Yes — you absolutely can, and frankly, if your NEET score keeps both options open, you probably should. There’s no rule, no regulatory clause, and no circular from any counselling authority that stops a candidate from registering for MBBS counselling through MCC and AYUSH counselling through AACCC at the same time. These are two completely separate systems running on separate portals with separate timelines, and participating in one has zero bearing on your eligibility in the other.
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Two Committees, Two Portals, Zero Conflict
The confusion starts because students assume “counselling” is one unified process. It isn’t. NEET UG 2026 is the single entrance exam — but what happens after that splits into distinct tracks managed by completely different authorities.
MBBS and BDS admissions for the 15% All India Quota are managed by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) at mcc.nic.in, while AYUSH courses — BAMS, BHMS, BUMS, and BSMS — are handled separately by the Ayush Admissions Central Counselling Committee (AACCC) at aaccc.gov.in.
Candidates who wish to apply for AYUSH counselling have to register separately on the AACCC website. That’s a separate registration, a separate fee, and a separate seat allotment process. One registration does not carry over to the other, but neither does one registration block the other.
So registering on both mcc.nic.in for MBBS and aaccc.gov.in for AYUSH simultaneously is not just allowed — it’s the standard approach for any NEET qualifier who wants to keep all doors open.
What the Process Actually Looks Like
When you register for both, here’s what you’re managing in parallel:
| MBBS Counselling (AIQ) | AYUSH Counselling (AIQ) | |
|---|---|---|
| Authority | MCC | AACCC |
| Portal | mcc.nic.in | aaccc.gov.in |
| Courses | MBBS, BDS | BAMS, BHMS, BUMS, BSMS |
| Registration | Separate | Separate |
| Fee | Separate (non-refundable reg + deposit) | Separate (non-refundable reg + deposit) |
| Seat Allotment | Independent | Independent |
| Conflict with each other? | None | None |
The timelines don’t run on identical dates, which actually works in your favour. AYUSH counselling through AACCC typically begins slightly later than MCC’s MBBS rounds — which means by the time AYUSH counselling opens, you often already have a clearer picture of where your MBBS chances stand.
The One Thing You Must Not Do
Here’s where students genuinely trip up — and it costs them seats.
If you get allotted an MBBS seat and accept it by reporting to the college, you cannot simultaneously hold an AYUSH seat as well. A candidate cannot be enrolled in two undergraduate medical degree programmes at the same time. Once you physically report and confirm admission to an MBBS college, that’s your seat for that academic year. Continuing in AYUSH counselling after that point — and then accepting an AYUSH allotment too — is not permitted.
The practical rule is simple: participate in both, but commit to one. Use both counselling processes to maximise your options. Once a seat is confirmed and you’ve reported, exit the other process cleanly.
Why Doing Both Is the Smart Move
Most students who can realistically get a government MBBS seat won’t need to think about AYUSH at all. But for a large portion of NEET qualifiers — those sitting in the 300–450 range where a government MBBS seat is uncertain — running both registrations simultaneously is genuinely smart strategy.
AYUSH seats, especially government BAMS, BHMS, and BUMS seats in states like UP, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra, fill at lower NEET ranks and offer solid career tracks in their own right. Having an AYUSH allotment as a concrete option while waiting to see if an MBBS seat materialises in a later round removes the anxiety of having nothing to fall back on.
You’ve already paid for one NEET exam. Running two counselling registrations costs a few thousand rupees in fees and deposits — most of which comes back as a refund. The risk of not registering for both is far higher than the effort of doing it.
Quick Summary
- You can register for both MCC (MBBS) and AACCC (AYUSH) counselling simultaneously — no rule prevents it.
- They are separate portals, separate fees, and separate processes that run independently.
- Participating in one does not affect eligibility in the other.
- You cannot hold confirmed seats in both programmes at the same time.
- The smart move for most NEET aspirants is to register for both and keep options open until a final seat is confirmed.
- Which are the top government BAMS colleges in India? What are their exact NEET cutoffs?
- Are AYUSH jobs available in railway hospitals and armed forces?
- Is it easier to get AYUSH admission compared to MBBS with the same NEET score?
- Can I Participate in Both MBBS and AYUSH Counselling Simultaneously?
- How Many AYUSH Colleges Should You Include in Your Choice List During Counselling?