Every year, lakhs of candidates participate in the JEE Main counselling, which generally begins after the declaration of JEE Advanced results. This year, the counselling has started on 2nd June 2026. Only candidates who qualified for the JEE Main 2026 and wish to secure admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs across India are eligible to participate.
Engineering Colleges Accepting JEE Main 2026
Every year, lakhs of candidates participate in the JEE Main counselling, which generally begins after the declaration of JEE Advanced results. As of now, the official JEE counselling schedule has been released and updated on the official portal www.josaa.nic.in.
In this blog, we have provided you with complete information on JEE Main counselling 2026, including registration, choice filling, mock seat allotment, seat allotment rounds, document verification, and reporting. If you are serious and wish to gather more info can move ahead in this article.
What is JoSAA?
JoSAA stands for the Joint Seat Allocation Authority. It is a centralised counselling and seat allocation process in India to manage admissions to premier engineering colleges. The JoSAA counselling is completely based on the JEE Main and JEE Advanced ranks.
To manage and regulate the joint seat allocation for admissions to 127 institutes for the academic year, the Ministry of Education (MHRD) has set up the JoSAA. This includes 23 IITs, 31 NITs, IIEST Shibpur, 26 IIITs, and 47 GFTIs. Admission to all the academic programs offered by these institutes will be made through a single platform.
JEE Main 2026 Sikar Topper List
JEE Main Counselling 2026 Important Dates
The following are the tentative dates for JoSAA JEE Main counselling 2026. You can get the expected dates for the processes included in the counselling process.
| Event | Date & Time |
| JEE Main 2026 ranks declared by Joint Apex Board | April 20, 2026 (Released) |
| JEE Advanced 2026 Result Date | June 1, 2026 by 2:45 AM (Released) |
| JoSAA registration and choice filling starts | June 2, 2026 |
| Seat acceptance fee pre-payment and document pre-upload begin | |
| AAT-qualified candidates can start filling AAT-specific choices | June 7, 2026 |
| Display of Mock Seat Allocation (Round 1) | June 8, 2026 (2:00 PM) |
| Display of Mock Seat Allocation (Round 2) based on choices filled as on June 9, 2026, by 5 PM. | June 10, 2026 (1:00 PM) |
| Registration and choice filling end (auto-locking of choices) | June 11, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Pre-payment of the JoSAA seat acceptance fee and pre-upload document close on | |
| Data reconciliation, verification, and validation by JoSAA | June 12, 2026 |
| JoSAA Counselling 2026 Round 1 | |
| Seat Allocation | June 13, 2026 (10:00 AM) |
| Online reporting, document upload, query response, and fee payment | June 13 – June 26, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Last date for fee payment | June 26, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Resolution of fee payment issues | June 29, 2026 (1:00 PM) |
| Last day to respond to withdrawal query | June 29, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| JoSAA Counselling 2026 Round 2 | |
| Seat Allocation | June 30, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Online reporting, document upload, query response, and fee payment | June 30 – July 3, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Withdrawal/Exit window | July 1 – July 3, 2026 |
| Last date for fee payment | July 3, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Resolution of fee payment issues | July 4, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Last day to respond to withdrawal and reporting queries | July 5, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| JoSAA Counselling 2026 Round 3 | |
| Seat Allocation | July 6, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Online reporting, document upload, query response, and fee payment | July 6 – July 8, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Withdrawal/Exit window | July 7 – July 8, 2026 |
| Last date for fee payment | July 8, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Resolution of fee payment issues | July 9, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Last day to respond to withdrawal and reporting queries | July 9, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| JoSAA Counselling 2026 Round 4 | |
| Seat Allocation | July 10, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Online reporting, document upload, query response, and fee payment | July 10 – July 13, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Withdrawal/Exit window | July 11 – July 14, 2026 |
| Last date for fee payment | July 13, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Resolution of fee payment issues | July 14, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Last day to respond to withdrawal and reporting queries | July 15, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| JoSAA Counselling 2026 Round 5 | |
| Seat Allocation (Final Round for IITs/IISc) | July 16, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Online reporting, document upload, query response, and fee payment | July 16 – July 20, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Withdrawal window for NIT+ System candidates | July 16 – July 20, 2026 |
| Last date for fee payment | July 20, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Resolution of fee payment issues and last day to respond to queries | July 20, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Final Round of IIT/IISc seat allocation ends | July 21, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Withdrawal query response period for NIT+ System | July 17 – July 21, 2026 |
| NIT+ System candidates can pay Partial Admission Fee (PAF); further admission process through CSAB 2026 | July 22 – July 24, 2026 (5:00 PM) |
JEE Main 2026 Counselling – Step-by-Step Process
Before the JEE Main 2026 counselling starts, you should go through the following process, which includes the original JoSAA counselling steps. To understand the counselling process, it is best to check out the following steps and avoid any mistakes when you are in the actual JEE Main counselling process.
