JEE Main 2026 Counselling and Allotment of Seats
The counselling process of JEE Main 2026 will be divided into 6 stages, defining the steps that must be followed by the candidates to clear the counselling process successfully. No candidate can skip these stages and stand for the confirmation of admission into their desired institution. Let’s look at the steps of counselling procedures in detail.
JEE Main Counselling Registration
The first step towards a successful JEE Main 2026 Counselling Process is to get the online registration done. For this, the candidates can register themselves on the official website of the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) or Self-Funded Technical Institutes or AICTE-approved institutes, respectively, as per the preferences of the candidates. Credentials asked by the concerned site are to be filled in by the candidates and submitted to register for the counselling and seat allotment procedure. Candidates need to enter the correct information before confirming registration for the counselling process.
Online Filling and Locking of the Choices
Candidates in this step need to search for the desired engineering college and fill in their choices in the form given on the official website of the concerned authority. The choices are to be filled according to the order given for the colleges and engineering programmes. Once all the choices are filled, candidates must lock and submit their choices. It is very important to lock the choices and preferences before the last date ends. Based on the choices made by the candidates, seats in the colleges will be locked for them. Candidates must also know that this process can be repeated after the completion of one round of the counselling process after the first round of the counselling process is over.
Allotment of Seats
It is very important for the aspirants of JEE Main 2026 to know that the seats will be allotted based on the availability of the seats in the concerned institution. The choices filled in and locked by the candidates will be kept in consideration while allotting seats to them. Before making the final seat allocation, two rounds of mock allotment will be conducted for the eligible candidates. Mock Rounds will help candidates understand the seat allotment procedure in detail and will also allow them to make changes if they wish to before the counselling round starts.
Acceptance of Seats and Payment of Fee
Once the Seat Allotment process is over, JEE Main 2026 Counselling aspirants can proceed further for the payment stage. For this, candidates will have to choose among the options to make a confirmation of the stage they want to enter after the completion of the Seat Allotment Process. The seat acceptance for the General category is Rs. 35,000 and Rs. 15,000 for reserved categories.
Freeze, Float and Slide Options in JoSAA Counselling
At the time of accepting the seat as a part of JoSAA counselling, the candidates will have three options - Freeze, Float and Slide options. These options are useful for candidates who wish to accept the seat in the current allotment or take part in the subsequent rounds of counselling. The elaborate information pertaining to Freeze, Float and Slide options of JoSAA counselling can be checked below -
Freeze: Candidates can choose the 'Freeze' option if he/she is satisfied with the current seat allotment. Candidates choosing the freeze option must note that they are not allowed to participate in the subsequent rounds of the JoSAA counselling process.
Float: The float option gives immense flexibility to the participants of the JoSAA counselling process. Candidates who wish to accept the current allotment and wait for admission to an institute or academic programme as per their higher preference can choose the float option. These candidates are eligible to participate in the subsequent rounds of the counselling process. If the candidate does not get a seat as per his higher order of preference, he/she can accept the existing allotment and confirm the seat. The float option applies only to those students who are not offered admission as per their first choice in the counselling process.
Slide: The slide option is applicable for students who are looking for a better allotment in the same institute in which he/she has been allocated the seat. These candidates will be considered for the subsequent rounds of the JoSAA seat allocation process. However, the candidates will have to accept the current allotment to be eligible for choosing the slide option.
JEE Main Counselling 2026 Fee Payment
After confirming any of the above-mentioned sections and taking the necessary actions, candidates will be asked to make the fee payment. The fee payment will confirm their candidature and will take them a step ahead in the final round of the admission process. To make the payment, candidates can opt for Net Banking or E-Challan Powered by the State Bank of India.
Category | Fee Amount |
|---|
General | Rs. 45,000 |
SC/ ST/ SC-PwD/ ST-PwD/ GEN-PwD/ OBC-NCL-PwD | Rs. 20,000 |
Verification of Documents
The last stage of the JEE Main 2026 Counselling Process is that of Document Verification. Candidates will have to get their documents verified with the concerned authorities once the above-mentioned procedures are over. These documents can be verified at the helpline centres of the respective institutions. Candidates must make sure that the documents submitted by them are correct and authentic as per the submission made by them at the time of form filling. If the documents submitted are forged and invalid, then the candidates will lose their candidature.
Reporting to the Institution Allotted
After the completion of the Document Verification round, candidates are supposed to report to the engineering college where they have been allotted their seats. The date and time of final reporting will be announced by the concerned engineering institutions, for the candidates who will successfully qualify for the above-mentioned counselling steps. Candidates will also have to pay the admission fee and confirm their candidature and admission.
