The CSAB NIT Cutoff for Round 1 of 2026 has not been released yet. The Central Seat Allocation Board (CSAB) conducts special counselling rounds to fill vacant engineering seats at NITs after the JoSAA process concludes, and the figures for 2026 are expected only in August 2026, once the seat allotment result is officially announced.
Expected Release Timeline
CSAB counselling for 2026 is being conducted in two rounds this year. Registration for the special rounds opened on 23 July 2026, with counselling itself beginning on 28 July 2026. The CSAB NIT Cutoff for each round, presented as opening and closing ranks, is typically published shortly after the corresponding seat allotment result. Candidates should keep checking the official CSAB portal, csab.nic.in, rather than relying on unofficial sources for the confirmed figures.
How CSAB Cutoffs Differ From JoSAA
CSAB operates on residual seats, meaning those left vacant after all rounds of JoSAA counselling are completed. By the time CSAB begins, most seats in popular branches at top-tier NITs are already taken, so CSAB NIT cutoff tend to be higher in rank number, or less competitive, than final JoSAA cutoffs for the same institute-branch combination. This makes CSAB a genuine second opportunity for candidates in the mid-to-high rank range who missed out on their preferred seat through the regular process.
Previous Year Trends: A Reference Point
- Since the official 2026 figures are not yet available, last year’s data offers the most reliable indication of what to expect. In the 2025 special round, top-tier NITs such as Trichy, Surathkal, and Warangal saw Computer Science Engineering closing ranks stay under 7,000 in the Common Rank List (CRL) for the general category, reflecting continued high demand.
- Mid-tier NITs, including Jalandhar and Raipur, recorded comparatively higher closing ranks, extending well beyond that range.
- Broadly, CSAB has tended to cater to candidates with ranks between 20,000 and 1,50,000 CRL across NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs, with newer institutes typically showing more liberal cutoffs than the older, established NITs.
- Branches such as Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence consistently close at a significantly lower, more competitive rank than streams like Civil or Metallurgical Engineering, a pattern candidates should factor in while setting expectations for the 2026 cycle.
- Round-wise, later CSAB rounds have historically opened up further as more seats become available following document verification and withdrawals from earlier rounds.
How to Check the CSAB NIT Cutoff Once Released
Once published, candidates can check the CSAB NIT Cutoff by visiting csab.nic.in and navigating to the Special Round or DASA section. From there, select the round number, institute type, preferred institute and course, seat type, and category to view the corresponding opening and closing ranks. Candidates are advised to compare their rank against multiple rounds, since later rounds generally offer more relaxed cutoffs as additional seats become available.
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