With JoSAA 2026 registration now active at josaa.nic.in, engineering aspirants across India have until June 11, 2026 at 5:00 PM to fill and lock their programme preferences for 67,323 seats across IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. This choice filling window is open only once throughout the counselling process. It does not reopen in any subsequent round.
Getting the choice filling right is the single most important step in securing a preferred seat because all five rounds of seat allotment are based on the choices submitted and locked during this window.
What Is Freeze Slide and Float
After a seat is allotted in any round, candidates must choose one of the following options before the round deadline:
| Option | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Freeze | Accept the allotted seat permanently and exit further rounds |
| Slide | Keep the seat but participate in the next round for a better branch in the same institute |
| Float | Keep the seat but participate in the next round for a better overall preference |
Key Tips for Smart Choice Filling
- Add at least 20 to 30 choices to maximise chances across multiple rounds
- Arrange all choices from most preferred to least preferred
- Use previous year opening and closing ranks on josaa.nic.in to determine realistic options
- Female candidates must check for female supernumerary seats which are available above the regular intake
- NIT candidates must carefully select between Home State Quota (HS) and Other State Quota (OS) seats
Mock Allotment Rounds to Guide Choice Filling
| Mock Round | Date | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Mock Allotment 1 | June 8, 2026 | Preview your likely allotment based on current choices |
| Mock Allotment 2 | June 10, 2026 | Final check before locking choices on June 11 |
Candidates should review both mock allotments and make final adjustments to their preference list before the June 11 lock deadline.
