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A big relief news has emerged for lakhs of NEET UG candidates waiting for admission to MBBS, BDS and B.Sc Nursing courses in prestigious medical colleges across the country. The Medical Counseling Committee (MCC) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has extended the last date of Choice Filling and Choice Locking for the first phase (Round-1) of NEET UG Counseling 2026. According to the latest update released on the official portal mcc.nic.in, this decision has been taken keeping in mind the technical reasons and the demand of the students so that no meritorious student is deprived of choosing the medical college of his choice.
NEET UG Round 1 Choice Filling Deadline Extended: Students Get Extra Chance
As per the revised counseling schedule, candidates who have successfully completed the registration and payment of security fees for the first round can now finalize their college and course preferences by visiting the official website. Earlier, the deadline for choice filling and locking was about to end, but after heavy pressure from students on the server and applications from many states, the committee has extended the window. This additional time will directly benefit thousands of students from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and South Indian states who wanted to re-order their preference list to select the top medical institutions of the country under All India Quota.
New time for choice locking and important rule of ‘auto-locking’
Choice locking facility has been activated by MCC. Candidates can freeze and lock their selected seats with the help of their registered login credentials. Under the counseling rules, students will not be able to make any changes in their preferences after locking the choices.
If a candidate forgets to manually lock the colleges of his/her choice till the expiry of the stipulated deadline, his/her last saved choice will be ‘Auto-Locked’ by the MCC system once the deadline is over. However, experts advise that instead of relying on the system, students should double-check their preferences and take a printout of the confirmation page by clicking on the ‘Lock Choices’ button in time.
15% AIQ, AIIMS, JIPMER and more than 31 thousand seats in deemed universities
This counseling process of MCC is for direct admission to 15% All India Quota (AIQ) seats in government medical colleges across the country as well as 100% seats in all 20 AIIMS (AIIMS), JIPMER (JIPMER Puducherry and Karaikal), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Vardhman Mahaveer Medical College (VMMC) and all deemed universities. is being organised.
More than 31,728 MBBS, BDS and Nursing seats are being allotted under the first round. Due to this huge seat matrix, students have equal opportunity to get admission in the best medical colleges in any corner of the country as per their merit and All India Rank (AIR).
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Fill Out and Lock College Preferences on the MCC Portal
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First of all, go to the official website of Medical Counseling Committee, mcc.nic.in.
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Click on the ‘UG Medical Counselling’ section given on the homepage.
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Login using your NEET roll number, password and security PIN.
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Visit ‘Available Choices’ on the dashboard to view the list of various medical colleges, seat type and course.
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Click on ‘Choice Filling’ option and arrange the colleges as per your preference from top to bottom (Priority Order).
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After adding the college, click on ‘Save & Continue’ so that the data remains safe.
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Finally go to ‘Choice Locking’ tab, accept the rules, enter the password to lock the choice and download the submitted choice slip and keep it safe.
Do not make these 4 big mistakes while filling choices: Understand the mathematics of seat allotment
The seat allotment is completely processed automatically by the software based on the candidate’s NEET rank, category and the preference order given by him. Therefore, keep these precautions in mind while filling the choice:
Avoid filling limited colleges: Many students leave after filling only 5-10 top AIIMS or big colleges. If your rank is a little behind, then include as many government and safe options as possible so that you can definitely get allotted a seat in the first round.
Ignoring fee structure and bond policy: Annual tuition fees and mandatory service bonds vary, especially in deemed universities and government medical colleges in some states. Before locking the choice, check the bond rules and hostel fees of the concerned college from the MCC brochure.
Selection of wrong college code or campus: There are many medical colleges with the same name. Add the college code, city and state name carefully before adding it to the preference list.
Last-minute panic changes: Don’t make last-minute changes to your pre-planned list based on speculations on social media. Always keep your dream college at number 1 in your priority list.
Seat allotment result, cutoff and complete schedule of physical reporting in college
The process of data processing and seat allotment will be started by MCC after the choice locking window is closed. The much awaited NEET UG Seat Allotment Result of the first round (NEET UG Round 1 Seat Allotment Result 2026) will be released on August 19 in PDF format on the official portal.
Candidates who will be allotted seats in the first phase will have to download their provisional allotment letter from the MCC portal. After this, verification of original documents and admission formalities will have to be completed by appearing in person at the allotted medical college between 20th August to 25th August 2026. On August 26, all the medical institutions will verify the data of the joining students online and send it to MCC.
Checklist of required documents: Keep these original papers with you at the time of admission
At the time of reporting at the allotted institute, it is mandatory for the candidates to carry the original documents along with two self-attested photocopies of the following:
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NEET UG 2026 Admit Card and Official Scorecard/Rank Letter released by NTA.
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MCC Provisional Seat Allotment Letter.
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Class 10th mark sheet and certificate (for date of birth proof).
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Class 12th mark sheet and passing certificate.
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Valid government identity card (Aadhar Card, Passport, PAN Card or Voter ID).
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Minimum 8 passport size color photographs (same photograph as used in the NEET application form).
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Caste Certificate (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS) and Disability Certificate (PwD if applicable) issued by the competent authority.
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Character certificate, migration certificate and demand draft or online challan receipt of payment of college fees.
Rule of free exit and upgradation in Round-1: Understand the next step
The biggest feature of NEET UG counseling is that in Round-1, students get the option of ‘Free Exit’. If a student gets a seat in the first round but does not want to take admission in that college, he/she can leave that seat without any security money penalty.
If the student likes the seat but is hoping for a better college in the second round, then he/she can take admission in the first allotted college by paying the fees and fill the ‘Willingness for Upgradation to Round 2’ form there. If a better seat is found in Round-2, the seat of the first round is automatically canceled and admission is available on the new seat. All candidates should lock their choices before the scheduled deadline and keep an eye on the portal for the upcoming allotment result.