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

COAP 2026 (Common Offer Acceptance Portal) is the centralised platform for GATE-qualified candidates to view and accept M.Tech, MS by Research, and PhD admission offers from 23 IITs and IISc Bengaluru. Coordinated by IIT Roorkee for the 2026 cycle, the portal has been running since May 11, 2026, and is now in Round 8 — a decisive stage where candidates can only Accept and Freeze or Reject their allotted seat. Round 8 offers are open from June 27, 2026 (10:00 AM), and the decision window closes on July 1, 2026 (9:00 AM).

• Round 8 Decision Deadline: COAP 2026 Round 8 is open right now. Offers were released on June 27, 2026 at 10:00 AM. You must Accept and Freeze or Reject your offer by July 1, 2026 (9:00 AM). Missing this window leads to automatic rejection of your offer for this round.
• Round 9: The next round of allotment is expected around July 4, 2026. Candidates who have not yet frozen a seat remain eligible. In COAP 2025, Round 9 offers were released on July 5, 2025 — expect a similar window this year.
• Round 10 (Final Round): Round 10 is the last allotment round for COAP 2026, expected around July 11, 2026. After this round closes, no further seat offers will be released through the portal for this admission cycle.
• Portal Closure: The COAP 2026 portal stays active until August 15, 2026 for fee payment, document submission, and joining formalities at your allotted institute.

What is COAP 2026?

COAP stands for Common Offer Acceptance Portal. It is a unified platform where GATE-qualified candidates view and accept M.Tech, MS by Research, and PhD admission offers from multiple IITs and IISc Bengaluru — all in one place. Before COAP was introduced in 2017, a candidate receiving offers from five or six IITs had to track and respond to each one separately, often leading to missed deadlines and vacant seats. COAP resolved this by creating a single, time-bound, round-based system for all offer decisions.

For the 2026 cycle, IIT Roorkee is the Coordinating Institute. This role rotates among the IITs each year — IISc Bengaluru coordinated in 2025 and IIT Madras in 2024. The official portal for 2026 is coap2026.iitr.ac.in.

COAP 2026 covers three types of opportunities: M.Tech admissions at IITs and IISc (the primary use case), MS by Research and PhD admissions, and job offers from Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) that recruit through GATE scores.

COAP is not an application portal. You cannot apply to any IIT or IISc through COAP. You must visit each institute’s own admission portal, fill their application, and get shortlisted through their process. Only then does the institute push an offer to COAP for you to accept or reject.

Source: coap2026.iitr.ac.in

COAP 2026 Important Dates: Round-Wise Schedule

COAP 2026 runs up to 10 rounds of seat allotment between May and July 2026. Each round has a fixed offer window. You must log in and make your decision within that window — missing the deadline means automatic rejection of the offer. The table below lists upcoming and active events first, followed by completed rounds in chronological order.

Round 8 is currently active. Offers opened June 27, 2026. The decision deadline is July 1, 2026 (9:00 AM). Log in at coap2026.iitr.ac.in and act now if you have an offer.

Source: COAP 2026 Official Schedule, IIT Roorkee

Note: Dates for Rounds 9 and 10 are approximate, based on the spacing pattern of earlier rounds. Always confirm the exact schedule on coap2026.iitr.ac.in before each round opens.

COAP 2026 Eligibility Criteria

To register and participate in COAP 2026, you must meet the eligibility conditions set by IIT Roorkee as the Coordinating Institute. These apply to all candidates, regardless of which institute they wish to join.

Core Eligibility Requirements

• Valid GATE Score: You must hold a GATE score from 2024, 2025, or 2026. GATE 2023 and earlier scores are not accepted. GATE scores are valid for three years from the qualifying year.
• Nationality: Only Indian nationals are eligible to register on COAP. Foreign national candidates follow separate admission processes at each institute.
• Multiple GATE Scores: If you hold valid GATE scores from more than one paper or from multiple qualifying years, you must declare all of them during COAP registration. When applying to individual institutes, use the higher or more relevant score.
• Separate Institute Application: You must have applied to each IIT or IISc you want an offer from, through that institute’s own admission portal. COAP registration alone does not make you eligible for an offer. Only institutes that shortlist you through their own process will push an offer to COAP.

