GATE 2026
- Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a prestigious national-level examination.
- The examination assesses the candidates for a comprehensive understanding of different undergraduate-level subjects in Engineering/Technology/Science/Commerce/Arts/Architecture/Humanities.
- GATE 2026 is being conducted by IISc and all IITs, on behalf of the National Coordination Board (NCB), Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India.
- IIT Guwahati is the Organizing Institute for GATE 2026.
GATE 2026 TEST PAPERS
- GATE 2026 will have a total of 30 test papers comprising full and sectional papers.
- A new sectional paper on Energy Science (XE-I) is introduced in Engineering Sciences (XE) paper.
- A candidate can appear for one or two test papers.
- Only selected two-paper combinations are allowed for candidates appearing in two papers.
- GATE score obtained by the candidate will remain valid for a period of THREE years from the date of announcement of results.
IMPORTANT DATES
- August 28, 2025: ONLINE REGISTRATION OPENS
- September 28, 2025: ONLINE REGISTRATION CLOSES (WITHOUT LATE FEE)
- October 9, 2025: ONLINE REGISTRATION CLOSES (WITH LATE FEE)
- GATE 2026 Examinations Saturday
Saturday February 07, 2026
Sunday February 08, 2026
Saturday February 14, 2026
Sunday February 15, 2026 - March 19, 2026: ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Before filing an application, candidates are advised to ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria for GATE 2026.
Candidates who are currently studying in the 3rd or higher years of any undergraduate degree program or who have completed any government approved degree program in Engineering/Technology/Architecture/Science/Commerce/Arts/Humanities are eligible to appear for GATE 2026.
Some Professional Societies*/Institutions, which conduct examination in various fields of engineering, are given below.
- The Institution of Engineers (India) (IE)
- The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
- The Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE)
- The Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI)
- The Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, including Polymer and Environmental Group (IIChE)
- The Indian Institute of Metals (IIM)
- The Indian Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIIE)
Candidates who possess certification from any such professional societies must ensure that those examinations are approved by MoE/AICTE/UGC/ UPSC as being equivalent to B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch./B.Planning, etc.
Candidates who have obtained/are pursuing their qualifying degree from countries other than India: Candidates must be currently in the 3rd or higher years or must have completed their Bachelor’s degree (of at least three years duration) in Engineering/Technology/Architecture/Science/Commerce/ Arts/Humanities.
Any candidate fulfilling the above-mentioned criteria is eligible to appear for GATE 2026.
More details of eligibility criteria are given below.
NOTE
- Candidates pursuing any higher degree or in possession of a degree higher than that mentioned in the table below, will be allowed to appear for GATE 2026.
- Candidates with B.Sc./B.A./B.Com. degrees (3-year program) desirous of seeking admission to Master’s programs in IITs and IISc.
| Degree/Program | Qualifying Degree/Examination | Description of Eligible Candidates |
| B.E./B.Tech./B. Pharm. | Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Technology (4 years after 10+2 or 3 years after B.Sc./Diploma in Engineering/Technology) | Currently in the 3rd year or higher or already completed |
| B. Arch. | Bachelor’s degree of Architecture (5-year course)/Naval Architecture (4-year course)/Planning (4-year course) | Currently in the 3rd year or higher or already completed |
| B.Sc. (Research)/B.S. | Bachelor’s degree in Science (Post-Diploma/4 years after 10+2) | Currently in the 3rd year or higher or already completed |
| Pharm. D. (after 10+2) | A Professional Pharmacy doctoral program of 6 years duration after 10+2 which includes 1 year of internship or residency | Currently in the 3rd/4th/5th/6th year or already completed |
| M.B.B.S./B.D.S./B.V.Sc. | Professional Medical degree programs – M.B.B.S./B.D.S./B.V.Sc. | 5th/6th/7th or higher semester or already completed |
| M.Sc./M.A./MCA or equivalent | Master’s degree in any branch of Arts/Science/Mathematics/Statistics/Computer Applications or equivalent | Currently in the 1st year or higher or already completed |
