The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has published the syllabus for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026. The examination is set to take place on February 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2026. Registration will commence on August 25, via the official website at gate2026.iitg.ac.in.
GATE 2026 will act as the entry point for admissions into MTech, MS, and PhD programs provided by IITs, National Institutes of Technology (NITs), and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs). Furthermore, numerous Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) will utilize GATE scores for recruitment purposes.
GATE 2026: Examination Format and Syllabus
This year, the examination will include 30 test papers, comprising both full and sectional papers. A new section titled “Energy Science” has been incorporated into the Engineering Sciences paper. Candidates may choose to take either one or two test papers, but only from the sanctioned two-paper combinations, the specifics of which will be made available on the official website in due time.
The examination will be conducted in English. Each paper will be worth a total of 100 marks, with General Aptitude (GA) contributing 15 marks, while the remaining 85 marks will be allocated to the subject-specific syllabus.
For the XE paper, Engineering Mathematics (15 marks) is mandatory, along with two optional sections valued at 35 marks each. For the XH paper, Reasoning and Comprehension (25 marks) is required, along with one optional section worth 60 marks. For the XL paper, Chemistry (25 marks) is compulsory, along with two optional sections each worth 30 marks.
GATE 2026: Paper section and code
| XE Paper Sections and Codes: |
| A – Engineering Mathematics (Compulsory) |
| B – Fluid Mechanics |
| C – Materials Science |
| D – Solid Mechanics |
| E – Thermodynamics |
| F – Polymer Science and Engineering |
| G – Food Technology |
| H – Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences |
| I – Energy Science |
| XH Paper Sections and Codes: |
| B1 – Reasoning and Comprehension (Compulsory) |
| C1 – Economics |
| C2 – English |
| C3 – Linguistics |
| C4 – Philosophy |
| C5 – Psychology |
| C6 – Sociology |
| XL Paper Sections and Codes: |
| P – Chemistry (Compulsory) |
| Q – Biochemistry |
| R – Botany |
| S – Microbiology |
| T – Zoology |
| U – Food Technology |
Candidates must be aware of their paper codes, as these will be necessary during both the application process and the examination. According to the notification, each applicant is permitted to submit only a single application; those who wish to take a second paper must include it in their initial form. Submitting multiple applications will lead to the cancellation of all but one, with no reimbursement of fees.
In accordance with the marking scheme, each correct response will earn one or two marks, depending on the type of question. For incorrect responses, one-third of a mark will be deducted for each one-mark question, while two-thirds of a mark will be subtracted for each two-mark question.
