GATE 2026 Exam Pattern (Released) - Check Subject Wise Paper Pattern, Marking Scheme, Duration

GATE 2026 Exam Pattern

GATE 2026 exam pattern has been released by IIT Guwahati at gate2026.iitg.ac.in. As per the latest GATE exam pattern 2026, a new sectional paper on Energy Science (XE-I) has been added in the Engineering Science (XE) paper. The GATE paper pattern 2026 comprises important details like exam mode, exam duration, marking scheme, section-wise weightage, question types, etc. The GATE 2026 exam will consist total of 65 questions for a total of 100 marks. As per the GATE paper pattern 2026, there will be 15 questions of General Aptitude and 55 questions from Core Engineering Specialization and Engineering Mathematics (in selected papers). The GATE 2026 question paper will have multiple-choice questions (MCQs), multiple-selection questions (MSQs), and questions with numerical answers (NATs). The GATE 2026 exam will be held on February 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2025, for 100 marks. As per the GATE marking scheme 2025, each question will be worth 1 or 2 marks. There will be negative marking in GATE 2026. 

Read further below to know about the latest GATE 2026 exam pattern for CSE, ECE, ME, CH, and other engineering papers.

Highlights of GATE 2026 Exam Pattern

Students appearing for the upcoming GATE exam can get an insight into the GATE 2026 exam pattern from the table below -

Will there be any change in the GATE 2026 Exam Pattern?

IIT Guwahati has released the GATE 2026 exam pattern. As per the latest GATE paper pattern 2026, there have been no changes made in the exam pattern. The GATE exam pattern is similar as it was in the previous years. The GATE 2026 exam will be held for a total of 100 marks and will include 65 questions from General Aptitude, Core Engineering Discipline, and Engineering Mathematics (in some papers). However, the authorities have released a new section of the Energy Science (XE-I) in the Engineering Science (XE) paper. 

The authorities might change the GATE 2026 paper combination as a new section paper has been introduced in Engineering Sciences paper. If the authorities make any changes in the two paper combination, they will be notified on the GATE 2026 official website. 

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GATE Exam Pattern 2026 Paper-Wise

The detailed paper-wise exam pattern of GATE 2026 is as follows -

* Subject marks in these papers include questions on Engineering Mathematics (13 marks), which are paper-specific

** Section A (Engineering Mathematics) is Common and Compulsory for all students must select any TWO additional Sections during the Examination. 

*** Section B1 (Reasoning and Comprehension) is Common and Compulsory for all. Students must select any ONE additional Section at the time of Application.

**** Section P (Chemistry) is Common and Compulsory for all. Students must select any TWO additional Sections during the Examination.

GATE Exam Pattern 2026: Subject-wise Question Paper Pattern

You can find the subject-wise GATE 2026 paper pattern in the section below.

GATE Exam Pattern for CSE

The GATE exam pattern for CSE 2026 comprises details regarding the exam mode, the total number of questions asked in the exam, the marking scheme, and so on. Here we have provided the GATE CSE exam pattern 2026 key highlights -

• The GATE question paper for CSE will have 65 questions from 3 different sections, namely General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics, and core Computer Science Engineering. 

• The paper will comprise MCQs, MSQs, and Numerical Answer Type questions 

• The total marks allotted to the GATE CSE question paper are 100

• The General Aptitude section has 15 marks allotted to it, while the Engineering Mathematics and subject-specific papers are conducted for 13 marks and 72 marks, respectively.

• The mode of the examination is online, and the total time allotted is 3 hours

• ⅓ marks for 1-mark MCQs and ⅔ marks for 2-mark MCQs are deducted for each wrong answer

• Negative marking is not applicable for MSQ and NAT questions

GATE Exam Pattern for ECE 2026

Students preparing for GATE ECE 2026 can check out the GATE exam pattern for ECE shared below -

• The total marks allotted to the GATE ECE question paper are 100

• Three types of questions are asked in the exam - Multiple Choice Questions, Multiple Select Questions, and Numerical Answer Type questions

• The exam is conducted in online mode as a Computer-Based Test

• All the questions in the exam paper will have 1 mark or 2 marks 

• There are a total of 65 questions in the GATE 2026 ECE exam paper. Of these, 10 questions are asked from the General Aptitude section and the remaining 55 questions are based on Electronics and Communications Engineering.

