With the Re-NEET UG 2026 result declared on July 16, all eyes are now on the Medical Counselling Committee for the next big update. MCC is expected to release the NEET UG 2026 All India Quota (AIQ) counselling schedule shortly on its official portal, covering admission to MBBS, BDS, and B.Sc Nursing seats under the 15% AIQ, plus 100% of seats at AIIMS, JIPMER, ESIC, AFMS institutions, and central and deemed universities.

This year's cycle has run later than usual. The original NEET UG 2026 exam scheduled for May 3 was cancelled following paper-leak allegations, and NTA conducted a re-exam on June 21 instead, pushing the entire admission calendar back by roughly two months. As a result, every date discussed below should be treated as an expected projection until MCC issues its official bulletin. Candidates can start estimating their options now using the NEET UG College Predictor, which covers both AIQ and state quota outcomes.

What's Confirmed So Far

The NMC seat matrix for MBBS has already been released, and MCC is expected to publish the 15% AIQ seat matrix for all UG courses shortly. Counselling registration will open only after this seat matrix and the information bulletin are both published. Based on the current cycle's pace, most trackers expect Round 1 registration to open sometime between the last week of July and the first half of August 2026, with the complete process likely to wrap up by October.

How MCC NEET UG Counselling Works

  1. Visit the official MCC counselling portal at mcc.nic.in
  2. Register using your NEET UG 2026 roll number and required personal details
  3. Pay the applicable registration fee for your category and quota
  4. Fill and lock your choices of colleges and courses in order of preference
  5. Wait for seat allotment based on rank, category, and choice order
  6. Report to the allotted institute within the specified reporting window
  7. If eligible, participate in subsequent rounds by upgrading or re-registering as required

MCC counselling is generally conducted in four rounds: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 (sometimes called Mop-Up), and a final Stray Vacancy Round. The exact number of rounds and their dates depend on how many seats remain vacant after each stage, so candidates should keep re-checking the portal rather than assuming a fixed calendar.

Eligibility to Register

To register for MCC counselling, a candidate must have qualified NEET UG 2026 at or above the prescribed qualifying percentile for their category, and must meet the academic eligibility of having passed Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English, along with the minimum age requirement. Indian citizens, NRIs, OCIs, and PIOs can participate under their applicable seat categories. It's worth stressing a point that trips up candidates every year: qualifying NEET UG makes you eligible for counselling, but it does not guarantee a seat, and a separate MCC registration is mandatory, your NEET application does not carry over automatically.

AIQ Round 1 always opens before state counselling Round 1, and AIQ seats left vacant after Round 2 are surrendered back to the states, which is why state Mop-Up rounds often have more seats than expected.— MCC Counselling Pattern

Registration and Fee Structure

MCC counselling fees are typically split into a registration fee plus a refundable security deposit, with amounts varying by quota and category, historically lower for SC/ST/PwD candidates and higher for General/OBC candidates, and higher still for deemed university seats compared to government college seats. Exact figures for 2026 will be confirmed only once MCC releases the official information bulletin, so candidates should avoid relying on last year's numbers when making payment and should check the bulletin the moment it's published.

AIQ vs State Quota: Why Both Matter

MCC handles only the 15% All India Quota plus seats at AIIMS, JIPMER, ESIC, AFMS, and central/deemed universities. The remaining 85% of government medical college seats are filled through each state's own counselling authority, run entirely separately. Candidates hoping to maximise their options need to register for both processes independently, skipping state registration while waiting on an AIQ outcome is one of the most common and costly mistakes NEET UG candidates make. Institutions like AIIMS, New Delhi, AIIMS Jodhpur, and AIIMS Bibinagar are admitted purely through MCC, so candidates targeting these need no separate state registration for those specific seats.

Choice Filling: What to Get Right

Once registration opens, choice filling is the single most consequential step in the process. Candidates should rank colleges and courses in genuine order of preference rather than strategically, since MCC allots the highest-ranked available choice a candidate is eligible for filling a lower-preference choice first purely out of caution can result in losing a shot at a better one later. Candidates can browse detailed profiles for options like Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi and AIIMS Mangalagiri before finalising their list, and compare options side by side using the College Compare tool.

While You Wait for the Official Schedule

Rather than losing time waiting for the bulletin, candidates can use this window productively: gather scanned copies of your NEET UG scorecard, Class 10 and 12 mark sheets, category and domicile certificates, and photo ID in advance, so registration can be completed quickly once it opens. Candidates can also look at broader options, including private options such as Santosh Medical College & Hospital, Ghaziabad, or additional AIIMS campuses like AIIMS Guwahati and AIIMS Kalyani, using the wider CaderaEdu College Predictor.

The Takeaway

The NEET UG 2026 result is out, but the MCC counselling schedule itself remains awaited, and candidates should treat every date circulating online as a projection rather than an announcement until MCC confirms it on the official portal. The safest approach right now is to keep documents ready, register for both AIQ and your home state's counselling the moment each opens, and check the NEET UG & Medical College Predictor to build a realistic choice list in advance. For personalised guidance on planning both tracks together, candidates can book a free session through CaderaEdu's counselling programme, and for continuously updated, verified coverage the moment MCC's bulletin drops, follow the CaderaEdu education news section or the CaderaEdu homepage.