CSAB Counselling Date 2026 has not been officially announced yet. CSAB Special Rounds begin only after all six rounds of JoSAA 2026 are completed. Since JoSAA runs from June to July, CSAB Special Rounds are expected to begin in late July or early August 2026. The official schedule will be published on the CSAB portal: csab.nic.in.
If you were unable to obtain a seat through the JOSAA process or if you are simply looking for a second chance to gain admission to an NIT (National Institute of Technology), IIIT (Indian Institute of Information Technology) or a GFTI (Government Funded Technical Institution), having knowledge of the CSAB 2026 dates in advance will allow you time to prepare and prevent you from missing any deadline.
This article will provide you with the CSAB counselling 2026 dates and will detail the various rounds and timelines as well.
CSAB Counselling 2026 Expected Schedule
| Activity | Expected Timeframe |
|---|---|
| JoSAA 2026 Rounds (6 Rounds) | June to July 2026 |
| CSAB 2026 Special Round Registration Opens | Late July 2026 |
| Payment of Special Round Enrolment Fee (SREF) | Late July 2026 |
| Online Choice Filling and Locking | Late July 2026 |
| Special Round 1 Seat Allotment | Late July / Early August 2026 |
| Special Round 1 Online Reporting (Willingness + Documents + IAF-II) | Early August 2026 |
| Special Round 2 Seat Allotment | Mid August 2026 |
| Special Round 2 Online Reporting | Mid August 2026 |
| Special Round 3 Seat Allotment | Late August 2026 |
| Special Round 3 Online Reporting | Late August 2026 |
| Physical Reporting at Allotted Institute | September 2026 |
| CSAB NEUT / Supernumerary Round | July to August 2026 (simultaneous) |
| DASA 2026 (runs alongside CSAB Special) | Late July to August 2026 |
These are indicative dates based on the 2025 pattern. Exact dates will be notified on csab.nic.in.
What Happens on Each Key Date
Understanding what you need to do on each date is just as important as knowing when it falls. Here is a clear breakdown:
Registration and Fee Payment Window
When CSAB opens for registration then you will need to:
- Register as a new user on csab.nic.in (you can’t use your JoSAA registration)
- Pay the Special Round Enrollment Fee (SREF) (Rs 40,000 for General/OBC-NCL/EWS and Rs 19,000 for SC/ST/PwD)
- Enter your bank account number (for any future refunds)
- Upload a scanned cancelled cheque or passbook front page
- Upload a scanned cancelled cheque or passbook front page
This window is short, typically 2 to 3 days. Do not wait until the last moment.
Choice Filling and Locking Window
After paying the SREF, you get access to choice filling. This is where you select institutes and branches in order of preference.
- All programs for which you are eligible are shown regardless of vacancy status
- Fill as many choices as possible
- Choices must be locked before the deadline
- If you do not lock manually, the last saved choices are auto-locked at the deadline
- If no choices are saved, you will not be considered for allotment
- Locked choices apply to all three Special Rounds, they cannot be changed between rounds
Seat Allotment Result Dates (Each Round)
Seat allotment results are published online only. You must log in to your CSAB portal to check your allotment status. No separate email or SMS confirmation is sent.
After each allotment result, you must complete Online Reporting within the specified time for that round. Online Reporting includes:
- Exercising willingness: Freeze, Float, Slide, Surrender, or Withdraw
- Uploading documents (if not already verified in JoSAA)
- Paying IAF-II (Institute Admission Fee Part 2) – Rs. 35,000 for General/OBC-NCL/EWS; Rs. 16,000 for SC/ST/PwD
Failure to complete all steps of Online Reporting within the round deadline = seat cancellation + ineligibility for further rounds.
Physical Reporting at Institute
After all three Special Rounds conclude, candidates with confirmed seats must physically report to their allotted institute. The reporting schedule is published both on csab.nic.in and on the individual institute’s website.
Carry all original documents. The institute conducts its own physical verification. If you fail to report within the stipulated date, your admission is cancelled.
