GATE Exam Pattern 2026: Check Subject-Wise Pattern, Marking Scheme
GATE 2026 exam pattern, released by IIT Guwahati, defines the structure and marking scheme for all 30 papers. Each paper will have 65 questions carrying 100 marks to be completed in 3 hours. The paper includes General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics (for selected disciplines), and core subject questions. GATE 2026 exam will be conducted in computer-based test mode and in two shifts- shift 1 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and shift 2 from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm.
GATE 2026 Exam Pattern Highlights
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | IIT Guwahati |
| Exam Level | National |
| Mode of Exam | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Duration | 3 hours (180 minutes) |
| Total Papers | 30 |
| Total Questions | 65 |
| Maximum Marks | 100 |
| Sections in Paper | General Aptitude (GA) Engineering Mathematics (in some papers) Subject Questions |
| Testing of abilities |
|
The exam pattern remains consistent across all papers, but the weightage of sections (General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics, and Subject Questions) varies depending on the discipline.
GATE 2026 Papers and Subjects
GATE 2026 will be conducted for 30 subjects, ranging from traditional engineering branches like Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, and Computer Science to interdisciplinary fields such as Data Science, Environmental Science, and Biomedical Engineering.
- Candidates can appear for one or two papers, provided the chosen combination is allowed by IIT Guwahati.
- Each paper will have its unique syllabus, but the exam pattern framework remains uniform.
Types of Questions in GATE 2026
GATE exam does not rely solely on MCQs. To test analytical ability and numerical problem-solving, IIT Guwahati includes three types of questions:
| Question Type | Description | Negative Marking |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) | 4 options with only one correct answer. | Yes |
| Multiple Select Questions (MSQs) | More than one correct option, all must be selected for full marks. | No |
| Numerical Answer Type (NAT) | Candidates must enter a numerical value using a virtual keypad. | No |
GATE Distribution of Marks and Sections 2026
The distribution of marks in GATE 2026 follows a balanced weightage to test aptitude, mathematics, and core knowledge. Below is the table for distribution of marks in all papers EXCEPT papers AR, CY, DA, EY, GE, GG, MA, PH, ST, XH, and XL:
| Section | Marks Distribution |
|---|---|
| General Aptitude (GA) | 15 marks |
| Engineering Mathematics (in select papers) | 13 marks |
| Subject Questions | 72 marks |
| Total | 100 marks |
- For non-engineering papers (like Humanities, Chemistry, etc.), GA remains 15 marks, and the remaining marks are allotted to the subject section.
Below is the table for the distribution of marks in papers AR, CY, DA, EY, GE, GG, MA, PH, ST, XH, and XL:
| Section | Marks Distribution |
|---|---|
| General Aptitude (GA) | 15 marks |
| Subject Questions | 85 marks |
| Total | 100 marks |
Check GATE 2026 marks distribution across Mechanical, Civil, CSE, Electrical, and other streams in the following table:
| Paper Code | General Aptitude (GA) Marks | Subject: Compulsory Section | Subject: Optional Section(s) | Total Marks | Total Time* (Minutes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI, TF; Subject marks in these papers include questions on Engineering Mathematics (13 marks), which are paper-specific. | 15 | 85 | -- | 100 | 180 |
| CY, DA, EY, MA, PH, ST | 15 | 85 | -- | 100 | 180 |
| AR: Part A is Common and Compulsory. Part B1/B2 can be selected during the exam. B1 - Architecture or B2 - Planning | 15 | 60 | 25 | 100 | 180 |
| GE: Part A is Common and Compulsory. Part B1/B2 can be selected during the exam. B1 - Surveying and Mapping or B2 - Image Processing and Analysis | 15 | 55 | 30 | 100 | 180 |
| GG: Part A is Common and Compulsory. Part B1/B2 must be chosen at the time of application. B1 - Geology or B2 - Geophysics | 15 | 25 | 60 | 100 | 180 |
| XE: Section A (Engineering Mathematics) is Common and Compulsory. Applicants must select any TWO of the other sections during the exam. | 15 | 15 | 2 x 35 | 100 | 180 |