| Int. M.E./M.Tech. (Post-B.Sc.) | Post-B.Sc. Integrated Master’s degree programs in Engineering/Technology (4-year program) | Currently in the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year or already completed |
| Int. M.E./M.Tech./M.Pharm. or Dual Degree (after Diploma or 10+2) | Integrated Master’s degree program or Dual Degree program in Engineering/Technology (5-year program) | Currently in the 3rd/4th/5th year or already completed |
| B.Sc./B.A./B.Com. | Bachelor’s degree in any branch of Science/Arts/Commerce (3-year program) | Currently in the 3rd year or already completed |
| Int. M.Sc./Int. B.S./M.S. | Integrated M.Sc. or 5-year integrated B.S. – M.S. program | Currently in the 3rd year or higher or already completed |
| Professional Society* Examinations (equivalent to B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch.) | B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch. equivalent examinations of Professional Societies, recognized by MoE/UPSC/AICTE (e.g. AMIE by Institution of Engineers-India, AMICE by the Institute of Civil Engineers-India and so on) | Completed Section A or equivalent of such professional courses |
QUESTION PAPER PATTERN
| Particulars | Details |
| Mode of Examination | Computer Based Test (CBT) |
| Language of examination | English |
| Duration | 3 Hours |
| Number of papers (Subjects) | 30 test papers |
| Sections | General Aptitude (GA) + Candidate’s Selected Subject(s) |
| Type of Questions | (a) Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) (b) Multiple Select Question (MSQ) (c) Numerical Answer Type (NAT) |
| Testing of abilities | (a) Recall (b) Comprehension (c) Application (d) Analysis & Synthesis |
| Distribution of Marks in all Papers EXCEPT papers AR, CY, DA, EY, GE, GG, MA, PH, ST, XH, and XL | General Aptitude: 15 marks Engineering Mathematics**: 13 marks Subject Questions: 72 marks Total: 100 marks (**XE includes Engineering Mathematics section XE-A of 15 marks) |
| Distribution of Marks in papers AR, CY, DA, EY, GE, GG, MA, PH, ST, XH, and XL | General Aptitude: 15 marks Subject Questions: 85 marks Total: 100 marks |
| Marking Scheme | Questions carry either 1 mark or 2 marks |
| Negative Marking | For a wrong answer chosen in an MCQ, there will be negative marking. For a 1-mark MCQ, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. For a 2-mark MCQ, 2/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. There is no negative marking for wrong answer(s) to MSQ or NAT questions. There is no partial marking in MSQ. |
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Data Required for Filling the Application Form for GATE 2026
The following data will be required while filling the online application form.
- Personal Details
- Name: The name of the candidate in the application form must be exactly the same as that in the valid photo ID, which the candidate must produce in original while appearing for GATE 2026 examination at the centre. Prefixes/titles such as Mr./Shri/Dr./Mrs./Smt./Prof./Capt./Maj./Lt./Col., etc. must not be used before the name. GATE 2026 scorecard will be issued as per the name entered in the application form.
- Date of Birth: Candidates are advised to ensure that the date of birth provided in the application form matches exactly with that mentioned in the photo ID.
- Personal mobile number
- Name and mobile number of parent or guardian
- Address for communication including PIN code
- Details of the Eligibility degree
- Institute/College name and address with PIN Code
- Choice(s) of GATE test paper(s)
- Choices of three GATE Examination cities from the same zone
- Net-banking/debit card/credit card/UPI/wallet details for fee payment
Documents Required
- Good quality image of the candidate’s photograph conforming to the specifications
- Good quality image of the candidate’s signature conforming to the specifications
- Scanned copy of valid photo Identity Document (ID)
(The same ID, in original, MUST be produced while appearing for GATE 2026 examination at the centre) - Scanned copy of the Category (SC/ST) certificate, if applicable, in PDF format
- Scanned copy of UDID (preferred)/PwD Certificate, if applicable, in PDF format
- Scanned copy of Dyslexic Certificate, if applicable, in PDF format
- Relevant Annexure(s), if applicable, in PDF format
NOTE: Ensure that the uploaded documents are readable and clear. Uploading unreadable documents may lead to delays in processing the application and may lead to rejection of candidature.
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