Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) has commenced the registration and choice-filling process for the 2026 counselling session. Candidates who have qualified JEE Advanced 2026 and eligible JEE Main 2026 candidates can participate in the centralized admission process for IITs, NITs, IIITs, IIEST Shibpur and other Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs). Registration and choice filling started on June 2 and will continue till June 11, 2026.
The counselling process will facilitate admission to more than 62,000 engineering seats across premier institutions in India. Candidates must complete registration, fill and lock their preferred choices and participate in subsequent seat-allotment rounds as per the official schedule.
Important JoSAA 2026 Dates
| Event | Date |
| Registration & Choice Filling Begins | June 2, 2026 |
| Architecture Aptitude Test (AAT) Choice Filling Begins | June 7, 2026 |
| Mock Seat Allocation Round 1 | June 8, 2026 |
| Mock Seat Allocation Round 2 | June 10, 2026 |
| Choice Locking Opens | June 10, 2026 |
| Registration & Choice Filling Ends | June 11, 2026 |
| Round 1 Seat Allotment Result | June 13, 2026 |
Registration and Choice Filling Is Free
JoSAA has clarified that candidates are not required to pay any registration fee for counselling participation. However, students must register online and submit their preferred institute-course combinations before the deadline.
Candidates can select multiple academic programmes and arrange them in order of preference. Seat allocation will depend on:
- JEE rank
- Category
- Programme preference
- Seat availability
- Institute-specific eligibility conditions
Two Mock Seat Allotments to Help Students
JoSAA will conduct two mock seat allotments during the choice-filling period. These mock rounds help candidates understand their probable seat allocation based on current preferences and allow them to revise their choices before final locking.
Choice Locking Is Mandatory
Candidates must lock their choices before the deadline. If candidates fail to lock choices manually, the last saved choices will be auto-locked by the system after the deadline. Once the choice-filling period ends, no additions, deletions, or modifications will be allowed.
How Seat Allocation Will Be Done
JoSAA will allocate seats based on:
- Candidate rank in JEE Main or JEE Advanced
- Category and reservation eligibility
- Order of choices filled by candidates
- Availability of seats
The allocation process covers IITs, IISc, NITs, IIITs, IIEST, and GFTIs through a single centralized counselling platform.
Female Supernumerary Seats Continue in 2026
JoSAA will continue the supernumerary seat scheme introduced to improve female representation in engineering institutes. Female candidates will be considered for both Female-Only and Gender-Neutral seat pools, increasing admission opportunities without reducing seats available to male candidates.
Seat Acceptance Fee
Candidates allotted a seat must complete online reporting, upload required documents, and pay the Seat Acceptance Fee.
| Category | Seat Acceptance Fee |
| SC, ST, PwD Categories | ₹15,000 |
| All Other Categories | ₹30,000 |
The fee includes JoSAA processing charges and must be paid within the specified deadline after seat allotment. Failure to pay the fee will result in cancellation of the allotted seat.
Freeze, Float and Slide Options
After accepting a seat, candidates can choose one of the following options:
- Freeze: Accept the allotted seat and exit further upgradation.
- Float: Accept the seat but remain eligible for higher preferred choices across institutes.
- Slide: Accept the seat but seek a higher preferred programme within the same institute.
These options allow candidates flexibility during subsequent allotment rounds. The complete rules are detailed in the JoSAA 2026 Business Rules document.
Documents Upload and Verification
Candidates allotted a seat must upload the required documents for verification. JoSAA has also provided an optional document pre-upload facility during registration to help candidates avoid last-minute technical issues.
Key Advice for Candidates
JoSAA has strongly advised candidates to:
- Register early.
- Fill maximum realistic choices.
- Use mock allotments to refine preferences.
- Keep documents ready.
- Avoid waiting until the final day.
- Regularly monitor counselling updates and seat-allotment results.
Since the entire counselling process is conducted online with strict timelines, candidates missing any deadline may lose their admission opportunity.
