MAH NEET UG 2026 stray round choice filling opens today, closes October 18

The Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test Cell (CET Cell) has released a revised schedule for the MAH NEET UG 2026 Stray Vacancy Round 1. Notice No. 27, issued on October 17, 2026, details the updated timeline for filling remaining MBBS and BDS seats. Online choice filling for eligible candidates commenced today, October 17, 2026, on the official portal, medical2026.mahacet.org.

This stray round represents the final allotment stage of the Maharashtra Centralised Admission Process (CAP) 2026, addressing seats that remained vacant after CAP Round 3. The previous schedule, outlined in Notice No. 23, was cancelled by Notice No. 26, leading to the current revision.

Revised Schedule for Stray Vacancy Round 1

According to Notice No. 27, the online choice filling and locking window for the MAH NEET UG 2026 Stray Vacancy Round 1 will remain open until October 18, 2026, at 11:59 PM. The first stray allotment list is set to be published on October 19, 2026. Candidates who are allotted seats will then be required to report to their respective colleges between October 20 and October 21, 2026, with the final reporting deadline set for October 21, 2026, at 5:30 PM.

Failure to report by the stipulated deadline will result in the cancellation of the allotted seat. The Maharashtra CET Cell has provided the following revised dates for the stray round:

Eligibility and Mandatory Actions for Candidates

All NEET UG 2026 qualified candidates who previously registered under the Maharashtra CAP are eligible to participate in this stray round. However, candidates currently holding a joined seat are not eligible. It is mandatory for every eligible candidate to complete fresh choice filling and locking, as preferences submitted during CAP Round 3 stand cancelled. Candidates must log in using their existing CAP registration credentials on the official portal, medical2026.mahacet.org.

Upon allotment, candidates must report to the designated college with all original documents and pay the admission fee within the specified timeframe. This stray round represents the last opportunity to secure state quota MBBS and BDS seats for the 2026-27 academic year.

Overview of Maharashtra NEET UG Counselling 2026

The Maharashtra NEET UG Counselling 2026 process commenced with Round 1 registration from August 6 to August 12, 2026. The CAP Round 1 seat allotment result was declared on August 23, 2026. Later, CAP Round 2 choice/preference filling was conducted from September 8 to September 10, 2026, with the selection list released on September 12, 2026.

The CAP Round 3 Seat Matrix was released on October 6, 2026, followed by choice filling from October 7 to October 9, 2026. The CAP Round 3 Seat Allotment Result was published on October 11, 2026. The current stray round aims to fill the remaining vacancies after these preceding rounds, marking the conclusion of the Maharashtra CAP 2026 for MBBS and BDS admissions.

Further reading

• NEET UG 2026 Round 3 admissions conclude for MBBS at Medical College, Kolkata
• WB AYUSH UG round 2 merit list released: admission based on NEET UG 2026 scores
• NEET cutoff: previous closing ranks and marks Next step
• CUET 2027: Register by November 25
• KCET registration 2027 to open tentatively in January, application fee details
• MGUG MBBS vacant seat admission 2026-27: apply by November 30 Applications open

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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