JEE Main Counselling 2026:
JoSAA Process, Dates & Smart Tips
Clearing JEE Main is a big milestone, but the real journey to an engineering seat begins with counselling. Every year, lakhs of aspirants compete for seats at India's top centrally funded institutes — and those who understand the process often land better colleges and branches.
This guide walks you through the entire JEE Main counselling process: registration to reporting, with dates, eligibility, documents, fees, quotas, and practical tips.
What is JEE Main Counselling?
JEE Main counselling is the centralised seat allocation process that converts your JEE rank into an admission offer. It is conducted online by the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA), a body set up by the Ministry of Education.
Instead of applying to each institute separately, you register once on the official portal (josaa.nic.in), fill your preferences and let the allocation system assign seats based on merit, category, choices and seat availability.
In practice, three processes sit under the umbrella of JEE Main counselling:
JoSAA
The main counselling for NITs, IIITs, IIEST Shibpur and other GFTIs. JEE Advanced qualifiers also use JoSAA to get into IITs.
CSAB Special Rounds
Additional rounds for candidates who want to fill seats that remain vacant after JoSAA ends.
CSAB NEUT & SFTI
Separate processes for supernumerary seats in North Eastern institutes and for Self Financing Technical Institutes.
Note that JoSAA does not cover state engineering colleges or private universities. Those run their own admission processes, which we cover later in this blog.
JoSAA Counselling 2026 at a Glance
A quick overview of the key details before diving into the specifics.
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting authority | Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) |
| Admission through | JEE Main 2026 and JEE Advanced 2026 |
| Mode | Online |
| Participating institutes | 138 |
| Programmes | B.Tech, B.E., B.Arch., B.Plan., dual degree and integrated programmes |
| Seat allotment basis | Rank, category, preferences, reservation rules and seat availability |
| Number of rounds | 5 |
| Official website | josaa.nic.in |
JoSAA Counselling 2026 Important Dates
The 2026 cycle followed the timeline below. Always confirm the current schedule on the official portal.
| Event | Date (2026) |
|---|---|
| JEE Advanced result | 1 June |
| Registration and choice filling begins | 2 June |
| Mock seat allocation 1 | 8 June |
| Mock seat allocation 2 | 10 June |
| Registration and choice filling ends | 11 June |
| Round 1 seat allocation | 13 June |
| Round 2 seat allocation | 30 June |
| Round 3 seat allocation | 6 July |
| Round 4 seat allocation | 10 July |
| Round 5 seat allocation (final round for IITs) | 16 July |
| Partial Admission Fee window for NIT+ system | 22 to 24 July |
Every round has a reporting window during which you must pay the fee, upload documents and respond to any queries. Deadlines usually fall at 5 PM, so do not leave these tasks for the last day.
Who Can Participate? Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility depends on the institutes you are targeting.
For NITs, IIITs, IIEST Shibpur and GFTIs
- Qualify JEE Main 2026 and hold a valid rank in the Common Rank List.
- Meet the Class 12 requirements, including Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics from a recognised board.
- Satisfy any additional criteria of the institute you select.
- Register and fill choices within the announced deadlines.
For IITs
- Qualify JEE Advanced 2026 and secure a place in the Common Rank List or the relevant category rank list.
- Meet all conditions set by the JEE Advanced authorities.
- Complete JoSAA registration on time.
Candidates from reserved categories receive relaxations as per Government of India norms. Verify your eligibility early, because a mismatch discovered during document verification can lead to cancellation of your seat.
JEE Main 2026: Qualifying Cut-off
The NTA releases category-wise qualifying percentiles after the JEE Main results. Meeting the cut-off is the first requirement; the final seat depends on your rank, category, and the seats available in each round.
| Category | Max Percentile | Min Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| General | 100 | 93.4123549 |
| Gen-PwD | 93.3244144 | 0.0023186 |
| EWS | 93.4105172 | 82.4164528 |
| OBC-NCL | 93.4105172 | 80.9232583 |
| SC | 93.4105172 | 63.9172792 |
| ST | 93.4041748 | 52.0174712 |
Participating Institutes in JoSAA 2026
JEE Main scores are accepted by a wide range of centrally funded institutes. Use these tables to shortlist options that suit your rank and preferred branch.
