the final confirmation of the submitted preference list.

Once the applicable locking process is completed and the deadline passes, candidates should not expect to freely modify their submitted preferences for that round.

What Happens If You Do Not Lock Choices Manually?

Candidates should not assume that leaving choices open until the deadline is a safe strategy.

The best practice is to:

Review → Arrange → Save → Lock → Download/Print

before the deadline.

Candidates should follow the behaviour shown on their live MCC dashboard and the current counselling instructions because the system rules around saved/unlocked preferences are critical to allotment.

Why Choice Order Matters

MCC does not simply allot the “best college available.”

The system works according to the candidate's:

NEET Rank + Category + Eligibility + Seat Availability + Choice Preference Order

Suppose a candidate enters:

1. College A – MBBS

2. College B – MBBS

3. College C – MBBS

If College A is unavailable at the candidate's rank but College B is available, the system can consider College B.

This is why the order should represent the candidate's true preference, not an attempt to predict cutoffs.

Should You Put Dream Colleges Above Safe Colleges?

Yes, generally, if you would genuinely prefer them.

Candidates should not remove a preferred college merely because its previous cutoff appears difficult.

A sensible choice list can contain:

• Dream colleges

• Realistic options

• Safer options

in the candidate's genuine preference order.

The allotment system will move through the choices according to merit and availability.

Do Not Put an Unwanted College Above a Preferred College

If you prefer College B over College A, then College B should generally appear higher.

Do not arrange the list solely according to:

• Previous cutoff

• Reputation lists

• Someone else's prediction

• “Safe” vs “unsafe” labels

The list should reflect where you would actually prefer to study.

Can Candidates Fill Unlimited Choices?

Candidates should use the choice-filling facility to add all suitable options available to them according to the portal and their eligibility.

It is often safer to include a broad range of genuinely acceptable colleges than to restrict the list to only a handful of highly competitive options.

However, candidates should not include a college they would absolutely refuse to join without first understanding the consequences of allotment and subsequent counselling rules.

NEET UG Round 1 Registration Is Already Closed

The official MCC schedule shows that Round 1 registration was available from:

August 5 to August 12, 2026

with registration closing at:

3:00 PM on August 12

and payment remaining available until:

6:00 PM on August 12.

Therefore, today's deadline primarily concerns candidates who have already completed registration and are now finalising their choices.

MCC Round 1 Seat Allotment Processing

After choice filling closes, MCC will process the seat allotment from:

August 13 to August 16, 2026.

During this period, candidates generally need to wait for the result rather than modify the Round 1 preference list.

The allotment process evaluates:

• Candidate rank

• Category

• Seat availability

• Submitted choices

• Applicable reservation

• Eligibility

• Counselling rules

NEET UG Round 1 Result Date 2026

MCC has scheduled the Round 1 seat-allotment result for:

August 17, 2026.

Candidates should check the official MCC portal on result day and download their allotment letter if they receive a seat.

What Happens After Round 1 Result?

Candidates allotted a seat will move into the reporting/joining stage.

The official schedule provides:

August 18 to August 22, 2026

for reporting and joining.

Candidates should read their allotment letter and institute instructions carefully before reporting.

Verification of Joined Candidate Data

Participating institutes will verify the data of joined candidates on:

August 23, 2026.

This comes immediately after the Round 1 reporting window closes.

MCC NEET UG Round 1 Complete Schedule

All times stated by MCC are according to server time.

What Candidates Should Do Before 11 AM Today

Candidates who have not yet completed their preference list should immediately:

1. Log in to MCC.

2. Review all available colleges and courses.

3. Add genuine preferred options.

4. Arrange them in exact preference order.

5. Check category and course availability.

6. Save the choices.

7. Review the complete list again.

8. Lock the choices.

9. Download or print the final preference list.

10. Log out only after confirming submission.

Do Not Wait Until 10:59 AM

The deadline is based on MCC's server time.

Potential last-minute issues include:

• Website congestion

• Internet failure

• OTP delays

• Session expiry

• Accidental preference deletion

• Browser crash

Candidates should ideally complete the process with a buffer.

How to Fill NEET UG Choices

Candidates can broadly follow these steps:

1. Visit mcc.nic.in.

2. Open UG Medical Counselling.

3. Log in to the 2026 candidate portal.

4. Open choice filling.

5. View available colleges and courses.

6. Select desired choices.

7. Add them to the preference list.

8. Rearrange them using priority order.

9. Save changes.

10. Review carefully.

11. Lock choices within the deadline.

12. Download the final list.

The official MCC UG portal is the authoritative source for counselling activities.

Choice Filling Strategy for MBBS

A practical order can be based on:

College Quality → Clinical Exposure → Fees → Location → Hostel → Bond → Personal Preference

Candidates should compare:

• Government vs Deemed institutions

• Tuition fees

• Bond obligations

• Stipend

• Hospital patient load

• Faculty

• Location

• Campus

• Hostel

• Previous closing ranks

before finalising the list.

Fees Matter Especially for Deemed Universities

Candidates including Deemed Universities should check:

• Annual tuition fee

• Hostel fee

• Security deposit

• Miscellaneous charges

• Total course cost

before placing them high in the preference list.

A college should not be selected only because a seat appears achievable if the candidate cannot realistically afford the total fee.

Check Bond Conditions

Medical colleges and states can have:

• Service bonds

• Rural service requirements

• Discontinuation penalties

• Seat-leaving penalties

Candidates should understand these obligations before finalising preferences.

