COAP 2026: IIT MTech Counselling, Round Wise Dates, Registration and Seat Allotment

COAP 2026 (Common Offer Acceptance Portal) is the official centralised platform through which GATE-qualified candidates manage and accept admission offers from 23 IITs and IISc Bengaluru for M.Tech, MS (by Research), and PhD programs. Coordinated by IIT Roorkee for the 2026 cycle, the portal has been running offer rounds since May 11, 2026, and will remain active through August 15, 2026. Round 5, the first Decisive Round, is currently active — offers were released on June 6, 2026, and the decision window runs until June 10, 2026 at 9:00 AM.

• Round 5 Decision Deadline: COAP 2026 Round 5 (Decisive Round) offers were released today, June 6, 2026, at 10:00 AM. Candidates must choose "Accept & Freeze" or "Reject" before June 10, 2026 at 9:00 AM. The "Retain & Wait" option is no longer available from this round onward.
• IISc Bengaluru Last Round: Round 5 is the last round in which IISc Bengaluru participates in COAP 2026. If you hold an IISc offer, June 10, 2026 at 9:00 AM is your last chance to accept it — IISc does not make offers from Round 6 onwards.
• Rounds 6–10 Ahead: After Round 5 closes, COAP will conduct Rounds 6 through 10 for remaining seats at the 23 IITs through July 10, 2026. Each of these rounds is also a Decisive Round, offering only "Accept & Freeze" or "Reject" options.
• Portal Closure: The COAP 2026 portal remains accessible until August 15, 2026. Candidates who accept an offer must also complete institute-level admission formalities — document verification, fee payment, and physical reporting — by the deadline set by their respective institute.

What is COAP 2026?

COAP stands for Common Offer Acceptance Portal. It is the centralised online platform jointly administered by the IITs and IISc through which GATE-qualified candidates receive, manage, and respond to admission offers for M.Tech, MS (by Research), and PhD programs. Before COAP was introduced, candidates had to track multiple institute portals separately to check if they had received an offer. COAP brings all offers to one place, making the process simpler and less stressful.

For the 2026 cycle, IIT Roorkee is the coordinating institute. The coordinating responsibility rotates among participating institutes each year — in 2025, IISc Bengaluru coordinated COAP. For 2026, IIT Roorkee manages the portal, sets the round schedule, and handles all administrative operations for all 24 participating institutes.

You should understand what COAP does and does not do. COAP is not an exam and it is not an application portal. Candidates must separately apply to each IIT or IISc they are interested in through those institutes’ own admission portals. Each institute then conducts its own shortlisting process — which may include a GATE score cutoff, a written test, and a personal interview. Once an institute selects a candidate, it sends an offer through the COAP portal. Candidates use COAP only to view and respond to these offers.

Source: COAP 2026 Official Portal – IIT Roorkee

COAP 2026 Important Dates and Round Schedule

COAP 2026 runs a multi-round schedule from May to July 2026. Rounds 1 to 4 were the main rounds where all three decision options — Accept & Freeze, Retain & Wait, and Reject & Wait — were available. From Round 5 onwards, only the two decisive options are allowed. The table below lists all events with upcoming and active events at the top, followed by rounds that are already over.

Source: COAP 2026 Important Dates – IIT Roorkee

COAP 2025 vs COAP 2026: Key Comparison

COAP 2026 started about a week earlier than COAP 2025. In 2025, Round 1 opened on May 17. In 2026, it opened on May 11. The coordinating institute also changed — IISc Bengaluru coordinated in 2025, while IIT Roorkee coordinates in 2026. Both cycles use the same structure: main rounds with full decision options, followed by decisive rounds from Round 5 onward.

How to Register for COAP 2026

COAP 2026 registration opened on March 27, 2026, after the GATE 2026 result was declared. Candidates who applied to IITs and IISc for M.Tech, MS, or PhD programs and were shortlisted needed to complete COAP registration to receive and manage their offers. The registration is done entirely on the official COAP portal and is free.

