NEET PG 2026 Round 1: MCC Registration Closes 21 October; Choice Locking Runs 4 PM, 21 October to 10 AM, 22 October

Round 1 counselling registration closes on 21 October 2026, and choice filling closes at 10:00 AM on 22 October, according to published MCC schedules. Locking opens at 4:00 PM on 21 October. Candidates who haven’t finalised their preferences have until the morning of 22 October.

Round 1 schedule at a glance

The exact closing time for registration and fee payment on 21 October is not stated in these sources [VERIFY].

How choice locking works

Candidates register on the MCC portal, then fill in their college and course preferences. Preferences can be modified until 10 AM on 22 October, when the locking window closes, and cannot be changed after locking. One secondary source says unlocked preferences are auto-locked at the deadline [VERIFY with the MCC notice]. 

What to do now

• Complete registration and fee payment before 21 October.
• Prepare a ranked list of choices before the lock opens.
• Lock on 21 October from 4:00 PM, rather than waiting for the final hours.
• Check mcc.nic.in for notices on any change to the schedule.

What happens next

After locking, MCC processes allotments on 22–23 October, with the result due on 24 October. Later rounds are reported as choice filling and locking on 7–12 November (Round 2) and 27 November–2 December (Round 3) 

Related court case

On 15 October, the Supreme Court issued notice on a plea seeking transparency in answer-key disclosure. No next hearing date was indicated.