GATE Exam date 2026 will be released by IIT Guwahati soon. The GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) Exam 2026 will be conducted by IIT Guwahati. The conducting authority will soon release a notification for admission in M.E./M. Tech or PhD courses in various institutes, including IITs and IISc, and for PSUs recruitment. The GATE Exam, which is held annually by a committee of 7 IITs and IISc, is one of the most challenging tests that offers candidates the opportunity for higher education and PSUs recruitments.
GATE Exam Dates 2026
After the completion of GATE 2025 Exam, IIT Guwahati will be gearing up for Upcoming next Exam event, which will be GATE 2026 Exam. Applicants looking forward to taking admissions in IITs or IIsc and in PSUs recruitment should be well-versed with the application form, syllabus, exam pattern, and other important information. The GATE Exam 2026 registration form will likely be released soon in September. As soon as the IIT Guwahati officials release the notification for the GATE Exam 2026, applicants can get or download information here on this page.
Also read: GATE Exam
IIT Guwahati GATE Exam Dates 2026 Overview
The GATE Exam date 2026 should follow similar trends year to year. Below is the expected provisional schedule of this exam:
| GATE Exam Date 2026 Overview | |
| Examination Name | GATE 2026 |
| GATE Full Form | Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering |
| GATE 2026 Conducting Body | IIT Guwahati |
| GATE 2026 Online Registration Commencement | August 2025 (Expected) |
| GATE 2026 Apply Online Last date Without Late Fees | October 2025 (Expected) |
| GATE 2026 Registration Last Date With Late Fees | Yet to Be Announced |
| GATE 2026 Exam Date | February 2025 (Expected) |
| Purpose of GATE 2026 Examination | Offering Admission to Higher Education (M.E./ M.Tech./ and Ph.D. Courses) PSU Recruitments through GATE |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Exam Mode | Computer-Based-Test (CBT) |
| Duration of Exam | 180 Minutes (3 Hours) |
| Number Of Questions | 65 |
| Exam Frequency | Once a Year |
| Number of GATE Papers | 30 (Expected) |
| GATE Admit Card 2026 | January 2026 |
| Validity of GATE Score | 3 Years |
| GATE 2026 Official website | https://www.iitg.ac.in |
Note: Final dates will be confirmed with the official GATE exam date 2026 notification on the organizing institute’s website. The final dates will be verified by the official GATE exam date announcement on the website of the organization.
GATE Exam Date 2026 Notification
The date of the GATE exam 2026 will be officially notified in August by the organizing institutes, which take turns (IISc and the IITs). Each notification has specific details about the following
| GATE Exam Date 2026 Schedule (Expected) | |
| Particulars | Exam Dates |
| GATE 2026 Online Application Processing System (GOAPS) Activation | August 2025, Expected |
| GATE 2026 Last Date to Register Online (Without Late Fee) | October 2025, Expected |
| GATE 2026 Last Date to Register Online (With Late Fee) | October 2025, Expected |
| GATE 2026 Application Modification Window | November 2025, Expected |
| GATE 2026 Admit Card Release Date | January 2026, Expected |
| GATE 2026 Exam Date | February 2026, Expected |
| Availability of GATE 2026 Response Sheet | February 2026, Expected |
| GATE 2026 Answer Key Release Date | February 2026, Expected |
| GATE 2026 Answer Key Challenge Window Activation | February 2026, Expected |
| GATE Result 2026 Announcement | March 2026, Expected |
| GATE Scorecard 2026 Availability | March 2026, Expected |
NOTE: Candidates are advised to regularly check the official GATE website for updates or delays.
GATE Exam 2026 Eligibility Criteria
As usual Eligibility Criteria remain the same, so candidates can follow the GATE 2025 eligibility criteria. We will update the information in case any changes occur in the GATE 2026 notification by the Officials.
- Nationality: Applicants must be Indian. Moreover, NRIs who fulfill the eligibility criteria can also apply for the GATE exam 2026
- Educational Qualification: Applicants who have a bachelor’s degree or are in their final year or any undergraduate degree programme in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science, Commerce, Art, or Humanities can apply for the GATE Exam 2026.
- Age limit: There is no age limit; candidates of any age can apply for the GATE Exam.
GATE 2026 Paper Combination
GATE Exam authority provides an option for candidates who apply for two papers with the condition that the combination should be followed on the table below combination
| GATE 2026 Paper Combination | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. | Paper | Paper Code | Combining Paper Code |
| 1 | Aerospace Engineering | AE | GE |
| 2 | Agricultural Engineering | AG | XE |
| 3 | Architecture and Planning | AR | GG, XE |
| 4 | Biotechnology | BT | ES, EY, CS |
| 5 | Civil Engineering | CE | DA, TF, EE |
| 6 | Chemical Engineering | CH | CY, XL, DA |
| 7 | Computer Science and Information Technology | CS | XE, BT, EE, ME |
| 8 | Chemistry | CY | CH, XH |
| 9 | Electronics and Communication Engineering | EC | XL |
| 10 | Electrical Engineering | EE | BM, XL, CS, CE |
| 11 | Ecology and Evolution | EY | BT, MA, ES |
| 12 | Geology and Geophysics | GG | AR, MN, XE |
| 13 | Instrumentation Engineering | IN | DA |
| 14 | Mathematics | MA | EY |
| 15 | Mechanical Engineering | ME | CS |
| 16 | Mining Engineering | MN | GE, GG |
| 17 | Metallurgical Engineering | MT | PI, DA |
| 18 | Petroleum Engineering | PE | XE |
| 19 | Physics | PH | XL |
| 20 | Production and Industrial Engineering | PI | MT |
| 21 | Textile Engineering and Fiber Science | TF | XE, CE |
| 22 | Statistics | ST | XE, CE |
| 23 | Biomedical Engineering | BM | DA, XE, EE |
| 24 | Engineering Sciences | XE | AG, AR, BM, CS, GE, GG, NM, PE, TF |
| 25 | Life Sciences | XL | CH, EE, PH, EC |
| 26 | Humanities and Social Sciences | XH | DA, CY |
| 27 | Environmental Science and Engineering | ES | BT, EY |
| 28 | Geomatics Engineering | GE | MN, XE, AE, DA |
| 29 | Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering | NM | XE |
| 30 | Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (NEW) | DA | BM, CE, IN, CH, MT, XH, GE |
Also read: GATE CutOff
GATE 2026 REGISTRATION
GATE 2026 registration form will be released soon. Applicants who fulfil the GATE eligibility criteria will have to register for the GATE Exam 2026 online on the official website. Candidates can check the steps for GATE 2026 registration below
- Registration: The first step towards form filling is to register, for which candidates have to fill in their name, DoB, Email ID, Phone Number, and have to create a password by themselves. After compilation of the GATE 2026 registration, A unique Enrollment ID and Password will be generated.
