JEE Advanced 2026 Counselling – Registration, Dates, Seat Allotment & Complete Guide (josaa.nic.in)

JoSAA 2026 counseling for admission to IITs, IISc, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs has commenced. Candidates can complete the processes of online registration, choice filling, and seat allocation via the official JoSAA portal. Registration and choice filling will close today, June 11, 2026, at 5:00 PM, and the results for the Round 1 seat allocation will be declared on June 13.

JEE Advanced 2026 counseling officially commenced on June 2. The JEE Advanced 2026 results were declared on June 1, 2026, and registration on josaa.nic.in began the very next day - June 2, 2026, at 5:00 PM IST. The deadline for registration and choice filling is June 11.

JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) is the sole gateway for admission to IITs, IISc, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. There is no separate counseling process for IITs. Whether you have qualified for JEE Advanced or cleared JEE Main, your seat allocation is determined here—entirely online.

This page outlines the complete JoSAA 2026 counseling process: the official schedule, step-by-step registration, smart choice filling, the meaning of Freeze/Float/Slide options, fees, required documents, and the steps to follow after all rounds conclude.

JEE Advanced counseling 2026 – Quick Summary

Detail	Information
Conducting Body	Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA)
Official Website	josaa.nic.in
JEE Advanced 2026 Result	June 1, 2026
JoSAA Registration Opens	June 2, 2026 (5:00 PM IST)
Last Date to Register & Fill Choices	June 11, 2026 (5:00 PM IST) 🔴 Closed
Round 1 Seat Allotment	June 13, 2026
Round 2 Seat Allotment	June 2026
Total Rounds	6 Rounds
Total Institutes	127
IITs	23
IISc Bengaluru	1 (Newly Added in 2026)
NITs	31
IIITs	26
Other-GFTIs	47
IIEST Shibpur	1
Seat Acceptance Fee – General/OBC-NCL/EWS	₹35,000
Seat Acceptance Fee – SC/ST/PwD	₹15,000
Mode	100% Online

What Is JoSAA? Who Conducts It?

JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) is set up by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. It runs the centralized counselling for all undergraduate seats across IITs, IISc, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs — through one single platform at josaa.nic.in.

For 2026, JoSAA manages 127 institutes:

• 23 IITs — admission based on JEE Advanced rank only
• IISc Bengaluru — admission based on JEE Advanced rank (newly included in JoSAA 2026)
• 31 NITs — admission based on JEE Main rank
• 26 IIITs — admission based on JEE Main rank
• 47 Other-GFTIs — admission based on JEE Main rank
• IIEST Shibpur — admission based on JEE Main rank

If you have only a JEE Main rank, you can apply for NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs - but not IITs or IISc. For IITs and IISc, a valid JEE Advanced 2026 rank is compulsory.

JoSAA 2026 Official Schedule and Events 

Important: JoSAA does NOT send SMS or email alerts when results are published. You must log in to josaa.nic.in manually on each round date. Set calendar reminders for every deadline.

JoSAA 2026 Eligibility Criteria

For IIT & IISc (JEE Advanced Required)

Category	Class 12 Minimum Marks
General / OBC-NCL / EWS	50% Aggregate
SC / ST / PwD	45% Aggregate
Any Category (Alternate Route)	Top 20 Percentile in Your Board's Class 12 Examination

Other conditions:

• Must have qualified both JEE Main 2026 and JEE Advanced 2026
• Class 12 must include at least 5 subjects: Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, one Language, and one additional subject
• Date of birth: on or after October 1, 2001 (October 1, 1996 for PwD candidates)

For NIT / IIIT / GFTI (JEE Main Required)

Category	Class 12 Minimum Marks
General / OBC-NCL / EWS	50% Aggregate
SC / ST / PwD	45% Aggregate

Note: Physics and Mathematics must be among your qualifying subjects in Class 12. The top 20 percentile alternate route applies here as well.

