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GATE Exam Pattern 2026 (Out) - Subject Wise Paper Pattern, Marking Scheme
GATE Exam Pattern 2026 - IIT Guwahati has released the GATE 2026 exam pattern at gate2026.iitg.ac.in. The total marks for each GATE 2026 paper is 100 marks, with the General Aptitude (GA) section common to all papers (15 marks). The respective 85 marks will cover the respective test paper syllabus. Aspirants had to choose from a total of 30 test papers in the GATE 2026, which included both full and sectional papers. The exam pattern includes details on exam duration, mode of exam, marking scheme, types of questions, and much more. There is a negative marking scheme for incorrect responses in the GATE 2026 exam. The authority has conducted the GATE entrance exam on February 7, 8, 14 & 15, 2026. Candidates can go through the GATE exam pattern 2026 provided here.
This Story also Contains
- GATE 2026 Exam Pattern IIT Guwahati Highlights
- GATE 2026 Marking Scheme
- GATE 2026 Exam Pattern IIT Guwahati: Subject-wise Question Paper Pattern
- GATE Exam Pattern 2026 Engineering Sciences (XE)
- GATE 2026 Exam Subjects and Code
- GATE 2026 Negative Marking
- GATE 2026 Question Paper Pattern
- GATE Exam Pattern 2026 - Points to Remember
Along with the exam pattern, candidates must check the GATE syllabus to know the important topics for the exam. Candidates appearing for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering must know the GATE pattern for preparation. Read the article to understand the GATE paper pattern, marking scheme, and GATE marks distribution on this page.
GATE 2026 Exam Pattern IIT Guwahati Highlights
The following GATE exam pattern highlights table contains the mode of exam, duration, GATE marking scheme, test codes, and more that help aspirants make a well-planned preparation strategy. Here are the highlights of the GATE question paper pattern.
GATE Paper Pattern Highlights
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
Examination Mode | Computer-Based Test (Online) |
| Medium of GATE 2026 exam | English |
Duration | 3 Hours |
Number of Papers in GATE 2026 | 30 Papers |
Section |
|
Type of Questions |
|
GATE Design of Questions | The questions are designed to test the listed abilities
|
Number of Questions | 65 Questions (including 10 questions from General Aptitude) |
GATE Marks Distribution for all Papers except AR, CY, DA, EY, GG, MA, PH, ST, XH and XL |
|
GATE 2026 Marks Distribution for AR, CY, DA, EY, GG, MA, PH, ST, XH and XL |
|
Total Marks | 100 Marks |
GATE Exam Marking Scheme | All of the questions will be worth 1 or 2 marks |
GATE Negative Marking | Two types of MCQs:
|
GATE 2026 Exam Pattern IIT Guwahati - Paper Code Wise Subject Weightage
Paper Code | Exam Pattern |
|---|---|
CE, CS, EC, AE, AG, BT, CH, ME, MN, MT, EE, IN, TF, XE, PE, ST, and PI | GA (General Aptitude) – 15 Marks Engineering Mathematics – 13 Marks Subject Marks- 85 Marks |
CY, DA, EY, MA, PH, ST | GA (General Aptitude) – 15 Marks Subject Marks- 85 Marks |
GATE 2026 Marking Scheme
Check the table for the GATE exam marking scheme for Mechanical, Civil, Computer Science, Electrical, and other courses.
| GATE Paper Code to prepare for the test | General Aptitude (GA) Marks | Subject Marks | Total Marks | Total Time (Minutes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI, TF; these papers include questions on Engineering Mathematics | 15 | 85 | 100 | 180 |
AR [Part A + Part B (B1: Architecture or B2: Planning)] | 15 | 60 + 25 | 100 | 180 |
GE [Part A + Part B (Section I or Section II) | 15 | 55 + 30 | 100 | 180 |
GG [Part A + Part B (Section 1: Geology or Section 2: Geophysics)] | 15 | 25 + 60 | 100 | 180 |
XE (Section A + Any TWO Sections) | 15 | 15 + (2 x 35) | 100 | 180 |
XH (Section B1 + Any ONE Section) | 15 | 25 + 60 | 100 | 180 |
XL (Section P (Chemistry compulsory)+ Any TWO Sections) | 15 | 25 + (2 x 30) | 100 | 180 |
| CY, DA, EY, MA, PH, ST | 15 | 85 | 100 | 180 |
Related links: | |
|---|---|
GATE Marking Scheme 2026
Here is the information about the weightage of General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics in the GATE 2026 exam:
In GATE 2026, General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics will be compulsory sections, which include 15% weightage each in total marks in GATE papers with codes AE, AG, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, IN ME, MN, MT, PE, PI, TF, and XE. The remaining 70% weightage will be given to the subject selected by the student.