National Institutes of Technology (NITs)
| S.No. | NIT | Seat Intake |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar NIT (Punjab) | 1103 |
| 2 | MNIT Jaipur (Rajasthan) | 888 |
| 3 | NIT Puducherry | 275 |
| 4 | NIT Trichy (Tamil Nadu) | 1038 |
| 5 | NIT Nagpur (Maharashtra) | 933 |
| 6 | NIT Sikkim | 190 |
| 7 | MANIT Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) | 1203 |
| 8 | NIT Srinagar (J&K) | 899 |
| 9 | MNNIT Allahabad (UP) | 1134 |
| 10 | NIT Uttarakhand | 200 |
| 11 | NIT Surat (Gujarat) | 1400 |
| 12 | NIT Andhra Pradesh | 480 |
| 13 | NIT Mizoram | 190 |
| 14 | NIT Warangal (Telangana) | 1049 |
| 15 | NIT Rourkela (Odisha) | 1065 |
| 16 | NIT Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) | 751 |
| 17 | NIT Arunachal Pradesh | 230 |
| 18 | NIT Nagaland | 201 |
| 19 | NIT Calicut (Kerala) | 1278 |
| 20 | NIT Silchar (Assam) | 903 |
| 21 | NIT Agartala (Tripura) | 1160 |
| 22 | NIT Durgapur (West Bengal) | 969 |
| 23 | NIT Shibpur (West Bengal) | 810 |
| 24 | NIT Surathkal (Karnataka) | 961 |
| 25 | NIT Meghalaya | 165 |
| 26 | NIT Patna (Bihar) | 981 |
| 27 | NIT Raipur (Chhattisgarh) | 1159 |
| 28 | NIT Delhi | 374 |
| 29 | NIT Goa | 224 |
| 30 | NIT Hamirpur (HP) | 944 |
| 31 | NIT Kurukshetra (Haryana) | 1147 |
| 32 | NIT Manipur | 226 |
Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs)
| S.No. | IIIT | Seat Intake |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IIITM Gwalior (MP) | 360 |
| 2 | IIIT Allahabad (UP) | 439 |
| 3 | IIIT Surat (Gujarat) | 282 |
| 4 | IIIT Manipur | 660 |
| 5 | IIIT Raichur (Karnataka) | 220 |
| 6 | IIIT Kancheepuram (TN) | 593 |
| 7 | IIIT Dharwad (Karnataka) | 486 |
| 8 | IIIT Jabalpur (MP) | 550 |
| 9 | IIIT Kurnool (AP) | 331 |
| 10 | IIIT Sri City, Chittoor (AP) | 438 |
| 11 | IIIT Ranchi (Jharkhand) | 320 |
| 12 | IIIT Pune (Maharashtra) | 445 |
| 13 | IIIT Guwahati (Assam) | 254 |
| 14 | IIIT Nagpur (Maharashtra) | 648 |
| 15 | IIIT Vadodara (Gujarat) | 228 |
| 16 | IIIT Kalyani (WB) | 237 |
| 17 | IIIT Vadodara | 108 |
| 18 | IIIT Bhagalpur (Bihar) | 344 |
| 19 | IIIT Agartala (Tripura) | 100 |
| 20 | IIIT Una (HP) | 294 |
| 21 | IIIT Kota (Rajasthan) | 330 |
| 22 | IIIT Trichy (TN) | 225 |
| 23 | IIIT Sonepat (Haryana) | 240 |
| 24 | IIIT Lucknow (UP) | 240 |
| 25 | IIIT Kottayam (Kerala) | 556 |
| 26 | IIIT Bhopal (MP) | 705 |
Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs)
| S.No. | GFTI | Seat Intake |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assam University, Silchar | 180 |
| 2 | BIT Deoghar Off-Campus | 266 |
| 3 | BIT Mesra, Ranchi | 1284 |
| 4 | BIT Patna Off-Campus | 426 |
| 5 | CIT Kokrajhar, Assam | 24 |
| 6 | Central University of Haryana | 210 |
| 7 | Central University of Jammu | 210 |
| 8 | Central University of Jharkhand | 240 |
| 9 | Central University of Rajasthan | 90 |
| 10 | CSVTU Bhilai (CG) | 210 |
| 11 | GKCIET Malda (WB) | 187 |
| 12 | GKV Haridwar | 575 |
| 13 | IICT Bhadohi | 33 |
| 14 | IIHT Varanasi | 33 |
| 15 | IIHT Salem | 30 |
