The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 begins on February 7 . The exam will continue for four days: February 8, February 14, and February 15. Examinations will be conducted across multiple shifts nationwide.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati is organizing GATE 2026. The test uses a computer-based format. It covers 30 different papers. A new sectional paper, Energy Science (XE), is added under Engineering Sciences.
Each GATE 2026 paper lasts three hours. Candidates must arrive at their assigned centers early. Entry into the exam hall starts 40 minutes before the scheduled time. Candidates can log in to read instructions 20 minutes prior.
Late entry is not permitted. Candidates cannot enter 30 minutes after the exam starts. Likewise, no candidate can leave the hall before the exam concludes.
GATE 2026 Exam Structure and Question Types
Candidates can take one or two papers. Each paper contains three types of objective questions. These include Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Selection Questions (MSQs), and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions.
Question Types Explained
- MCQs: These have four options. Only one option is correct. MCQs carry negative marking.
- MSQs: These questions may have one or more correct options. There is no negative marking for MSQs. Partial credit is not awarded.
- NAT: Candidates input a numerical value using an on-screen keypad. NAT questions do not have negative marking.
Sample Questions and Marking Scheme
The following examples illustrate the question formats:
Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) Example
Which Institute is organizing GATE 2026?
(A) IIT Roorkee
(B) IIT Delhi
(C) IIT Guwahati
(D) IISc
Correct answer: (C). Candidates receive full marks for selecting (C). Incorrect selections result in negative marks.
Multiple Select Question (MSQ) Example
Which of the following is/are factors of 96?
(A) 16
(B) 32
(C) 6
(D) 15
Correct answer combination: (A), (B), and (C). Full marks are given only for selecting this exact combination. No partial credit is awarded. Other selections receive no marks.
Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Example
For NAT questions, the answer is a signed real number. This number is entered via a virtual numeric keypad.
Example NAT Question:
If the wire diameter of a compressive helical spring is increased by 2%, the change in spring stiffness (in %) is ______________ (rounded off to two decimal places).
Candidates should round only at the final calculation step. Intermediate rounding is not advised.
Further details on the GATE 2026 syllabus and specific marking schemes for each paper are available on the official GATE website.