The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has moved into the final stretch of NEET UG Counselling 2026 (AIQ/Deemed/Central) Round 3. According to the official MCC schedule (server time), choice locking starts today, September 27, at 7:00 PM, while the choice-filling window itself stays open till September 28, 12:00 noon.
There’s something worth flagging here — today isn’t just about choice locking. There are actually three separate deadlines running on the same day.
Today’s key deadlines (September 27, MCC server time)
- Registration closes: 3:00 PM
- Payment closes: 6:00 PM
- Choice locking begins: 7:00 PM
Even once locking opens at 7 PM, you can keep working on your choices until the final deadline of September 28, 12 noon — but only up until the moment you actually lock them in.
Choice filling vs. choice locking — in plain terms
Choice filling is when you pick your preferred colleges and courses and arrange them in the order you actually want them.
Choice locking is the final step where you submit those choices for good. Once locked, they can’t be edited, and MCC won’t unlock them later, no matter the reason.
MCC has also said that if you don’t lock your choices manually, they may get auto-locked as per the schedule. Even so, it’s safer to lock them yourself and keep a printout or screenshot for your own records.
The full Round 3 timeline
- Choice filling: September 23–28 (till 12 noon)
- Choice locking: September 27 (7 PM) to September 28 (12 noon)
- Seat allotment processing: September 28–29
- Round 3 result: September 30, 2026
- Reporting to allotted institute: October 1–9
- Last date to join: October 9, 2026
- MCC verification of joined candidates: October 10
Keep in mind this schedule applies to the 15% All India Quota seats and MCC-managed institutions — Deemed Universities, Central Universities, AIIMS, JIPMER, and other notified institutes. Don’t mix it up with your state counselling timeline.
The biggest warning for Round 3: don’t fill choices you’re not ready to join
Round 3 comes with strict rules. If you’re allotted a seat and don’t report or join, your security deposit may be forfeited, and you could lose your chance to take part in future rounds, including the Stray Vacancy round, depending on your category. What’s more, once you join a Round 3 seat, you can’t resign or vacate it under MCC’s guidelines — so think through your choices carefully before locking them.
What’s new in the seat matrix
MCC has also published updated Round 3 seat documents. One of the official files lists 183 newly added MBBS/BDS seats across selected institutions. A quick note on the bigger numbers you might see: MCC’s Virtual Vacancy figure of 10,808 and Clear Vacancy figure of 6,191 are combined totals across MBBS, BDS, and B.Sc Nursing — so don’t assume these numbers represent MBBS/BDS seats alone.
What to do right now
- Finish your registration and payment before today’s cut-offs of 3 PM and 6 PM.
- Go through your choice order calmly instead of rushing last-minute edits.
- Lock your choices only after a final review, and keep proof that you’ve done so.
- Watch for the Round 3 result on September 30, and start getting your documents ready for reporting.