GATE 2026 Complete Guide: Dates, Registration, Eligibility, Fees, Syllabus, Admit Card & Result

Last Updated: 22 November 2025

Organising Institute: IIT Guwahati (GATE 2026)

The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a national-level exam used for:

• Admissions to M.Tech / M.E. / M.S. / PhD in IITs, NITs, IIITs and central universities
• Shortlisting for PSU recruitment (entry-level engineering roles)
• Fellowships and research positions

For GATE 2026, IIT Guwahati is conducting the exam on 7, 8, 14 and 15 February 2026, in computer-based mode across India.

This article walks you through every important detail: exam dates, registration steps, fees, eligibility (including the relaxed rule for 3rd year students), exam pattern, syllabus overview, admit card, and result.

1. GATE 2026 Quick Snapshot

Recommendation for Schoolabe UI: Right under this table, show a "Start GATE 2026 Prep" button linking to your /gate hub or GATE CSE course.

2. GATE 2026 Important Dates

IIT Guwahati has released the information brochure and key dates for GATE 2026.

2.1 Application & Exam Timeline (Confirmed / as per brochure)

Note for your blog footer: Add a small "Dates are subject to change. Always verify on the official GATE 2026 website" disclaimer.

3. GATE 2026 Eligibility Criteria

GATE 2026 continues the flexible eligibility introduced in recent years: even 3rd-year undergraduates can apply.

3.1 Academic Qualification

You are eligible for GATE 2026 if you satisfy any one of these:

Undergraduate (UG) students

• Currently in 3rd year or higher of a 4-year Bachelor's degree (B.E./B.Tech/B.Arch/B.S. etc.), or
• Already completed an approved Bachelor's degree.

Postgraduate (PG) students

• Final year or completed M.Sc./M.A./M.S. or equivalent in Sciences, Mathematics, Statistics, or Computer Applications.

Integrated & Dual Degree students

• In 2nd / 3rd / 4th year of a 5-year integrated Master's degree (e.g., B.Tech + M.Tech),
• Or 4th / 5th year of a dual degree (e.g., B.Tech + MBA).

Professional society exams

• Completed Section A of AMIE / AMICE / AMIETE or similar, recognized by AICTE/UGC.

3.2 Relaxed Rule – 3rd Year Students

Earlier, GATE typically required candidates to be at least in the final / pre-final year of a 4-year program. Now:

3rd-year students in a 10+2+3 or 10+2+4 structure can appear for GATE.

This allows you to:

• Try GATE early
• Understand the exam pattern under real conditions
• Improve your score with multiple attempts within the 3-year validity window.

3.3 Who is NOT Eligible?

• Students in 1st or 2nd year of a 4-year bachelor's program (except certain 3-year degree patterns).
• Students in the 1st year of a Master's program without a qualifying bachelor's completion.
• Candidates who only hold a diploma, without a recognized degree.

4. GATE 2026 Registration – How to Apply (Step-by-Step)

GATE applications are accepted online only via the GOAPS portal linked from the official GATE 2026 website.

4.1 Step-by-Step Application Process

Step 1 – Go to the GATE 2026 website

Visit the official portal: follow the "GATE 2026 Application / GOAPS" link.

Step 2 – New Registration (Create Account)

• Click "Register / New User?"
• Enter your name, email ID, mobile number, password, country, etc.
• After successful registration, you'll receive:
• Enrollment ID (via email/SMS)
• Confirmation message

Step 3 – Login & Fill Application Form

Provide:

• Personal details – name, DOB, gender, category, nationality
• Communication address
• Academic details – degree type, institute, year of passing/appearing, etc.
• Choice of GATE paper(s) (1 or 2 papers, from allowed combinations)
• Preferred exam cities (usually 3 choices in order)

Step 4 – Upload Documents

Upload scanned documents as per instructions:

Step 5 – Pay Application Fee

Pay via:

• Net Banking / Debit Card / Credit Card / UPI (Indian candidates)
• For foreign candidates, allowed international payment methods (e.g., cards, etc., depending on portal).

Step 6 – Submit & Download Form

• Review every field (especially name, paper, category, city).
• Submit the form.
• Download the final PDF and store it for future reference.

Step 7 – Use Correction Window if Needed

• For limited fields (name, DOB, category, paper, city, etc.) a correction window opens later.
• Some changes may require a fee.

Important: No hard copy of the application needs to be posted to any GATE office.

5. GATE 2026 Application Fee

Fee varies by category and exam centre location.

5.1 Fee for Candidates Appearing in India

5.2 Fee for International Candidates

(When exam centres are offered outside India; as per brochure)

5.3 Extra Charges

Fee is non-refundable in almost all cases.

6. Documents & Details You Need Before Applying

To avoid timeouts and errors, keep these ready:

Personal details

• Full name (as on degree)
• DOB, gender, category, nationality
• Aadhaar number (for Indian candidates) or passport (for foreign).

