CSAB Round 1 Date 2026, Registration, Fees & Schedule

CSAB Round 1 Date 2026

CSAB Round 1 is the first of two Special Rounds conducted by the Central Seat Allocation Board to fill vacant seats in NITs, IIITs, IIEST Shibpur, SPAs, and GFTIs after JoSAA counselling is complete. For 2026, CSAB Special Round 1 reporting opens on August 6, 2026 and closes on August 11, 2026. The Round 1 seat allotment result is declared on August 6, 2026, when candidates log in to CSAB Counselling 2026 portal at csab.nic.in to check their allotted seat and take further action.

CSAB 2026 runs two Special Rounds within a compact July 28 to August 18 window. Round 1 is the primary allotment round, and Round 2 follows immediately after Round 1 reporting closes to fill any seats that remain or become vacant through surrenders and withdrawals. Candidates get only two chances across both rounds, which makes understanding the Round 1 timeline and process essential before registration even begins.

Unlike JoSAA, which runs six rounds across several weeks, CSAB is designed to work at speed. Every deadline is tight, and missing even one step within the Round 1 reporting window can result in a permanent loss of the allotted seat.

CSAB Round 1 Schedule

The full CSAB 2026 schedule covers all events from the opening of registration through physical reporting at institutes. Round 1 sits at the centre of this timeline. Candidates need to track every preceding event, registration, mock allotment, and choice locking, to ensure they are set up correctly for Round 1 allotment.

All dates are from the confirmed official CSAB 2026 schedule as of July 16, 2026. Candidates should check csab.nic.in before each event for any last-minute revisions.

Also Read: CSAB Cut-off 2026, NITs, IIITs & GFTIs Previous Year Analysis

CSAB Round 1 Registration Dates

To be eligible for Round 1 seat allotment, a candidate must have completed registration and SREF payment before August 3, 2026 at 10:00 AM. Registration is fresh and separate from JoSAA, meaning even candidates who participated in JoSAA need to register again on csab.nic.in.

During registration, candidates pay the Special Round Enrollment Fee (SREF). The total SREF amount is Rs. 40,000 for General, OBC-NCL, and EWS candidates (Rs. 5,000 non-refundable processing fee plus Rs. 35,000 IAF-I) and Rs. 19,000 for SC, ST, and PwD candidates (Rs. 5,000 non-refundable processing fee plus Rs. 14,000 IAF-I). This payment secures a candidate's participation in both Round 1 and Round 2. There is no separate registration for Round 2 if a candidate has already registered for Round 1.

A key point on choice locking: if a candidate saves their choices but does not manually lock before the August 5 deadline at 2:00 PM, the system automatically locks the last saved version of the choice list. This means forgetting to lock does not disqualify a candidate, but the last saved list becomes final. Candidates should verify their saved choices regularly and treat the August 5 deadline as fixed.

The Cracku CSAB College Predictor tool is useful during this registration phase to identify which institutes and branches at your JEE Main rank and category are likely to have vacancies, helping you build a more targeted choice list before the locking deadline.

Also Read: Best Colleges Available Through CSAB 2026, Check Now

CSAB Round 1 Seat Allotment Date

The CSAB Special Round 1 seat allotment result is declared on August 6, 2026. Candidates who have registered and locked choices can log in to csab.nic.in with their JEE Main Application Number and password to check their allotment status.

Seat allotment in Round 1 is based on JEE Main 2026 rank, the category and quota under which a candidate registered, the seat availability in the CSAB seat matrix for Round 1, and the order of preferences submitted in the choice list. The system picks the highest-ranked valid choice from a candidate's list for which a seat is available.

Three outcomes are possible when the Round 1 allotment result is declared:

• A seat is allotted: The candidate must act within the reporting window. Ignoring the allotment means losing the seat permanently.
• No seat is allotted: The candidate automatically remains in the pool for Round 2 with the same registered choices. No further action is needed before Round 2.
• Seat allotted but below preference: The candidate must choose one of five willingness options: Freeze, Float, Slide, Surrender and Participate in Round 2, or Withdraw.

Who Can Participate in CSAB Round 1 Counselling?

CSAB Round 1 is open to a specific set of candidates. Eligibility is defined in the official CSAB 2026 Information Brochure and covers the following groups:

Candidates not allotted any seat in JoSAA 2026.

These candidates could not secure a seat across all JoSAA rounds and are eligible to participate in CSAB with their JEE Main 2026 rank.

