Assam NEET UG 2026 Stray Round: Register by October 17, Choice Filling Starts October 18

Assam’s Directorate of Medical Education has scheduled stray-round registration for MBBS and BDS admissions on 17 October 2026, with an 11:59 PM cutoff. The round covers vacant state-quota seats in the state’s government medical and dental colleges. Choice filling follows on 18–19 October. For an eligible candidate still looking for a seat, the immediate task is to complete registration and prepare a realistic preference list. Registering and entering college choices are separate steps; completing the first does not complete the second.

Who should check their eligibility?

Candidates must have qualified NEET UG 2026, meet the applicable cutoff and satisfy Assam’s admission rules. The notice also excludes candidates who have joined a seat up to Round 3 under either All India Quota or state quota. The official registration page says candidates registered earlier do not need to register again. Existing applicants should therefore check their account and eligibility instead of creating another registration simply because a new round has started. Being without a seat should not be treated as the only eligibility test. Before proceeding, match your circumstances against the complete instructions, particularly your earlier allotment and joining history. If your position is unclear, obtain clarification from DME before making an assumption about participation.

Keep these dates separate

The distinction between filling and locking is particularly important: the choice-filling deadline is earlier than the locking deadline. Do not assume that the later time gives you extra time to add or rearrange preferences. The notice provides for automatic locking if choices have not been locked earlier.

How to prepare your choices

Before the window opens, make a short comparison of the colleges you would actually be willing to join. Consider the course, location, accommodation, travel and the total cost your family can manage. A familiar college name alone is not enough to decide your order of preference. Keep a working list outside the portal, then check every course-and-college combination against the options actually displayed in your account. This helps avoid selecting a similarly named institution or placing BDS above MBBS unintentionally when that does not reflect your preference. Review the saved order once more before locking. Keep the confirmation available with your registration details so you can refer to what you submitted without relying on memory or screenshots shared by other candidates.

What happens after the result?

DME plans to publish the result with admission instructions. Provisionally selected candidates should read those instructions before arranging their reporting visit; a name in an allotment list still needs the required admission steps to be completed. Use the intervening time to organise your records and travel options. Check which originals and copies are required, where to report and how the allotted institution communicates joining instructions. 

Avoid booking non-refundable travel solely on an expected allotment. Read the official stray-round notice and check DME Assam’s admission notices for amendments. Follow ONLY EDUCATION News for further counselling updates.