- GATE 2026 will be held in February by IIT Guwahati with IISc Bengaluru and IITs
- The exam will take place on February 7, 8, 14, and 15 in Computer-Based Test mode
- There are 30 test papers in English, each totaling 100 marks including General Aptitude
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 will be conducted in February by the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), in collaboration with IISc Bengaluru and all Indian Institutes of Technology. The exam will be conducted on behalf of the National Coordination Board (NCB), Ministry of Education.
Also Read: GATE Exam Schedule For February 2026: Check Permissions And Consequences For Violations
The exam will be held on February 7, February 8, February 14 and February 15, 2026 in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.
GATE 2026 will be conducted for 30 test papers. The test papers will be held in English. Each GATE 2026 paper is for a total of 100 marks, General Aptitude (GA) is common for all papers (15 marks), and the rest of the paper covers the respective test paper syllabus (85 marks).
The national-level exam evaluates candidates' understanding of undergraduate and postgraduate subjects across Engineering, Technology, Science, Architecture, Humanities, Commerce and Arts.
The GATE 2026 score will remain valid for three years from the date of result announcement.
Important details about GATE 2026
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.
