The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 provisional answer key and response sheet are anticipated to be published shortly by the conducting authority, IIT Guwahati on the official portal at gate2026.iitg.ac.in. Candidates who appeared for the exam held on 7, 8, 14 and 15 February 2026 will soon be able to download the documents to cross-check their answers and gauge performance. As of now, the authorities have not officially confirmed the exact release date of the answer key. Based on previous years’ trends, the provisional key is typically published within a couple of weeks after the exam, and this year’s release is expected by the 4th week of February 2026.
How to Download GATE 2026 Answer Key and Response Sheet?
Candidates can follow these steps once the answer key is published:
- Visit the official GATE website at gate2026.iitg.ac.in.
- Navigate to the GOAPS portal or login section.
- Enter the Enrollment ID and Password to access the dashboard.
- Click the link to download the provisional answer key, response sheet, and question paper.
- Save the PDFs for score estimation and future reference.
These documents will help candidates check their answers against official responses and calculate probable scores before the final results.
GATE Answer Key Challenge Process
After the provisional answer key is released, candidates may be given a limited objection window to raise challenges against any answer they believe is incorrect. To do this:
- Log in to the GATE portal using your credentials.
- Select the question number for which the challenge is intended.
- Upload supporting justification or documentary evidence.
- Pay the required objection fee (expected to be INR 500 per question as per trends).
- Submit the challenge within the stipulated timeframe.
Once challenges are reviewed, the authorities will release the final answer key which cannot be contested and this will be used to prepare the official GATE 2026 results.
What Happens Next: GATE 2026 Final Answer Key and Result?
After the provisional phase and the objection window, IIT Guwahati is likely to compile the final answer key and release it along with the GATE 2026 results on 19 March 2026. These results will include candidate scores and will be essential for M.Tech admissions, postgraduate programmes, and PSU recruitment processes. Candidates are advised to regularly check gate2026.iitg.ac.in and be ready with their login details to download the materials once released.