The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati released the provisional Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 answer keys and response sheets on its official website, gate2026.iitg.ac.in. Candidates can access these documents using their login credentials.
Challenging the Answer Key
Candidates have the opportunity to challenge the GATE 2026 provisional answer key. The process requires applicants to have their application number, email address, and password readily available for login.
Exam Details
IIT Guwahati administered the GATE 2026 computer-based test (CBT) across four days: February 7, 8, 14, and 15. The examination covered 30 different subjects. The test format included Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Select Questions (MSQs), and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions.
Result and Marking Scheme
The final GATE 2026 result will be based on the finalized answer key. IIT Guwahati is scheduled to announce the GATE 2026 results on March 19 .
Candidates can estimate their scores using the official marking scheme. The scheme details marks allocated for General Aptitude and subject-specific sections across various paper codes.
| GATE Paper Code | General Aptitude (GA) Marks | Subject Marks | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI, TF | 15 | 85 | 100 |
| GE [Part A + Part B (Section I or Section II)] | 15 | 55 + 30 | 100 |
| GG [Part A + Part B (Section 1: Geology or Section 2: Geophysics)] | 15 | 25 + 60 | 100 |
| AR [Part A + Part B (B1: Architecture or B2: Planning)] | 15 | 60 + 25 | 100 |
| CY, DA, EY, MA, PH, ST | 15 | 85 | 100 |
| XL (Section P (Chemistry compulsory)+ Any TWO Sections) | 15 | 25 + (2 x 30) | 100 |
| XE (Section A + Any TWO Sections) | 15 | 15 + (2 x 35) | 100 |
| XH (Section B1 + Any ONE Section) | 15 | 25 + 60 | 100 |
Calculating Scores
To calculate scores, candidates should tally correct answers and apply the marking scheme. Only MCQs incur negative marking. NAT questions have no negative marking.
The calculation for MCQs is as follows:
- 1-mark MCQs: (1 x correct attempts) – (1/3 x wrong attempts)
- 2-mark MCQs: (2 x correct attempts) – (2/3 x wrong attempts)
The GATE exam is a prerequisite for admission to Master of Technology (MTech) and Doctor of Philosophy (Phd) programs at various IITs, NITs, and other institutions. GATE scores are valid for three years and can also be used for recruitment by Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).