With the NEET UG 2026 result declared on July 16, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is expected to open registration for Round 1 counselling around July 21, 2026, though the official schedule has not yet been notified on mcc.nic.in.
Key highlights:
- Counselling registration expected to begin July 21, 2026 (tentative)
- MCC will conduct four rounds – Round 1, Round 2, Round 3/Mop-Up, and Stray Vacancy Round
- Counselling covers 15% All India Quota (AIQ) seats, 100% seats in deemed and central universities, plus AIIMS, JIPMER and AFMC
- Over 1.18 lakh MBBS and 27,000+ BDS seats are up for allotment nationally
- Entire counselling cycle expected to run through August–October 2026
- Candidates must register separately for MCC even after qualifying NEET UG
Why the Schedule Is Delayed This Year
The original NEET UG 2026 exam held on May 3 was cancelled following paper leak allegations, and NTA conducted a Re-NEET exam on June 21 instead. This pushed the entire result and counselling cycle back by nearly two months compared to a normal year, with MCC expected to release its official bulletin only after receiving eligible candidate data from NTA.
Expected Round-Wise Process
- Seat Matrix Release: Published separately before each round
- Registration & Fee Payment: Candidates register on mcc.nic.in using NEET roll number and application number
- Choice Filling & Locking: Candidates select and lock preferred colleges and courses based on rank
- Seat Allotment Result: Declared round-wise on the MCC portal
- Reporting: Candidates must report to allotted institutes with original documents within the given window
Counselling Start Date: Year-on-Year Comparison
| Year | Counselling Registration Start | Notes |
| 2023 | July 20 | Round 1 result declared July 29 |
| 2025 | July 21 | Standard cycle |
| 2026 | ~July 21 (tentative) | Delayed cycle due to Re-NEET exam |
Documents Required for Registration
- NEET UG 2026 admit card and scorecard
- Class 10 and 12 mark sheets and certificates
- Valid photo ID (Aadhaar/Passport/Voter ID)
- Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwBD), where applicable
- Passport-size photographs and signature scan
- Counselling registration fee payment receipt
Eligibility for AIQ Counselling
Candidates must have qualified NEET UG 2026 with the prescribed percentile – 50th for UR/EWS and 40th for SC/ST/OBC – and must turn 17 years of age by December 31, 2026. Both Indian nationals and NRI/OCI candidates are eligible for specific seat categories under AIQ.
Candidates are advised to keep checking mcc.nic.in for the official notification, as all dates mentioned above remain tentative until confirmed by the Medical Counselling Committee.
