Difference between GATE Marks, Score and Percentile: Analysis and Expected Cutoff
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2027 ( GATE )
GATE 2027 Application Form Release Date
To be notified
IIT Roorkee has announced GATE 2025 results and cutoff marks on March 19, 2025. The most common question asked among the students is the GATE 2025 percentile & score, the same as how to calculate the GATE percentile from the rank. Know the difference between GATE 2025 Marks, Score & Percentile here.
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2025 was conducted on Feb 1, 2, 15, and 16, 2025. IIT Roorkee was responsible for conducting Graduate Aptitude in Engineering. The GATE result is now available along with the qualifying cutoff marks, now the next set of questions in every student’s mind is, what will be my score, are GATE 2025 percentile and score the same, how to calculate the percentile from rank, and others.
As one of the biggest exams for engineering graduates to pursue higher studies, every candidate appearing in the GATE must be free from confusion. The article below is the answer to every query that a candidate may have in their mind.
Before understanding how GATE marks and percentiles will be calculated, candidates must understand the GATE exam pattern.
- GATE exam pattern
- Detailed GATE Marking Scheme
- GATE Rank
- Marks Out of 100
- GATE Score
- GATE Percentile Calculation
GATE exam pattern
Candidates can check GATE paper pattern and types of questions asked in GATE exam
Multiple-choice questions
In such questions, candidates will have four options to choose the correct question. There are two types of multiple-choice questions:
One mark multiple-choice questions: Candidates will be awarded 1 mark for marking the correct option but 1/3 marks will be deducted for a wrong answer.
Two marks multiple-choice questions: Candidates will be awarded two marks for marking the correct option but 2/3 marks will be deducted for a wrong answer.
Also Read:
- How many students qualified in GATE: Year-Wise Trends and Analysis
- GATE IIT Cutoff for MTech Admissions: Category-wise cut-off for IITs
Numerical Answer Type Questions
Such questions have a unique integer-type answer (which is the only single correct answer) or else a floating-point answer that can take a range of values. There is NO negative marking for numerical answer-type questions.
Commonly asked questions
IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi both offer BDes course. Below is the comparison of BDes course of top IITs based on fee and ranking parameters:
| IITs | Total Tuition Fee* | NIRF Overall Ranking (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| IIT Bombay | INR 8 Lacs - INR 11.6 lakh | 4 |
| IIT Delhi | INR 8 lakh | 3 |
*The fee is taken from an unofficial source. Hence, is indicative.
IIT Delhi has been ranked better than IIT Kanpur. Candidates can also look at the ROI calculated based on fee and average package offered to take a decision. The following table presents a comparison between the two institutes:
MTech Institutes | NIRF Ranking 2023 | Total Tuition Fee |
|---|---|---|
IIT Delhi | 2 | INR 3 Lacs - INR 8.7 lakh |
4 | INR 20,000 - INR 8 lakh |
NOTE: The fee mentioned above is taken from an unofficial source. Hence, is indicative.
The JEE Advanced cutoff has been released up to the last round for all three IITs. For BTech in Chemical Engineering, the last round closing rank for both IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay was 2724 and 2833, respectively, for the General AI category candidates.
At IIT Gandhinagar, the closing rank for BTech CSE was 2315 for the same aforementioned category.
Therefore, regardless of the branch you get, IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay are always considered to be better options due to their brand value, academics, and placements.
In case your preference is only CSE, IIT Gandhinagar is not a bad option, as it is also known for its academics and faculty. Plus, the CSE branch has better placement opportunities. To make your decision, other aspects, such as the ranking and average package for IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, and IIT Gandhinagar, are tabulated below:
College | NIRF Ranking (2025) | Average Package |
IIT Delhi | 2 | INR 21.9 LPA (2025 overall) |
IIT Bombay | 3 | INR 26.45 LPA (2026 overall) |
IIT Gandhinagar | 25 | INR 23.21 LPA (CSE for 2025) |
IIT Guwahati has released GATE 2026 cutoff mark on its official page. Candidates who have appeared exam, can check qualifying marks now. The GATE passing mark differs for each branch paper.
Detailed GATE Marking Scheme
Candidates can check the detailed marking scheme for GATE below:
| Paper Code |
General Aptitude (GA) Marks |
Subject Marks |
Total Marks |
Total Time (Minutes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AE, AR, AG, BT, CE, CH, CS, CY, EC, EE, ES, EY, IN, MA, ME, MN, MT, PE, PH, PI, TF, ST and BM |
15 |
85 |
100 |
180 |
| GG [Part A + Part B (Section 1 Geology OR Section 2 Geophysics)] |
15 |
25 + 60 |
100 |
180 |
| XE (Section A + Any TWO Sections) |
15 |
15 + (2 x 35) |
100 |
180 |
| XH (Section B1 + Any ONE Section) |
15 |
25 + (1 x 60) |
100 |
180 |
| XL (Section P + Any TWO Sections) |
15 |
25 + (2 x 30) |
100 |
180 |
Note: There will be NO negative marking for a wrong answer in NAT questions.
