GATE 2026 Counselling: Check Eligibility, Documents Required and Process

The GATE 2026 counselling is conducted separately on different platforms to offer admission to the qualified GATE applicants. The process takes place in different round based on the GATE cutoff score, branch and seat availability, along with other factors. 

• COAP, also known as Common Offer Acceptance Portal is used for admission to IITs. 
• CCMT, also known as Centralised Counselling for MTech/MArch/MPlan is used to offer admission to NITs, IIITs, and other GFTIs.

Also Read:

• How many candidates qualified in the GATE exam
• Top GATE branches and cutoff trends
• GATE Cutoff for NITs

Check GATE - 2025 CCMT seat matrix

The CCMT 2026 counselling dates will be released on its official website. The dates will be updated here. It is conducted in three phases, followed by two special rounds (depending on the seat availability). The CCMT dates will comprise the registration, choice filling and locking, seat allotment, and reporting. 

Also read: GATE IIT Bombay Cutoff

The GATE COAP registration 2026 is expected to start in the first or second week of May. Candidates have to register to generate a COAP ID to participate in the counselling. The dates will be updated here once released. Candidates are advised to go through the website for frequent updates. Also, after the declaration of the result, many IITs like IIT Bombay and IISc Bangalore will release their cutoff, which can be helpful for students to strategise their college choices. 

The GATE counselling process is done after the result declaration. Respective IIT does not conduct admission counselling. It is done by COAP for IITs and CCMT for NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. The mode of GATE MTech 2026 counselling is online and done in phases. Candidates must meet the eligibility to attend counselling, which are as follows - They must have qualified GATE and required educational qualification with a minimum passing mark of 60%. Relaxation is offered to reserved category students.

While reporting to allotted college, candidates must keep following documents ready for verification

• Provisional seat allotment letter
• GATE 2026 scorecard
• Valid photo ID proof
• Birth certificate
• All education marksheets (from class 12 to graduation)
• Category certificate (if applicable)
• Provisional certificate or degree certificate
• Passport size photograph
• Seat acceptance proof
• Printout of the registration form
• Migration and transfer certificate
• Self-attested photocopies of all the above documents

COAP portal allows candidates to apply for IITs for MTech programmes. It conducts five main and five additional rounds of counselling for seat allotment.

GATE COAP 2026 Counselling Registration Process

• Visit official website of COAP portal and register using GATE details
• Verify email and mobile number.
• Login and fill details
• Fill and lock choices within deadline
• Wait for allotment results

CCMT counselling offers MTech admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. To participate, candidates need to meet criteria for CCMT GATE counselling 2026. 

Eligibility to participate in CCMT

• Candidates must have a valid GATE score of 2024/2024/2023
• A minimum of 6.5 CGPA or 60% marks for general and OBC 
• For SC/ST/PwD category candidates, minimum qualifying mark is 6.0 CGPA or 55% marks.

CCMT Seat Allotment Process

Candidates have to perform following during CCMT GATE counselling process -

• Freeze: Accept allotted seat and confirm submission

• Float: Keep seat but open for better choices in upcoming rounds

• Slide: Keep seat in same institute but opt for a better specialisation.