Maharashtra CET Cell opens NEET MDS CAP registration; apply by 24 August 8 PM

Three clocks sit on 24 August for Maharashtra’s NEET MDS Centralised Admission Process. Online registration closes at 8:00 PM. The ₹3,000 registration fee and security deposit must be paid by 10:00 PM. Document upload and submission end at 11:59 PM. Miss any one of those, and the CAP profile can stay incomplete.

The State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell opened Round 1 CAP registration for the 2026–27 postgraduate dental session on 20 August 2026. As of Saturday, 22 August, two days remain. The Cell treats successful fee payment as part of what makes a candidate registered — finishing the form alone is not enough.

Applications go through the CET Cell portals for this cycle, including cetcell.mahacet.org and medical2026.mahacet.org. Use the live medical counselling link on the Cell’s site. Year-old bookmarked URLs from earlier sessions are a common trap.

Do not treat 8 PM, 10 PM and 11:59 PM as the same deadline

The Round 1 calendar lists online registration from 20 to 24 August, until 8:00 PM. Payment of the ₹3,000 fee and security deposit runs through 10:00 PM the same night. Document upload closes at 11:59 PM.

Completing the form by 8:00 PM without paying by 10:00 PM leaves a gap. Paying without finishing document submission by 11:59 PM leaves another. The staggered cut-offs are intentional; candidates should work backwards from midnight rather than start at 7:45 PM.

Merit list pipeline after registration

Online document verification is scheduled for 25 August 2026. A provisional merit list is listed for 26 August. The final merit list and seat matrix are scheduled for 29 August. Choice filling runs from 30 August to 1 September. CAP Round 1 seat allotment is scheduled for 2 September 2026.

Candidates who miss the 24 August registration and payment windows should not assume they will appear on the 26 August provisional merit list. Those who do register should keep login credentials ready for verification queries on 25 August and for choice filling at month-end.

The CAP covers state counselling for MDS seats under the CET Cell’s remit. Deemed-university and All India Quota pathways, where they apply, follow separate Medical Counselling Committee processes. Dual-track aspirants must watch both calendars.

Documents to have scanned before Sunday night

Identity and nationality proof, BDS marksheets and degree or passing certificate, internship completion proof, dental council registration, and category certificates where claimed — that is the usual MDS CAP set. The exact list is the one in the CET Cell information brochure for this cycle. Scan now; upload failures at 11:30 PM on 24 August are avoidable.

After 24 August, attention shifts to verification on 25 August, provisional merit on 26 August, final merit and seat matrix on 29 August, choice filling from 30 August to 1 September, and Round 1 allotment on 2 September.

This report follows the CAP Round 1 timetable tied to the 20–24 August registration opening. Any later corrigendum on cetcell.mahacet.org or medical2026.mahacet.org would supersede a printed copy of these dates. Until such a notice appears, 24 August 8:00 PM remains the registration deadline for Maharashtra NEET MDS CAP Round 1.