GATE 2026: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has launched the official website for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026, gate2026.iitg.ac.in. The registration process will begin on August 25, 2025, and candidates can apply without a late fee until September 25. The extended deadline, with a late fee, is October 6.
GATE is a national-level entrance exam conducted jointly by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the IITs on behalf of the National Coordination Board (NCB), Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education. The examination assesses the candidates for a comprehensive understanding of different undergraduate-level subjects in Engineering, Technology, Science, Architecture, Humanities.
GATE 2026 Exam Dates
- The GATE 2026 exam will be held over four days:
February 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2026 (Saturdays and Sundays)
The result will be declared on March 19, 2026.
Who Can Apply?
Students in their third year or higher of undergraduate programmes, or those who have completed a government-approved degree in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science, Commerce, Arts, or Humanities are eligible to apply.
Applicants with qualifications from professional societies like IE, ICE, IETE, AeSI, IIChE, IIM, and IIIE must ensure that their certification is approved by MoE/AICTE/UGC/UPSC as equivalent to a BE/BTech/BArch/BPlanning degree.
Foreign degree holders or students in their third year or above of equivalent programs are also eligible.
Detailed Eligibility Criteria
Candidates pursuing or holding a higher degree than the ones listed are also eligible to appear for the exam.
GATE 2026 Papers and New Addition
GATE 2026 will be conducted in 30 subjects, with a new sectional paper on Energy Science (XE-I) introduced under Engineering Sciences.
Candidates can choose to appear in one or two papers, but only certain two-paper combinations are allowed. The full list of papers includes:
Engineering & Technology: CE, ME, EE, EC, CS, IN, etc.
Science & Humanities: PH, MA, ST, XH, XL, etc.
New Subject: XE-I (Energy Science)
Each paper is of 100 marks, which includes 15 marks for General Aptitude (GA) and 85 marks from the subject-specific section.
Exam Pattern And Paper Codes
Each paper is conducted in English and follows a standardised format. For sectional papers like XE, XH, and XL, candidates must attempt compulsory sections and select from optional ones.
For example:
- XE (Engineering Sciences): Compulsory Math + any 2 optional sections (e.g., Fluid Mechanics, Thermodynamics)
- XH (Humanities): Compulsory Reasoning + one optional (e.g., Economics, Psychology)
- XL (Life Sciences): Compulsory Chemistry + 2 optional (e.g., Botany, Zoology)
Applicants must note their paper codes, which are essential during registration and at the time of the exam.
Application Guidelines
Candidates must submit only one application. If planning to appear for two papers, the second can be added within the same form. Multiple applications will be rejected, and no fee refund will be provided for rejected entries.
For complete details, paper-wise syllabus, eligibility requirements, and updates, candidates are advised to visit the official website: gate2026.iitg.ac.in.