In the case of GATE 2026 question papers AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, ST, and XL there will be a compulsory section of General Aptitude (15% of the total marks). The remaining 85% weightage will be given to the selected subject.
Also Read- GATE Normalisation process: How Scores are calculated?
GATE 2026 Exam Pattern IIT Guwahati: Subject-wise Question Paper Pattern
Below are a few important points that candidates need to know about GATE Papers 2026:
GATE 2026 Exam Pattern for CSE
The GATE pattern for CSE includes the mode of the exam, the number of questions asked, the GATE negative marking scheme, and more. Here, we have provided the GATE exam pattern for CSE in the table.
GATE CSE pattern
| Particulars | Specifications |
|---|---|
Exam duration | 3 hours |
Exam mode | Online (Computer-based test) |
Type and total number of Questions | Total 65 Questions MCQs and MCQs and/or Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions |
Total marks of the exam | 100 |
Total number of sections |
|
Marking Scheme |
|
GATE Exam Pattern for ECE
Students preparing for the GATE ECE 2026 must know the GATE exam test pattern, marking scheme, weightage, sections, and the number of questions. Moreover, candidates can know the GATE exam total marks for ECE. Check the details of the GATE exam paper pattern 2026 for ECE below
The total question marks of the ECE question paper will be 100 marks on electronics and communication question papers.
The exam will be conducted in online mode CBT (computer-based test).
The GATE question pattern of CE will contain 3 types of MCQs, MSQs, and NAT.
There will be 1 mark and 2 mark questions in the exam.
GATE 2026 ECE question paper will contain a total of 65 questions with 10 questions on general aptitude and 55 questions on electronics and communication engineering.
The total GATE exam duration will be 3 hours (180 minutes) in the exam.
The GATE negative marking is in objective-type questions only of 1/3 and 2/3 marks.
GATE Previous Year Question Paper's
Download GATE previous year question papers to understand exam pattern and difficulty level. Practice with these papers to boost your preparation and improve your score.
Check NowGATE 2026 Exam Pattern for Geomagnetic Engineering (GE) Paper
Part A consists of 36 questions carrying a total of 55 marks: 17 questions carrying 1 mark each and 19 questions carrying 2 marks each.
Part B1 (Surveying and Mapping) and Part B2 (Image Processing and Analysis) consist of 19 questions each, carrying a total of 30 marks: 8 questions carrying 1 mark each and 11 questions carrying 2 marks each.
GATE Exam Pattern 2026 for Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NM) Paper
- The NM Paper contains the General Aptitude (GA) section (15 Marks) as applicable for all papers of GATE 2026.
- The rest of the GATE NM Paper will have 85 marks covering the syllabus.
GATE Exam Pattern 2026 Architecture and Planning (AR) New Pattern
- Part A consists of 39 questions carrying a total of 60 marks: 18 questions carrying 1 mark each and 21 questions carrying 2 marks each.
- Part B1 (Architecture) and Part B2 (Planning) consist of 16 questions each carrying a total of 25 marks: 7 questions carrying 1 mark each and 9 questions carrying 2 marks each.
GATE 2026 Paper Pattern (Except GG, XE, XL)
GATE 2026 papers will have 45 questions, out of which 15 questions will carry 1 mark each and 30 will carry 2 marks each.
There will be multiple-choice questions and numerical answer-type questions present in the GATE paper.
GATE 2026 Exam Pattern Geology and Geophysics Paper (GG)
Part A consists of 16 questions carrying a total of 25 marks: 7 questions carrying 1 mark each and 9 questions carrying 2 marks each.
Part B1 (Geology) and Part B2 (Geophysics) consists of 39 questions each, carrying a total of 60 marks: 18 questions carrying 1 mark each and 21 questions carrying 2 marks each.
GATE Exam Pattern 2026 Engineering Sciences (XE)
This GATE paper will have one mandatory section that all candidates have to attempt i.e., Engineering Mathematics
Another compulsory section is General Aptitude consists of 15 marks.
Section A consists of 11 questions with a total of 15 marks. The paper may also contain Some numerical answer-type questions.
Candidates will have the option to choose any of the sections from Section B to I.
The sections (B to I) comprise 22 questions each carrying 35 marks in total.
GATE Exam Pattern for Engineering Sciences
| Section | Type of Question | Number of Question | Sub-total (Marks) |
|---|---|---|---|
Section A (Compulsory) | 1 Mark Question | 7 | 7 |
2 Marks Question | 4 | 8 | |
Section B to I | 1 Mark Question | 9 | 9 |
2 Marks Question | 13 | 26 |
Candidates appearing for the GATE 2026 exam can check the exam pattern of GATE 2026 on this page. Along with the GATE paper pattern, candidates must check the GATE 2026 syllabus to prepare for the exam. The GATE 2026 paper pattern includes information about the mode of the exam, types of questions, marks, exam duration, sections, and marking scheme.
