GATE 2026 (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) — Complete Guide

The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a national-level examination jointly conducted by IISc Bangalore and the seven IITs (IIT Roorkee organizing GATE 2026). GATE score is the primary qualification for:

1. M.Tech / ME / MS / Ph.D. admissions at IITs, IISc, NITs, IIITs, and 900+ institutions
2. Direct recruitment in over 80 Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs)
3. Junior Research Fellowships at CSIR, DRDO, BARC, and other government research institutes

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GATE 2026 — At a Glance

Parameter	Details
Organizing Institute	IIT Roorkee
Mode	Online (CBT — Computer Based Test)
Papers Available	30 (can appear in max 2, from valid combinations)
Exam Duration	3 hours
Total Marks	100 marks per paper
Score Validity	3 years
Official Website	gate2026.iitroorkee.ac.in

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GATE 2026 — Important Dates

Event	Date
Notification Released	August 27, 2025
Application Opens	August 27, 2025
Application Last Date	September 26, 2025 (Regular)
Admit Card Available	January 2026
GATE 2026 Exam	February 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 2026
Answer Key Release	February 2026
Result Declaration	March 16, 2026
Score Card Available	March 18 – May 31, 2026

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Eligibility for GATE 2026

Qualifying Degree	Minimum Requirement
B.E. / B.Tech / B.Pharma	Passed or in final year
B.Arch	Passed or in final year
B.Sc. (Research / B.S.)	Passed or in 4th year
M.Sc. / M.A. / MCA	Passed or in final year
Int. M.E / M.Tech (post diploma)	Completed 3rd year or higher
Int. M.E / M.Tech or Dual Degree (after 10+2)	Completed 3rd year or higher

Age Limit: NO age limit. Working professionals can also appear.

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GATE 2026 — All 30 Papers

Code	Paper	Code	Paper
AE	Aerospace Engineering	MA	Mathematics
AG	Agricultural Engineering	ME	Mechanical Engineering
AR	Architecture & Planning	MN	Mining Engineering
BM	Biomedical Engineering	MT	Metallurgical Engineering
BT	Biotechnology	NM	Naval Architecture
CE	Civil Engineering	PE	Petroleum Engineering
CH	Chemical Engineering	PH	Physics
CS	Computer Sc. & IT	PI	Production & Industrial Eng.
CY	Chemistry	ST	Statistics
DA	Data Science & AI	TF	Textile Engineering
EC	Electronics & Communication	XE	Engineering Sciences
EE	Electrical Engineering	XH	Humanities & Social Sciences
ES	Environmental Science	XL	Life Sciences
EY	Ecology & Evolution	GE	Geomatics Engineering
GG	Geology & Geophysics	IN	Instrumentation Engineering

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Exam Pattern

Component	Details
Total Questions	65
Total Marks	100
General Aptitude (GA)	10 questions — 15 marks (all papers)
Subject-specific	55 questions — 85 marks
Question Types	MCQ (Multiple Choice) + MSQ (Multiple Select) + NAT (Numerical Answer Type)
Negative Marking	MCQ only: −1/3 for 1-mark Q; −2/3 for 2-mark Q. MSQ/NAT: NO negative marking

Marks Distribution

• 1-mark questions: 25 questions × 1 mark = 25 marks
• 2-mark questions: 30 questions × 2 marks = 60 marks
• General Aptitude: 10 questions × 1.5 marks avg = 15 marks

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GATE 2026 — Syllabus (CS Paper — Most Popular)

Computer Science & IT (CS)

Section	Topics
Engineering Mathematics	Discrete Math (Graph Theory, Sets, Relations), Linear Algebra, Calculus, Probability
Digital Logic	Boolean Algebra, Combinational & Sequential Circuits, Number Representation
Computer Organization	Machine Instructions, ALU, Pipelining, Memory Hierarchy, I/O Interfaces
Programming & DSA	C programming, Arrays, Linked Lists, Trees, Graphs, Sorting, Searching
Theory of Computation	Regular Languages, CFG, PDA, Turing Machines, Decidability
Compiler Design	Lexical Analysis, Parsing, Code Generation, Optimization
Operating System	Processes, Threads, CPU Scheduling, Memory Management, File Systems
Databases	ER Model, Relational Algebra, SQL, Normalization, Transactions
Computer Networks	OSI model, TCP/IP, Routing, Congestion Control, Application Layer
General Aptitude	Verbal, Numerical, Spatial Ability

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GATE 2026 — Cutoff & Score Reference

IIT M.Tech Admission (CS — GATE 2024 Reference)

Institution	GATE Score Required	GATE Marks (Out of 100)
IISc Bangalore (M.Tech/M.S.)	750–900	80–90+
IIT Bombay	700–850	75–88
IIT Delhi	690–840	73–87
IIT Madras	660–820	70–85
IIT Kanpur	650–810	68–84
NIT Trichy	550–700	55–72
NIT Warangal	540–690	53–70

PSU Recruitment via GATE 2026 (Expected Cutoffs)

PSU	Paper	Expected Cutoff (Marks/100)
BPCL	ME, EE, CH	55–65
HPCL	CE, ME, EE, CH	60–70
IOCL	ME, EE, CE, CH, IN	58–68
NTPC	EE, ME, CE	62–72
Power Grid	EE	65–75
BHEL	ME, EE, CE	55–65
GAIL	ME, CH, EE	60–70
ONGC	ME, EE, CH, CE	58–68

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Application Fee

Category	Fee
SC / ST / PwD / Female	₹900
All Others (General / OBC / EWS)	₹1,800
Additional Paper (2nd paper)	+₹900 / +₹1,800

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Preparation Strategy

6-Month Plan for GATE CS 2026

Month 1–2 — Core Subjects:

• Data Structures & Algorithms + Discrete Mathematics (highest weightage — 20–25 marks)
• Use: CLRS (Introduction to Algorithms) + Kenneth Rosen (Discrete Maths)

Month 3–4 — Systems Subjects:

• Operating Systems + DBMS + Computer Networks
• Use: Galvin OS + Korth DBMS + Forouzan Networks

Month 5 — TOC + Compiler + COA:

• Theory of Computation (Ullman), Compiler Design (Dragon Book — basics), Computer Organization (Hamacher)

Month 6 — Mock Tests + Revision:

• 2 full GATE mock tests per week (65 Q, 3 hours)
• Revise all previous year questions (2010–2025) — most GATE questions repeat concepts

Best Reference

Subject	Book
DSA	CLRS — Cormen (algorithms)
OS	Galvin — Operating System Concepts
DBMS	Korth — Database System Concepts
Networks	Forouzan — Data Communications
TOC	Sipser — Introduction to Theory of Computation
Previous Papers	Made Easy GATE CS Previous Years

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Official Links

Resource	Link
GATE 2026 Official	gate2026.iitroorkee.ac.in
Syllabus	GATE Syllabus
Previous Papers	IIT GATE Archives

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Last Updated: April 2026 | Source: IIT Roorkee / GATE Organizing Committee 2026