CENTAC 2026 Choice Filling: Step-by-Step Guide to Lock College Preferences

CENTAC 2026 choice filling opens on June 25, 2026 — login to centaconline.in, add college and course combinations in order of preference, and lock your choices before the deadline to be included in seat allotment.

Choice filling is the most critical step in CENTAC 2026 counselling. The Centralized Admission Committee (CENTAC), Puducherry, allots seats using a merit-cum-preference method — your rank and the order in which you lock your choices together determine the outcome. Students who fill more choices and arrange them carefully improve their chances of securing a preferred college and branch across engineering, medical, pharmacy, and other streams.

• Choice filling is done exclusively on the official portal: centaconline.in.
• You must have a valid CENTAC 2026 rank and registration to access the choice filling module.
• Locked choices are final — they cannot be changed after the lock-in deadline.
• Seats are allotted strictly on merit rank combined with your locked preference order.
• Fill as many choices as possible — there is no penalty for a longer list and it only improves your chances.

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CENTAC 2026 Choice Filling Key Dates

The table below lists the tentative schedule for CENTAC 2026 choice filling and related counselling events. Check centaconline.in regularly for confirmed dates as each round progresses.

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Who Can Fill Choices in CENTAC 2026

Before accessing the choice filling module, confirm you meet the following requirements for CENTAC 2026 counselling participation:

• You must hold a valid CENTAC 2026 merit rank in your stream — JEE Main rank for engineering, NEET-UG rank for medical and pharmacy, NATA or JEE Paper 2 rank for architecture.
• You must have completed online registration on centaconline.in and paid the counselling registration fee.
• Your eligibility documents — qualifying exam mark sheet, domicile certificate, and category certificate — must have been uploaded or verified during registration.
• Students applying under the Puducherry UT domicile quota must have submitted valid proof of domicile at the time of registration.

Only students with confirmed registration and a valid rank can log in to the choice filling section of the portal.

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How to Fill Choices on centaconline.in

Follow these steps to add and arrange your college and course preferences on the CENTAC 2026 portal:

1. Go to centaconline.in and click the "CENTAC 2026 Counselling" or "Choice Filling" link on the homepage.
2. Log in using your application number and password created during registration.
3. On the student dashboard, click "Choice Filling" or "College/Course Preference" to open the module.
4. Browse available colleges and courses. Use filters for stream (Engineering, Medical, Pharmacy, etc.), college type, or district to narrow options.
5. Click "Add to Preferences" for each college-course combination you want to include in your list.
6. Repeat Step 5 for all desired combinations. There is no penalty for adding more choices — a longer list only improves your backup options.
7. Once all choices are added, arrange them in priority order — most preferred at Position 1, next at Position 2, and so on. Use drag-and-drop or the up/down arrows to reorder.
8. Click "Save Preferences" to save your draft. You may return and edit saved-but-unlocked choices any number of times before the deadline.
9. Review your full ordered list carefully before proceeding to lock.

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How to Lock Your CENTAC 2026 Choices

Locking choices is mandatory — a saved-but-not-locked list will not be considered for seat allotment. Complete the lock process well before the deadline to avoid last-minute portal issues.

1. After saving and reviewing your preference order, return to the Choice Filling page.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the preference list and click the "Lock Choices" or "Confirm and Lock" button.
3. A confirmation dialog will appear. Read it carefully, then click "Yes" or "Confirm" to finalise.
4. The system will display a locked preferences confirmation screen with a summary of your choices in ranked order.
5. Download or print this confirmation page and keep it for your records.

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Tips to Fill CENTAC 2026 Choices Wisely

Strategic choice filling can be the difference between your preferred branch and an unwanted fallback. Keep the following points in mind:

• Place your top choice first, even if it seems competitive. The merit-cum-preference algorithm tries your first preference first — you lose nothing by putting an aspirational choice at the top of your list.
• Check previous-year closing ranks for each college-course combination before filling. Trends based on 2024 and 2025 allotment data can indicate which seats are realistic for your rank and category.
• Do not leave gaps in your preference list. Arrange choices continuously from Position 1 downward — skipped slots reduce your fallback options unnecessarily.
• Filter by your category (SC, ST, OBC, General) while browsing the choice list. Reserved seats are counted separately and your category rank governs allotment under those seats.
• Verify the current seat availability shown on the portal at the time of choice filling. Popular branches like CSE and ECE at government colleges often have very few seats remaining by the time choice filling opens.
• Include a few safe backup choices — colleges and branches where your rank is comfortably within last year’s closing rank — at the lower end of your preference list to ensure some allotment outcome.
• Lock your choices at least 24 hours before the deadline to guard against server congestion or connectivity problems on the final day.