Contact details

• Active email ID
• Mobile number
• Full correspondence address

Academic details

• Qualifying degree & discipline
• College/University name and address
• Year of passing / expected completion
• CGPA / percentage (if required)

Scanned files

• Photo, signature, category certificate, degree/provisional, PwD (as applicable)

Payment details

• Card / Net banking / UPI details

Exam preferences

• GATE paper code(s)
• List of preferred exam cities

7. GATE 2026 Exam Pattern

According to the GATE 2026 information brochure, the exam pattern is:

• Mode: Computer-Based Test (CBT)
• Duration: 3 hours
• Language: English
• Papers: 30 (you can appear in 1 or 2, from allowed combinations)
• Total Questions: 65
• Total Marks: 100

7.1 Question Types

• MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) – 1 or 2 marks, negative marking
• MSQ (Multiple Select Questions) – 1 or 2 marks, no negative marking
• NAT (Numerical Answer Type) – 1 or 2 marks, answer is a number, no negative marking

7.2 Marks Distribution

7.3 Negative Marking Rules

For MCQs only:

• 1-mark question → –0.33 for wrong answer
• 2-mark question → –0.66 for wrong answer
• MSQ & NAT → no negative marking

A virtual scientific calculator is provided on-screen; physical calculators and electronic devices are not allowed.

8. GATE 2026 Papers, Codes & Paper Combinations

There are around 30 papers, each identified by a unique code. Examples:

• AE – Aerospace Engineering
• AG – Agricultural Engineering
• AR – Architecture & Planning
• BM – Biomedical Engineering
• BT – Biotechnology
• CE – Civil Engineering
• CH – Chemical Engineering
• CS – Computer Science & Information Technology
• DA – Data Science & Artificial Intelligence
• EC – Electronics & Communication
• EE – Electrical Engineering
• ES – Environmental Science & Engineering
• GG – Geology & Geophysics
• IN – Instrumentation Engineering
• MA – Mathematics
• ME – Mechanical Engineering
• MN – Mining Engineering
• NM – Naval Architecture & Marine
• PE – Petroleum Engineering
• PH – Physics
• PI – Production & Industrial
• ST – Statistics
• TF – Textile Engineering & Fibre Science
• XE – Engineering Sciences
• XH – Humanities & Social Sciences
• XL – Life Sciences

GATE allows two-paper combinations from a predefined list (e.g., CS + DA, CE + ES, ME + PI, etc.). Always check the official combination table in the brochure or website before choosing.

9. GATE 2026 Syllabus – High-Level View

Each paper has its own detailed syllabus. Broadly:

• General Aptitude (GA) – common to all papers.
• Subject Section – core topics of your chosen discipline.

For example, for GATE CSE (CS):

• Engineering Mathematics
• Digital Logic
• Computer Organization & Architecture
• Programming & Data Structures
• Algorithms
• Theory of Computation
• Compiler Design
• Operating Systems
• Databases
• Computer Networks

For GATE DA (Data Science & AI), the major buckets are: probability & statistics, linear algebra, calculus/optimization, programming & DS, DBMS & data warehousing, machine learning, and AI fundamentals.

Schoolabe hook: Instead of just linking PDF, you can link to topic-wise tutorials like:

/gate/subjects/cse/operating-systems, /gate/quizzes/cse/os-scheduling, etc.

10. GATE 2026 Admit Card – Download Process

The GATE 2026 admit card will be available online around 2 January 2026.

Steps to Download

1. Visit the official GATE 2026 website.
2. Click the Admit Card / GOAPS Login link.
3. Login using your Enrollment ID and password.
4. Enter CAPTCHA and submit.
5. Download the PDF of your admit card.
6. Take a clear A4 printout (color or B/W).

What to Carry on Exam Day

• Printed Admit Card
• One valid photo ID (Aadhaar / PAN / Passport / Voter ID / Driving License, etc.)

Admit cards are not sent via post or email.

11. GATE 2026 Result & Scorecard

GATE 2026 results are scheduled to be announced on 19 March 2026.

Result Download Steps

1. Visit the GATE 2026 candidate portal (GOAPS).
2. Login using Enrollment ID / email and password.
3. Click on the "GATE 2026 Result" link.
4. Your marks, normalised score (out of 1000), AIR, and qualifying cutoff will appear.
5. Download and save for future use.

The scorecard can be downloaded for free within a given window (e.g., late March to end of May). After that, a fee may be charged for late download.

12. GATE 2026 Preparation Tips (Short, Practical)

Close the article with something actually useful:

1. Start from syllabus + previous year papers (PYQs).
2. Focus first on high-weightage subjects in your branch.
3. Integrate:

• Concept notes →
• Solved examples →
• Topic-wise quizzes →
• Full-length mock tests.

1. Maintain an error log: Track your mistakes and revise them weekly.
2. From August–October: Build concepts.
3. From November–January: Mix concepts + topic tests + PYQs.
4. January–February: Heavy on mock tests + revision.

On Schoolabe you can plug this section into your product: link to your GATE course, topic-wise quizzes, and PYQ practice right here.

Disclaimer: Dates and information are subject to change. Always verify on the official GATE 2026 website hosted by IIT Guwahati.