Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 CAP Round 3 Schedule Is Out

Introduction

The Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell has released the Round 3 schedule for the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) covering MBBS and BDS (Group A) admissions for NEET UG 2026, through Notice No. 18. This round is meant to fill seats left vacant after CAP Round 2, and the schedule has been planned keeping MCC's national counselling timeline in mind.

If you're participating in Round 3, here's the full picture, from registration through to physical joining.

A quick note on this source: the official notice itself restricts automated access, so this explanation is built from the confirmed registration window and the detailed schedule as reported through counselling news coverage. We'd recommend cross-checking the dates directly on cetcell.mahacet.org or medical2026.mahacet.org before acting on any specific stage.

Round 3 Schedule At A Glance

NRI Candidates: A Different, Earlier Deadline

If you're registering as an NRI candidate, note that your registration on the Foreign Candidate Registration Portal must be completed before 25 September 2026, a day earlier than the general registration deadline of 26 September. NRI candidates compete specifically for the 15% Institute Quota seats, so make sure you're registering through the correct portal for your category, and don't wait until the last day assuming you have until 26 September.

Who Needs To Register For Round 3?

This is worth checking carefully before you assume you need to take action.

You do NOT need to register again if: you already hold a seat from an earlier round, or you did not receive a seat in CAP Round 1 or Round 2. In both these cases, fresh registration isn't required or accepted.

You DO need to take action if: you cancelled or did not join a seat allotted to you in CAP Round 2. In this case, you'll need to unlock your existing application, resubmit it, and pay the required fee again through your candidate login to be considered for Round 3.

Given how specific these conditions are, it's worth confirming your exact status through your candidate login before assuming whether registration applies to you.

A Detail Worth Watching For: Your Round 2 Preferences Are Gone

This is the part most likely to catch candidates off guard. CAP Round 2 preferences do not carry forward into Round 3. The notice describes these old preferences as "null and void." If you want to be considered for a seat in Round 3, you must fill fresh preferences during the window from 7 to 9 October, based on the Round 3 seat matrix published on 6 October.

Don't assume your earlier college and course rankings still apply — you're starting your preference list from scratch this round, so it's worth studying the new seat matrix properly rather than trying to recall your old choices.

Merit List And Grievance Process

The Registered Candidate List and Provisional Merit List are both due on 29 September 2026. Check your details as soon as these are out. If you spot an issue, you have a specific grievance window, 30 September to 1 October, up to 11:59 PM, to raise it. The Final Merit List, incorporating any corrections from that window, follows on 5 October.

Keep in mind: a good position on the merit list is not, by itself, a guarantee of a seat. Your actual allotment depends on the seat matrix, your preferences, and how the process plays out from there.

Key Rules Worth Knowing By Category

AIQ Round 3 "Joined" candidates: If you have "Joined" status in the All India Quota (AIQ) Round 3, you are not eligible to participate in Maharashtra's CAP Round 3 or any later state rounds. Make sure you understand how your AIQ status interacts with your Maharashtra state counselling eligibility before assuming you can pursue both.

PWD candidates: You must have claimed PWD status at the time of your original NEET 2026 application, and you'll need a certificate from an MCC-authorised medical board to be considered under this category.

EWS candidates: Your certificate must be valid specifically for academic year 2026-27 and must follow the Maharashtra Government's own format. A certificate issued in the Central Government format will not be accepted for this state process — this is a distinction worth checking carefully if you're unsure which format your certificate follows.

NRI candidates: As covered above, registration must be completed by 25 September through the Foreign Candidate Registration Portal, and eligibility is limited to 15% Institute Quota seats.

What Happens After The Round 3 Result?

If you're allotted a seat through the Round 3 Selection List on 11 October, physical joining runs from 11 to 14 October, up to 5:30 PM. You'll need to complete joining with your original documents, applicable fees, and a Status Retention Form as required.

Joining your Round 3 allotted seat is mandatory if you're allotted one. The notice is clear that simply refusing to join doesn't move you into a later round — if you're allotted a seat in Round 3, that's expected to be your outcome for this counselling cycle, and a Stray Vacancy Round schedule (if any) would be announced separately for any seats remaining after this.

What To Do Right Now?

Check your exact status first — whether you need fresh registration, need to unlock and resubmit after not joining Round 2, or don't need to register at all.

If you're a fresh registrant, treat 22 to 26 September as three separate deadlines, not one: registration by 6:00 PM, fee payment by 8:00 PM, document upload by 11:00 PM on the 26th.

If you're registering as an NRI candidate, complete it by 25 September, a day ahead of the general deadline.

Check the Provisional Merit List on 29 September, and use the 30 September to 1 October window promptly if you spot any discrepancy.

Study the Round 3 seat matrix on 6 October before filling fresh preferences from 7 to 9 October — remember, your Round 2 choices don't carry over.

Be ready to join immediately if allotted a seat, since joining is mandatory and the window (11 to 14 October) is short.

Keep checking cetcell.mahacet.org regularly, since the CET Cell has indicated the schedule can be revised based on government, court, or national counselling body directions.

Documents You Should Keep Ready

• NEET UG 2026 admit card and scorecard
• Class 10 and Class 12 mark sheets and certificates
• Maharashtra domicile certificate, if applicable
• Category certificate (in the correct format — Maharashtra-specific for EWS)
• PWD certificate from an MCC-authorised medical board, if applicable
• Status Retention Form, at the time of joining
• A valid government photo ID
• Recent passport-size photographs

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Maharashtra's CAP Round 3 runs on a schedule with several distinct stages: registration, verification, merit lists, a fresh preference-filling window, and a mandatory joining requirement if allotted. The two details most likely to trip candidates up are the separate closing times within the same registration days, and the fact that your Round 2 preferences don't carry forward at all.

Check your exact eligibility status first, keep an eye on the merit list and grievance dates in late September, and be ready to study the new seat matrix and fill fresh preferences in early October.

If you're unsure whether you need to register again, confused about how your AIQ status affects your Maharashtra eligibility, or want help building your fresh preference list once the seat matrix is out, reaching out to a trusted NEET counselling expert can help you make the most of this round.

📞 Need help with Maharashtra NEET UG CAP Round 3 counselling, registration, or preference filling? Connect with NEET Support.