GATE 2026 CSE Exam Analysis for Shift 1 and Shift 2 Live
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• Updated on 9 Feb, 2026, 2:57 PM, by Arman Kumar
The GATE 2026 Computer Science and Engineering exam analysis for Shift 1 and Shift 2 held on 08 February 2026 has been released. Both shifts were reported as moderate overall, with conceptual and calculative questions dominating the paper.
GATE 2026 CSE exam analysis for both Shift 1 and Shift 2 has been released based on initial student feedback. The Computer Science and Engineering paper, conducted on 08 February 2026, was reported to be moderate overall, with some lengthy and tricky questions across both sessions.
GATE 2026 CSE Shift 2 Paper Analysis
The GATE 2026 CSE Shift 2 examination was conducted in the afternoon session from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Students described the paper as moderate to difficult, with a balance of conceptual and calculative questions. Based on feedback from candidates, the following trends were observed:
- The overall paper difficulty was moderate, with a few tricky questions
- Statement-based questions and MSQs were of moderate level
- Some candidates found the paper lengthy, while others found it manageable
- The General Aptitude section was easy to moderate, with direct questions
In comparison to Shift 1, several candidates felt that Shift 2 was slightly easier.
GATE 2026 CSE Shift 1 Paper Analysis
The GATE 2026 CSE Shift 1 exam was held from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. According to student reactions, the paper leaned more towards concept-based questions and tested in-depth understanding of core topics. Key observations from Shift 1 include:
- Overall difficulty level was moderate
- Mathematics and General Aptitude sections were moderate
- The Computer Science section included some lengthy problems
- More MSQ and NAT type questions were asked
- Fewer questions appeared from Computer Networks
- Questions were noted from COA (floating point representation) and TCP connection concepts
Topics Covered in GATE 2026 CSE Exam
Based on memory-based inputs, the following subjects had notable weightage across both shifts. The paper included questions from:
- Algorithms, which had the maximum number of questions
- Functions and graph theory, with graph-based questions reported as tough
- Compiler design concepts such as LL(1) grammar and parsing
- Boolean algebra fundamentals
These topics played a significant role in determining the overall difficulty of the exam.
GATE 2026 Answer Key and Objection Details
The GATE 2026 provisional answer key for CSE is expected to be released by the last week of February 2026 by IIT Guwahati. Along with the answer key, response sheets and question papers will also be made available.Candidates will be allowed to raise objections against the provisional answer key by paying a fee of INR 500 per question within the specified challenge window.
GATE 2026 Result Date and Cut-Off Expectations
The GATE 2026 result will be declared on 19 March 2026 based on the final answer key. Qualified candidates will be able to download their GATE scorecards from 27 March 2026 onwards through the GOAPS portal. Based on initial feedback, the expected GATE 2026 qualifying cut-off for CSE (General category) is likely to be in the range of 32 to 36 marks.
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