Previous Cutoffs Are Helpful, Not Guarantees

Candidates can use previous opening and closing ranks to estimate admission chances.

However, 2026 closing ranks can change because of:

• NEET rank distribution

• Seat increases

• Candidate preferences

• Category movement

• New colleges

• Fee changes

So previous cutoffs should guide the list—not dictate it.

What If You Get No Seat in Round 1?

Not receiving a Round 1 seat does not necessarily end counselling.

MCC has scheduled a Round 2, followed by Round 3 and an Online Stray Vacancy Round under the 2026 timetable.

Candidates should follow the eligibility rules applicable to later rounds.

NEET UG Round 2 Dates

The official MCC schedule states:

• Registration: August 25–29

• Choice Filling: August 25–30

• Choice Filling Deadline: August 30 at 11 PM

• Choice Locking: August 30 from 4 PM to 11 PM

• Seat Processing: August 31–September 1

• Result: September 2

• Reporting: September 3–8

NEET UG Round 3 Dates

Round 3 is scheduled with:

• Registration: September 11–15

• Choice Filling: September 11–16

• Choice Filling Deadline: September 16 at 11 AM

• Locking: September 15 at 4 PM to September 16 at 11 AM

• Result: September 18

• Reporting: September 19–26

Online Stray Vacancy Round

The Online Stray Vacancy Round is scheduled later, with choice filling from:

September 28 to September 30

and the deadline at:

11:00 PM on September 30, 2026.

Candidates should not assume they will automatically remain eligible for every later round; eligibility depends on their previous allotment and joining status.

MCC Counselling Covers Which Seats?

MCC handles counselling for the applicable:

• 15% All India Quota seats

• Central Universities

• Deemed Universities

• AIIMS

• JIPMER

• Other institutions/seats assigned to MCC

The official 2026 schedule specifically covers MBBS, BDS and B.Sc Nursing counselling across these participating categories.

State NEET Counselling Is Separate

Candidates should not confuse MCC's August 13 deadline with state counselling deadlines.

Each state can have its own:

• Registration

• State merit list

• Choice filling

• Seat allotment

• Reporting schedule

Therefore, an Odisha, Maharashtra, Karnataka or other state counselling deadline may differ from MCC's AIQ counselling deadline.

What If a Candidate Has Filled Choices but Not Locked Them?

Candidates should log in now and complete the final review and locking process before 11 AM.

Do not rely on assumptions about what the portal may do automatically after the deadline.

The safest action is to manually verify the final list and follow the live MCC candidate-dashboard instructions.

Can Locked Choices Be Changed?

Once choices are finally locked under the applicable portal rules, candidates should not expect to modify them for the same round.

This is why candidates should review:

• College order

• Course

• Institution type

• Fees

• Location

before confirming the lock.

Download the Final Choice List

After completing the process, candidates should save a copy of the submitted preferences.

This helps later when checking:

• Why a particular seat was allotted

• Which higher options were considered

• Whether an upgrade may be possible later

• What was actually submitted before the deadline

Common Choice-Filling Mistakes

Candidates should avoid:

• Filling only one or two colleges.

• Arranging colleges according to predicted cutoff instead of preference.

• Adding an unaffordable Deemed University.

• Ignoring bond rules.

• Waiting until the final minute.

• Forgetting to review course type.

• Confusing state counselling with MCC counselling.

• Using another person's preference list without personalising it.

• Forgetting to save/lock the final list.

• Assuming a high NEET rank guarantees the first preference.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NEET UG choice-filling last date 2026?

For MCC Round 1, the last date is August 13, 2026.

What is the NEET UG choice-filling deadline time today?

Choice filling closes at 11:00 AM on August 13 according to MCC server time.

When does NEET UG choice locking close?

Choice locking also closes at 11:00 AM on August 13, 2026.

When did choice locking start?

It started at 4:00 PM on August 12, 2026.

When will MCC process Round 1 seat allotment?

Seat-allotment processing runs from August 13 to August 16.

When will NEET UG Round 1 result be released?

MCC has scheduled the Round 1 result for August 17, 2026.

When is reporting after Round 1?

Reporting and joining are scheduled from August 18 to August 22.

Is registration still open today?

No. The official Round 1 registration deadline was 3 PM on August 12, with payment available until 6 PM.

Does MCC choice filling apply to state quota counselling too?

No. State counselling authorities operate separate schedules for their respective state-quota seats.

Should I put a dream college above a safe college?

If you genuinely prefer the dream college, generally yes. Choices should reflect true preference rather than predicted cutoff order.

Can I wait for the last minute to lock choices?

That is risky. The deadline is based on server time, and technical delays can occur.

What’s Next?

The immediate MCC Round 1 timeline is:

Choice Filling & Locking Closes Today at 11 AM → Seat Allotment Processing August 13–16 → Round 1 Result August 17 → Reporting August 18–22

Final Update

The NEET UG 2026 Round 1 choice-filling deadline is today, August 13, at 11:00 AM, and the choice-locking window also closes at the same time. MCC opened locking at 4 PM on August 12 and clearly states that the deadline operates according to server time.

Candidates who have not finalised their preference order should log in immediately, review all college-course combinations, save and lock their final choices, and keep a copy of the submitted list.

Once the window closes, MCC will process Round 1 allotment from August 13 through August 16, with the result scheduled for August 17. Candidates receiving seats will then report or join their allotted institutions between August 18 and August 22, 2026.