JEE Main Counselling 2026 - JoSAA will announce the JEE Main 2026 counselling schedule on the official website, josaa.nic.in. The JEE Main counselling 2026 registration will begin in June 2026. The JEE Main counselling process will comprise registration, choice filling, seat allotment and reporting to allotted institutes. Only candidates who have a valid JEE Main 2026 result will be eligible to apply for JoSAA 2026 counselling. The sessions will be conducted for admission to NITs, IIITs and GFTIs. Additionally, aspirants can also check the total number of seats through JEE Main 2026 seat matrix on the JoSAA website.
The NTA has clarified that the JEE Mains 2026 exam dates will not be changed even if they clash with any other national and state-level exams. "The NTA will not change the allotted date or shift of the examination for the candidates," it said.
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The authority will announce the JEE Main 2026 counselling dates online. Candidates can find the JEE Main counselling schedule in the table below.
Event | Date |
JEE (Main) 2026 Result date | April 2026 |
JEE (Advanced) 2026 Results declared | June 2026 |
Candidate registration/choice filling for academic programs under JoSAA starts | June 2026 |
Pre-payment of JoSAA seat acceptance fee begins | June 2026 |
AAT 2026 choice begins for qualified candidates | June 2026 |
Display of Mock Seat Allocation – 1 | June 2026 |
Display of Mock Seat Allocation – 2 | June 2026 |
Last date to register and fill choices; the system locks choices | June 2026 |
Pre-payment of JoSAA seat acceptance fee ends | June 2026 |
Data reconciliation and verification by JoSAA | June 2026 |
| Round 1 | |
Seat Allocation – Round 1 | June 2026 |
Online reporting: fee payment / document upload / response (Round 1) | June 2026 |
Last date for fee payment (Round 1) | June 2026 |
| Resolution of Fee Payment Issues for Candidates who have made Payment Attempts before the payment deadline | June 2026 |
Last date to respond to query (Round 1) | June 2026 |
| Round 2 | |
Seat Allocation – Round 2 | June 2026 |
Online reporting: fee payment / document upload / response (Round 2) | June 2026 |
Last date for fee payment (Round 2) | June 2026 |
| Resolution of fee payment issue | June 2026 |
Last date to respond to query (Round 2) | June 2026 |
| Initiation of Withdrawal of seat / Exit from seat allocation process (Round 2) | June 2026 |
| Last day to respond to Withdrawal Query | July 2026 |
| Round 3 | |
Seat Allocation – Round 3 | July 2026 |
Online reporting: fee payment / document upload / response (Round 3) | July 2026 |
Last date for fee payment (Round 3) | July 2026 |
| Resolution of Fee Payment Issues, if any / Last day to respond to queries | July 2026 |
| Initiation of Withdrawal of seat / Exit from seat allocation process (Round 3) | July 2026 |
| Last day to respond to Withdrawal Query | July 2026 |
| Round 4 | |
Seat Allocation – Round 4 | July 2026 |
Online reporting: fee payment / document upload / response (Round 4) | July 2026 |
Last date for fee payment (Round 4) | July 2026 |
| Resolution of fee payment | July 2026 |
Initiation of Withdrawal of seat / Exit from seat allocation process (Round 4) | July 2026 |
Last date to respond to withdrawal query (Round 4) | July 2026 |
| Round 5 | |
Seat Allocation – Round 5 | July 2026 |
Online reporting: fee payment / document upload / response (Round 5) | July 2026 |
Last date for fee payment (Round 5) | July 2026 |
| Resolution of fee payment | July 2026 |
| Initiation of Withdrawal of seat / Exit from seat allocation process (Round 5) | July 2026 |
Last date to respond to query (Round 5) | July 2026 |
| Round 6 – For IITs and NIT+ system | |
Final Seat Allocation (Round 6 – Only for IITs) | July 2026 |
Online reporting: fee payment / document upload / response (Final Round for IITs) | July 2026 |
Last date for fee payment (Final Round for IITs) | July 2026 |
Last date to respond to query (Final Round for IITs) | July 2026 |
| NIT+ system begins | |
Withdrawal of seat / final admission process for NIT+ system begins | July 2026 |
Last date of seat withdrawal / final reporting at allotted NIT+ institutes | July 2026 |
Last date of final admission at allotted NIT+ system institutes | July 2026 |
Candidates will have to fulfil the JEE Main counselling 2026 eligibility criteria before applying for the counselling process. The counselling of JEE Main 2026 will comprise various steps. Below are the detailed steps that will be followed during the JEE Mains Counselling 2026 process.
Step 1- JEE Main Counselling Registration: The first step for the JEE Mains 2026 counselling is registration. Candidates need to register by logging into the candidate portal on the official website of JoSAA 2026. The JEE Main application number and password are the credentials to access the candidates portal. Upon successful login, the candidates' details will automatically be fetched from the NTA JEE Main 2026 database. Students must verify all the details before completing the JEE Mains 2026 counselling registration.
Step 2- Choice filling: After completing the registration process, candidates will have to fill in their choice of institute and courses. Students are advised to select as many choices as they can as this will increase the chances of admission.
