Checked 25 September 2026. From the revised detailed notification (11.09.2026) and revised first-phase schedule on cap.apcfss.in. Counselling schedules were revised twice in 2025; check the portal before every step.
Admission to M.Tech, M.Pharm and Pharm.D (Post Baccalaureate) through AP PGECET in 2026 runs on a new portal — the Common Admissions Portal at cap.apcfss.in — in one joint process with GATE and GPAT candidates. The first phase is running now: web options are open until 29 September and seats are allotted on 4 October 2026. This guide puts every step, fee and rule from the revised notification of 11 September 2026 in one place.
Where other pages get this wrong
AP PGECET 2026 counselling runs on cap.apcfss.in, with registration from 16 to 27 September and allotment on 4 October.
Commonly published instead: "Round 1 counselling registration opened on 24 July 2026 at cets.apsche.ap.gov.in, fee ₹1,000/₹500" and "seat allotment on 29 September".
The revised first-phase schedule puts registration and payment on 16–27.09.2026, web options on 23–29.09.2026, change of options on 30.09.2026 and allotment on 04.10.2026 after 6 p.m. The processing fee is ₹1,250 (OC/BC) and ₹650 (SC/ST). The 2025 admission portal now returns an error.
Revised first-phase schedule and detailed notification, cap.apcfss.in (11.09.2026).
The first-phase schedule
| Step | Dates (2026) | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Registration + processing fee | 16 Sep – 27 Sep | cap.apcfss.in |
| Online verification of uploaded certificates | 19 Sep – 28 Sep | By your chosen Help Line Centre — no visit unless asked |
| Special-category verification (in person) | 21 Sep (PwD, NCC, Sports & Games); 22 Sep (CAP, Scouts & Guides, Anglo-Indian) — as we read the notification's table, whose layout is ambiguous; confirm your day with the help desk | Govt. Polytechnic, Vijayawada, reporting 9 a.m. |
| Web options | 23 Sep – 29 Sep | cap.apcfss.in |
| Change of options | 30 Sep (frozen at 10 p.m.) | cap.apcfss.in |
| Seat allotment | 4 Oct, after 6 p.m. | Allotment order online + SMS |
| Self-joining and reporting | 5 Oct – 8 Oct | Online AND at the allotted college |
| Classes begin | 5 Oct — the first day of the reporting window, so report as early as you can | — |
Revised first-phase schedule and detailed notification (Convenor, Mangalagiri, 11.09.2026). Both documents are headed "REVISED"; the original 2026 schedule was not published where we could find it.
AP PGECET 2026 first phase: what is open on a given day?
Pick a date (today by default) to see which step of the revised first-phase schedule is open and what comes next.
From the revised first-phase schedule and detailed notification (11.09.2026) on cap.apcfss.in. A second phase had not been announced on 25 Sep 2026.
Our count from the revised schedule, first and last day included.
Step by step
- Register on cap.apcfss.in as a new user — the portal is common to all AP CETs — choosing AP PGECET, AP PGECET-GATE or AP PGECET-GPAT, with your hall-ticket number, mobile number (every OTP goes there), Aadhaar and date of birth.
- Log in, check the pre-filled data, upload your certificates as PDFs and pay the processing fee: ₹1,250 for OC/BC, ₹650 for SC/ST. A failed payment that was debited is refunded within 7 working days.
- Wait for online verification by the Help Line Centre you chose. You need not go there unless your data must change or you are shown as ineligible — and you get only one chance to re-upload.
- Special categories (PwD, CAP, NCC, Sports & Games, Scouts & Guides, Anglo-Indian) attend physical verification in Vijayawada on 21–22 September with originals and four sets of copies. There is no special-category verification in later phases.
- Web options, 23–29 September: list colleges and courses in order of preference, then Freeze. You get one day, 30 September, to change them.
- Allotment on 4 October after 6 p.m.: download the order; an SMS also goes to your mobile.
- Report twice: online self-joining and physical reporting at the college, 5–8 October. Missing either cancels the seat and ends your claim to further allotment.
GATE and GPAT candidates go first
The booklet and the notification say the same thing: "first preference will be given to candidates qualified in GATE/GPAT in the relevant branch based on their test scores", and the remaining seats go to AP PGECET rankers by rank. In 2026 this is one joint process, not a separate counselling as some pages claim: GATE/GPAT candidates register on the same portal with their GATE or GPAT details and scorecard, and "the left over seats after allotment for GATE/GPAT Candidates will be available for APPGECET-2026 Candidates". For a PGECET ranker, the practical effect is that the best-known college–branch combinations may have fewer seats left than the seat matrix shows.
Documents to keep ready
| Document | Note |
|---|---|
| APPGECET-2026 rank card and hall ticket (GATE/GPAT scorecard for those candidates) | All candidates |
| SSC, Intermediate or Diploma memo; degree consolidated memo; provisional or OD certificate | Qualifying details |
| Study certificates from Class 10 to the degree | Decide local status |
| Transfer certificate | |
| Integrated community certificate; EWS certificate for 2026-27 (MeeSeva / Gram Sachivalayam) | If claiming reservation |
| Income certificate | For fee reimbursement — only for PGECET rankers admitted in Government universities; not on self-supporting (SSN) seats, and not for GATE/GPAT candidates |
| Residence certificate (7 years) for private candidates; parent's 10-year AP residence or employment proof for non-locals | Local and unreserved status |
| Minority certificate; special-category originals | If applicable |
Detailed notification (11.09.2026), documents list: originals plus three sets of copies.
