Last verified: 6 October 2026 against MCC PG Counselling 2025 Information Bulletin (revised) and MCC PG Medical Counselling page.
Quick Answer
MCC allots All India Quota and deemed-university PG seats in 4 rounds: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 and a stray vacancy round. After Round 1 you can take free exit or upgrade; you can upgrade again from Round 2 to Round 3, but a Round 3 seat, once joined, is final. A seat allotted from Round 2 onwards that you do not join costs the security deposit.
Which scheme is this? The seat matrix from NMC and NBEMS is awaited for commencement of PG Counselling 2026. The rules below are from the MCC PG Counselling 2025 bulletin (revised 27.11.2025), the latest MCC has published (checked 30 September 2026). MCC can change the scheme for 2026; the 2026 bulletin will appear on the MCC PG page.
What do allotted, free exit, upgrade and joined mean?
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Allotted | A seat assigned to you in a round by merit and your locked choices. It is provisional until you report and complete admission at the college. |
| Free exit | Available after a Round 1 allotment: you can leave the seat and go straight into Round 2. The scheme describes it as an option for Round 1 allottees, and describes deposit forfeiture only for seats allotted in Round 2 or later. |
| Upgrade | Giving willingness, at the college after reporting, to be considered for a better choice in the next round. If you are upgraded you must give up the earlier seat; you have no claim on it afterwards. |
| Joined | Reported at the college with original documents and completed admission. A Round 3 seat, once joined, cannot be upgraded or resigned. |
How do the rounds work?
Each round is separate and its rules apply to everyone once it starts, even to candidates allotted in an earlier round. Registration, with a non-refundable fee and a refundable security deposit, is done once at the start (fees: see NEET PG counselling). Seats are allotted by merit (your NEET PG rank) and the choices you lock, from the All India Quota (50% of state government seats) and deemed-university seats MCC counsels.
Round 1
- •Registration (non-refundable fee plus refundable security deposit), choice filling and locking, then seat allotment and result on the MCC website
- •Physical reporting at the allotted college with original documents
- •Candidates allotted a seat in Round 1 may take free exit and go straight into Round 2
- •Or they may give willingness to upgrade to Round 2 — only after physically reporting and completing admission formalities at the college
- •A registered candidate who got no seat in Round 1 goes to Round 2 without fresh registration
Round 2
- •Those registered in Round 1 who got no seat, or who resigned or did not report, need not register again; those who did not register in Round 1 register freshly with the full fee
- •Fresh choice filling and locking, then allotment and result
- •If upgraded, the candidate must take relieving from the Round 1 seat and join the Round 2 seat, with no claim on the Round 1 seat
- •A candidate freshly allotted in Round 2 may give willingness to upgrade to Round 3, after physically reporting at the Round 2 college
- •A fresh Round 2 registrant with no seat can go directly into Round 3
Round 3
- •Fresh registration with fee for those who have not registered in Round 1 or 2, or who resigned from Round 2; those registered but not allotted a seat need not register again
- •Fresh choice filling and locking, then result and physical reporting
- •If upgraded, the candidate takes relieving from the Round 2 seat and joins the Round 3 seat; once joined, the Round 3 seat cannot be upgraded or resigned
- •Not joining a Round 3 seat means exit with forfeiture of the security deposit and elimination from further MCC rounds
- •A fresh Round 3 registrant who gets no seat can take part in the stray round
Stray Vacancy Round
- •Fresh registration and fresh choice filling; choices from Round 3 are not carried over
- •Open to candidates not holding a seat, or who did not take part in Rounds 1 to 3
- •Candidates freshly allotted a seat in Round 3 who did not join cannot take part
- •A candidate allotted a seat in the stray round must report and join, or the security deposit is forfeited
Clear and virtual vacancies
Only clear vacancies are shown in Round 1. From Round 2 you also see virtual vacancies. Clear vacancy: seats not allotted in round 1. Virtual vacancy: A seat held by a candidate who opted for upgrade; it can be allotted in the next round only if its holder is upgraded and vacates it. More in the seat matrix guide.
Category conversion in Round 3
The scheme lists this conversion algorithm, applicable in the third round:
| Seat category | Converted to |
|---|---|
| ST (PwD) | ST |
| SC (PwD) | SC |
| UR (PwD) | UR |
| OBC (PwD) | OBC |
| ST | SC |
| SC | UR |
| EWS | UR |
| NRI / Jain Minority / Muslim Minority | UR |
Deposit, joining and resignation
- •The security deposit is forfeited if a candidate allotted a seat in Round 2 or a later round does not report and join, or if the admission is cancelled (for example wrong information or missing documents).
- •Admission and resignation are recorded online through the MCC portal; offline admissions or resignations are not accepted.
- •Reporting needs your original documents at the allotted college; seats are provisional until you complete admission.
Where to see ranks and seats
Last ranks by branch from MCC’s published Round 3 list are on the NEET-PG cutoff page; seat counts by quota are on the seat matrix page. State-quota seats are counselled by each state: state counselling authorities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many rounds are there in MCC NEET PG counselling?▼
What does free exit mean in NEET PG counselling?▼
What does upgrade mean?▼
Can I upgrade in Round 3?▼
When is the security deposit forfeited?▼
What is the stray vacancy round?▼
Where can I see the allotment list and last ranks?▼
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