• The total exam duration is 180 minutes

• ⅓ marks for 1-mark MCQs and ⅔ marks for 2-mark MCQs are deducted for each wrong answer

• Negative marking is not applicable for MSQ and NAT questions

GATE Exam Pattern 2026 for Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NM) Paper

The following pointers highlight the GATE exam pattern 2026 for NM -

• The GATE NM question paper is conducted online for a duration of 3 hours

• All the questions are based on MCQs, MSQs, and NATs

• Three sections, namely the General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics, and core Marine Engineering comprise the GATE 2026 NM exam paper. 

• A total of 65 questions are asked in the examination and the total marks allotted to the paper are 65.

• The General Aptitude section consists of 10 questions. Of these, 5 questions are worth 1 mark each and the remaining 5 questions carry 2 marks each. 

• ⅓ marks for 1-mark MCQs and ⅔ marks for 2-mark MCQs are deducted for each wrong answer

• Negative marking is not applicable for MSQ and NAT questions

GATE 2026 Exam Pattern for Geomatics Engineering (GE) Paper

The GATE GE question paper is divided into two parts - Part A and Part B. Thus, the GATE 2026 exam pattern is slightly different from GATE CSE or GATE ECE. tudents taking the GATE 2026 GE paper can check out the detailed exam pattern here -

• The GE paper for the GATE exam 2026 will contain one section on General Aptitude worth 15 marks as applicable for all papers in GATE.

• The rest of the exam paper comprises two parts (Part A and Part B) covering the whole GATE exam syllabus 2026. 

• Part A of the GATE GE exam paper contains 55 marks while Part B comprises 30 marks

• Part A of the question paper is compulsory for all students

• Part B comprises two optional sections (Section I and Section II) for students to choose from during the exam.

GATE 2026 Exam Pattern Geology and Geophysics Paper (GG)

Here is a look at the GATE 2026 exam pattern for GG -

• The GATE 2026 Geology and Geophysics paper consists of two parts - Part A and Part B.

• While Part A is compulsory for all, Part B comprises two sections – Geology (Section I) and Geophysics (Section II). Of these, students are to choose one as per their interest.

• Part A of the GATE GG question paper 2026 contains 25 questions worth 1 mark each

• The questions are based on MCQs, MSQs, and NATs.

• The optional Part B (Sections I or II) consists of 30 questions, each carrying 2 marks

GATE Exam Pattern 2026 Architecture and Planning (AR) New Pattern

Students appearing for the GATE Architecture and Planning (AR) paper can go through the latest GATE exam pattern 2026 for AR here -

• The GATE 2026 AR exam paper consists of one section on General Aptitude worth 15 marks

• The paper is further divided into two parts - Part A and Part B covering the entire GATE exam syllabus 2026. 

• Part A of the GATE AR question paper is compulsory for all students. The total marks allotted to this section are 60.

• Part B of the exam paper is optional wherein students are to choose between Section I and Section II. 

• GATE AR Part B1 comprises questions on Architecture while Section B2 focuses on Planning. The total marks allotted to Part B are 25 marks. 

• The paper is conducted online for a duration of 3 hours

GATE Exam Pattern 2026 Engineering Sciences (XE)

The GATE exam pattern 2026 for XE will help students know about the section-wise marks distribution, question pattern and so on. Students can find the important highlights of the GATE XE question paper below - 

• The GATE XE paper comprises General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics (Section A), which are compulsory for all students.

• students are to choose any two additional portions from Section B

• The General Aptitude section features 10 questions carrying a total of 15 marks

• 11 questions carrying 15 marks are asked from Section A of Engineering Mathematics

• Section B (XE-B to XE-H) carries 22 questions worth 35 marks in total

• The questions asked are mostly of MCQ, MSQ and NAT-type questions

• The total marks allotted to GATE XE 2026 paper are 100 and the total time allotted is 180 minutes

• The various subjects under Section B include - 

1. XE-B – Fluid mechanics

2. XE-C – Material Science

3. XE-D – Solid mechanics

4. XE-E – Thermodynamics

5. XE-F – Polymer Science and Engineering

6. XE-G – Food technology

7. XE-H – Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

GATE Exam Pattern 2026 Life Sciences (XL)

Students can check the GATE 2026 Life Sciences exam pattern mentioned below:

• GATE XL paper comprises three sections - General Aptitude, Chemistry (Section P), and another Section with two additional subjects. 

