MBBS Admission Counselling: What is the MBBS admission process? What are the different types of counselling, and how many rounds are there?

MBBS Admission Counselling 2026: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the results for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) UG 2026. Prior to this, the National Medical Commission (NMC) had already released the MBBS seat matrix for 2026, showing an increase in MBBS seats compared to the previous year—specifically, an addition of over 9,000 seats. Consequently, candidates who qualified in NEET UG 2026 are now awaiting the admission process for medical colleges.

Let us understand the admission process for MBBS seats in medical colleges, including the types of counselling conducted and the number of rounds involved.

Counselling for MBBS Admission: An Opportunity for NEET Qualifiers
Let us look at the admission process for medical colleges across the country. Admission to MBBS seats in all medical colleges is granted through a counselling process. Only candidates who have qualified in the NEET UG exam for that specific year are eligible to participate; for instance, only those who passed NEET UG 2026 can participate in the MBBS counselling for 2026.

Two Types of Counselling for MBBS Admission
While various counselling sessions are held, there are primarily two main categories of counselling for MBBS admissions in the country: All India Quota counselling and State Quota counselling. Each state organizes its own counselling process, resulting in multiple state-level counselling sessions. Let us explore these counselling processes in detail.

All India Quota Counselling: All India Quota counselling for MBBS admissions is conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Based on this counseling process, MBBS seats in central medical colleges like AIIMS and JIPMER are allocated. Additionally, 15% of the MBBS seats in state medical colleges are allocated through the All India Quota counseling process.

State Quota Counseling: The second type of counseling for MBBS admission is known as State Quota counseling. It is conducted by the Directorate General of Health Services or an associated agency. Each state government organizes its own separate counseling process. Through this counseling, admissions are granted to 85% of the MBBS seats in state government medical colleges.

Four Rounds of Counseling for MBBS Admission
Four rounds of counseling are conducted for MBBS seat allocation. These four rounds apply to both All India Quota and State Quota admissions. Let us understand what takes place in each round of counseling.

First Round of Counseling: In the first round, candidates must first register. This is followed by the 'choice filling' process, based on which seats are allocated. Candidates can accept the allocated seat or opt to upgrade it if they are not satisfied. Alternatively, they can 'freeze' the allocated seat and still participate in the subsequent round.

Second Round of Counseling: The second round of counseling involves the allocation of seats that remained vacant after the first round of MBBS counseling.

Mop-up Round Counseling: The mop-up round is also referred to as the third round of counseling. It is conducted to fill seats that remained vacant after the first and second rounds.

Stray Round Counseling: Stray round counseling is conducted to fill seats that remain vacant after the mop-up round. In many instances, admission is granted in this round even with very low scores.

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