National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology Joint Entrance Examination Counselling 2026

NCHMCT JEE 2026 counselling is conducted by the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) through the official portal at nchmcounselling.nic.in. The process covers admissions to B.Sc. HHA and M.Sc. HA programmes across 80+ participating hotel management institutes in India.

• Counselling is centralised and runs across multiple rounds — all three rounds of B.Sc. HHA seat allotment are complete; M.Sc. HA counselling commenced in late June 2026 and Round 1 allotment is expected around mid-July 2026 — check nchmcounselling.nic.in for confirmed status.
• The counselling registration fee is ₹2,000 (non-refundable); the seat acceptance fee is ₹20,000, which is adjusted against first-semester fees when you join the allotted institute.
• Physical reporting at allotted institutes for B.Sc. HHA is ongoing until July 24, 2026 — failure to report by this deadline results in automatic cancellation of the allotted seat.
• Both B.Sc. HHA (3-year undergraduate) and M.Sc. HA (2-year postgraduate) programmes are covered under the same NCHMCT counselling portal with separate but parallel schedules.
• Registering for counselling is mandatory — your NCHMCT JEE rank alone does not guarantee a seat.

Reservation of Quotas for NCHMCT JEE Counselling 2026

Seat reservation at Central Institutes of Hotel Management follows Government of India norms as published in the NCHMCT 2026 counselling brochure. State IHMs follow their respective state government reservation policies — percentages and applicable categories may vary. Private approved institutes are governed by the norms NCHMCT prescribes for them.

PwD reservation is applied horizontally — a PwD student in the SC category competes within the SC-PwD pool, not a separate unreserved PwD pool. Before finalising your choices, check the seat matrix on the official portal to see the category-wise seat count at each institute.

Note: OBC-NCL certificates must be issued after April 1, 2025, to be accepted for NCHMCT JEE 2026 counselling. Certificates older than one year from the counselling date are not valid. Verify the exact prescribed format for each certificate type in the official counselling brochure before submitting.

How to Apply for NCHMCT JEE Counselling 2026?

The entire NCHMCT JEE 2026 counselling process — from registration through seat acceptance — is online at nchmcounselling.nic.in. Each step has a fixed window and no extensions are granted. Physical reporting at the allotted institute is the only in-person step.

Step 1: Registration and Fee Payment

Visit nchmcounselling.nic.in and click the counselling registration link for the active round. Log in with your NCHMCT JEE 2026 Application Number and Date of Birth. Fill in your personal details, contact information, and category. Pay the non-refundable counselling registration fee of ₹2,000 online via net banking, credit card, debit card, or UPI. Save and print the payment confirmation as proof of registration — you will need it throughout the process.

Step 2: Choice Filling

After registration, navigate to "Choice Filling and Locking." The portal lists all participating institutes and programme combinations. Add each institute-programme option you want and arrange them strictly in your order of preference — most preferred at the top. Fill at least 15–20 choices to maximise your chances across all rounds. You can add, delete, and reorder choices freely until the window closes. A longer, well-ordered list is significantly more likely to yield an allotment than a short list of only top-tier institutes.

Step 3: Choice Locking

When your preference list is finalised, click "Lock Choices" and confirm in the pop-up. Locking is mandatory — if you do not lock before the window closes, the system auto-locks your last-saved order. Once locked, no changes are permitted for that round. Download and print the locked choice confirmation slip as a record.

Step 4: Seat Allotment

After the choice filing window closes, NCHMCT processes all locked choices through its allotment algorithm. Allotment is determined by your NCHMCT JEE merit rank, the category under which you applied, and seat availability in your chosen institutes. The result is published on the official portal. Log in with your credentials to check your allotment status.

Step 5: Seat Acceptance and Document Upload

If a seat is allotted, pay the seat acceptance fee of ₹20,000 online within the acceptance deadline for that round. After payment, upload scanned copies of all required documents for online verification. Once verification is complete, proceed to report physically at your allotted institute within the reporting window. Failing to pay the acceptance fee by the deadline cancels your allotment automatically — the seat moves to the next eligible student and cannot be restored.

How to Fill and Lock Choices (Step-by-Step Guide)

Step 1: Log In to the Counselling Portal

• Go to nchmcounselling.nic.in.
• Enter your NCHMCT JEE 2026 Application Number and Date of Birth.
• Complete the CAPTCHA and click Login.

Step 2: Open the Choice Filling Section

• On the post-login dashboard, click "Choice Filling and Locking."
• A full searchable list of participating institutes and programmes appears.

Step 3: Search and Add Choices

• Use the filter panel to narrow results by state, institute type (Central / State / Private), or programme (B.Sc. HHA / M.Sc. HA).
• Click "Add" next to each institute-programme combination you want on your list.
• There is no upper limit on the number of choices — add as many as you like.

Step 4: Arrange Choices in Order of Preference

• Use the up/down arrows or drag-and-drop to reorder your list.
• Your most-preferred institute-programme combination must be in position 1.
• Include realistic backup options in lower positions — these are your safety net.
• You can revise this order any number of times before the window closes.

Step 5: Lock Choices and Download Confirmation

• Review your final ordered list one last time.
• Click "Lock Choices" and confirm in the pop-up dialogue.
• Download and print the locked choice confirmation slip — this is your proof of submitted preferences.

