GATE 2026 Exam - IIT Guwahati has concluded the GATE 2026 exam today, January 15, 2026. Candidates can now check the unofficial GATE 2026 answer key to analyse their exam. Along with the GATE 2026 question papers, candidates can calculate the expected marks. Also, check the GATE branch-wise exam dates online, which include specific exam dates, exam timings and more. The authority will be conducting the GATE 2026 exam in online mode. Further, IIT Guwahati will also publish the official GATE 2026 answer key on the official website.
The authority has also released the for all 30 papers on the official website. Students who are appearing in the final year of their graduation or have completed their degree in 2025 are eligible to apply for the GATE 2026 examination. It is essential to understand the GATE exam pattern 2026, syllabus, and marking scheme to perform well in the exam.
The GATE form correction window was activated between October 28 and November 10, 2026. The GATE 2026 registration with a late fee was concluded on October 13, 2026. The GATE 2026 information bulletin includes important details about the entrance exam, such as GATE exam centres, required documents for the application, etc. Candidates were advised to check the GATE 2026 eligibility criteria before applying for the exam. The GATE 2026 registration began on August 28, 2025. Candidates were able to apply for more than one paper using the GATE subject paper combinations.
GATE is conducted jointly by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) every year on a rotational basis. The full form of GATE is the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering. GATE is an online exam that tests the comprehensive understanding of undergraduate engineering and science courses. It is a gateway for admission to postgraduate programs like M.E./M.Tech/Ph.D. at IITs, IISc, and various other universities and colleges across India. By scoring well in the exam, candidates can enhance their chances of admission to postgraduate programs at premier institutes, secure jobs at various PSUs and gain admission to M.Tech courses. Public sector undertakings (PSUs) recruitment through GATE is an additional benefit of taking the exam.
In 2026, the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering will be conducted by IIT Guwahati. Every year, the institute organising the GATE entrance exam is chosen among the IITs and IISc Bangalore. Below is a list of the organising institutes of GATE for various years.
| Year | Organizing Institutes |
| 2026 | IIT Guwahati |
| 2025 | IIT Roorkee |
| 2024 | IISc Bangalore |
| 2023 | |
| 2022 | IIT, Kharagpur |
| 2021 | IIT, Bombay |
| 2020 | |
| 2019 | IIT, Madras |
| 2018 | IIT, Guwahati |
| 2017 | IIT, Roorkee |
| 2016 | IISc, Bangalore |
| 2015 | IIT, Kanpur |
| 2014 | IIT, Kharagpur |
| 2013 | IIT, Bombay |
| 2012 | IIT, Delhi |
| 2011 | IIT, Madras |
| 2010 | IIT, Guwahati |
The GATE exam is highly competitive, and here are the GATE exam statistics, including the number of candidates who registered, and appeared in GATE 2025.
GATE 2025 Exam statistics
| Particular | Details |
| Total number of students who applied for GATE 2025 | 936019 |
| Total number of students who appeared for GATE 2025 | 747319 |
| Full Exam Name | Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering |
| Short Exam Name | GATE |
| Conducting Body | Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee |
| Frequency Of Conduct | Once a year |
| Exam Level | National Level Exam |
| Languages | English |
| Mode Of Application | Online |
| Application Fee | Online : 1400 |
| Mode Of Exam | Online |
| Mode Of Counselling | Online |
| Participating Colleges | 1051 |
| Exam Duration | 3 Hours |
IIT Guwahati had reopened the GATE 2026 form correction portal for one day, on November 18, 2025. Previously, the correction process was held between October 28 to November 10, 2025. The GATE 2026 registration with a late fee was concluded on October 13, 2025. Candidates were required to submit the GATE 2026 application form with a late fee of Rs 500. The application process involves registration, filling out the application form, uploading documents, and payment of the application fee.