GATE 2023 score is not valid for COAP 2026. Only GATE 2024, GATE 2025, or GATE 2026 qualifiers are eligible. GATE scores expire after three years from the year of qualification.

PhD Admission through COAP

COAP 2026 also covers PhD admissions for GATE-qualified candidates. However, IIT graduates with a B.Tech CGPA of 8.0 or above on a 10-point scale can apply directly to IITs for PhD without a GATE score — this direct route is managed entirely by each IIT and is outside COAP. All other PhD candidates with a GATE score who want to join an IIT or IISc for research must use COAP to receive and respond to their PhD offer.

How to Register for COAP 2026

COAP 2026 registration is free and does not require any document upload. The entire process takes around 10 to 15 minutes. You must provide your COAP registration number to every IIT and IISc you apply to — without it, institutes cannot link your shortlisting to your account and cannot send you offers through the portal.

Step-by-Step COAP 2026 Registration Process

• Step 1: Go to the official COAP 2026 portal at coap2026.iitr.ac.in and click on New Registration.
• Step 2: Enter your GATE Registration Number (2024, 2025, or 2026), date of birth, and email ID. If you have more than one valid GATE score, enter all qualifying numbers.
• Step 3: Set a password and submit your registration. A login ID and confirmation are sent to your registered email and mobile number.
• Step 4: Log in and complete your profile — fill in personal details and verify the information before submitting.
• Step 5: Note down your COAP Registration Number. This number is mandatory when applying to each participating IIT or IISc. Without it, the institute cannot generate an offer for you on the portal.
• Step 6: Apply to institutes separately through their own portals. COAP registration by itself does not give you any offer — only institutes that shortlist you will push an offer to your COAP dashboard.

If you applied to an IIT or IISc without entering your COAP Registration Number in their application form, that institute cannot send you an offer through COAP — even if you are otherwise eligible. Register immediately and update your application at the relevant institute if you missed this step.

Information Needed for COAP 2026 Registration

No certificates, mark sheets, photographs, or identity documents are uploaded at the COAP registration stage. All document verification happens at the institute level after you accept a seat.

COAP 2026 Offer Acceptance Options: Accept, Retain, Reject

When an offer appears on your COAP 2026 dashboard, you must choose one of the available options within the round’s window. The options differ depending on which round you are in. In Round 8 — currently active — only Accept and Freeze or Reject are available.

Rounds 5 to 10 are decisive rounds. The Retain and Wait option does not appear on the portal in these rounds. COAP 2026 Round 8 is a decisive round — you can only Accept and Freeze or Reject. Decide before July 1, 2026 (9:00 AM).

Which Option to Choose in Round 8

If you have an offer from an institute and programme that genuinely matches your goals, Accept and Freeze is the right move. There is no benefit in waiting if you already have what you want. If the offer does not fit your plans at all, Reject it and remain in the pool for Rounds 9 and 10. But be realistic — by Round 8, most seats at the top-demand IITs are already filled. The upgrade potential in Rounds 9 and 10 is lower than in earlier rounds.

COAP 2026 Participating Institutes

COAP 2026 has 24 participating institutes — all 23 IITs across India and IISc Bengaluru. Each institute independently evaluates applications, conducts shortlisting or interviews, and pushes offers to COAP for the allotment rounds. Not all institutes participate in every round.

IISc Bengaluru participated only in Rounds 1 to 5. Round 5 closed on June 10, 2026. Any IISc offer not accepted by that deadline is no longer available through COAP 2026. If you have IISc admission queries, contact IISc directly. Rounds 6 to 10 contain IIT seats only.

Source: COAP 2026 Information Brochure, IIT Roorkee

Programs Covered under COAP 2026

COAP 2026 facilitates admission to three types of postgraduate and doctoral programmes at participating institutes. Understanding the differences helps you evaluate offers more clearly when deciding.

M.Tech (Master of Technology)

M.Tech is the most popular programme under COAP. It is a two-year full-time postgraduate degree offered across hundreds of specialisations at IITs — from Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering to Data Science, Biotechnology, and Structural Engineering. GATE-qualified M.Tech students at IITs typically receive a monthly stipend of around Rs 12,400 under MHRD funding, which covers a significant portion of daily expenses. This makes M.Tech at IITs financially manageable for most candidates.