Once choices are locked, no modifications are permitted for that round. If you do not manually lock, the system auto-locks at window closure — but manual locking is strongly recommended so you can verify the exact order and retain a printed confirmation.

NCHMCT JEE Counselling Documents Required 2026

Keep originals and self-attested photocopies of all the following documents ready for online upload at the time of seat acceptance, and for physical verification at your allotted institute during reporting.

• NCHMCT JEE 2026 Admit Card, duly signed by the exam invigilator
• NCHMCT JEE 2026 Scorecard or Rank Letter
• Class 10 Mark Sheet and Pass Certificate (used as date of birth proof)
• Class 12 Mark Sheet and Pass Certificate; if result is still awaited, a provisional certificate or migration certificate from the school or board
• Recent passport-size photographs — carry at least 6 to 8 copies
• Government-issued photo ID proof — Aadhaar Card, Passport, Driving Licence, or Voter ID
• Medical Fitness Certificate from a registered Medical Practitioner confirming fitness for hotel management studies
• Category and reservation certificates, if applicable:
  • SC or ST certificate issued by a competent state authority
  • OBC-NCL (Non-Creamy Layer) certificate — must be issued after April 1, 2025
  • EWS (Economically Weaker Section) income and asset certificate for Financial Year 2025-26
  • PwD (Persons with Disabilities) certificate from a government-recognised authority
  • Kashmiri Migrant certificate, if applying under that special category
• Gap Year Affidavit on stamp paper, if applicable (for students with a gap between Class 12 and NCHMCT JEE 2026)
• Printout of the seat acceptance fee (₹20,000) payment confirmation

Note: Students who accepted a seat provisionally while awaiting Class 12 results must submit proof of passing to their allotted institute by September 30, 2026. Even if you have physically reported and paid fees, the institute will cancel provisional admission if this deadline is missed.

How Much Money is Needed for NCHMCT JEE Counselling 2026?

NCHMCT JEE 2026 counselling has two fee components, paid at different stages. Have both amounts ready before beginning — you cannot proceed to the next stage without each payment within its deadline.

Non-Refundable Fees

The registration fee is paid at the start of each round when you register. It covers your participation in that round’s allotment process. This fee is forfeited in all scenarios — including withdrawal before allotment, non-reporting after allotment, and seat cancellation.

Refundable Fees

The seat acceptance fee secures your allotted seat and is paid after receiving an allotment. If you withdraw before the cut-off date for that round, the ₹20,000 is refunded in full. Withdrawing after the cut-off, or not reporting at the institute, results in forfeiture. When you join, the ₹20,000 is adjusted against your first-semester programme fee — so it is not an additional cost on top of institute fees if you proceed with admission.

NCHMCT JEE Round-Wise Seat Allotment 2026

B.Sc. HHA counselling ran across three rounds, all complete as of July 2026. M.Sc. HA counselling commenced separately in late June 2026 with Round 1 allotment expected around mid-July; subsequent rounds will follow based on vacancies. The table below covers both programmes.

What happens in each round — B.Sc. HHA:

• Round 1 — First allotment based on merit rank and locked choice order. Students allotted a seat pay ₹20,000 to hold it. Those who want a better option can simultaneously opt to participate in Round 2 for an upgrade.
• Round 2 — Seats vacated by Round 1 non-acceptors are redistributed. Fresh applicants (not allotted in Round 1) and Round 1 seat holders seeking an upgrade both participate. A Round 1 seat holder who receives a better allotment in Round 2 accepts the new seat; the original Round 1 seat is released automatically.
• Spot Round — Remaining vacancies after Round 2 are filled. Only students with no allotment from any previous round are eligible. No upgrade option is available; the seat allotted is final.

Reporting to Your Allotted Institute 2026

Physical reporting is the final and decisive step in NCHMCT JEE 2026 counselling. After accepting your seat online and uploading documents, you must report in person at the allotted institute within the prescribed window. For B.Sc. HHA, this window runs from June 20 to July 24, 2026. M.Sc. HA reporting dates will be communicated after Round 1 allotment results are declared on the official portal.

At the institute, your original documents are verified against the copies uploaded online. After verification, you pay the balance of the first-semester programme fee — the ₹20,000 seat acceptance fee already paid is credited against this amount. Not reporting by the deadline results in automatic seat cancellation, even if all online steps including fee payment and document upload were completed.

Note: Students allotted seats in the Spot Round must refer specifically to their individual allotment letter for reporting instructions. Their reporting window may differ from the general June 20 – July 24, 2026 window applicable to Round 1 and Round 2 allottees.

Upgrade, Freeze, or Withdraw — What Should You Choose?

After receiving a Round 1 allotment, you face a decision with real financial and strategic consequences. Understand each option before acting — the choice made within the acceptance window is binding for that round.

If you withdraw after accepting a seat, the seat acceptance fee is not fully refunded — the ₹2,000 registration fee is non-refundable under all circumstances.

Students who received no allotment in a round do not need to formally withdraw — no allotment means no seat to hold. They are automatically eligible to register afresh during the next round’s registration window at no additional prerequisite.

Note: The Spot Round does not offer an upgrade option. If you accept a seat in the Spot Round, that allotment is final — no further NCHMCT counselling round exists through which you can seek a better option for the 2026 cycle.