GATE 2026 CSE 1 & CSE 2: Paper Analysis, Answer Key & Highlights
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• Updated on 8 Feb, 2026, 3:21 AM, by Disha Yadav
The GATE 2026 Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) exam was conducted in two shifts on 8 February 2026 by IIT Guwahati, with question paper analysis and memory-based answer keys released after each session. Candidates are reviewing difficulty levels, important topics and expected cutoffs.
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 Computer Science and Engineering papers for Shift 1 and Shift 2 were conducted on 8 February 2026 by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati. Candidates appeared for the CSE-1 exam from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and the CSE-2 exam from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm at designated test centres across the country.
Shift-Wise GATE CSE Paper Review
After each shift of the GATE CSE exam, memory-based analysis and unofficial answer keys have been made available by coaching experts and education portals. These resources help examinees gauge the difficulty level, important topics, and good attempts in both sessions. In the CSE-1 session, students tackled questions covering core Computer Science and IT topics such as data structures, algorithms, operating systems, networking and mathematics. The paper review will highlight the distribution of questions and the concept areas emphasised once the memory-based analysis is fully compiled. The CSE-2 session in the afternoon featured similar topic coverage, with experts expecting conceptual and application-oriented questions. Memory-based answer keys for both shifts are being released to help candidates estimate their probable scores ahead of the official result announcement.
GATE CSE 2026 Memory-Based Answer Key and Score Estimation
Unofficial GATE CSE 2026 answer keys and solutions are prepared by coaching institutes and exam experts, offering candidates a chance to calculate their probable scores before the final answer key is declared by IIT Guwahati later in February. These memory-based answer keys also include question paper PDFs and solution sets, enabling candidates to cross-verify responses and refine their performance estimates. The official provisional answer key release will allow candidates to challenge answers during a specified window before the final key and results are published.
GATE CSE 2026 Exam Day Guidelines and Cutoff Expectations
Candidates taking the GATE CSE exam were required to report at least 90 minutes before the scheduled start time with their GATE admit card and valid photo ID. Entry into the examination hall was permitted up to 30 minutes before the session began. GATE conducts all papers in online (computer-based test) mode for 100 marks. Negative marking applies only to multiple-choice questions (MCQs), discouraging random guessing and encouraging strategic attempts. Expected qualifying scores and cutoffs will vary by category and are typically published after the final answer key is released. Meanwhile, candidates are advised to utilise the memory-based analysis and answer keys to estimate their performance and plan next steps, including counselling and admissions for postgraduate programmes.
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