GATE 2026 Exam Dates & New Pattern Unveiled – Know All Details

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• Updated on 27 Nov, 2025, 6:53 AM, by Ishita Tanwar

The national-level entrance test GATE 2026 is scheduled to be held on February 7, 8, 14 and 15. The supervising body IIT Guwahati has published a comprehensive notification detailing the exam pattern, paper-wise structure and syllabus across disciplines. Candidates will face a three-hour computer-based test (CBT) covering 30 different papers, ranging from engineering streams to humanities and life sciences.

Paper-wise Format and Question Types

Before diving into individual papers, the overall structure follows a consistent scheme — making it essential for aspirants to plan accordingly. All papers carry 100 marks, divided into two main segments: General Aptitude (GA) and Subject-specific section. GA is worth 15 marks for every candidate. The remaining 85 marks are allotted to the chosen subject (or combination of subjects where applicable). Question types include:

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) — with negative marking for incorrect answers.
Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) — without negative marking.
Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions — answer entered numerically, no penalty for wrong answer.

Structure for Multi-Section Papers & New Additions

Several papers under GATE 2026 adopt a multi-section format, offering flexibility and choice to candidates:

Paper Type / Stream	Compulsory Section	Optional Sections / Pattern	Total Marks
Most Engineering Papers (e.g. ME, CE, EE, CS)	General Aptitude + Core Subject	Core Subject (subject-specific syllabus)	100
Engineering Sciences (XE)	Engineering Mathematics (compulsory)	Select any two optional sections (e.g. Energy Science now introduced)	100
Humanities & Social Sciences (XH)	Reasoning & Comprehension (compulsory)	Choose one discipline — e.g. Economics, English, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Linguistics	100
Life Sciences (XL)	Chemistry (compulsory)	Choose two from Biochemistry, Botany, Microbiology, Zoology, Food Technology	100

Notably, a new Energy Science option has been introduced under the XE (Engineering Sciences) paper.

Two-Paper Options & PwD Provisions

Candidates may opt for two papers if they choose a combination from the officially permitted list. Any application with an unapproved combination will be rejected. For candidates qualifying under disability categories, extra time will be granted as per guidelines typically one hour of compensatory time, if documentation is provided.

Syllabus Broad Themes & Preparation Advice

The General Aptitude section across all papers will test verbal reasoning, quantitative skills, logical thinking, data interpretation and spatial analysis. Subject-specific syllabi for all 30 papers have been released separately to cover engineering fundamentals, scientific principles, analytical ability or discipline-specific fundamentals depending on the stream chosen.

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