01. Registration Process
The first stage of JoSAA counselling is registration. Candidates to participate in the JEE Main counselling 2026 must register at JoSAA to participate in the further counselling process. Follow the steps below.
- Visit the official JoSAA website, i.e. www.josaa.nic.in.
- Log in using your JEE Main 2026 roll number.
- Enter accurate personal details as provided in your JEE Main 2026 application.
- Read the instructions displayed on the registration page.
- Accept the instructions and click on ‘declaration’.
- After confirming all information, click on Submit.
- Now your JEE Main 2026 counselling registration form has been successfully submitted.
02. Choice Filling and Online Locking
After the registration, choice filling and locking are the most crucial steps. You should carefully complete this process and fill in the choice that best suits your interests. You should make your choice wisely because once locked, it cannot be changed.
03. Mock Seat Allotment
Before the final seat allotment, JoSAA conducts the mock seat allotment, which includes 2 rounds. This is a trial round to educate candidates on which colleges and branches they will get based on their rank and preferences.
04. Seat Allotment
Following the mock seat allotment, JoSAA conducts the final seat allotment, which includes 6 rounds. The college allotment will be done based on candidates’ rank (JEE Main/ JEE Advanced), percentile, category and the college choice preferences. In every round, candidates will receive a college allotment for admission.
JEE Main 2026 Marks vs Percentile
05. Choosing Freeze, Float & Slide Options
During the JoSAA 2026 seat allotment, in each round, candidates will have to choose one of the options: freeze, float, or slide. You can understand better by reading the options below.
- Freeze: Once you choose this option, you are eligible to get admission at the allotted college. After that, you will not be eligible to participate in further JoSAA counselling rounds.
- Float: This option is available for those candidates who want to accept the seat but also participate in a further counselling round.
- Slide: If you are satisfied with the college allotment but want to change to a better branch in the same college can choose this option.
- Surrender/ Withdraw: When you want to withdraw from the JoSAA counselling, you can choose this option. This will cancel your allotment and make you eligible for the partial refund.
06. Acceptance Fee Payment (SAF & PAF)
Once you confirm the allotted college, you need to pay the fee as mentioned below to download the JoSAA seat allotment letter for further admission. Mainly, there are two types of payment you should know.
Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF): This is a payment generally made to retain, secure, and confirm your choice. It will be adjusted against your final institute fees. The SAF is as follows.
- General, OBC-NCL, & Gen-EWS: Rs 35,000/-
- SC, ST, & PwD: Rs 15,000/-
Partial Admission Fee (PAF): This is a payment generally paid at the very end of all JoSAA rounds to confirm that you are accepting the allotted seat and intend to join the institute, ensuring your admission isn’t cancelled. The fee structure is as follows.
- General, OBC-NCL, Gen-EWS: Rs 45,000/-
- SC, ST, and PwD: Rs 20,000/-
Documents Required for JEE Main Counselling 2026
After the fee payment, you are required to pre-upload the mandatory documents to confirm your seat. Ensure all the documents are uploaded carefully, and also make a set of documents useful while you are reporting to the allotted college.
| Document Required | Required for NITs/ IIITs /GFTIs |
| Class X Mark Sheet/Certificate or Aadhaar Card (Date of Birth Proof) | Yes |
| Class XII Mark Sheet & Certificate | Yes |
| JEE Main 2026 Admit Card | Yes |
| Category Certificate (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/GEN-EWS), if applicable | Yes |
| PwD Certificate, if applicable | Yes |
| Bank Cheque Copy or Passbook Image | Yes |
| Medical Certificate | Yes |
| OCI/PIO Certificate or Passport, if applicable | Yes |
Report to the Allotted Institute for Verification
After the entire process of JEE Main counselling 2026 is completed, you need to go to the allotted college to confirm and finalise your admission. This is the final step, which involves your physical presence at the time of offline admission. Complete documentation will be done at the time of admission. If you don’t report to the allotted college, your admission will be cancelled.
