GATE 2026 Cutoff for DA: Expected Marks, Previous Year Cut off
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026 ( GATE )
Exam On - 15 Feb '26
GATE DA (Data Science and Artificial Intelligence) is a specialized, optional subject paper in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE). It is one of the most popular core subjects recently. Aspirants appearing in the exam can check here the GATE 2026 cut off DA and the target scores which they need to score in order to crack the exam.
Expected Marks, Previous Year Cut off
GATE 2026 Cutoff for DA: The exam body, IIT Guwahati will conduct the GATE 2026 exam for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence on February 15, 2026 in the second half in computer based online mode. The GATE 2026 DA will be conducted from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm. The GATE 2026 DA Expected Qualifying Cutoff for candidates belonging to General (Unreserved) is expected to range from 30 - 38.7, while for OBC-NCL / EWS 26 - 27.5 marks and SC / ST / PwD 19.3 - 20.0 marks. Students appearing in the GATE 2026, candidates must check the GATE 2026 Cutoff for DA to know the expected cut off, and what cut off trends have been followed in the past year.
Also read:
The exam body, IIT Guwahati is conducting the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 this year. As per the schedule and timings of GATE 2026 exam the test successfully held on February 7, 8 14, and will end on 15. We will also share the GATE 2026 question paper for all subjects for students perusal.
GATE Cut off marks of other popular streams
What is GATE Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DA) for?
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DA) is held annually to shortlist candidates for admission into PG programs (M.Tech/Ph.D.) at IITs/NITs and top technical jobs (PSUs)..
As per the GATE exam pattern, the test will be held for a 3-hour time duration. Based on the GATE question papers, the test will have 65 questions (100 marks total). The questions will be based on subjects such as - the questions will be based on General Aptitude, Probability & Statistics, Linear Algebra, Programming (Python), Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and DBMS & Warehousing.
Also read: GATE 2026 CE Shift 1 Answer Key Solutions with Question Paper
The cutoff for GATE 2026 is divided into types: qualifying cutoff, and admission cutoff. The qualifying cutoff of GATE determines if students have passed the exam, and admission cutoff varies by institute based on competition and seat availability. Candidates can check here the cut off of GATE 2026 DA to know minimum marks required to crack the exam, as well as past year cut off trends of GATE DA.
Also read: What is GATE Login 2026
- GATE 2026 Cutoff for DA - Key Insights
- Expected GATE 2026 Cutoff for DA
- GATE 2026 Cutoff for DA - Factors Influencing Cutoff
- Past year Cut off trends - GATE DA Official Qualifying Cutoff (2024-2025)
GATE 2026 Cutoff for DA - Key Insights
Securing a seat in top-tier institutions or landing a PSU job via Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (DA) is highly competitive, as it attracts highest-performing candidates. Here are some of the numbers for candidates to get an idea -
Also read: GATE EE Syllabus 2026
Expected GATE 2026 Cutoff for DA
Based on past year trends, we can expect a similar score for 2026. From following table, candidates can find the GATE 2026 DA cut off (expected) -
GATE 2026 DA Expected Qualifying Cutoff (Out of 100)
| Category |
Expected Cutoff Range |
|---|---|
| General (Unreserved) |
30 - 38.7 marks |
| OBC-NCL / EWS |
26 - 27.5 marks |
| SC / ST / PwD |
19.3 - 20 marks |
Also read: GATE 2026 DA Syllabus
GATE 2026 Cutoff for DA - Factors Influencing Cutoff
Final marks will be released by IIT Guwahati on its portal tentatively in March 2026. However, students can check here the key factors that can be considered while determining the cut off of GATE 2026 DA:
| Factor |
Key Details |
|---|---|
| Difficulty level of exam |
Tougher papers lead to low qualifying marks. If paper is tricky, the cutoff may drop by 1-3 marks. |
| Candidate Volume |
A higher number of registered applicants increases competition, driving cutoff upward. |
| Seat Availability |
While it doesn't affect passing marks, fewer seats in top programs lead to much higher admission-based scores. |
| Normalization |
For papers with multiple sessions, marks are normalized to ensure no candidate is disadvantaged by a tougher session slot. |
Also read: GATE 2026 EE Question Paper
Past year Cut off trends - GATE DA Official Qualifying Cutoff (2024-2025)
DA was introduced by IISc Bangalore in 2024. From the following table students can check cut off marks in each category out of 100. These trends will help students appearing in the 2026 exam.
Official Qualifying Cutoff (Out of 100)
| Category |
GATE 2024 (IISc) |
GATE 2025 (IITR) |
|---|---|---|
| General (UR) |
37.1 |
29 |
| OBC-NCL / EWS |
33.3 |
26.1 |
| SC / ST / PwD |
24.7 |
19.3 |
Also read: MTech Exams other than GATE
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Student Forum
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IIT Guwahati had conducted GATE 2026 exam on Feb 7 and 8 in two shifts. The papers that were held on February 7 and 8 can be checked below -
| GATE 2026 Feb 7 exam (shift 1) | AG, ES, GG, IN, MA, MN, TF, XE, XL |
| GATE 2026 Feb 7 (shift 2) | AE, BT, CH, CY, GE, PH, XH |
| GATE Exam 2026 Feb 8 (shift 1) | CS-1 and ST |
| GATE 2026 exam Feb 8 (shift 2) | CS-2, EY, NM, PE |
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