• The Chemistry section consisting of 150 questions worth 25 marks is common and compulsory for all students.

• Numerical Answer Type questions are asked from the Chemistry section

• The General Aptitude section also comprises 15 marks in total

• Apart from Chemistry, students are to choose two additional subjects from the third Section (XL-Q to XL-U). This section carries 20 questions of 30 marks in total.

• The various subjects under Section B include - 

1. XL-Q – Biochemistry

2. XL-R – Botany

3. XL-S – Microbiology

4. XL-T – Zoology

5. XL-U – Food Technology

GATE Exam Pattern 2026 for Humanities and Social Sciences (XH)

Check out the detailed GATE exam pattern 2026 for XH in the section below -

• The GATE XH exam paper consists of three sections and the total marks allotted are 100.

• The General Aptitude and Section B1 (Reasoning and Comprehension) are compulsory for all students. 

• 10 questions are asked from the General Aptitude section. Of these, 5 questions are worth 1 mark and the remaining 5 questions are of 2 marks each. The total marks allotted to this section are 15. 

• The Reading Comprehension section consists of 15 questions

• Apart from these, the paper comprises an additional subject, which students are to attempt. 

• The various subjects under the additional section (XH-C1 to XH-C6) include:

1. XH–C1: Economics

2. XH–C2: English

3. XH–C3: Linguistics

4. XH–C4: Philosophy

5. XH–C5: Psychology

6. XH–C6: Sociology

Types of Questions in GATE 2026

The GATE 2026 question paper includes 3 types of Questions- MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions), MSQs (Multiple Select Questions) & NAT (Numerical Answer Type).

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)

• In MCQs, students are provided with 4 choices out of which one answer is correct. 

• Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) carrying 1 or 2 marks each in all the papers and sections.

• There is a negative marking for every incorrect response i.e.

  • For 1 mark MCQ, 1/3 mark will be deducted for marking an incorrect answer.

  • For 2 mark MCQ, 2/3 mark will be deducted for marking an incorrect answer.

Numerical Answer Type (NAT)

• Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions carrying 1 or 2 marks each in all the papers and sections.

• NAT includes questions with a value or a real number as their answer.

• NAT questions will be mentioned with, up to which decimal places, the students need to make an answer.

• The answer has to be entered using the mouse. 

• There won’t be any choices for these questions.

• Using the keyboard must be avoided as it will lock your answer panel.

• There is no negative marking for a wrong answer in NAT questions.

MSQ (Multiple Select Questions)

• Each question will have a minimum of 1 to 4 correct answers, and the students will have to pick up all the right options.

• There is no negative marking for the wrong attempt in MSQs.

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How will be the GATE Question Exam Pattern 2026?

Questions in the GATE 2026 papers are designed to test the students' comprehensive and analytical skills. Here is a quick overview of the different forms of questions asked in the GATE exam that will help the students get an idea - 

• Recall/Memorize – The GATE 2026 question paper will have questions directly linked to the facts, formulas, principles, and laws as per the subject chosen. Through these types of questions, the students' memory and computational skills are put to the test.

• Application – These are the questions that require applying the basic concepts learned by students to practical knowledge. This helps test the students' reasoning and computational skills. 

• Comprehension – The GATE question pattern 2026 includes questions based on comprehension to test the students' basic understanding of the respective field of study. To address these types of questions, students must have a clear understanding of the fundamental concepts to be able to draw simple conclusions.

• Analysis and Synthesis – These refer to the questions comprising a mix of images, diagrams and data. Students should be able to solve these questions by analyzing the data provided in these images/diagrams.

GATE 2026 Marking Scheme

You can check out the GATE marking scheme 2026 below. The GATE paper covers a total of 65 questions of 100 marks for each of the 30 subjects.

Each GATE paper is divided into subsections, and based on it the marking scheme of GATE is defined.

For Engineering Mathematics

• This will have 5 questions of 2 marks each and 5 questions of 1 mark each. The remaining 70% weightage of the total marks is acquired by the subject of the paper.

• Engineering Mathematics will cover approximately 15% weightage out of 100 marks for the paper bearing codes AE, AG, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, IN, ME, MN, MT, PE, PI, TF and XE.]

For General Aptitude

• This will have 5 questions of 2 marks each and 5 questions of 1 mark each

• For the paper codes – AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, and XL, the General Aptitude will cover 15% out of 100 marks, and the other 85% of the total question paper will be covered by the subject of the paper.