Candidates who are appearing for the GATE Exam next time or repeaters can log in directly with the help of their old registration.
- Form filling: after registration, candidates can fill out the application form with the help of the Enrollment ID and Password. Here, candidates have to provide their personal information, educational qualification, and the subject in which they want to appear.
- Uploading of Documents: applicants have to upload their latest photograph and a scanned copy of their Signature.
- Paying the registration fees: after final submission of the GATE 2026 Application form, Applicants have to pay the GATE Registration fee online via credit card/debit card / net banking/ UPI. Upon the successful transaction, the candidate can take a printout of the application form 2026.
GATE Application Form Correction 2026
GATE Exam 2026 authority will provide one chance for those candidates who have made mistakes at the time of form filling. The GATE Application form correction window 2026 will be in online mode and will be opened within a specific period. The important point to note is that the GATE application form correction process is a paid facility and is applicable only for specific fields.
GATE 2026 List of details open for correction
- Name of candidate
- DoB
- Gender
- Category
- Country of residence
- Parent/guardian’s mobile number
- Correspondence address
- Exam Centre and exam city details
- Qualifying Degree details
GATE Exam Pattern 2026
IIT Guwahati will release the GATE Exam pattern 2026 soon. The Exam pattern remains the same, and the total no. of questions and mark distribution also. Take a look at the GATE Exam pattern given in the table below based on last year’s pattern.
| GATE 2026 Exam Pattern (Expected) | |
| Particulars | Details |
| GATE 2026 Examination Mode | Computer-Based Test (Online) |
| Duration of Exam | 3 Hours |
| Number of Papers in GATE 2026 (Expected) | 30 Papers |
| Sections in the GATE 2026 Question Paper |
|
| Questions Types |
|
| Total Number of Questions | 65 Questions |
| Distribution of Questions in all Papers Excluding AR, CY, DA, EY, GG, MA, PH, ST, XL, and XH |
|
| Distribution of Questions in AR, CY, DA, EY, GG, MA, PH, ST, XL, and XH |
|
| Total Marks | 100 Marks |
| Marking Scheme | All Questions Will Either Carry 1 or 2 Marks |
| GATE 2026 Negative Marking | Applicable to MCQs Only, Not MSQs and NATs:
|
Also read: GATE PYQs
GATE Exam Date 2026 Admit Card
The GATE exam date 2026 admit card is an important document that is usually made available in the first week of January. The admit card can be downloaded from the GOAPS portal when the candidate provides their registered credentials.
The admit card contains the following important details:
- Candidate’s name and photo
- Roll number
- Paper code
- Exam center and time
- Instructions to follow on exam day
Make sure to verify all details on the admit card and report discrepancies promptly.
GATE Exam Dates 2026 & Shifts
The GATE exam date 2026 will usually include four to six sessions spread across two weekends in February. The papers are divided into two slots.
- Forenoon session: 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
- Afternoon session: 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM
The exact paper-wise schedule will be published in January 2026.
GATE Exam 2026 Exam Centres
The GATE 2026 exam will be held in 238 centres in 8 IIT zonal regions across India, administered by IIT Guwahati. In the previous session, IIT Roorkee created 11 additional exam centres to improve accessibility.
The table below shows the number of exam centres of GATE 2026 distributed across the 8 IIT zonal regions:
| IIT Zonal Institute | Number of Exam Centres |
| IISc Bengaluru | 37 |
| IIT Delhi | 22 |
| IIT Roorkee | 26 |
| IIT Bombay | 37 |
| IIT Kanpur | 14 |
| IIT Guwahati | 24 |
| IIT Madras | 48 |
| IIT Kharagpur | 30 |
| Total | 238 |
GATE Exam Date 2026 Results & Scorecard
The GATE exam date result is usually announced in the third week of March. Candidates can see their scores and qualifying status on the official website.
Important Dates Post Result:
- Result Declaration: Mid to late March
- Download Scorecard: End of March onwards
- COAP & CCMT Counseling: April–July
GATE scores are valid for three years for M.Tech admissions and are often considered for hiring at PSUs.
Also read: GATE Books
GATE Exam Date 2026 FAQs
When will applications for GATE 2026 open?
The GATE Online Application Processing System (GOAPS) is expected to open in the last week of August 2025.
How many subjects will GATE 2026 have?
GATE 2026 will have 30 subjects, or "papers".
When will the GATE 2026 official website be launched?
The official GATE 2026 website will be launched in the last week of August 2025.
Staying updated with the GATE exam date 2026 timeline is vital for aspirants to manage their preparation efficiently. Whether it's filling the application form on time or downloading your admit card early, being aware of these key dates helps avoid unnecessary hurdles.
