GATE Eligibility Criteria 2026 will be published by IIT Guwahati along with the information bulletin of GATE Exam 2026 on the official website gate.iitg.ac.in. The eligibility criteria will be different for different courses. The condition covers details such as nationality, age limit, educational qualification, and more. Candidates who have a qualified undergraduate degree or are in their final year can apply for the ATE Exam 2026. Candidates have to make sure about the Eligibility criteria before applying for the GATE Exam 2026.
GATE Eligibility Criteria 2026
IIT Guwahati will release the information brochure for the GATE Exam 2026 along with the GATE Eligibility Criteria soon. Interested candidates who fulfil the required eligibility criteria for the GATE Exam 2026 can proceed to the GATE application process. Candidates have to note that the GATE eligibility criteria are different for the type of graduation degree. It includes the academic qualification, like a bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Technology, or a Master’s degree in a relevant science field. Below is the detailed eligibility criteria for the GATE Exam 2026 based on the Previous years’ notification.
Also Read: GATE cutoff
| GATE Eligibility Criteria 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Criteria | Eligibility |
| nationality | Must be Indian |
| Education qualification |
|
| Age limit | There is no age limit for the GATE Exam 2026 |
| Attempt limit | There is no restriction on GATE attempts |
GATE Essential Qualification 2026 Paper Wise
GATE Eligibility Criteria is different for the types of Degrees. Candidates have to check properly before filling out the application form. The detailed information regarding eligibility criteria, Paper-wise, is given in the table below.
| GATE 2026 Paper-Wise Essential Qualification | |||
| Degree/Program | Qualifying Degree/Examination | Eligible Candidates | Expected Year of Completion |
| B.E. / B.Tech. / B. Pharm. | Bachelor’s degree in Engineering / Technology (4 years after 10+2 or 3 years after B.Sc. / Diploma in Engineering / Technology) | Currently in the 3rd year or higher, or already completed | 2026 |
| B. Arch. | Bachelor’s degree in Architecture (5-year course) / Naval Architecture (4-year course) / Planning (4-year course) | Currently in the 3rd year or higher, or already completed | 2027 (for a 5-year program), 2026 (for a 4-year program) |
| B.Sc. (Research) / B.S. | Bachelor’s degree in Science (Post-Diploma/4 years after 10+2) | Currently in the 3rd year or higher, or already completed | 2026 |
| D. Pharm. (after 10+2) | 6-year degree program, consisting of internship or residency training, from the third year onwards | Currently in the 3rd/4th/5th/6th year or already completed | 2027 |
| M.B.B.S./B.D.S. | Degree holders of M.B.B.S./B.D.S. and those who are in the 5th/6th/7th semester or higher semester of such a program. | 5th, 6th, 7th, or higher semester, or already completed | 2026 |
| M. Sc. / M.A. / MCA or equivalent | Master’s degree in any branch of Arts/Science/Mathematics/Statistics/ Computer Applications or equivalent | Currently in the first year or higher, or already completed | 2026 |
| Int. M.E./ M.Tech. (Post-B.Sc.) | Post-B.Sc Integrated Master’s degree programs in Engineering/ Technology (4-year program) | Currently, in any year | any year |
| Int. M.E./ M.Tech./M.Pharm or Dual Degree (after Diploma or 10+2) | Integrated Master’s degree program or Dual Degree program in Engineering/Technology (5-year program) | Currently in the 3rd /4th/5th year or already completed | 2027 |
| B.Sc. / B.A. / B.Com. | Bachelor’s degree in any branch of Science / Arts / Commerce (3-year program) | Currently in the 3rd year or have already completed | 2026 |
| Int. M.Sc. / Int. B.S. / M.S. | Integrated M.Sc. or 5-year integrated B.S.-M.S. program | Currently in the 3rd year or higher, or already completed | 2027 |
| Professional Society Examinations (equivalent to B.E. / B.Tech. / B.Arch.) | B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch. equivalent examinations of Professional Societies, recognized by MoE/UPSC/AICTE (e.g., AMIE by the Institution of Engineers-India, AMICE by the Institute of Civil Engineers-India, and so on) | Completed Section A or equivalent of such professional courses | Enrolled Upto 31st May 2013* |
| B.Sc. (Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry) | 4-years program | Currently in the 3rd/4th year or have already completed | 2026 |
Also read GATE PYQs
GATE Age Limit 2026
Candidates of any age can apply for the GATE Exam if they fulfil the required eligibility criteria. There is no age limit for appearing in the GATE Exam 2026.
GATE Exam Attempt Limit
There is no restriction on GATE Exam attempts mentioned in the GATE Eligibility criteria. Candidates can appear in the exam as many times as they want to appear, and their GATE Scorecard will be valid only for the last three years from the following year.
GATE Exam Percentage Criteria 2026
There is no specific percentage of marks required at the time of the GATE Exam Application form. Candidates scoring any Percentage in undergraduate studies can apply for the GATE Exam. But during the Counselling in M.E. / M.Tech, Candidates must have 60% or 6.0 CGPA marks in their Bachelor’s degree for general candidates. For other normalised categories, there is relaxation in the required percentage.
What Is The Percentage Criteria For GATE Exam?
The percentage criteria for the GATE Exam are applicable during the counselling or at the time of COAP / CCMT registration. This required percentage mark varies for reserved candidates. The detailed information on the percentage Criteria for the GATE Exam 2026 is given in the table below.
| Category | Required percentage |
| gen/ obc | 60 |
| sc/st/pwd | 55 |
GATE Eligibility Criteria FAQs
How many times can I apply for the GATE Exam?
There is no restriction on attempts candidates can apply a number of times they want to appear in the Exam.
What is the Age limit for GATE Exam 2026?
There is no age limit. Candidates who are eligible for the GATE Exam of any age can apply.
CAN foreign students apply for the GATE Exam 2026?
Yes, students from abroad can also apply for the GATE Exam and they can appear in the exam. The GATE eligibility criteria for such students is different and the percentage criteria will be changed.
Who will conduct the GATE Exam 2026?
IIT Guwahati will conduct the GATE Exam 2026. The application brochure will be released soon along with GATE eligibility criterias 2026.