For reference and for future COAP cycles, here is how registration works:

• Go to the official COAP portal at coap2026.iitr.ac.in
• Click on "Candidate Registration" or "New Registration" on the portal homepage
• Enter your GATE registration number, GATE exam year, and other personal details
• If you have valid GATE scores from more than one year, register with your highest score
• Create a COAP login ID and password — keep these credentials safe as you will need them for every round
• Submit your registration and note the confirmation
• After registration, log in to the portal to check your dashboard for any offers sent by institutes

COAP registration is free. You do not pay any fee on the COAP portal. Any application fees are collected by individual institutes during their own application process before COAP begins. Registering on COAP does not guarantee you will receive an offer — an institute must shortlist and select you through its own process before sending you an offer on the portal.

COAP registration is needed fresh every year. Your COAP account from a previous year does not carry over. Foreign nationals are not required to use COAP and are not eligible to register on it. IIT graduates with a B.Tech CGPA of 8.0 or above on a 10-point scale can apply directly to IITs for PhD admission without GATE — this direct admission route is handled by individual IITs outside of COAP.

COAP 2026 Eligibility Criteria

COAP 2026 eligibility works at two levels. The first is the basic eligibility for registering on COAP itself. The second is the individual institute’s own eligibility and selection criteria for shortlisting and making an offer. You must meet both to receive an offer through COAP.

Basic COAP 2026 Registration Eligibility

• Nationality: Indian nationals only. Foreign nationals are not eligible to register on COAP or receive COAP offers.
• Valid GATE Score: You must have a valid GATE score from GATE 2024, GATE 2025, or GATE 2026. Scores from GATE 2023 and older are not valid for COAP 2026.
• Multiple Valid Scores: If you have valid GATE scores from more than one year, you must register using the higher score. You cannot choose a lower score to improve your chances with specific institutes.
• Qualifying Degree: A bachelor’s degree in engineering, technology, or science in the relevant discipline. For PhD programs, a master’s degree may be required or preferred depending on the institute and department.
• Final Year Students: Students in the final year of their qualifying degree are eligible to register and can receive offers. They must submit proof of successful completion at the time of joining the institute.

Institute-Level Eligibility

Each IIT and IISc sets its own shortlisting criteria separately from COAP. Meeting the basic COAP registration eligibility does not mean any institute will shortlist you. Institutes typically consider:

• Minimum GATE score or GATE rank in the relevant paper (varies by institute, department, and program)
• Academic performance — B.Tech CGPA, percentage, or marks
• Performance in any written test or personal interview conducted by the institute
• Research aptitude and statement of purpose for PhD programs

Since COAP is the final step in a process that starts with individual institute applications, you should apply to all IITs and IISc you are interested in through their own portals well before COAP rounds begin. Institutes hold their shortlisting processes between March and May, before COAP rounds open in May.

IIT graduates with a B.Tech CGPA of 8.0 or above (on a 10-point scale) may apply directly to IITs for PhD admission without a GATE score. This direct admission route is managed by individual IITs entirely outside of COAP.

COAP 2026 Participating Institutes

COAP 2026 has 24 participating institutes — all 23 IITs across India and IISc Bengaluru. All 23 IITs participate in every round from Round 1 through Round 10. IISc Bengaluru participates only up to Round 5. If you have an IISc offer, you must respond to it by June 10, 2026.

The coordinating institute changes each year. IIT Roorkee manages COAP 2026 because IIT Roorkee organised GATE 2025. The coordinating role does not give IIT Roorkee any preference over other institutes in the offer process — each institute independently shortlists candidates and sends its own offers through the portal.

Programs Offered Through COAP 2026

COAP 2026 covers three categories of programs at IITs and IISc. The specific programs available vary by institute, department, and the number of seats each faculty or department can accommodate in the 2026 admissions cycle.

M.Tech (Master of Technology)

M.Tech is a two-year course-based postgraduate program in engineering. It is the most commonly accessed program through COAP. Most IITs offer M.Tech across a wide range of specialisations including Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and more. GATE score is the primary basis for M.Tech admission, and the number of M.Tech seats is typically larger than for research programs, making it the most competitive category on COAP.

MS by Research

MS (by Research) is a research-based master’s program, typically lasting two to three years. Unlike M.Tech, which is coursework-heavy, the MS program focuses on original thesis research under faculty supervision. Some IITs offer MS admissions through COAP, while others manage MS separately through their own portals. The number of MS seats available through COAP varies significantly across institutes.