For Subject Knowledge

This will have 25 questions of 2 marks each and 20 questions of 1 mark each.

Negative Marking in GATE 2026

• In NAT questions, there is no provision for negative marking in the examination.

• MCQs carrying 1 mark each, for them 1/3 marks will be deducted as a penalty for marking the incorrect response.

• MCQs carrying 2 marks, for them 2/3 marks will be deducted for marking the incorrect response.

• There is no negative marking for MSQs

Quick Link - GATE 2026 Admit Card

Guidelines to Attempt GATE 2026 Questions?

Since GATE is an online entrance examination. Therefore, all the questions have to be answered in online mode. Students are required to answer the questions as per the question palette, which was displayed, showing the status of each question. The table below includes all the details regarding the question palette of GATE 2026.

How to go to a question?

• On the right side of the screen, students will see a number of questions organized in serial order.
• Students can get directly to a question by clicking on the GATE question number.
• When you press the question button, the question is displayed on the screen.

What is the procedure for answering a question in the GATE exam 2026?

• In the case of MCQs, students must click on a specific option to select it.
• To deselect an option, click on it again. Students can also use the clear response option to uncheck all options.
• In the event of numerical questions, input the answer using the virtual keyboard on the screen.

What are the steps for saving answers in the GATE 2026?

• Students must click on the "Save and Next" option on the screen.
• If students are unsure about their response, they can mark the question for review by using the "Mark for Review and Next" button.
• Once the time limit is reached, all responses will be submitted automatically.

GATE Exam Pattern 2026: Important Things to Keep in Mind

You can check out the details of the GATE 2026 exam pattern below. 

• The GATE 2026 exam will be held in online mode as a computer-based test at various exam centres. 
• Three hours will be allotted for the GATE exam.
• The GATE exam will be held for a total of 100 marks.
• The GATE 2026 exam will be held for 30 papers. 
• There will be 65 questions on the GATE 2026 exam.
• There will be questions from Engineering Mathematics, General Aptitude, and Core Engineering disciplines. However, the Engineering Mathematics section will be there in some GATE papers only. 
• The General Aptitude section will be in all 30 papers of GATE. 
• Every GATE question will be as per the syllabus for the 2026 GATE exam.
• The GATE question paper 2026 will have two different kinds of questions: multiple-choice questions and questions with numerical answers. Students must choose one response from the four alternatives provided in multiple-choice questions (MCQs), whereas students must use a virtual keyboard to input the right response in NAT questions.
• A scribble pad will be given to students for the preliminary work.
• All questions will be worth 1 or 2 marks. 
• There will be a negative marking in GATE 2026 for the wrong answers. However, there will be no negative marking for MCQ and NAT-type questions. 
• Students must attempt the GATE mock test 2026 to get familiar with online paper patterns and learn how to solve questions online. 

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GATE Exam Pattern 2026: Two Paper Combination

IIT Guwahati has released the list of the GATE 2026 two-paper combinations. We have updated the GATE two paper combination 2026 list below.  

GATE 2026 Two Paper Combinations List (Table 1)

Important points to consider when selecting GATE two paper combination subjects:

• You must choose your subjects carefully. You should thoroughly review the GATE 2026 syllabus and the GATE 2026 exam pattern for the topic they choose to pursue. Students can take two papers (primary and secondary) in the GATE 2026 exam using the new two-paper combo option. Students must be aware that they must select one of the two test papers as their first choice. The second test paper can only be picked from the allowed combinations.
• You must decide which of the two subjects will be their primary subject and select the second subject accordingly.
• If a new paper combination is added at a later period (correction window), you can select any combination, including new and original paper combinations, and add a new topic by paying the applicable cost.
• If any paper combination is deleted at a later date (correction window), the Student's second paper fees will be refunded. 

GATE 2026 Subjects and Paper Code

GATE exam pattern 2026 varies for each paper. You refer to the GATE 2026 exam pattern for the paper they are sitting for. Check out the GATE 2026 paper codes for all 30 subjects of GATE below. 

GATE 2026 Paper Codes

GATE 2026 Paper Codes for XE and XL

**XE (Engineering Sciences) and **XL (Life Sciences) papers will consist of sections listed in the table above

GATE 2026 Paper Codes for XH