The GATE 2026 registration process was conducted online. Below is a general overview of the application process.
| Category | Regular Period | Extended Period |
|---|---|---|
| Male (General, OBC and Others) | Rs. 2000 | Rs. 2500 |
| SC / ST / PwD | Rs. 1000 | Rs. 1500 |
| Female Candidates | Rs. 1000 | Rs. 1500 |
| First Paper Code | Second Paper Code |
|---|---|
| AE | CE, ME, XE |
| AG | CE |
| AR | CE, GE |
| BM | BT, IN |
| BT | BM, XL |
| CE | AE, AG, AR, ES, GE, NM, XE |
| CH | ES, PE, XE |
| CS | DA, EC, GE, MA, PH, ST |
| CY | XE, XL |
| DA | CS, EC, EE, MA, ME, PH, ST, XE |
| EC | CS, DA, EE, IN, PH |
| EE | DA, EC, IN, PH |
| ES | CE, CH, GE |
| EY | XL |
| GE | AR, CE, CS, ES, GG |
| GG | GE |
| IN | BM, EC, EE, ME |
| MA | CS, DA, PH, ST |
| ME | AE, DA, IN, NM, PI, XE |
| MN | - |
| MT | XE |
| NM | CE, ME |
| PE | CH |
| PH | CS, DA, EC, EE, MA, XE |
| PI | ME, XE |
| ST | CS, DA, MA, XH |
| TF | - |
| XE | AE, CE, CH, CY, DA, ME, MT, PH, PI |
| XH | ST |
| XL | BT, CY, EY |
Candidates were allowed to edit the application form during the correction window. The correction process is chargeable. Incorrect details may lead to rejection of the application.
| Change Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Name | INR 500 |
| Date of Birth | INR 500 |
| Exam City | INR 500 |
| Paper Change | INR 500 |
| Category / Gender Changes | INR 500 – INR 1500 (as applicable) |
| Other Changes | INR 500 |
| Minor Details (Address, Degree etc.) | No Fee |
Download previous year question papers to understand the exam pattern and difficulty level. Practice regularly to improve performance.
IIT Guwahati has uploaded the GATE 2026 exam pattern on the official website. The GATE 2026 exam will be held in computer-based mode and will comprise 2 sections. The exam duration is 3 hours. There will be 3 types of questions: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions. The exam tests candidates on their understanding of engineering and science concepts, as well as their ability to apply these concepts to solve complex problems. The exam pattern is subject to change, so candidates should stay updated with official notifications.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Examination Mode | Computer Based Test |
| Language | English |
| Duration | 3 hours (180 minutes) |
| Number of GATE Papers | 30 Papers |
| Sections |
|
| Type of Questions |
|
| Total Number of Questions | 65 Questions (including 10 from General Aptitude) |
| Design of Questions | Recall, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis |
| Distribution of Marks (Except AR, CY, DA, PH, EY, GG, MA, ST, XH, XL) |
Engineering Mathematics – 13 Marks Subject – 72 Marks General Aptitude – 15 Marks |
| Distribution of Marks (AR, EY, GG, CY, DA, MA, PH, ST, XH, XL) |
Subject – 85 Marks General Aptitude – 15 Marks |
| Total Marks | 100 Marks |
| Marking Scheme |
Questions carry 1 or 2 marks. 1/3 mark deducted for 1-mark MCQ. 2/3 mark deducted for 2-mark MCQ. No negative marking for MSQ & NAT. Zero marks for unattempted questions. |
| Paper Code | GA Marks | Compulsory Section | Subject Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, MA, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI, TF | 15 | -- | 85 |
| CY, DA, EY, MA, PH, ST | 15 | -- | 85 |
| AR | 15 | 60 | 25 |
| GE | 15 | 55 | 30 |
| GG | 15 | 25 | 60 |
| XE | 15 | 15 | 2 x 35 |
| XH | 15 | 25 | 60 |
| XL | 15 | 25 | 2 x 30 |
| Papers | Codes | Papers | Codes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture and Planning | AR | Mathematics | MA |
| Biotechnology | BT | Physics | PE |
| Aerospace Engineering | AE | Metallurgical Engineering | MT |
| Agricultural Engineering | AG | Engineering Sciences | XE |
| Chemical Engineering | CH | Life Sciences | XL |
| Civil Engineering | CE | Instrumentation Engineering | IN |
| Computer Science and IT | CS | Mining Engineering | MN |
| Electronics and Communication | EC | Mechanical Engineering | ME |
| Electrical Engineering | EE | Textile Engineering | TF |
| Chemistry | CY | Production & Industrial Engineering | PI |
| Ecology and Evolution | EY | Petroleum Engineering | PE |
| Geology and Geophysics | GG | Statistics | ST |
| Biomedical Engineering | BM | Environmental Science & Engineering | ES |
| Humanities and Social Science | XH | Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering | NM |
| Geomatics Engineering | GE | Data Science & Artificial Intelligence | DA |
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