Your first-phase checklist
Tick each step as you finish it.
0 of 10 done
Ticks are saved only in this browser on this device.
Help Line Centres
Thirteen Government Polytechnics act as Help Line Centres in the first phase: Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam (Kancharapalem), Kakinada (Andhra Polytechnic), Tanuku, Vijayawada, Guntur, Ongole, Nellore, Tirupati, Kadapa, Anantapur and Kurnool. The notification gives the help desk numbers 7842075469, 7842085469 and 7842095469. Two small warnings from the documents themselves: the notification still carries text copied from other counselling notices (an "APEAPCET-2026" reference and an "APICET-2026" address block), and it gives a different address for the Vijayawada centre from the separate HLC list. Rely on the HLC list for addresses.
Why the dates keep moving
AP PGECET counselling schedules have been revised repeatedly, so treat any date as provisional until the day before. In 2025 an APSCHE press note of 21 July fixed the PGECET first-phase allotment for 6 August; the 2025 admission portal still showed that in August, then on 26 August said "the revised schedule shall be announced shortly", and by 3 September showed an allotment date of 26 September 2025 (archived copies of the portal). The 2026 first-phase documents are themselves headed "REVISED". Practical advice: log in to cap.apcfss.in every day of your window, keep your registered mobile number active (every OTP goes to it), and never leave options until the last evening.
| Year | Announced first-phase allotment | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 Aug 2025 (press note of 21 Jul) | 26 Sep 2025, as shown on the portal from 3 Sep |
| 2026 | 4 Oct 2026 (revised schedule) | Due after 6 p.m. on 4 Oct |
APSCHE press note (21-7-2025); 2025 admission portal (archived); revised 2026 schedule.
What happens after the first phase
No second phase had been announced on 25 September 2026, but the notification's line that there is "no Certificate Verification for Special Categories in subsequent phases" implies there will be one. In 2025 there was a PGECET first phase, a separate GPAT round for M.Pharm (allotment 18 September), and a final phase on 16–21 October in which GATE, GPAT and PGECET candidates were allotted together. Two rules to remember: allotments "are subject to the grant of affiliation from the University", and if you miss either the online or the physical reporting you forfeit further allotment.
Practise it, don't just read it
Counselling decides the college; the M.Tech and M.Pharm coursework starts on 5 October. Topic quizzes are a quick way to revise the core of your paper before classes begin.
The ProSyllabus AP PGECET library has topic quizzes for Engineering Mathematics, Computer Science, Electronics & Communication, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering — the first one is free.
When is AP PGECET 2026 seat allotment?
4 October 2026, after 6 p.m., for the first phase, per the revised schedule on cap.apcfss.in.
What is the last date for AP PGECET web options 2026?
29 September 2026, with one day to change options on 30 September (frozen at 10 p.m.).
Where is AP PGECET counselling done in 2026?
On the Common Admissions Portal, cap.apcfss.in — not on the older aptonline portal used in 2025.
What is the AP PGECET counselling fee?
₹1,250 for OC/BC and ₹650 for SC/ST, paid online during registration.
Do I need to go for certificate verification?
No, verification is online, unless your data must change or you are shown ineligible. Special-category candidates attend in Vijayawada on 21–22 September.
Is GATE counselling separate from AP PGECET counselling?
No. In 2026 it is one joint process; GATE/GPAT candidates get first preference and leftover seats go to PGECET rankers.
What if I do not report at the allotted college?
Both online self-joining and physical reporting are mandatory; missing either cancels the seat and your claim to further allotment.
Will there be a second phase of AP PGECET counselling?
Not announced on 25 Sep 2026. The notification implies later phases, and 2025 had a final phase in October.
When do M.Tech classes start in 2026?
The revised schedule gives 5 October 2026.
Can I change my web options after freezing?
Only on the change-of-options day, 30 September 2026, until 10 p.m.
Where are the AP PGECET help centres?
At 13 Government Polytechnics across the state, listed on cap.apcfss.in.
Sources
- official — PGECET & GATE/GPAT-2026 Admissions — Detailed Notification (Revised, 11.09.2026)
- official — PGECET & GATE/GPAT-2026 — Revised First Phase Counselling Schedule
- official — PGECET-2026 — list of Help Line Centres (first phase)
- official — PGECET-2026 Admissions — Public Notice (fee types, AICTE scholarship, reimbursement)
- official — Common Admissions Portal — cap.apcfss.in
- official — APPGECET-2026 Instruction Booklet V2
- official — APSCHE press note, 21-7-2025 — revised 2025 M.Tech schedules
- official — APPGECET 2025 admission portal (Internet Archive, Sep 2025)
- official — GPAT Admissions 2025 notification
- official — APPGECET Admissions 2025 — final phase notification
- reported — Collegedunia — AP PGECET (reported; see corrections)
- reported — Shiksha — AP PGECET (reported; see corrections)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
