CSAB Choice Filling Last Date 2026, Seat Allotment Process

CSAB Choice Filling Last Date 2026

The CSAB Choice Filling Last Date 2026 was August 5, 2026, at 2:00 PM IST. Candidates had to fill, arrange, save and lock their institute–programme preferences before this deadline. According to the official schedule, the system automatically locked a candidate’s last saved choices if they had not locked them manually.

CSAB Special Rounds are conducted to fill vacant seats in the NIT+ System after JoSAA counselling. This includes NITs, IIEST, IIITs, SPAs and other Government-Funded Technical Institutes. CSAB Special counselling requires fresh registration and fresh choice filling; choices submitted during JoSAA 2026 are not carried forward.

CSAB Choice Filling Last Date 2026: Important Dates

Candidates should note that the registration deadline and choice filling deadline were different. Registration and payment closed on August 3, while registered candidates could complete choice filling and locking until August 5.

How to Fill Choices in CSAB Counselling 2026

Candidates could complete CSAB choice filling through the official counselling portal by following these steps:

• Visit the official CSAB website and open the registration and choice-filling portal.
• Log in using the required JEE Main 2026 credentials.
• Complete fresh registration for CSAB Special Rounds.
• Pay the applicable Special Round Enrolment Fee.
• Open the choice-filling section after successful payment.
• Review all the institute–programme combinations displayed for which the candidate is eligible.
• Add preferred choices and arrange them in the exact order of preference.
• Save the choices regularly during the process.
• Review programme-specific eligibility conditions and restrictions.
• Lock the final list and download or print the locked choices for reference.

Candidates were required to submit fresh choices even if they had already participated in JoSAA. The official brochure states that previous JoSAA choices became null and void for CSAB Special Rounds.

All eligible programmes were displayed on the candidate portal irrespective of the vacancy status. This was important because the published vacancy matrix was tentative, and additional seats could become available during counselling. Therefore, candidates were advised to include every institute–branch combination they were genuinely willing to accept.

Also Read: CSAB Online Reporting 2026, Payment Process, Important Dates

Can You Edit Choices Before the CSAB Deadline?

Yes. Candidates could add, remove or rearrange their preferences before the CSAB Choice Filling Last Date 2026, provided the choices had not been finally locked.

If a candidate had already locked the choices but wanted to make changes, the official rules allowed an online unlock request before the deadline. An OTP was sent to the candidate’s registered mobile number and email address to validate the request. After successful validation, the choices were unlocked and could be edited.

Candidates had to save the revised list and lock it again after making changes. Once the August 5, 2026, 2:00 PM deadline passed, no candidate could:

• Add a new institute or programme
• Delete an existing choice
• Change the preference order
• Unlock and revise the choice list

The last saved choices were automatically locked at the deadline if the candidate had not locked them manually. However, only saved choices were considered. Merely selecting choices without saving them did not create a valid preference list.

Also Read: DASA Seat Matrix 2026 PDF for NITs, IIITs & Other Institutes

What Happens If You Miss the CSAB Choice Filling Last Date?

A candidate who completed registration and fee payment but failed to save even one choice was not considered for seat allotment in either CSAB Special Round.

There were two possible situations:

Choices were saved but not manually locked: The system automatically locked the last saved choice list at the deadline.

No choice was saved: The candidate became ineligible for seat allotment because the system had no valid preferences to process.

The official information brochure also states that requests to extend the time allotted to any counselling activity cannot be entertained. Therefore, candidates could not submit or change preferences after the choice-filling window closed.

Missing the deadline did not create an additional choice-filling opportunity before Round 2. The same locked list was used for the CSAB Special Round allotment process. Candidates should therefore never wait until the final few minutes, as payment confirmation, connectivity problems or OTP delays could prevent timely completion.

Also Read: CSAB Colleges for 1 Lakh Rank in 2026, NITs, IIITs, GFTIs

CSAB Choice Filling Tips to Maximize Seat Allotment Chances

Choice order plays an important role because allotment is based on JEE Main 2026 rank, eligibility, category, seat availability and the candidate’s preference order. The following approach can help candidates build a practical list:

Arrange choices by genuine preference: Place the option you want most at the top. Do not arrange choices only according to expected cutoffs.

Include enough choices: A longer, carefully selected list can cover more possible allotment outcomes.

Create a balanced list: Include ambitious, realistic and comparatively safer institute–branch combinations.

Consider programmes without displayed vacancies: CSAB states that the vacancy matrix is tentative and more seats may become available later.

Check special restrictions: Confirm requirements relating to academic programmes, gender, category, state of eligibility and qualifying subjects.

Research institutes carefully: Review official institute websites for fees, hostel facilities, curriculum and programme-specific conditions.

Use previous closing ranks appropriately: Past closing ranks can provide direction, but they do not guarantee the same result in 2026.

Save changes frequently: Unsaved selections are not automatically preserved.

Download the locked list: Keep the final choice list as proof of the preferences submitted.

Candidates can also use a CSAB College Predictor to shortlist suitable institute–branch combinations based on their JEE Main rank, category, home state and preferences. Its output should be used for planning rather than treated as an allotment guarantee. The final list must always be checked against official eligibility rules and programme restrictions.

The CSAB Choice Filling Last Date 2026 was August 5 at 2:00 PM IST. Candidates whose choices were saved but not manually locked had their last saved list automatically locked. Those who did not save at least one choice were not considered for allotment.

Also Read: Best GFTIs Through CSAB Special Rounds, Check Now

Conclusion

The CSAB Choice Filling Last Date 2026 was August 5, 2026, at 2:00 PM IST. Candidates who had saved their choices but did not lock them manually had their last saved list automatically locked. However, candidates without even one saved choice were not eligible for seat allotment in either CSAB Special Round.

Candidates should carefully monitor the official CSAB counselling schedule and follow the next seat-allotment instructions. The submitted preference list remains important because allotment depends on JEE Main rank, category, eligibility, seat availability and choice order. Candidates should also keep a downloaded copy of their locked choices for future reference.