GATE exam pattern 2026 will be released by IIT Guwahati, the institute conducting it. If you are planning to take the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), it is vital that you keep in mind the new paper pattern so you can have a plan for how to prepare and achieve better scores. This article details the full GATE exam pattern covering marking scheme, total marks, subject-wise weightage, and qualifying marks for 2026.
The GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) is a national-level examination for ME/ M.Tech/ Ph.D. admissions and recruitment in top PSUs (ONGC, IOCL, BHEL, etc.). GATE is administered by IISc Bangalore and 7 IITs (Bombay, Delhi, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, Roorkee, and Bhubaneswar) and tests the understanding of candidate’s understanding of concepts and their analytical abilities.
GATE Exam Pattern 2026
Candidates appearing for the GATE 2026 examination should thoroughly review the exam pattern to understand its marking scheme, question pattern, total time, and other relevant details. IIT Guwahati will conduct the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering in the following year, for a total of 30 different branches.
To prepare in a streamlined and organized way, candidates should review the GATE Exam Pattern 2026. We have provided a full exam pattern on this page.
| Particulars | Details |
| Exam Name | GATE 2026 |
| Conducting Body | IIT Guwahati |
| Exam Mode | Online (Computer-Based Test) |
| Duration | 3 Hours (180 minutes) |
| Number of Papers | 30 (including interdisciplinary papers) |
| Number of Questions | 65 |
| Types of Questions | MCQs, MSQs, NATs |
| GATE Exam Total Marks | 100 |
| Sections | General Aptitude + Subject-specific (with Engineering Mathematics in most papers) |
GATE Exam Pattern 2026 Marking Scheme
To maximise marks and prevent negative marking, it is essential to comprehend the GATE exam scoring structure.
| Type of Question | Marks | Negative Marking |
| MCQ (1 Mark) | +1 | –⅓ |
| MCQ (2 Marks) | +2 | –⅔ |
| MSQ | +1 or +2 | No |
| NAT | +1 or +2 | No |
GATE Exam pattern 2026 Total Marks and Section Distribution
The exam consists of three sections, with a total of 100 marks.
| Section | Marks | Number of Questions |
| General Aptitude (GA) | 15 marks | 10 questions |
| Engineering Mathematics* | 13–15 marks | Varies by paper |
| Subject-Specific | 70–72 marks | Based on stream |
GATE Exam Pattern 2026 Subject Wise Weightage
The GATE Exam pattern 2026 varies based on the subject paper, but all papers follow a common structure:
- Total Questions: 65
- Total Marks: 100
- Duration: 3 hours (180 minutes)
All GATE papers include a General Aptitude (GA) section, contributing 15 marks (15%), designed to test verbal, numerical, and analytical reasoning skills. The GA section consists of 10 questions:
- 5 questions of 1 mark each
- 5 questions of 2 marks each
Core Weightage Based on Paper Codes
The weightage distribution varies based on the paper code. Here’s a breakdown:
1. Papers with Engineering Mathematics + Core Subject
(AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI, TF, XE)
| Section | Marks | Weightage |
| General Aptitude (GA) | 15 | 15% |
| Engineering Mathematics | 13 | 13% |
| Core Subject | 72 | 72% |
| Total | 100 | 100% |
- Question distribution: 25 questions of 1 mark, 30 questions of 2 marks.
2. Papers without Engineering Mathematics
(AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, ST, XH, XL)
| Section | Marks | Weightage |
| General Aptitude (GA) | 15 | 15% |
| Subject Questions | 85 | 85% |
| Total | 100 | 100% |
Different Paper Patterns (Subject-Specific)
| Paper Code | Section Breakdown |
| AR | GA (15) + Part A (60) + Part B1/B2 (25); B1 = Architecture / B2 = Planning |
| GE | GA (15) + Part A (55) + Part B (30); choose between 2 subsections |
| GG | GA (15) + Part A (25) + Part B (60); choose either Geology or Geophysics |
| XE | GA (15) + Section A (Maths – 15) + Two Sections from B to H (35 marks each) |
| XH | GA (15) + B1 Reasoning (15) + One optional section C1–C6 (60 marks) |
| XL | GA (15) + Section P Chemistry (25) + Two from Q to U (30 marks each) |
GATE Marking Scheme & Negative Marking
| Question Type | Correct Answer | Wrong Answer | Negative Marking |
| 1-mark MCQ | +1 | -1/3 | Yes |
| 2-mark MCQ | +2 | -2/3 | Yes |
| MSQ/NAT questions | As per the marks | No penalty | No |
With this subject-wise breakdown and weightage, candidates can strategically plan their GATE 2026 preparation, focusing more on sections with higher weight and understanding the paper pattern specific to their chosen stream.