CSAB Special Rounds 2026: Round-by-Round Timeline
| Round | What Happens | Key Action Required |
|---|---|---|
| Special Round 1 | First seat allotment from CSAB choices | Exercise willingness, upload documents, pay IAF-II |
| Special Round 2 | Re-allotment based on vacancies and Float/Slide preferences | Exercise updated willingness, pay IAF-II (if first time) |
| Special Round 3 | Final round – Surrender option not available | Exercise Freeze or Withdraw only; physical reporting follows |
- Freeze in any round confirms your seat. You will not be considered in the next round.
- Float retains your current seat and considers you for a better institute or branch in the next round.
- Slide retains your current seat and considers you for a better branch within the same institute.
- Surrender rejects the current seat and keeps you in the next round for a higher choice.
- Withdraw exits you from CSAB completely.
The Surrender option is not available in the last (third) round. In Round 3, it is either Freeze or Withdraw.
Important Things to Track About CSAB Dates
A few practical points worth keeping in mind:
- Fresh registration is mandatory for CSAB. JoSAA registration does not transfer to CSAB. Even if you participated in all six JoSAA rounds, you must register again on csab.nic.in.
- Type-6 candidates (who have a secured JoSAA seat with SAF and PAF paid) can participate in CSAB but if a new seat is allotted, their JoSAA seat is automatically cancelled. Be very careful before registering if you already have a confirmed seat.
- Category restoration has a separate deadline within the CSAB schedule. In case your category got altered during document verification at JoSAA, if you now have a valid category certificate then you need to submit a request for restoration within the prescribed timeline.
- DASA 2026 will run concurrently with CSAB Special rounds on that platform. If you are an NRI or PIO candidate then the DASA schedule will follow the CSAB special round dates.
- CSAB NEUT and Supernumerary Rounds run in parallel. If you are a candidate from North-Eastern states or eligible UTs, check the specific schedule for NEUT on csab.nic.in.
Where to Check Official CSAB Counselling Dates 2026
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| CSAB Official Portal | csab.nic.in |
| JoSAA Official Portal | josaa.nic.in |
| CSAB Brochure (published before Special Rounds) | Available on csab.nic.in |
| DASA 2026 Portal | dasanit.org |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When will CSAB Counselling 2026 start?
A. It is anticipated that CSAB special rounds will begin at the end of July 2026, after all six JoSAA 2026 rounds have been completed. The official dates will be published at csab.nic.in.
Q. How many Special Rounds does CSAB conduct?
A. CSAB conducts three Special Rounds. All three use the same locked choices filled during registration.
Q. Can I change my choices between CSAB rounds?
A. You must lock in your choices during the initial registration timeframe and maintain the same choices throughout all three Special Rounds (i.e., your choices cannot be changed).
Q. What happens if I miss the Online Reporting deadline after a seat is allotted?
A. The candidate will lose the place offered to them and will no longer be eligible to participate in any CSAB Special Rounds.
Q. Does the Surrender option work in the last CSAB round?
A. Surrender is not available in Special Round 3. You can only Freeze (accept the seat) or Withdraw (exit the process).
Q. When does physical reporting at the allotted institute happen?
A. Students can expect to report with their institute in September 2026, after CSAB has completed all three special rounds. For a complete schedule of dates, students should check both their allotted institute’s web site and csab.nic.in.
Q. Where will CSAB 2026 allotment results be published?
A. Results will only be posted on csab.nic.in. No confirmation will be sent through emails or SMS. Allotment status may be checked by logging into the CSAB portal.
Rajesh Mishra is an admission counsellor and the founder of GLN Admission Advice Pvt. Ltd. with more than 16 years of experience in student counselling and admission guidance. He has worked with thousands of students and parents seeking clarity in complex admission processes across India.
His guidance approach is practical, transparent, and strategy focused. Rajesh Mishra helps families understand counselling systems, admission rules, and college selection in simple language so they can make informed decisions.
Through GLN Admission Advice, he provides guidance for Medical, AYUSH, Engineering, MBA, PGDM, and Law admissions, and regularly shares content to help students understand counselling procedures, cutoff trends, and common mistakes during admission counselling.