JoSAA 2026 Registration – Step by Step

Registration on josaa.nic.in is free. The full process takes 15–20 minutes. Use a laptop or desktop — avoid mobile for registration and choice filling.

Step 1 - Open josaa.nic.in and Click "New Candidate Registration"

Go to josaa.nic.in and click "Candidate Registration" or "New Candidate Registration" on the homepage.

Note: JoSAA registration is completely free. Never pay anyone or share your login credentials with anyone.

Step 2 - Enter Your JEE Main 2026 Details

You will see a form asking for:

• JEE Main 2026 Application Number
• Your full name (as on JEE Main form)
• Mother's name
• Date of birth

Fill these carefully and click Submit.

JEE Advanced candidates also use their JEE Main application number here - not the JEE Advanced number.

Step 3 - Verify OTP, Set Password, and Check Your Details

An OTP will be sent to your JEE Main registered mobile number and email. Enter it to verify your identity. If it does not arrive, check your spam folder or retry after 2 minutes.

After OTP verification, create a new JoSAA login password. Save it — you will need it for every round throughout counselling.

Once logged in, your JEE data loads automatically. Verify that your name, date of birth, category, rank, and contact details are all correct. Use the correction option if anything is wrong.

Step 4 - Fill Your Choices (Colleges + Branches)

This is the most important step in the entire counselling process.

You will see all participating institutes and branches. Search, select, and arrange them in your order of preference — most preferred at the top, least preferred at the bottom.

Key rules:

• Add, remove, and rearrange choices any number of times before June 11 at 5:00 PM
• After that deadline, your list is permanently locked — no changes in any round
• Fill at least 25–40 choices. More choices = more chances of a good allotment

Use the search/filter on the portal to find institutes by type, state, or branch. Click "Add to My Choices," then drag and drop to arrange your order. The system auto-saves drafts, but manually save after each session.

Step 5 - Use Mock Allotment to Review Your List

On June 8 and June 10, JoSAA releases two Mock Allotment rounds. These are simulations — not real results. Log in and check where your current choices would place you. If the result is much lower than expected, reorder your choices before the June 11 deadline. This is your last chance to adjust.

Step 6 - Lock Your Choices Before June 11, 5:00 PM

When satisfied with your list, click "Lock Choices." After locking, no further changes are allowed.

If you forget to lock, your last saved list is automatically locked by the system at the deadline. However, always lock manually to avoid any last-minute technical issues.

Download a printout of your locked choices and save a screenshot for your records.

Step 7 - Check Allotment Results and Act in Every Round

Round 1 seat allotment is published on June 13, 2026. After each round, log in to josaa.nic.in and complete all three required actions before the deadline:

• Download the Provisional Seat Allotment Letter
• Select Freeze, Float, or Slide
• Upload documents and pay the Seat Acceptance Fee

Warning: Missing even one of these three actions by the deadline results in permanent seat cancellation. No extensions. No exceptions.

Step 8 - Physical Reporting After Final Round

After Round 5, IIT/IISc candidates must physically report to their allotted institute for document verification and admission formalities. NIT+ system candidates report after CSAB special rounds in August 2026.

Carry original documents plus 4–5 self-attested photocopies of every document.

Understanding Freeze, Float, and Slide

After each allotment round, you must choose one of three options:

Option	Simple Meaning	When to Use
Freeze	"I am happy with this seat. Stop here."	You got your top-choice college and branch.
Float	"Keep this seat, but try for something better next round."	You want to upgrade your college or branch.
Slide	"Keep this college, try for a better branch here."	You are happy with the college but want a better branch.

Rules You Must Know

• Float and Slide are not available in Round 5 — everyone must Freeze in the final round
• You can switch from Float → Freeze or Slide → Freeze at any time
• Once you Freeze, you cannot go back to Float or Slide
• Choosing Float or Slide never puts your current seat at risk — worst case, you keep what you already have

Float example: You got Mechanical Engineering at NIT Trichy, but you want CSE at NIT Trichy. Select Float. If a CSE seat opens at your rank in the next round, you get upgraded automatically. If not, Mechanical stays.