Candidates who withdrew from a JoSAA NIT+ system seat.

Candidates who were allotted a seat in JoSAA but chose to withdraw their admission are eligible to register for CSAB. Once they withdraw from JoSAA, they cannot reclaim that seat.

Candidates whose JoSAA category was downgraded to General.

If a category certificate was found invalid during JoSAA verification and the category was changed to General, these candidates can apply for category restoration before CSAB registration opens (July 22 to 24, 2026) and then register for Round 1.

Fresh JEE Main 2026 rank holders who skipped JoSAA.

Candidates who qualified in JEE Main 2026 but did not participate in JoSAA at all are eligible to register for CSAB directly.

Candidates with a retained JoSAA seat.

Candidates who have an existing JoSAA allotment can register for CSAB to try for a better seat. However, if CSAB allots any new seat in Round 1, the JoSAA seat is automatically and permanently cancelled. Candidates in this situation should fill only choices that are strictly better than their current JoSAA seat.

What Happens After the CSAB Round 1 Seat Allotment?

Once the Round 1 result is declared on August 6, 2026, candidates with an allotted seat must complete all required steps within the reporting window that runs from August 6 to August 11, 2026. The steps are sequential and time-bound.

Step 1: Check and verify your allotment.

Log in to csab.nic.in and review the allotted institute, branch, quota, and category. Cross-check this against your preference list to confirm the allotment is as expected.

Step 2: Pay the Institute Admission Fee II (IAF-II).

Candidates must pay the IAF-II online through the CSAB portal within the reporting window. The fee is Rs. 30,000 for General, OBC-NCL, and EWS candidates and Rs. 15,000 for SC, ST, and PwD candidates. This payment is mandatory to hold the seat. Failure to pay by August 11 means the seat is forfeited.

Step 3: Choose your willingness option.

After IAF-II payment, candidates must select one of five official willingness options within the reporting window. Each has a distinct outcome:

• Freeze: Accept the allotted seat as final and exit from further CSAB rounds. No further allotment or upgrade is possible.
• Float: Accept the seat provisionally and remain eligible for any better seat across any institute in Round 2. If a better seat is allotted in Round 2, the Round 1 seat is replaced. If no upgrade is available, the Round 1 seat is retained.
• Slide: Accept the seat provisionally and remain eligible for a better branch within the same allotted institute only. This is the option for candidates happy with the institute but wanting a different programme.
• Surrender and Participate in Round 2: Reject the Round 1 seat but remain in CSAB and participate in Round 2 with the same registered choice list. The Round 1 seat is given up and cannot be reclaimed, but a new seat may be allotted in Round 2.
• Withdraw: Reject the allotted seat and exit CSAB entirely. No further allotment is possible in Round 2.

Step 4: Upload documents if required.

CSAB may require candidates to upload supporting documents such as category certificate, class 10 and 12 marksheets, JEE Main scorecard, and photo ID as part of online reporting. These must be submitted within the reporting window.

Step 5: Respond to DVO queries if raised.

Document Verification Officers (DVOs) may raise queries on uploaded documents. These must be responded to within the deadline specified in the communication. Unanswered DVO queries can lead to seat cancellation.

Step 6: Physical reporting at the allotted institute.

After Round 2 results are out (August 12, 2026), candidates with a final confirmed seat must report physically to the allotted institute between August 13 and August 18, 2026, with all original documents for verification and final admission.

Candidates who chose to Freeze in Round 1 and those who received their first allotment in Round 2 both fall within the same physical reporting window of August 13 to 18. Missing physical reporting after completing the online steps results in the seat being forfeited at the institute level.

Also Read: CSAB Schedule 2026, Registration, Fees & Seat Allotment

CSAB Round 1 Date 2026: Conclusion

The CSAB Round 1 Date 2026 is an important part of the counselling process for candidates seeking admission to NITs, IIITs, IIEST Shibpur, SPAs and other GFTIs. The Round 1 seat allotment result will be released on August 6, 2026, followed by the online reporting window from August 6 to August 11, 2026. Candidates must complete registration, fee payment and choice locking before the specified deadlines to remain eligible for allotment.

After receiving a seat in CSAB Round 1 counselling 2026, candidates should carefully check their institute, branch, category and quota before paying the admission fee and selecting a willingness option. Since CSAB Special Rounds follow a compact schedule, candidates should regularly monitor the official portal, keep their documents ready and complete every reporting requirement on time to avoid losing the allotted seat.