| XH: Section B1 (Reasoning and Comprehension) is Common and Compulsory. Applicants must select any ONE of the other sections at the time of application. | 15 | 25 | 60 | 100 | 180 |
| XL: Section P (Chemistry) is Common and Compulsory. Applicants must select any TWO of the other sections during the exam. | 15 | 25 | 2 x 30 | 100 | 180 |
GATE Exam Pattern for Architecture and Planning (AR)
| Sections | No. of Questions | Marks/Question | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| GA | 10 | (5 x 1) + (5 x 2) | 15 |
| Part A (mandatory) | 39 | (18 x 1) + (21 x 2) | 60 |
| Part B: Part 1 (Architecture) or Part 2 (Planning) | 16 | (7 x 1) + (9 x 2) | 25 |
| Total | 55 | - | 100 |
GATE Exam Pattern for Geomatics Engineering (GE)
| Sections | No. of questions | Marks/Question | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| GA | 10 | (5 x 1) + (5 x 2) | 15 |
| Part A (mandatory) | 36 | (17 x 1) + (19 x 2) | 55 |
| Part B: Section 1 or Section 2 | 16 | (8 x 1) + (11 x 2) | 30 |
| Total | 55 | - | 100 |
GATE Exam Pattern for Geology and Geophysics (GG)
| Sections | Sub-section | No. of questions | Marks/Question | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA | - | 10 | 1 or 2 | 15 |
| Part A | - | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Part B (Any one based on candidate's selection) | Geology | 30 | 2 | 60 |
| Geophysics | 30 | 2 | 60 |
GATE Exam Pattern for Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NM)
| Sections | No. of questions | Marks/Question | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| GA | 10 | (5 x 1) + (5 x 2) | 15 |
| Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering | 55 | (25 x 1) + (30 x 2) | 85 |
GATE Exam Pattern for Engineering Sciences (XE)
| Sections | No. of 1 mark questions | No. of 2 mark questions | No. of Questions | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA | 5 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| Section A (Engineering Sciences) | 7 | 4 | 11 | 15 |
| Section B-H (Any Two Optional Sections) | 9+9 | 13+13 | 22+22=44 | 35+35= 70 |
| Total | 30 | 70 | 65 | 100 |
Section B-H: Candidates are required to select any two sections from Section B to Section H. Each chosen section contains 22 questions, accounting for a total of 35 marks. The subjects included under these sections are listed below:
- XE-B: Fluid Mechanics
- XE-C: Material Science
- XE-D: Solid Mechanics
- XE-E: Thermodynamics
- XE-F: Polymer Science and Engineering
- XE-G: Food Technology
- XE-H: Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
GATE Exam Pattern for Humanities and Social Sciences (XH)
| Sections | No. of 1 mark questions Total | No. of 2 Mark questions | Total No. of Questions | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA | 5 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| B1* (Reasoning and Comprehension) | 5 | 10 | 15 | 15 |
| C1-C6 (Any One of These Sections) | 20 | 20 | 40 | 60 |
| Total | 30 | 70 | 65 | 100 |
C1-C6: Candidates are required to select any one section from C1 to C6. The subjects included under C1 to C6 are listed below:
- XH–C1: Economics
- XH–C2: English
- XH–C3: Linguistics
- XH–C4: Philosophy
- XH–C5: Psychology
- XH–C6: Sociology
GATE Exam Pattern for Life Sciences (XL)
| Sections | No. of 1 mark questions Total | No. of 2 Mark questions | Total No. of Questions | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA | 5 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| Section P(Chemistry) | 5 | 10 | 15 | 25 |
| Section Q-U(Any two of these) | 10+10 | 10+10 | 20+20=40 | 30+30=60 |
| Total | 30 | 70 | 65 | 100 |
Section Q-U: Candidates are required to select any two sections from Section Q to Section U. Each chosen section contains 20 questions, accounting for a total of 30 marks. The subjects included under Section Q to Section U are listed below:
- XL-Q: Biochemistry
- XL-R: Botany
- XL-S: Microbiology
- XL-T: Zoology
- XL-U: Food Technology
GATE Exam Pattern For Civil Engineering
| Sections | No. of Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering Mathematics | 10 | 13 |
| General aptitude | 10 | 15 |
| Civil engineering subject | 45 | 72 |
| Total | 65 | 100 |
GATE Exam Pattern For Computer Science And Engineering
| Sections | No. of Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering Mathematics | 10 | 13 |