GATE Exam Pattern 2026: Life Sciences (XL)
Chemistry (Section P) is a mandatory section, consisting of 15 questions for a total of 25 marks. This section also has a few numerical answer-type questions.
The paper also has a General Aptitude section of a total of 15 marks.
Apart from Chemistry, the candidates also have to choose one more section from Q to U. Each of the sections from Q to U consists of 20 questions carrying a total of 30 marks
GATE 2026 Paper Pattern for Life Sciences
| Section | Type of Questions | Number of Questions | Sub-Total (Marks) |
|---|---|---|---|
Chemistry Section or Section P (Compulsory) | 1 mark questions | 5 | 5 |
2 mark questions | 10 | 20 | |
Sections Q to U | 1 mark questions | 10 | 10 |
2 mark questions | 10 | 20 |
GATE 2026 Exam Subjects and Code
GATE exam pattern 2026 is different for each subject. Below are the subject-wise GATE 2026 subject paper codes for all 30 subject papers of GATE.
GATE Exam Pattern 2026: Paper Codes
Paper | Code | Paper | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
Architecture and Planning | AR | Geology and Geophysics | GG |
Biotechnology | BT | Mathematics | MA |
Aerospace Engineering | AE | Physics | PE |
Agricultural Engineering | AG | Engineering Sciences | XE* |
Chemical Engineering | CH | Life Sciences | XL** |
Civil Engineering | CE | Instrumentation Engineering | IN |
Computer Science and Information Technology | CS | Mining Engineering | MN |
Electronics and Communication Engineering | EC | Mechanical Engineering | ME |
Electrical Engineering | EE | Textile Engineering and Fiber Science | TF |
Chemistry | CY | Production and Industrial Engineering | PI |
| Data Science & Artificial Intelligence | DA | Biomedical Engineering | BE |
Ecology and Evolution | EY | Petroleum Engineering | PE |
Statistics | ST | Metallurgical Engineering | MT |
Environmental Science and Engineering | ES | Humanities and Social Sciences | XH |
Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering | NM | Geomatics Engineering | GE |
GATE 2026 Paper Codes for XH
| XH Paper Sections | Code |
|---|---|
Reasoning and Comprehension (Compulsory) 25 marks | B1 |
Any of the following Optional Subjects (60 marks) | |
Economics | C1 |
English | C2 |
Linguistics | C3 |
Philosophy | C4 |
Psychology | C5 |
Sociology | C6 |
GATE 2026 Paper Codes for XE and XL
XE Paper Sections | Code | XL Paper Sections | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
Engineering Mathematics (Compulsory) | A | Chemistry (Compulsory) | P |
Fluid Mechanics | B | Biochemistry | Q |
Materials Science | C | Botany | R |
Solid Mechanics | D | Microbiology | S |
Thermodynamics | E | Zoology | T |
Polymer Science and Engineering | F | Food Technology | U |
Food Technology | G | ||
Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences | H | ||
| Energy Science | I |
**XE (Engineering Sciences) and **XL (Life Sciences) papers will consist of sections listed in the table above
How will be the GATE Question Exam Pattern 2026?
The GATE exam tests the abilities of candidates registered for the exam on various grounds. The question papers are designed as per the GATE 2026 question paper pattern.
Recall – The questions asked in the GATE question paper 2026 will be directly linked to the principles, facts, formulas, or laws of the paper selected by the candidate. Therefore, the memory and computation skills of the candidates were put to the test.
Comprehension – There will be questions that test the basic understanding of the candidates in their respective fields of study. Therefore, candidates have to stress fundamental ideas to draw out simple conclusions.
Application – Candidates will be required to apply their computational and logical reasoning skills.
Analysis and Synthesis – The questions comprise a mix of data, diagrams, and images. Candidates will be able to solve the questions by analyzing the information contained in them.
GATE 2026 Negative Marking
Candidates are advised to understand the negative marking for GATE to gain good marks. There will be negative markings in the GATE 2026 exam. Knowing about the negative marking help in making a proper strategy for exam. To give an idea of how the GATE negative marking scheme is, we have mentioned the GATE 2026 negative marking scheme below.
There will be no negative markings in MSQ and NAT questions.
There will be negative markings in Gate MCQ questions. For every incorrect answer marks will be deducted.
Negative Marking in GATE 2026
Type of Question | Negative Marking/ Question |
|---|---|
MCQ – 1 mark question | 1/3 |
MCQ – 2 marks question | 2/3 |
GATE 2026 Question Paper Pattern
The students preparing for the GATE exam must know the types of questions to understand the exam mode and pattern with ease. There will be different types of questions asked as per the GATE 2026 exam pattern which are mentioned below.
1. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
In MCQ questions, the student will be provided with four options, out of which they have to select the right option. There will be negative markings in MCQ questions.
2. Multiple Select Questions (MSQs)
These will be multiple selection questions, and every question contains four options, out of which, the candidates can select one or more than one option. There will be no negative markings for MSQ questions. Also, there are no partial marks allotted for MSQ-type questions.
3. Numerical Answer Type (NAT)
In numerical questions, candidates have to enter their answers in digits. In these types of questions, there will be no negative marking.
Related links:
| Related links: | |
|---|---|
GATE 2026 Exam- Key Guideline
Keep the following instructions in mind while appearing for the GATE exam 2026:
Physical calculators, wristwatches, and mobile phones are strictly prohibited inside the GATE examination centres.
For the ease and convenience of candidates, a virtual calculator will be provided on the screen of the candidates.
Guide to Attempt Online GATE Entrance Exam
How to navigate to a question?
On the right side of the screen, candidates find a serial-wise list of questions.
Candidates can directly navigate to a question by clicking on the GATE question number.
The question will be displayed on the screen when the question button is pressed.
Procedure to answer a question?
In the case of MCQs, candidates have to click on a particular option to select it.
To deselect the option, click on the option again. Candidates can also select the clear response option to deselect any option.
In the case of numerical-type questions, enter the answer through the virtual keyboard present on the screen.
Steps to save answers?
Candidates have to click on the “Save and Next” option given on the screen.
If candidates are unsure of their answer they can mark the question for review by selecting the “Mark for Review and Next” option.
Once the time limits all the answers will be automatically submitted.
GATE Exam Pattern 2026 - Points to Remember
- The GATE exam will be conducted only in online mode (Computer-Based Test mode).
- The GATE exam time duration will be 3 hours.
- The total mark for the GATE exam is 100.
- According to GATE exam pattern, there will be 65 questions in exam paper.
- All of the questions that are asked in GATE will be related to the GATE exam 2026 syllabus.
- According to the GATE question paper pattern, there will be two types of questions - Multiple Choice Questions and Numerical Answer Type Questions.
- In the case of MCQs, candidates have to select one answer from the 4 options given and in NAT questions students have to enter the correct answer through the virtual keyboard.
- Candidates will be provided with a scribble pad for the rough work.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Where can I find the official exam pattern for GATE?
A:
Candidates can find the GATE 2026 exam pattern IIT Guwahati on the official website, gate2026.iitg.ac.in.
Q: How do I know if I am prepared for the GATE exam?
A:
If a candidate has a doubt, he must check if he or she is ready for GATE 2026 with the help of certain factors like topics covered, score in the mock tests, etc.
Q: Will I be provided with any white paper for rough work and calculations during the examination?
A:
A scribble pad will be provided to the candidate that can be used to do the rough work. However, candidates have to return the scribble pad after the examination.
Q: Can I use a physical calculator during the examination?
A:
No, candidates are provided with a virtual scientific calculator, which has to be used to answer the questions.
Q: How many questions are asked in total in the GATE exam?
A:
According to the GATE 2026 exam pattern, the paper will have a total of 65 questions.
Q: Is there negative marking in Gate?
A:
Yes, there will be negative marking in the GATE 2026 exam. For multiple-choice questions (MCQs), incorrect answers lead to a deduction of 1/3 marks, while for numerical answer type questions, there is no negative marking.
Q: What is the duration of the GATE exam?
A:
The total GATE exam time duration of the GATE exam is 3 hours.
Q: What is the time of the GATE first shift?
A:
The first shift of the GATE exam will begin at 9:30 AM and continue until 12:30 PM.
Q: When will GATE 2026 be conducted?
A:
IIT Guwahati has announced the GATE 2026 exam dates online. It was conducted on February 7, 8, 14 and 15, 2026.
Q: What is the 2 paper combination in GATE 2026?
A:
The specific two-paper combination for GATE 2026 depends on your chosen primary paper, as each primary paper has a list of permitted secondary papers.
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You can check your probable rank using the GATE rank predictor .
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In GATE 2026 Computer Science, a score of around 32 marks in the SC category may roughly correspond to a rank between 3,000 and 6,000, based on trends from recent years. However, the exact rank depends on the paper’s difficulty, number of candidates, and normalization, so it can vary
The cutoff marks for OBC category students are different for different paper codes. You can check the article on Gate cutoff for all the detailed information. Hope it helps.
IIT Guwahati has released GATE exam ME answer key in online mode. Here we have provided direct link to download IIT Guwahati Mechanical Engineering answer key.- Download Here
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