IISER 2026 Counselling Registration Is Open — Here's How to Apply
Published 4 Jul 20263 min read174 Views
If you cracked the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) 2026, it's time to lock in your admission. The Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) opened counselling registration on July 2, 2026, for candidates hoping to join one of the country's most sought-after 5-year BS-MS dual degree programs.
Registration is live on iiseradmission.in, and you have until July 9, 2026 to finish both registration and choice filling — so there isn't a huge window to sit on this. Given how competitive these seats get every year, candidates would do well to get their applications in early rather than waiting until the deadline creeps up.
Key Dates to Keep Handy
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Counselling Registration Starts | July 2, 2026 |
| Last Date for Registration & Choice Filling | July 9, 2026 |
| Seat Allotment Rounds | To be announced |
Applying Isn't Complicated — Here's the Process
- Head to iiseradmission.in
- Find and click the IAT 2026 Counselling Registration link
- Log in with your IAT application number and password
- Fill in your personal and academic details
- Pay the registration fee
- List out your preferred IISER institutes and programs
- Double-check everything, then submit
- Save or download the confirmation page — you'll want this later
One thing worth repeating: registering isn't enough on its own. You also need to complete choice filling before the deadline, or your application won't be considered for seat allotment at all. Many candidates assume registration alone secures their spot in the process — it doesn't. Both steps need to be completed within the same window.
Which IISERs Are You Choosing From?
Seven institutes are part of this counselling cycle:
- IISER Pune
- IISER Kolkata
- IISER Mohali
- IISER Bhopal
- IISER Thiruvananthapuram
- IISER Tirupati
- IISER Berhampur
Worth noting — IISc Bangalore and IIT Madras run their own separate admission process and aren't part of this IAT counselling. So if you're eyeing either of those, you'll need to check their individual admission portals separately.
What Rank Got People In Last Year?
Closing ranks shift every year based on how many students apply and how many seats open up, but last year's Round 1 numbers give a rough sense of where things stood:
| IISER Institute | General (UR) | OBC-NCL | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IISER Pune | 355 | 404 | 1676 | 5 |
| IISER Kolkata | 935 | 891 | 2921 | 91 |
| IISER Bhopal | 5624 | 3289 | 13277 | 69 |
| IISER Thiruvananthapuram | 6506 | 3171 | 14727 | 24 |
| IISER Tirupati | 2990 | 1880 | 8123 | 93 |
Treat these as a reference point, not a guarantee. This year's cutoffs could land higher or lower depending on how many students clear the IAT and how the overall applicant pool shapes up. Institutes like IISER Pune and Kolkata typically see tighter competition, while others may offer slightly more room depending on category and program.
What Comes Next?
Once choice filling closes, the IISER Admission Committee will roll out multiple rounds of seat allotment. Candidates will need to accept or decline their allotted seat within the given timeline for each round — missing a deadline at this stage could mean losing the seat altogether.
If there's one piece of advice worth taking seriously here, it's this: don't wait until the last day to register, and don't play it safe by filling only one or two choices. The more preferences you list, the better your odds of landing a seat somewhere in the IISER system. And keep an eye on the official website regularly — allotment schedules and any changes to the process will be posted there first.