| 16 | ICT Mumbai – IOC Odisha Campus | 66 |
| 17 | IET, Dr. H.S. Gour Univ., Sagar | 360 |
| 18 | IITRAM Ahmedabad | 156 |
| 19 | IT, GGV Bilaspur (CG) | 500 |
| 20 | IIIT Bhubaneswar | 223 |
| 21 | IIIT Naya Raipur | 95 |
| 22 | J.K. Institute, Univ. of Allahabad | 86 |
| 23 | JNU Delhi | 126 |
| 24 | Mizoram University, Aizawl | 96 |
| 25 | NIAMT Ranchi | 270 |
| 26 | NIELIT Aurangabad (MH) | 60 |
| 27 | NIFTEM Kundli | 100 |
| 28 | NIFTEM Thanjavur | 90 |
| 29 | NERIST Itanagar (AP) | 16 |
| 30 | NEHU Shillong | 80 |
| 31 | PTU Puducherry | 317 |
| 32 | PEC Chandigarh | 800 |
| 33 | SLIET Longowal | 498 |
| 34 | Tezpur University | 149 |
| 35 | SPA Bhopal | 132 |
| 36 | SPA New Delhi | 177 |
| 37 | SPA Vijayawada | 132 |
| 38 | SSET, GGV Bilaspur | 711 |
| 39 | SMVDU Katra (J&K) | 270 |
| 40 | University of Hyderabad | 110 |
State-wise JEE Counselling 2026
JoSAA covers only centrally funded institutes. For a state-quota seat, register separately with your state counselling authority.
| State | Official Counselling Website |
|---|---|
| Assam | astu.ac.in |
| Bihar | bceceboard.bihar.gov.in |
| Delhi | jacdelhi.admissions.nic.in |
| Gujarat | gujacpc.admissions.nic.in |
| Haryana | techadmissionshry.gov.in |
| Karnataka | cetonline.karnataka.gov.in |
| Kerala | cee.kerala.gov.in |
| Madhya Pradesh | dte.mponline.gov.in |
| Maharashtra | fe2026.mahacet.org |
| Odisha | odishajee.com |
| Punjab | ikgujranwala.org |
| Rajasthan | techedu.rajasthan.gov.in |
| Tamil Nadu | tneaonline.org |
| Telangana | tgeapcet.nic.in |
| Uttar Pradesh | uptac.admissions.nic.in |
| West Bengal | wbjeeb.nic.in |
Step-by-Step JoSAA Counselling Process
The counselling process is conducted entirely online and follows a fixed sequence.
Log in with your JEE Main application number and password (or JEE Advanced credentials for IITs). Your details are pulled in automatically.
Check your name, parents' names, date of birth, category, gender, nationality, rank and contact information. Report any error immediately.
Search for institutes and branches, add them to your list and arrange them in strict order of preference. There is no upper limit on the number of choices.
Two mock rounds show where you might land based on your current list. Use them to improve your preference order.
Lock manually before the deadline. If you forget, the system auto-locks your last saved list, but you lose the chance to review it.
Results are published on the portal after each round. You also receive updates by SMS or email.
This decides whether you keep the seat or stay in the running for an upgrade.
Complete online verification within the reporting window.
After the final formalities, report as per the schedule and pay the remaining institute fee.
Freeze, Float and Slide Explained
After every seat allotment, you must select one of three willingness options. Your choice directly affects whether you can be considered for an upgrade.
Freeze
You are fully satisfied with the allotted seat and want to stop participating in further rounds.