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)

PhD programs at IITs and IISc are accessible through COAP for GATE-qualified candidates. The PhD process involves each institute independently shortlisting candidates based on GATE scores, academic background, and a personal interview to assess research aptitude. Candidates who clear the institute’s own selection process receive an offer on COAP. IISc Bengaluru is particularly well known for its PhD programs and participates in COAP 2026 up to Round 5.

You should visit the official website of each institute you are interested in to check the specific departments, programs, and seat availability for COAP 2026. The seats in each department depend on current faculty research capacity and funding.

What Happens After You Accept a COAP 2026 Offer?

Choosing "Accept & Freeze" on the COAP portal confirms your admission at the selected institute and program. This decision is final within COAP and cannot be reversed. Here is what happens next.

Immediate Effect on COAP

• You are removed from the COAP offer pool — you will not receive any further offers from any other institute through COAP 2026
• The seat is provisionally reserved for you at the institute
• The portal will show your confirmed offer status with the institute and program details

Institute-Level Admission Formalities

Accepting an offer on COAP is only the first step. You must also complete the institute’s own admission process. Each IIT and IISc sets its own requirements and deadlines. These typically include:

• Document submission: Originals and attested copies of all educational certificates — Class 10 and 12 mark sheets, B.Tech degree or final year mark sheets, GATE scorecard, category certificate if applicable, and valid photo ID
• Admission fee payment: Paid directly to the institute — this is entirely separate from COAP, which has no fee
• Medical fitness certificate: From a registered medical officer as specified by the institute
• Physical reporting on campus: Most institutes require candidates to report in person on a specified date for orientation, hostel allocation, and course registration

Missing the institute’s deadline — even after accepting on COAP — can result in cancellation of your admission. Check the official website of your accepted institute immediately after freezing on COAP to get the exact list of documents, fee amount, and the reporting date.

If you are a final-year student, you must provide your final degree certificate or provisional degree certificate by the institute’s stipulated deadline after your exam results are declared.

COAP 2026 Tips and Best Practices

Whether you are currently in the COAP 2026 decisive rounds or planning for the 2027 cycle, these tips will help you make better decisions and avoid common mistakes.

For Candidates in the Current Decisive Rounds

• Treat Round 5 as a critical decision point: With "Retain & Wait" gone, every decision from Round 5 is final. If you have an offer in Round 5 that meets your minimum acceptable criteria, seriously consider accepting it. Rejecting and ending up with nothing in the remaining rounds is a genuine possibility, especially in later rounds when fewer seats are available.
• IISc candidates must act before June 10: Round 5 is the last round IISc Bengaluru participates in. If you have an IISc offer and want to accept it, you must do so before June 10, 2026 at 9:00 AM. There is no second chance in any later round.
• Set a phone alarm for every deadline: The auto-rejection rule is absolute. A missed deadline means a rejected offer with no recourse. Set reminders for every round’s closing time.
• Log in early in each round: Do not wait until the last day. Portal traffic is highest near deadlines. Submit your decision within the first day or two of each round opening.

Lessons for Future COAP Applicants

• Decide your preferences before the rounds begin: Before Round 1, rank your preferred institutes and programs clearly. Know which offer you would accept immediately and which ones you would hold or reject. Decision windows are short — typically two to three days — and second-guessing is costly.
• Use "Retain & Wait" strategically in Rounds 1–4: "Retain & Wait" is a tool, not a default. Use it when you genuinely expect a higher-preference offer and when the current offer is from a lower-preference institute. Do not use it simply to delay a decision if your first-choice institute is unlikely to have seats in the next round.
• Do not reject without a realistic backup: "Reject & Wait" is irreversible for that round. Only reject if you are reasonably confident a better offer is likely to come. In Round 4 with only one offer in hand, think carefully before rejecting — Round 5 will be decisive with no floating option.
• Apply to multiple institutes before COAP begins: COAP only manages offers from institutes you have already applied to. You cannot apply to a new institute through COAP. Applying broadly gives you more offers and more meaningful choices during the rounds.
• Attend every shortlisting interview: Institutes make COAP offers only to candidates who clear their own selection process. An offer from a lower-preference institute gives you a safety net while you wait for higher-preference offers in later rounds.
• Keep documents ready from the start: Prepare originals, attested copies, and scanned files of all academic documents before COAP begins. The time between accepting a COAP offer and the institute’s joining deadline is often short.