Step 3- Mock seat allotment and locking of choices: The authorities will release two mock seat allotment for JEE Main 2026 to help candidates know their chances of admission into the institutes. The mock seat allotment process will help the candidates understand which seats can be allotted to them based on their preference list. Candidates will also be able to edit their preferences based on the mock allotment.
Step 4- Final seat allotment: JoSAA will conduct a total of six rounds of seat allotment. The seat allotment process of JoSAA 2026 will be based on merit, category, selected preferences, and availability of seats. JoSAA seat allotment 2026 will be released online. All the seat-allotted candidates will be able to download the provisional seat allotment letter and an e-challan to remit the seat acceptance fee online mode.
Candidates will be given three options available after the JEE Mains seat allotment is done:
Freeze - When the candidate is satisfied with the allotted seat and does not wish to participate in further rounds of counselling.
Float - When the candidate is satisfied with the seat but would like to be considered for other institutes during the future rounds of seat allocation.
Slide - When the candidate has accepted the seat allotted but is also open for admission into a higher preferred course in the same institute.
Step 5- Payment of seat acceptance fee: Candidates who will be allotted seats will have to pay the JEE Main 2026 seat acceptance fee through e-challan or SBI net banking. Note that the seat acceptance fee will vary depending on the category of the candidate. After accepting the seat, candidates will have to report to the allotted institute for document verification.
Category | Amount |
|---|---|
SC/ ST/ ST-PwD/ SC-PwD/ OBC-NCL-PwD/ GEN-PwD | Rs 20,000 |
Candidates belonging to other categories | Rs 45,000 |
Candidates who have been allotted seats have to report to the allotted institutes. While reporting to the institutes, candidates need to carry the important documents. Below is the list of documents required for JEE Main Counselling 2026.
JEE Main 2026 seat allotment letter
Three passport-size photographs (have to be the same as uploaded during registration).
A government-issued photo identity card.
JEE Main seat acceptance receipt.
Birth certificate
Class 12 Mark sheet
Category certificate (if applicable).
| Institutes | Number of Institutes |
|---|---|
National Institute of Technology | 32 |
Indian Institute of Information Technology | 26 |
Government Funded Technical Institutes | 38 |
After completing the JoSAA counselling, the authorities will conduct the JEE Main 2026 Special Round Counselling. The JEE Main special round counselling will be held for admission to NITs, IIEST, IIITs, and GFTIs. To participate in the special round of counselling, candidates have to register separately for CSAB.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
JEE Main 2026 counselling registration will begin in June 3, 2026.
JEE Main counselling will be conducted in online mode. Candidates will have to register online to participate in the counselling process.
Candidates who meet the JEE Main cutoff will be eligible for counselling.
The authority will announce the JEE Main 2026 seat allotment dates on the official website.
Yes, the authority considers the JEE Main 2026 scores and rank for the JoSAA 2026 counselling.
On Question asked by student community
Hey there,
Your OBC-NCL certificate will not be valid for the JEE Mains 2026 application as it is from June 2024. You can apply for a new one as soon as possible. For the JEE Mains, the OBC-NCL certificate should be issued on or after 1 April 2025.
And as for your Aadhar, the mistakes in your name and Date of Birth will be an issue during the document verification process. The details should match your 10th-class certificate. So you will also need to update it as soon as possible.
Hope it helps!!!
Hello Satyam,
Yes, your EWS certificate is valid.
In Bihar, the EWS certificate can be issued by the Circle Officer, BDO, SDO, or DM. So a certificate signed by the Circle Officer (Revenue Officer) is acceptable.
If the format of your certificate is the same as the Central Government EWS format, then it is valid for JEE Main registration and also for JoSAA counselling. The heading “Government of Bihar” does not create any problem.
Just remember one point:
For
JoSAA 2026
, you will need an EWS certificate issued on or after 1 April 2025. Even if your current certificate works for registration, you must update it before counselling.
Hope it helps !
Hello murali
No, your son is not eligible for OBC NCL for IIT JEE because you fall in the "creamy layer" occupational category, regardless of your current employment status or family income. Students whose family income is less than Rs. 8 lakhs annually and they are not belong to the "creamy layer".
Note -
Thank You
Hello,
You can fill the JEE Main form even if you are a private candidate
Write the
name of the school/board from where you are appearing as a private candidate
.
If your Class 12 admit card or registration slip shows a school/centre name, use that exactly.
If your board lists you as a “Private Candidate” under the board name , then write:
CBSE – Private Candidate
(or your board name – Private Candidate)
Use the pin code of the examination centre/school mentioned on your Class 12 private candidate admit card or registration details.
If your board does not give any school address and only shows the regional office address, then use the regional office address pin code given by your board.
Hope it helps !
Hello Aspirant
You should not leave the OBC-NCL certificate ID blank in the JEE Main form it can create problems later.
NTA wants the certificate details while filling the form, not just at counselling. If you can, apply for the OBC-NCL certificate immediately so you get the ID on time.
If you fail to submit the certificate during counselling, your category will shift to General. It’s safer to enter OBC-NCL only if you’re sure you’ll get the certificate before counselling.
Hope it will help you
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