JoSAA Counselling 2026 Eligibility Criteria for JEE Main Candidates
To participate in JoSAA counselling, candidates must have the following requirements with a valid JEE Main 2026 rank. Check out the parameters to ensure your eligibility for JEE Main counselling 2026.
| Eligibility & Rank | With JEE Main 2026 cleared, you must have a valid All India Rank in JEE Main 2026 |
| Age Limit | No age restriction, but you must fulfil the pass year criteria set by JoSAA. |
| Class 12 Qualification | You must have passed the Class 12 exam in 2024, 2025, or 2026 with the mandatory subjects, i.e. Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry/ Biology/ Biotechnology/ technical vocational subject |
| Minimum Marks & Percentile (board specific) | General/ OBC-NCL must have a minimum of 75% aggregate in Class 12, while SC/ ST/ PwD must have a minimum of 65% aggregate in Class 12. |
| For B.Arch./ B. Planning | B.Arch. candidates must secure at least 50% marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics with an aggregate of 50% marks in the qualifying exam. |
CSAB Counselling 2026 (Special Round for JEE Main Aspirants)
CSAB stands for Central Seat Allocation Board is another counselling specifically conducted to fill vacant seats after JoSAA counselling, usually conducted with two rounds, utilising JEE Main ranks rather than JEE Advanced ranks because it excludes IITs.
Who is eligible for CSAB Counselling 2026?
You will be eligible for CSAB if-
- You didn’t register for JoSAA.
- You participated in JoSAA but were not allotted any seat.
- You were allotted a seat in JoSAA, but it was cancelled, or you withdrew from it.
- You secured a seat in JoSAA and paid your seat acceptance fee, but wish to upgrade to a better college or branch.
CSAB 2026 Registration Process
- Visit the official CSAB website, i.e. www.csab.nic.in.
- You must register on the official CSAB website using your JEE Main 2026 credentials.
- Verify and submit the personal and academic details.
- Pay the non-refundable CSAB processing/ participation fee.
- Click on the final submission.
- Your registration for the CSAB special round is confirmed.
Category-wise cutoff comparison for JEE Main Counselling 2026
The following are the expected JEE Main counselling 2026 opening and closing ranks for admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. The official opening and closing cutoffs will be available after the 6 rounds of seat allotment. You can check the table below for a quick comparison of the cutoffs for JEE Main counselling.
| Category | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
| General / UR | 93.4123549 | 93.1023262 | 93.2362181 | 90.7788642 |
| UR-PwBD / PwD | 0.0023186 | 0.0079349 | 0.0018700 | 0.0013527 |
| EWS | 82.4164528 | 80.3830119 | 81.3266412 | 75.6229025 |
| OBC-NCL | 80.9232583 | 79.4313582 | 79.6757881 | 73.6114227 |
| SC | 63.9172792 | 61.1526933 | 60.0923182 | 51.9776027 |
| ST | 52.0174712 | 47.9026465 | 46.6975840 | 37.2348772 |
JoSAA 2026 Participating Institutes and Seat Matrix
Reviewing this seat matrix helps you identify realistic institute options before filling your choices. The following are the JoSAA-participating institutes and total seat matrix.
| Particular | JoSAA Seat Matrix |
| IIT Seat Matrix | 18951 |
| NIT Seat Matrix | 25162 |
| IIIT Seat Matrix | 11518 |
| GFTI Seat Matrix | 11692 |
| Total | 67323 |
Conclusion
JoSAA counselling is important for all engineering aspirants, whether they participate through JEE Main or JEE Advanced. The JEE Main counselling 2026 commenced on June 2, 2026, with the official JoSAA 2026 schedule for all rounds.
Admission will be based on JEE Main rank, and the counselling process will be held with 6 rounds. Even after the JoSAA counselling, if any seats remain vacant, CSAB counselling will be held, which includes two special rounds to fill all the vacant seats.
Frequently Asked Questions
The JEE Main counselling 2026 started on 2nd June 2026.
Only the JEE Main qualifiers will be eligible to participate in the JoSAA JEE Main counselling process.
Based on the rank, candidates’ category, and seat availability in the given institute and branch preference, the seat allotment will be done through multiple rounds.
Once allotted a seat for admission, candidates need to pay the seat acceptance fee of Rs 35,000/- for the unreserved category and Rs 15,000 for the reserved category.
As per the JoSAA official data, the total number of seats for JEE Main 2026 is 48372 (excluding IIT Seats). The distribution of seats across engineering colleges is as follows.
IITs – 18951
NITs – 25162
IIITs – 11518
GFTIs – 11692
A JEE Main rank is an important factor that determines whether you will be allotted a seat or not. A higher rank may increase your chances of getting a seat in top institutes, while a lower rank may limit your choices
There is no provision of quotas in IITs. Admission at IITs is based on All India Rank in JEE Advanced and category preference.
The JoSAA counselling is conducted for admission into IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs, while CSAB counselling is conducted with special rounds when seats remain vacant.
Yes, after a seat is allotted, based on your category, you have to pay a seat acceptance fee.