Click here to check the GATE Exam Pattern and division of marks
Also Read:
GATE Rank
GATE rank is also known as All India Rank (AIR). A candidate gets his/her GATE rank only for his branch. For example, candidates appearing in the Electrical Engineering paper will get the rank among students who appeared in the same paper only.
Commonly asked questions
GATE 2026 CSE cutoff (category-wise) can be checked here -
General | OBC-NCL EWS | SC/ST and PwD |
30 | 27 | 20 |
The cutoff is the minimum mark that is required for all candidates to qualify for the exam. IIT Guwahati announced GATE result 2026 on March 19.
Candidates can check GATE exam pattern and question distribution of the papers - AR, CY, DA, EY, GG, GE, MA, PH, ST, XH, and XL below -
- General aptitude section carry 15 marks and subject mark consists questions of 85 marks
- Total marks of GATE question paper - 100 marks
- Mode of exam is online and time duration is 3 hours
The GATE 2026 cutoff will be released soon on official website. IIT Guwahati announced the GATE 2026 result on March 19. The cutoff is different for each subject/branch and varies every year.
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Marks Out of 100
It is displayed on the GATE 2025 scorecard of every candidate, but all students must be very clear about it. These marks have two versions:
For papers conducted in a single session: For Candidates who appeared in the single session papers/subjects, actual marks obtained in the subject will be displayed in this field.
For papers conducted in multiple sessions: Candidates who appeared in the single session papers/subjects will get their normalised marks will be displayed in this field. The normalization will be done using the formula given below:
Candidates can have a rough idea about what will be their normalised marks against the actual marks with the help of the graph below:
Also Read: Opportunities after GATE: Check Career Scope & Salary Options
GATE Score
The GATE score of candidates will also be calculated based on the paper the candidate has appeared for.
For papers conducted in a single session: For all papers for only one session, actual marks obtained by the candidates will be used for calculating the GATE 2025 Score.
For papers conducted in multiple sessions: For papers conducted in multiple sessions: For papers in multiple sessions, normalized marks will be calculated corresponding to the raw marks obtained by a candidate, and the GATE 2025 Score will be calculated based on the normalized marks.
For all candidates (including single and multiple sessions) GATE Score will be calculated using the following formula:
Candidates can have a rough idea about what their score will be against the actual marks/normalised marks with the help of the graph below:
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GATE Percentile Calculation
The percentile is the percentage of people behind you in the GATE exam. The percentile is calculated as shown below:
For Example:
Suppose 5,00,000 candidates appeared in your subject of the GATE exam.
Example 1:
Your rank is 1
Percentile = ((5,00,000-1)/(5,00,000-1)) x 100 = 100
Example 2:
Your rank is 100
Percentile = ((5,00,000-100)/(5,00,000-1)) x 100 = 99.95
Example 3:
Your rank is 5,00,000
Percentile = ((5,00,000-5,00,000)/(5,00,000-1)) x 100 = 0
Candidates who wish to get direct admission into IISC/ IITs must try to score nearly 100 percentile.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
Not yet. IIT Madras will activate the GATE 2027 registration link anytime soon. The start date has been revised. Candidates are advised to keep all their documents and certificates ready.
U
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
According to the IIT Kanpur GATE cutoff 2024, the last round closing ranks ranged from 622 to 840 for the General AI category. So, students who score above 630 increase their chances of admission. The higher the score, the better the chances of admission. Check the list below to know the minimum sco
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
No, IIT Madras delayed GATE 2027 application release date. Candidates who want to apply for M.Tech or research studies can fill out their exam form once link is active.
S
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a week ago
If additional amount is deducted while filling GATE exam form 2027, then extra amount will be refunded within 15 to 20 days.
S
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a week ago
No, GATE conducting body allows candidates to attempt for two subjects only. Candidates can select one primary and secondary paper based on their relevant degree during GATE registration.
H
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a week ago
GATE 2027 is a computer-based national test administered by IIT Madras. Candidates must be currently enrolled in atleast 3rd year or have completed a bachelor's degree in engineering, Science or technology. The exam duration is of 3 hours and covers 100 marks. It has no age limit.
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
IIT Bombay M.Tech cutoff 2026 was 600 for the M.Tech in Mechanical Engineering course for the General AI category. Hence, students need to secure a score of at least 600 if they want admission at IIT Bombay. To know the minimum score required by other categories for the same course, check the lsit b
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
IIT Bombay COAP cutoff 2026 for the General AI category ranged from 325 to 650 in the first round. As per this range, General AI category need to score at least 325 to be considered eligible for admission. Refer to the list below to know the round 1 cutoff range for other categories under the All In
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
SC AI students have to score at least 217 if they want admission at IIT Bombay. The higher the score, the better chances of admission. Those who want admission to more popular courses will have to score higher, ie, for M.Tech CSE course, a score of at least 400 is needed.
See below to know which cou
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
GATE scorecard is valid for three years, starting from the result declaration date. Candidates who have qualified GATE exam can download their scorecard and use it for admission to IITs/NITs/IIITs/GFTIs or PSU recruitment.
U
Contributor-Level 10
Upasana Pradhan is an Mtech graduate in Electronics and Communication Engineering from DTU who specialises in curating postgraduate and undergraduate engineering entrance exam content, such as GATE, TS PGECET, KCET,
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