Slide example: You got ECE at IIIT Hyderabad, but CSE at the same institute was your preference. Select Slide. JoSAA will try to move you to CSE within IIIT Hyderabad — your college does not change.

JoSAA 2026 Seat Acceptance Fee

Category	Fee
General / OBC-NCL / EWS	₹35,000
SC / ST / PwD	₹15,000

Refund Rules

• Fee is adjusted against the college's admission fee when you join — you do not pay it again at the college
• If you withdraw or do not get admission: ₹3,000 is deducted, rest is refunded
  • General/OBC/EWS: ₹32,000 refunded
  • SC/ST/PwD: ₹12,000 refunded
• Payment modes: Net banking, UPI, debit card, credit card — on josaa.nic.in only

Partial Admission Fee (PAF) — NIT+ System Only

After Round 5, candidates allotted seats in NITs, IIITs, or GFTIs must also pay a Partial Admission Fee (PAF) on csab.nic.in between July 22–24, 2026. This is separate from the Seat Acceptance Fee and is mandatory to secure your NIT+ seat.

Documents Required for JoSAA 2026

Scan all documents (minimum 300 DPI) before counselling begins. Do not wait until after seat allotment — upload deadlines are tight. PDFs should be under 1 MB; photos should be JPEG under 100 KB.

Document	Details
Class 10 Certificate & Marksheet	For the date of birth proof
Class 12 Certificate & Marksheet	For 50%/45% eligibility check
JEE Main 2026 Scorecard	Mandatory for NIT/IIIT/GFTI candidates
JEE Advanced 2026 Admit Card	Proof of appearing in the exam
JEE Advanced 2026 Rank Card	Required for IIT/IISc candidates
OBC-NCL Certificate	Must be issued within 1 year; older certificates are rejected
SC/ST Certificate	Issued by a competent government authority
EWS Certificate	Must be valid for the current financial year (2025–26)
PwD Certificate	Issued by a government medical board only
Government Photo ID	Aadhaar Card / Passport / Voter ID
Passport Size Photos	Recent photos with white background (JPEG under 100 KB)

For NIT Home State Quota: A state domicile or residence certificate showing Class 12 was completed in that state is required.

JoSAA 2026 Choice Filling Strategy

The JoSAA algorithm is purely computer-based. It checks your rank, category, and choice order and gives you the highest preference for which you are eligible. Your strategy determines your outcome.

Tip 1 - Use the Dream–Realistic–Safe (DRS) Framework

Build your choice list in three layers:

• Dream: Top IITs or CSE at premier institutes — add these at the top even if your rank is borderline
• Realistic: Colleges and branches where your rank is near the previous year's closing rank
• Safe: Institutes where your rank is comfortably inside the closing rank for all 3 past years

Never fill only Dream choices. Always have a strong Safe zone to ensure you get some seat.

Tip 2 - Add Both Home State (HS) and Other State (OS) Options for NITs

For NITs, seats are split between Home State quota and Other State quota. Your home state is the state where you appeared for Class 12 — not where you were born.

HS closing ranks are significantly more relaxed than OS. For example: NIT Trichy CSE (Other State) may close around rank 3,800, but NIT Trichy CSE (Home State – Tamil Nadu) may close around rank 6,500.

That is 2,700 extra ranks of advantage for a Tamil Nadu student.

Strategy: For each NIT you want, add the OS version first (more competitive). Add the HS version immediately below it as a fallback.

Tip 3 - Decide College vs. Branch Priority Before You Start

Settle this before filling choices:

• Is CSE at IIT Tirupati better for you than Civil at IIT Bombay?
• Is ECE at NIT Trichy better than CSE at NIT Rourkela?

Once decided, arrange your entire list consistently. The algorithm follows your order — it does not second-guess your preferences.

Tip 4 - Fill More Choices for Better Upgrade Chances

Most students fill 30–80 choices. Data show that students who make more choices have significantly higher upgrade rates across rounds.

