GATE 2026 Exam Feb 7: XE, XL, XH & IN Paper Analysis and Answer Key
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• Updated on 8 Feb, 2026, 3:25 AM, by Disha Yadav
The GATE 2026 exams held on 7 February 2026 covered papers including Engineering Sciences (XE), Life Sciences (XL), Humanities & Social Sciences (XH) and Instrumentation (IN). Student feedback points to an overall moderate difficulty level, with memory-based answer keys now available for initial score estimation.
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 session on 7 February 2026 was successfully conducted under the supervision of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati. Several test papers including Engineering Sciences (XE), Life Sciences (XL), Humanities & Social Sciences (XH) and Instrumentation (IN) were held across centres nationwide in both morning and afternoon shifts.
Shift-Wise Paper Overview and Difficulty Levels
In the first session (9:30 am to 12:30 pm), the Engineering Sciences (XE) and Life Sciences (XL) papers were conducted. Initial student reactions described the XE paper overall as moderate, with a mix of concept-based and calculation questions. The General Aptitude (GA) portion was generally found to be moderate and manageable. The XL Life Sciences paper also received feedback as having moderate difficulty, incorporating interdisciplinary sections spanning core life science topics with an expected moderate cutoff range. The afternoon XH (Humanities & Social Sciences) and IN (Instrumentation) papers continued in shift 2 (2:30 pm to 5:30 pm). Initial analysis suggested that the difficulty for these papers ranged from easy to moderate, with students noting a balanced mix across sections and the GA part remaining “doable.” Across shifts, students reported that general aptitude sections tended to be easier, while subject-specific questions in core areas required careful conceptual understanding.
GATE Memory-Based Answer Keys and Score Estimation
Unofficial memory-based answer keys and question papers for the XE, XL, XH and IN papers are available online, compiled by education portals and coaching experts. These resources allow candidates to estimate probable scores ahead of the official key release by IIT Guwahati later in February 2026. Candidates can use these answer keys to cross-verify responses, calculate tentative marks, and gain insights into expected performance levels for typical cutoffs in each subject. The official provisional answer key and response sheet will be released on the GATE portal, with a window to challenge marked responses before finalisation.
What GATE Candidates Should Know Next?
Students who appeared for the GATE 2026 exams on Feb 7 are advised to:
- Review the memory-based answer keys to estimate scores.
- Track the official GATE website for updates on provisional key release, objections process, and result timelines.
- Prepare for subsequent exam dates on 8, 14 and 15 February 2026 covering additional subject papers.
Candidates must continue preparation and planning for postgraduate admissions and recruitment opportunities using their estimated scores once official announcements are made.
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