Verified 2026 guide

GATE Exam Pattern 2026

GATE paper structure, sections, mode, duration and marking. Verified against The current organising IIT or IISc sources on 23 September 2026.

Last checked 23 September 2026GATE official website

Explore GATE

Paper structure and marking

General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics together form a large, branch-independent block that many candidates under-prepare because it feels peripheral. It is not.

Section	Question type	Marks	Notes
General Aptitude	Verbal and numerical aptitude	+2 / −0.66	Common to every paper and the cheapest marks available
Engineering Mathematics	Objective and numerical answer questions	+2 / −0.66	Common core across branches
Core Branch Subject	Objective and numerical answer questions	+2 / −0.66	CSE, ME, EE, CE or ECE

Mode: Computer-based test (CBT)
Practice duration: MockPrep test: 25 questions, exam-paced timer
Marking: +2 for a correct answer, −0.66 for an incorrect answer, 0 if left unattempted (numerical answer type questions carry no penalty in the actual exam)

Source and interpretation note

The organising institute and official domain rotate. Paper syllabi and qualifying marks must be checked each cycle.

Official authority: The current organising IIT or IISc. Last verified: 23 September 2026.

Turn the guide into practice

Use a timed GATE test, then review the section and topic breakdown.