Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 Choice Filling Update — Revised Merit List Coming, Choices Editable Till 29 Aug 5:30 PM

Important Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 MBBS/BDS counselling update: State CET Cell has issued Notice No. 12 regarding the Choice Filling Process for MBBS/BDS.

🚨 Choice Filling / Editing Deadline: 29 August 2026 — 5:30 PM

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📋 Revised Final Merit List is expected before Round 1 allotment

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🔄 Candidates who have already locked their MBBS/BDS choices can still edit and re-lock them within the active choice-filling window.

Why Is Maharashtra Revising the Merit List?

Some NEET UG 2026 candidates had their results withheld by NTA.

Following court directions concerning affected candidates, their NEET results are to be declared and the eligible candidates incorporated into the ongoing counselling process.

As these candidates enter Maharashtra counselling, the previously published Final Merit List may change.

Therefore, students should watch for the Revised Final Merit List before Round 1 seat allotment.

Does This Mean Your Current Maharashtra Merit Rank Can Change?

Yes, it can.

If additional eligible NEET UG candidates are inserted into the merit pool, candidates already present in the list may see a change in their Maharashtra merit position.

A change in merit rank does not automatically mean your admission chances have become poor.

Your actual Round 1 allotment will still depend on:

• NEET merit
• Maharashtra eligibility
• reservation category
• college preference order
• seat quota
• available seats
• final revised merit position

Choice Filling Remains Open Till 29 August

Candidates can continue to fill/edit their MBBS/BDS preferences until:

29 August 2026 — 5:30 PM

Do not wait until the last hour.

If the Revised Final Merit List changes your strategy, you can review your existing order before the choice-filling deadline.

Already Locked Your Choices? You Can Still Edit

Notice No. 12 permits candidates to unlock/edit their preference form during the active choice-filling period.

Candidates may need OTP verification using the registered mobile/email to unlock an already locked preference form.

After making changes:

1. Recheck the entire choice list.
2. Verify course.
3. Verify quota.
4. Re-lock the final preference form.
5. Save/download proof where available.

The latest saved/locked choice position before closure will be relevant for allotment.

Very Important — Check Quota at Private Colleges

Many Maharashtra private medical/dental colleges can have more than one seat type.

A candidate may see options under different routes such as:

• State Quota
• Institutional / Institute Quota
• applicable Minority routes

These can have very different fees and eligibility conditions.

⚠️ Do not select a college only by college name.

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Verify College + Course + Quota + Fee for every choice.

A wrong quota choice can result in an allotment carrying a fee structure you did not intend to accept.

MBBS vs BDS — Double Check Course

Some institutions may appear under both MBBS and BDS options.

Before locking, verify that every choice clearly represents the course you actually want.

Do not accidentally place:

BDS above an MBBS college you genuinely prefer

or select BDS when you intended to select MBBS.

How Many Choices Should You Fill?

Candidates should avoid keeping an unnecessarily short choice list.

If a college/seat type is genuinely acceptable to you, include it in your preference order.

Your preference list should answer:

“If all these seats were available at my rank, which one would I genuinely choose first?”

Arrange choices in that exact order.

Should You Put a Safer College Above a Better College?

Usually, no.

You should not move a genuinely preferred college lower just because its previous cutoff was more difficult.

The allotment system considers your merit and gives the highest available eligible preference.

So if your genuine order is:

1. College A
2. College B
3. College C

keep that order even if College A had a tougher previous cutoff.

What Changes After the Revised Merit List?

After affected candidates are incorporated, CET Cell is expected to publish a Revised Final Merit List.

Candidates should then check:

• revised State merit position
• category merit position where applicable
• any eligibility change
• seat matrix
• whether their current preference strategy still makes sense

If needed, edit and re-lock choices before 29 August at 5:30 PM.

Admission Chance Impact

High-Rank Government MBBS Candidates

A small merit-list shift may not significantly change the broad set of colleges available, but it can affect the exact college in highly competitive rank bands.

Candidates Near Previous College Cutoffs

This group should pay the most attention.

If your rank is close to the expected Round 1 closing rank of your target college, even a small merit-list revision can influence:

• Government college chances
• upgrade/downshift between nearby colleges
• category competition

Private MBBS Candidates

Private MBBS candidates should focus not only on merit but also on:

• State vs Institute quota
• annual fee
• total course cost
• hostel
• college preference

A slightly revised merit rank may matter less than choosing the wrong fee quota.

BDS Candidates

Keep BDS separate from MBBS in your preference planning.

Only add BDS colleges you are genuinely willing to join.

Important Security Advice

Do not share your counselling login credentials casually.

If another person fills an incorrect:

• college
• quota
• course
• preference order

through your login, it may directly affect your allotment.

Review the final form personally before locking.

What Students Should Do Now

1. Log in to Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 counselling.
2. Review your complete MBBS/BDS preference list.
3. Check college + quota + course carefully.
4. Check private college fees before ranking them.
5. Watch for the Revised Final Merit List.
6. Recheck your merit position after publication.
7. Modify choices if your strategy changes.
8. Re-lock the final choices before 29 August 2026 at 5:30 PM.
9. Save proof of your final preference form.

Common Student Doubts

Is Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 choice filling still open?

Yes. The current choice-filling window continues up to 29 August 2026 at 5:30 PM.

I already locked my choices. Can I change them?

The current Notice No. 12 provides for editing/unlocking during the active window. Complete OTP verification where required and re-lock the final choices afterward.

Why is the merit list changing?

Eligible candidates whose NEET results were earlier withheld are being incorporated following court directions.

Does a revised merit list mean Round 1 result is cancelled?

No.

The Round 1 allotment has not yet been declared. The revised merit list is part of the process before final Round 1 allotment.

Should I wait for the revised merit list before filling choices?

Do not wait unnecessarily.

Prepare and fill your choices now. You can review/edit them within the permitted window after the revised merit position is published.

Official Links

Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 Counselling https://medical2026.mahacet.org/NEET-UG-2026/

Official Notice No. 12 — Choice Filling Process MBBS/BDS https://medical2026.mahacet.org/NEET-UG-2026/instructions-downloadFile/Notice%20no%2012%20MBBS%20BDS.pdf

Candidate Login https://medical2026.mahacet.org/NEET-UG-2026/login

Hire Guide Education Advice

Do not panic if your revised Maharashtra merit rank changes slightly.

The most important action is to make sure your final college + course + quota preference order is correct.

Candidates near competitive Government MBBS cutoffs should recheck their strategy after the Revised Final Merit List is published, while private-college candidates must pay special attention to State Quota vs Institute Quota fees.

Complete and re-lock your final choices well before 29 August 2026, 5:30 PM.

Hire Guide Education — Navigating Your Future