| General aptitude | 10 | 15 |
| Computer science and engineering subject | 45 | 72 |
| Total | 65 | 100 |
GATE Exam Pattern for Mechanical Engineering (ME)
| Sections | No. of Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering Mathematics | 10 | 13 |
| General Aptitude | 10 | 15 |
| Mechanical Engineering Subject | 45 | 72 |
| Total | 65 | 100 |
GATE Exam Pattern for Electrical Engineering (EE)
| Sections | No. of Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering Mathematics | 10 | 13 |
| General Aptitude | 10 | 15 |
| Electrical Engineering Subject | 45 | 72 |
| Total | 65 | 100 |
GATE Marking Scheme 2026
The official IIT Guwahati notification specifies the following GATE 2026 marking scheme:
| Question Type | Marks per Question | Negative Marking Rule |
|---|---|---|
| MCQs (1 mark) | 1 | ⅓ mark deducted for incorrect response |
| MCQs (2 marks) | 2 | ⅔ mark deducted for incorrect response |
| MSQs (1 or 2 marks) | 1 or 2 | No negative marking (no partial marking) |
| NAT (1 or 2 marks) | 1 or 2 | No negative marking |
This ensures that candidates are rewarded for accuracy while minimizing guesswork.
GATE 2026 Mode of Examination and Duration
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Duration | 3 hours (180 minutes) |
| Language of Paper | English |
| Tools Provided | Virtual scientific calculator on screen |
| Rough Work Facility | Scribble pad provided at exam centre |
| Question Navigation | Candidates can move between questions and change responses within duration |
GATE 2026 Exam Pattern: Paper Codes
Candidates can check all the subjects & respective paper codes in GATE 2026 exam in the table below:
| PAPER | CODE |
|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineering | AE |
| Agricultural Engineering | AG |
| Architecture and Planning | AR |
| Biotechnology | BT |
| Bio-medical Engineering | BM |
| Civil Engineering | CE |
| Chemical Engineering | CH |
| Computer Science & Information Technology | CS |
| Chemistry | CY |
| Electronics and Communication Engineering | EC |
| Electrical Engineering | EE |
| Engineering Sciences | XE |
| Petroleum Engineering | PE |
| Geomatics Engineering | GE |
| Geology and Geophysics | GG |
| Instrumentation Engineering | IN |
| Life Sciences | XL |
| Mathematics | MA |
| Mechanical Engineering | ME |
| Mining Engineering | MN |
| Metallurgical Engineering | MT |
| Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering | NM |
| Physics | PH |
| Production and Industrial Engineering | PI |
| Textile Engineering & Fibre Science | TF |
| Ecology and Evolution | EY |
| Statistics | ST |
| Environmental Science and Engineering | ES |
| Humanities and Social Sciences | XH |
| Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (Newly added) | DA |
GATE Exam Pattern 2026 follows a uniform structure of 65 questions for 100 marks across all papers. The General Aptitude (GA) section is compulsory, while NAT questions demand precise numerical entry without answer choices. Negative marking applies only to MCQs, not to MSQs or NATs. Candidates choosing two papers in GATE 2026 must carefully check the allowed combinations in advance.
GATE Exam Pattern 2026 FAQs
Ques: How many questions are asked in GATE 2026?
Ans: Each GATE 2026 paper contains a total of 65 questions, combining General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics (in select papers), and core subject questions, all contributing to a total of 100 marks.
Ques: Is a virtual calculator provided in GATE 2026?
Ans: Yes, an online virtual scientific calculator will be available on the screen during GATE 2026. Physical calculators and other devices are strictly prohibited inside the exam hall.
Ques: Is Engineering Mathematics compulsory for all GATE 2026 papers?
Ans: No, Engineering Mathematics is compulsory only in specific engineering papers such as Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, and Computer Science. Non-engineering papers do not include a Mathematics section.
Ques: How many MSQ questions are asked in GATE 2026?
Ans: The exact number of MSQs varies per paper, but they are included in most disciplines. They carry either 1 or 2 marks each, with no negative marking and no partial marking.
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