The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has extended the choice-filling window for Round 1 of NEET UG Counselling 2026 until 11:59 PM on August 18, 2026. The extension was announced through Notice No. 10, issued on August 17, 2026, by the Directorate General of Health Services under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Choice locking for Round 1 began at 5:30 PM on August 17, running alongside the extended choice filling period. Candidates registered for Round 1 counselling can use the additional time to submit or revise their college and course preferences at mcc.nic.in.
Key Highlights
- MCC has extended Round 1 choice filling for NEET UG Counselling 2026 till 11:59 PM on August 18, 2026.
- Choice locking started at 5:30 PM on August 17, 2026, and candidates can lock their choices any time before the new deadline.
- The extension was issued through Notice No. 10 (Ref. U-11011/07/2026-MEC), dated August 17, 2026.
- This is the second revision to the Round 1 timeline; choice filling was earlier scheduled to close at 6 PM on August 17, as per the revised schedule issued on August 13.
- MCC has not yet announced updated dates for seat allotment processing or Round 1 reporting, which were earlier fixed for August 18 and August 19 onward.
- Candidates are advised to save and lock their choices manually, since an unlocked but saved choice list gets auto-locked only in its last saved form when the deadline passes.
Why MCC Extended the Deadline Again
Round 1 counselling covers 15% All India Quota seats in state government medical colleges, along with seats in AIIMS, JIPMER, central universities, deemed universities and ESIC institutions for MBBS, BDS and BSc Nursing courses. The choice filling and locking process for this round has already been revised once, through a schedule released on August 13, which had set 6 PM on August 17 as the closing time for choice filling and 10 AM to 6 PM on the same day for choice locking.
Notice No. 10 supersedes that timeline. MCC has not stated a specific reason for the fresh extension in the notice, and has only asked candidates to keep checking the official website for further updates. The notice does not mention any change to the choice locking closing time, meaning candidates can continue to lock their preferences until choice filling itself ends at 11:59 PM on August 18.
What Candidates Should Do Now
Candidates who have already filled and locked their choices do not need to take any further action unless they wish to revise their preference order before the window closes. Those who have saved but not locked their choices should log in to the MCC portal, review their preference list and lock it manually rather than waiting for the deadline. If a candidate does not lock their choices manually, the system automatically locks whatever list was last saved at the time the window closes, which may not reflect any unsaved changes.
Candidates must use their NEET application number and password to log in at mcc.nic.in, arrange colleges and courses in order of preference, save the list and confirm locking. MCC has repeatedly cautioned candidates against waiting until the last few hours, citing possible delays due to heavy traffic on the counselling portal.
Important Dates for Round 1 Counselling 2026
| Activity | Schedule |
|---|---|
| Registration and fee payment | August 5 to August 15, 2026 |
| Choice filling (as per August 13 schedule) | Up to 6 PM, August 17, 2026 |
| Choice filling (revised, Notice No. 10) | Up to 11:59 PM, August 18, 2026 |
| Choice locking | From 5:30 PM, August 17, 2026 |
| Seat allotment processing (earlier schedule) | August 18, 2026 |
| Provisional seat allotment result (earlier schedule) | August 19, 2026 |
| Reporting to allotted institute (earlier schedule) | August 19 to August 25, 2026 |
Official Website And Important Links
- MCC Counselling Portal: mcc.nic.in
- Notice Dated 17.08.2026: Download PDF
- Registration/Login: mcc.admissions.nic.in
- Helpline: 7824848020
- Email: mcc2026@gov.in