• Below rank 50,000 (JEE Main): aim for 50–100 choices
• Better ranks: 30–50 well-researched choices across IITs, IISc, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs

Tip 5 - Do Not Ignore Newer IITs and IISc

IIT Tirupati, IIT Dharwad, IIT Bhilai, IIT Palakkad, IIT Jammu — these are genuine IITs with strong academic programs. IISc Bengaluru (newly in JoSAA 2026) offers a BS research program with world-class faculty. Many students overlook these and miss excellent opportunities.

Tip 6 - Use JoSAA's Official OR-CR Data Before Filling

Before finalizing your list, check the official Opening and Closing Ranks (OR-CR) data at josaa.nic.in under eServices → OR-CR. Study 2023, 2024, and 2025 data to understand where your rank stands. This is the most accurate reference available.

JEE Advanced 2026 Cutoff: Are You Eligible for JoSAA Counselling?

Clearing the JEE Advanced 2026 qualifying cutoff (92/360 for General, 46/360 for SC/ST) is mandatory before you register for JoSAA 2026 counselling. This cutoff determines rank list eligibility — not your seat. Check the complete category-wise cutoff on our dedicated page.

Category	Min. Aggregate Marks (out of 360)	Aggregate %	Min. Marks per Subject (out of 120)	Per Subject %
General (CRL)	92	25.56%	8	7.30%
EWS	83	23.06%	7	6.39%
OBC-NCL	83	23.06%	7	6.39%
SC	46	12.78%	4	3.65%
ST	46	12.78%	4	3.65%
PwD (General)	46	12.78%	4	3.65%
Preparatory Course	23	6.39%	2	1.83%

JoSAA 2026 vs CSAB 2026 - Key Difference

Feature	JoSAA 2026	CSAB 2026
Institutes	IITs, IISc, NITs, IIITs, GFTIs	NITs, IIITs, GFTIs Only
IIT/IISc Seats	Yes	No
Rounds	6 Rounds	2 Special Rounds
Portal	josaa.nic.in	csab.nic.in
When	June–July 2026	August 2026
Enrollment Fee	No Separate Fee	Separate Special Round Fee Required

Common Mistakes That Cost Students Their Seat

1. Missing a deadline. Even by a few hours. JoSAA gives no extensions — no exceptions.
2. Not completing all 3 required actions. Fee payment + document upload + Freeze/Float/Slide — all three must be done before the round deadline. Missing any one cancels the seat permanently.
3. Filling too few choices. Filling only 5–10 choices leaves no safety net. Fill 30–40 minimum.
4. Waiting for JoSAA to notify you. It won't. Log in manually on every result date.
5. Using an expired OBC-NCL certificate. Must be issued within 1 year. Older certificate = category downgrade to General during verification.
6. Freezing in Round 1 or 2 without exploring upgrades. Many students get significantly better allotments in Rounds 3–4 through Float. Don't lock out too early.
7. Not adding Home State options for NITs. HS quota has dramatically more relaxed cutoffs. Missing it is a major strategic error.
8. Filling choices on mobile. Use a laptop or desktop to avoid UI issues.

Important Link

JEE Advanced Mock Allotment	JEE Advanced Choice Filling
JEE Advanced AAT Syllabus	JEE Advanced College Predictor
JEE Advanced 2026 Result	JEE Advanced 2026 Marks vs Rank
JEE Advanced Seat Allotment 2026	JEE Advanced Answer Key 2026
JEE Advanced AAT Registration 2026	JEE Advanced 2026 Cut-Off
JEE Main Cut Off 2026	JEE Main Marks vs Percentile 2026

Conclusion - JEE Advanced Counselling 2026

JoSAA 2026 counselling is a crucial step for securing admission into IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. Candidates must carefully follow deadlines, fill choices wisely, and understand Freeze/Float/Slide options. Proper planning, document readiness, and timely action can significantly improve admission chances and help students achieve their desired college and branch.

FAQs - JEE Advanced Counselling 2026

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