Career Counselling Center

NEET-UG Counselling 2026: New Schedule & the Freeze/Float System Explained

This year brings one of the biggest changes to NEET-UG counselling in recent memory — candidates can now choose to "Freeze" or "Float" instead of physically reporting after every single round. Here's the complete 2026 schedule and a step-by-step breakdown of the new system.

NEET-UG 2026 Counselling Schedule — All India Quota & State Quota

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has released the official schedule for NEET-UG 2026 (MBBS/BDS/B.Sc. Nursing) counselling. Round-wise dates for both AIQ and State counselling are given below:

The Big Change for 2026: The Freeze & Float System

Until 2025, every candidate — whether or not they wanted to upgrade in the next round — had to physically report at the allotted institute to complete admission, upgradation, or resignation formalities. This cost candidates significant time and money, especially those allotted a seat in another state.

Starting 2026, MCC has split candidates into two clear categories to make the process more convenient and hassle-free:

🔒 Freeze Candidate — No Upgradation

For candidates satisfied with their allotted seat who do not want to upgrade in the next round (Round 1→2 or Round 2→3):

1. Must physically report at the allotted institute.


2. Physical document verification takes place at the institute.


3. Admission fee must be deposited at the institute.


4. If documents are valid → admission confirmed; if a discrepancy is found → admission cancelled.

🔄 Float Candidate — Willing to Upgrade

For candidates who want the option to upgrade in the next round even after getting a seat:

1. Submit willingness for upgradation online via the MCC portal.


2. No need to visit the institute physically.


3. Documents are uploaded online and verified by the institute's nodal officer online.


4. If an anomaly is found (blurred copy, incorrect certificate, category mismatch), the Document Verification Committee (DVC) raises a query — the candidate must re-upload corrected documents.


5. Once documents are found in order, the seat gets provisional confirmation and the candidate becomes eligible for the next round.

Important: After the Round 3 provisional allotment result is declared, mandatory reporting is required for all Round 3 allotted candidates, as well as any Round 1/Round 2 Float candidates who did not receive an upgrade.

Seat Withdrawal (Resignation) — Freeze vs Float

• Freeze Candidate: Must physically visit the allotted institute to submit resignation within the stipulated time.


• Float Candidate: Can submit resignation entirely online via "Candidate Login" > Withdrawal (Resignation) on the MCC portal.

A common rule applies to both categories: resigning in Round 1 gives a free exit, while resigning in Round 2 comes with forfeiture. Round 3 allotted seats cannot be resigned/exited at all. Refunds are processed as per the counselling scheme only after all rounds are complete.

AIQ Registration & Fees (Quick Reference)

• Deemed/Central Universities etc.: Non-refundable registration fee of ₹5,000 (same for all candidates) + refundable security amount of ₹2,00,000.


• Regular AIQ registration: Non-refundable fee is ₹1,000 for UR/EWS candidates and ₹500 for SC/ST/OBC/PwD candidates; refundable security is ₹10,000 for UR/EWS and ₹5,000 for SC/ST/OBC/PwD.

So a UR candidate opting for Central Universities/AFMC/ESI pays a total of ₹11,000, while an SC/ST/OBC/PwD candidate pays ₹5,500.

CCC's Advice for Candidates

The most important thing under this new Freeze/Float system is making the right call — deciding which round to Freeze in and when to take the risk of Floating for an upgrade depends heavily on your rank, category, and target college. A wrong choice could mean losing a good seat or missing out on a better upgrade.

At Career Counselling Center, Bokaro Steel City, we provide personalized guidance based on your rank, category (General/OBC-NCL/EWS/SC/ST), and state eligibility — so you can make the right decision at every round.