GATE COAP 2026 registration: Important details including dates, selection process etc; Apply now

Learn everything about COAP 2026, including registration, key dates, eligibility, and how to accept offers for M.Tech or PSU jobs.

Debanjan Chamlagain

March 28, 2026

GATE COAP 2026 registration: The Common Offer Acceptance Portal, provides a unified platform for candidates seeking admission into M. Tech. programs or jobs in participating Public Sector Units (PSUs). Initiated in 2017, COAP aims to streamline the process of selecting and accepting offers across multiple institutes and PSUs. Coordinated by the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee for 2026, COAP assists candidates with valid GATE scores to manage their admission or job offers efficiently. The portal does not serve as an application platform but facilitates offer acceptance from participating entities.

About the Coordinating Institute

The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee is the coordinating institute for GATE COAP 2026 registration. The portal includes participation from over twenty-three institutes and PSUs, including notable IITs such as IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, and IISc Bangalore, among others. IIT Roorkee manages the operation, schedules, and guidelines for the successful conduct of COAP 2026.

Also read: IIT Guwahati Admissions 2026: Apply Now for Postgraduate and PhD Programs

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must be Indian nationals.
Must possess a valid GATE qualification from the years 2026, 2025, or 2024.

Selection Process

After qualifying GATE, candidates first apply separately to the IITs of their choice by submitting individual applications using their GATE registration number and score.
Each participating institute or PSU then evaluates the applications based on its own criteria and prepares a shortlist of candidates.
Following this, participating institutes and PSUs upload their offers to the COAP during specified time windows, where candidates can view all available offers in one place.
During each offer round, candidates are allowed to select only one option from the available offers.
The selection process at each institute or PSU remains independent, but all offers are managed centrally through COAP.
In these rounds (except the final round), candidates are given three choices: Accept and Freeze, Retain and Wait, or Reject and Wait.
Accept and Freeze means the candidate accepts the offer and exits from further rounds.
Retain and Wait allows the candidate to provisionally accept an offer while remaining eligible for possible upgrades in subsequent rounds.
Reject and Wait means the candidate declines the current offers but stays eligible for better options in future rounds.
In the final or decisive round, only two options are available: Accept and Freeze or Reject.
Once a candidate selects Accept and Freeze, they must complete the admission process directly with the respective institute by submitting required documents and paying the admission fee.

Documents Required

GATE Registration Number(s)
Valid GATE Score(s)
Date of Birth (as per GATE record)
Email Address (active)
Mobile Number (active)

No document upload is required during COAP registration.

Steps to Apply for GATE COAP 2026 registration

To register under GATE COAP 2026 registration, candidate must have their name, GATE Registration number(s), valid GATE score(s), date of birth, email address and mobile number.
Only those who have qualified in GATE 2026/ GATE 2025/ GATE 2024 and wish to apply for
M. Tech. admission or PSU job offers through participating institutes are eligible to register at
COAP 2026. After successful registration, candidate can view offers from these institutes,
which will be linked to their COAP registration number.
Registration is deemed successful only when a candidate completes the log-in procedure using
the details sent via email and SMS. The email contains a URL along with the login ID, and the
SMS contains the password.
Candidates should enter all valid GATE scores (GATE 2026, GATE 2025, GATE 2024) while filling
the application. If no additional GATE scores exist, clicking the “SUBMIT” button completes the
registration process.
The application process for COAP 2026 is finalised only after clicking the “SUBMIT” button
during the first login to the candidate’s account.

Fee Structure or Application Fees

The GATE COAP 2026 registration is completely free of cost.
The application fee is only required when we apply in particular PSUs or Institutes.

Also read: IIT Delhi Admissions 2026: Apply Now for Postgraduate,PhD Programs

Key Dates

Round No.	Time Window for Candidates to View Offers and Take a Decision	Options Available (GATE COAP 2026 registration)
Round 1	11th May 2026 (10:00 AM) to 13th May 2026 (09:00 AM)	Accept & Freeze, Retain & Wait, Reject & Wait
Round 2	17th May 2026 (10:00 AM) to 20th May 2026 (09:00 AM)	Accept & Freeze, Retain & Wait, Reject & Wait
Round 3	24th May 2026 (10:00 AM) to 27th May 2026 (09:00 AM)	Accept & Freeze, Retain & Wait* / Reject & Wait
Round 4	31st May 2026 (10:00 AM) to 3rd June 2026 (09:00 AM)	Accept & Freeze, Retain & Wait* / Reject & Wait
Round 5 (Decisive Round)	5th June 2026 (10:00 AM) to 10th June 2026 (09:00 AM)	Accept & Freeze, Reject
Round 6	13th June 2026 (10:00 AM) to 17th June 2026 (09:00 AM)	Accept & Freeze, Reject
Round 7	20th June 2026 (10:00 AM) to 23rd June 2026 (09:00 AM)	Accept & Freeze, Reject
Round 8	27th June 2026 (10:00 AM) to 1st July 2026 (09:00 AM)	Accept & Freeze, Reject
Round 9	3rd July 2026 (10:00 AM) to 5th July 2026 (09:00 AM)	Accept & Freeze, Reject
Round 10 (If applicable)	9th July 2026 (10:00 AM) to 10th July 2026 (09:00 AM)	Accept & Freeze, Reject