Float
Hold the current seat but stay in the running for a better institute or branch in later rounds.
Slide
You love the institute and only want a better branch within the same institute in later rounds.
You can also withdraw from the process within the timelines mentioned in the official schedule. Refunds follow the JoSAA Business Rules, so read them before deciding.
Documents Required for JoSAA Counselling
Document verification is mandatory. Keep scanned and original copies of the following ready.
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| JEE Main scorecard or JEE Advanced rank card | Proof of rank |
| JEE Main or JEE Advanced admit card | Identity and exam proof |
| Provisional seat allotment letter | Confirmation of allotted seat |
| Class 10 certificate | Date of birth proof |
| Class 12 mark sheet and passing certificate | Academic eligibility |
| Category certificate (SC, ST, OBC-NCL, EWS) | Reservation benefits |
| PwD certificate, if applicable | Disability quota |
| Aadhaar or other valid photo ID | Identity proof |
| Passport-size photographs | Records |
| Medical certificate in the prescribed format | Fitness declaration |
| OCI or PIO certificate, if applicable | Eligibility for such candidates |
Category certificates must be valid and in the prescribed format. An outdated or wrongly formatted certificate can cost you your reservation benefit.
JoSAA Seat Acceptance Fee
After an allotment, you must pay the Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF) online to confirm your interest. The amount is later adjusted against your institute admission fee.
| Category | Seat Acceptance Fee (previous cycle) |
|---|---|
| SC, ST and PwD | Rs. 15,000 |
| All other categories | Rs. 30,000 |
Payment can be made through net banking, debit card, credit card, UPI and other modes available on the portal. Download and save the receipt. Since fee amounts can be revised, check the latest Information Brochure before you pay.
Home State and Other State Quota
At NITs, seats are divided between the Home State (HS) quota and the Other State (OS) quota. Candidates from the state where the NIT is located compete under HS, while everyone else competes under OS. Because HS seats usually have more relaxed closing ranks for local candidates, your domicile can influence which NIT is realistic for you.
Reservation for SC, ST, OBC-NCL, EWS and PwD candidates and supernumerary seats for female candidates also apply as per the seat matrix.
Smart Choice Filling Tips
Your preference order matters more than most students realise. Use these pointers:
- Study opening and closing ranks from previous years on the JoSAA portal, and remember they change every year.
- Build a balanced list with ambitious, realistic and safe options.
- Add as many relevant choices as you like, since extra choices never reduce your chances.
- Rank options by genuine interest in the branch and the institute, not only by brand value.
- Use both mock allotments to test and refine your list.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Many seat losses result from avoidable errors rather than rank.
- Relying on auto-locking instead of reviewing and locking manually.
- Skipping document upload until the last hour of the deadline.
- Choosing Freeze too early and losing the chance to upgrade.
- Filling choices in the order of college popularity rather than personal preference.
What If You Are Not Eligible for JoSAA?
If you cannot participate in JoSAA, you still have solid paths to an engineering degree:
Final Thoughts
JEE Main counselling rewards preparation as much as rank. Understand the timeline, keep your documents verified and ready, build a thoughtful preference list and choose between Freeze, Float and Slide with a clear goal in mind.
Stay in touch with the official JoSAA portal for announcements, and treat every deadline as fixed. With the right approach, you can turn your JEE result into the best possible seat.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is JoSAA counselling registration free?
Yes, registration is free. However, once you are allotted a seat, you must pay the Seat Acceptance Fee to confirm your admission.
2. Can I change my choices after locking them?
No. Once choices are locked, they cannot be modified for that counselling cycle. Review your list carefully before locking, and save a copy for future reference.
3. Do I need to qualify JEE Advanced to get into an NIT or IIIT?
No. A valid JEE Main rank is enough for admission to NITs, IIITs, IIEST Shibpur and GFTIs. JEE Advanced is required only for IITs.
4. When are the opening and closing ranks released?
Official opening and closing ranks are published on the JoSAA portal after every round of seat allotment. Use them to refine your choices as the rounds progress.
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