MS by Research

The MS by Research is a research-based master’s degree. Unlike M.Tech, it requires completing original research work and submitting a thesis. The duration is typically two to three years. Not all IITs offer MS by Research through COAP — check the specific institute’s admissions page before applying. Stipend terms vary by institute and funding availability.

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)

GATE-qualified candidates can receive and accept PhD offers through COAP 2026. PhD is a research-intensive programme with a minimum duration of three to five years. PhD fellows typically receive higher stipends — usually Rs 31,000 to Rs 35,000 per month under Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) norms. IISc Bengaluru and IIT Bombay are among the most sought-after PhD destinations through COAP, though IISc offers are no longer available in the 2026 cycle as Round 5 has passed.

Stipend amounts are approximate and may vary by institute, programme type, and funding source. Verify stipend details with the respective institute before accepting a seat.

After Accepting Your COAP 2026 Offer: Next Steps

Accepting a COAP offer is only the first step. Once you Accept and Freeze, your COAP account closes for further allotments. Everything that follows — document upload, fee payment, and physical joining — happens directly at the allotted institute, not on COAP. Missing any of these steps within the institute’s own deadlines can cancel your seat even after a successful COAP acceptance.

Documents You Need to Submit at the Institute

• GATE scorecard — 2024, 2025, or 2026, as applicable
• Graduation degree or provisional certificate from your qualifying programme
• Semester mark sheets from all semesters of your qualifying degree
• Category certificate — SC, ST, OBC-NCL, or EWS, if applicable, in the prescribed format
• PwD certificate — if applicable, issued by a competent authority
• Transfer Certificate from your previous institute
• Identity proof — Aadhaar card, passport, or voter ID
• Medical fitness certificate — required by some institutes before joining
• Passport-size photographs meeting the institute’s specifications

Provisional Fee Payment

After uploading documents, you need to pay a provisional admission fee on the institute’s own portal. This fee varies by institute and typically ranges from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000. It is usually adjusted against tuition fees at the time of joining. Missing the fee payment deadline cancels your seat even if your COAP acceptance was done on time.

Physical Reporting and Joining

Most IITs require you to report physically on campus during orientation week. Carry all original documents along with attested photocopies. Your institute’s joining schedule is usually published on their admission portal within a few days of the COAP cycle concluding. The COAP 2026 portal stays active until August 15, 2026 to allow time for all these formalities before the academic year begins.

COAP 2026 and PSU Offers

COAP is not limited to academic admissions. Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) that recruit through GATE scores also use COAP to push job offers to selected candidates. This means you may see both an academic offer from an IIT and a job offer from a PSU on your COAP dashboard at the same time.

How PSU Offers Work Through COAP

PSUs run their own recruitment processes — typically involving an initial GATE score shortlist, followed by a written test or group discussion, and a personal interview. Once a candidate is selected, the PSU pushes the job offer to the candidate’s COAP dashboard. You can then Accept and Freeze the PSU offer or reject it, using the same options as for academic offers.

To receive PSU offers through COAP, you must provide your COAP Registration Number when applying to a PSU — the same way you provide it when applying to IITs. Without the COAP number, the PSU cannot link your selection to the portal.

Some major PSUs that have historically recruited through GATE and used COAP for offer management include BHEL, BPCL, HPCL, NTPC, Power Grid Corporation, and GAIL. Participation varies each year based on each PSU’s recruitment cycle and hiring targets.

Not all PSUs participate in COAP every year. Always check each PSU’s official recruitment notification to confirm whether they are using COAP for offer communication in the 2026 cycle before applying.

PSU Job vs IIT M.Tech: What to Consider

A PSU job offers immediate employment, a salary from day one, and job security. An IIT M.Tech requires a two-year investment but typically delivers higher starting salaries in the private sector, research exposure, and stronger placement outcomes in technology roles. If you receive both a PSU offer and an IIT M.Tech offer through COAP, the right choice depends on your long-term career goals — not just the immediate financial comparison.