GATE Exam Passing Marks 2026
The GATE exam passing scores change each year depending on the number of applicants and difficulty.
| Category | Expected Passing Marks (out of 100) |
| General (UR) | 26–32 |
| OBC (NCL)/EWS | 90% of the General cutoff |
| SC/ST/PwD | 2/3 of the General cutoff |
*Note that across Canada, qualifying scores for admissions into higher-ranked universities and PSUs tend to be much higher than the passing scores.
Also read GATE Cutoffs
GATE Exam Pattern 2026 for Multi-Disciplinary Papers
Exam formats vary for some GATE papers, such as XE (Engineering Sciences), XL (Life Sciences), and XH (Humanities).
Example: XE Paper
- Section A (Engineering Mathematics): Mandatory
- Any two from B to H sections: Candidate selects
- Total Marks: 100 (GA = 15, B to H = 85)
GATE Exam Pattern 2026 Paper Codes
GATE officials have given a specific code for various papers with the help of that code, candidates can easily know about their paper. This also helps during form filling and for various purposes. The subject and paper codes are given in the table below
| GATE Exam Pattern 2026 Paper Codes | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aerospace Engineering | AE |
| 2 | Agricultural Engineering | AG |
| 3 | Architecture and Planning | AR |
| 4 | Biotechnology | BT |
| 5 | Civil Engineering | CE |
| 6 | Chemical Engineering | CH |
| 7 | Computer Science and Information Technology | CS |
| 8 | Chemistry | CY |
| 9 | Electronics and Communication Engineering | EC |
| 10 | Electrical Engineering | EE |
| 11 | Ecology and Evolution | EY |
| 12 | Geology and Geophysics | GG |
| 13 | Instrumentation Engineering | IN |
| 14 | Mathematics | MA |
| 15 | Mechanical Engineering | ME |
| 16 | Mining Engineering | MN |
| 17 | Metallurgical Engineering | MT |
| 18 | Petroleum Engineering | PE |
| 19 | Physics | PH |
| 20 | Production and Industrial Engineering | PI |
| 21 | Textile Engineering and Fiber Science | TF |
| 22 | Statistics | ST |
| 23 | Biomedical Engineering | BM |
| 24 | Engineering Sciences | XE |
| 25 | Life Sciences | XL |
| 26 | Humanities and Social Sciences | XH |
| 27 | Environmental Science and Engineering | ES |
| 28 | Geomatics Engineering | GE |
| 29 | Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering | NM |
| 30 | Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (NEW) | DA |
GATE Exam Pattern 2026 For Paper Code XH
| XH Paper Section | 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 Exam Pattern 2026 For Paper Code XE & XL
| XE Paper Section | Code | XL Paper Section | 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 Science | H |
Also read GATE PYQs
GATE Exam Pattern 2026 FAQs
How is the gate exam marking scheme structured?
The GATE exam contains 1 and 2-mark questions. There is negative marking in MCQs; however, with MSQ and NAT, there is not.
What are the passing marks for the gate exam 2026?
Passing marks are different every year. For the General category, they are usually between 26 and 32 out of 100.
How many marks does the General Aptitude carry?
General Aptitude is 15 marks for every paper.
What is the subject-wise weightage in GATE?
The subject-wise weightage is different. In core streams, there are roughly 70% core subjects, and the remaining are Mathematics and Aptitude.
