Karnataka NEET UG Counselling 2026: Round 1 Choice Filling Underway, Check Full Schedule

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has released the much-awaited Karnataka NEET UG Counselling 2026 schedule, bringing relief to thousands of NEET UG 2026 qualified candidates aiming for MBBS and BDS seats in the state. Round 1 choice filling is now live on the official portal, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in, and will remain open till August 13, 2026. Candidates who have completed registration and document verification can log in and lock their preferred colleges and courses before the deadline.

This year's counselling calendar comes close on the heels of the delayed and re-conducted NEET UG 2026 examination, making the KEA schedule one of the most closely tracked updates among medical aspirants and parents across Karnataka right now.

Karnataka NEET Counselling 2026: Round 1 Important Dates

Candidates should bookmark the following Karnataka NEET UG counselling dates 2026 to avoid missing any critical step:

• Document Verification: August 4 to August 8, 2026

• Karnataka NEET UG Seat Matrix 2026 Release: August 7, 2026

• Round 1 Choice Filling / Option Entry: August 7 to August 13, 2026

• Provisional Round 1 Seat Allotment Result: August 19, 2026

• Final Seat Allotment Result: To be notified by KEA

• Fee Payment & Admission Confirmation: As per schedule notified post allotment

• Reporting at Allotted College: To be announced

Candidates are strongly advised to complete choice locking well ahead of the August 13 deadline, since once locked, preferences cannot be edited for that round.

Karnataka NEET UG Seat Matrix 2026: How Many MBBS and BDS Seats Are Available?

As per the NMC seat matrix, a total of 15,395 MBBS seats are being filled in Karnataka for the 2026 academic session. Karnataka NEET Counselling is conducted for admission against the state's 85% state quota seats in government colleges and 100% state quota seats in private colleges, while the remaining 15% All India Quota (AIQ) seats are counselled separately by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC).

Candidates must go through the seat matrix carefully, category-wise and college-wise, before submitting choices — this single step decides whether an aspirant lands a government-quota MBBS seat or ends up reshuffled into a lower-preference private/deemed college in later rounds.

Karnataka NEET Counselling 2026: How to Fill Choices Online

1. Visit cetonline.karnataka.gov.in and log in with your NEET UG 2026 credentials.

2. Check the released seat matrix for MBBS/BDS seats across government, private, deemed and minority institutions.

3. Arrange your college and course preferences strictly in order of priority — highest priority first.

4. Review every entry carefully before final submission.

5. Lock your choices within the August 13, 2026 deadline.

6. Download and save a printout of the locked choice list for future reference.

Documents Required for Karnataka NEET UG Counselling 2026

• NEET UG 2026 admit card and scorecard

• Class 10 and Class 12 mark sheets/certificates

• Domicile certificate (for Karnataka-domicile candidates)

• Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC/EWS, wherever applicable)

• PwD certificate, if applicable

• KEA registration/application printout

• Valid photo ID proof (Aadhaar/PAN/Passport/Voter ID)

What Happens After Karnataka NEET UG Seat Allotment 2026?

Once the provisional seat allotment result is declared on August 19, candidates will be able to check whether they have secured a seat, based on their merit rank, category eligibility and the choices they submitted. Allotted candidates will then need to follow KEA's instructions for fee payment, admission confirmation, and reporting to the allotted institute within the announced deadlines.

Candidates who do not secure a seat in Round 1 will get further opportunities in subsequent rounds — Round 2, mop-up round, and stray vacancy round — subject to seat availability and KEA's eligibility norms. It is strongly recommended that all candidates keep checking the official KEA portal regularly for the latest seat matrix updates, round-wise notifications, and allotment results, since KEA does not send individual reminders for every deadline.

Karnataka NEET Counselling 2026: Quick Facts Box

• Conducting Body: Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA)

• Official Portal: cetonline.karnataka.gov.in

• Total MBBS Seats (Karnataka): 15,395 (as per NMC seat matrix)

• Round 1 Choice Filling Deadline: August 13, 2026

• Round 1 Provisional Result Date: August 19, 2026

• Quota Split: 85% State Quota + 100% Private College State Quota (KEA) | 15% AIQ (MCC)

For real-time exam and counselling updates, admit card alerts, and rank-wise college prediction resources for NEET UG 2026, aspirants can also follow PW (Physics Wallah)'s dedicated NEET UG exam news and counselling coverage.