GATE 2026 Cutoff for ECE: Expected Marks, Previous Year Cut off
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026 ( GATE )
Exam On - 14 Feb '26
GATE ECE (Electronics and Communication Engineering) is a specialized, optional subject paper in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE). It is one of the most popular core subjects. Aspirants appearing in the exam can check here the GATE 2026 cut off ECE and the target scores which they need to score in order to crack the exam.
Check here Expected Marks, Previous Year Cut off
GATE 2026 Cutoff for ECE: The exam body, IIT Guwahati is conducting the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 this year. The GATE exam started from February 7, 2026 onwards. As per the schedule and timings of GATE 2026 exam the test successfully held on February, 8 and will continue on, 14, as well as 15.
Also read: GATE 2026 Answer Key by Made Easy
The GATE Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) exam will be conducted on February 14, 2026 in computer based online mode. We will also share the GATE 2026 question paper for all subjects for students perusal. Based on past year data cut off analysis, it is being noticed that the expected qualifying cutoff can range between 29.2 and 33 marks for candidates from general category, for OBC-NCL/EWS candidates it can range between 26.2 to 27.5 marks, while for SC/ST/PwD students it is expected to be around 19.4 to 20 marks.
Also check: GATE 2026 Virtual Calculator
What is GATE Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) for?
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) for Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) 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, Engineering Mathematics and core ECE subjects such as Networks, Signals, and Systems, Electronic Devices, Analog Circuits, Digital Circuits, Control Systems and Communications.
Before appearing in GATE 2026, candidates must check the GATE 2026 Cutoff for Mechanical Engineering (ME) to know the expected cut off, and what cut off trends have been followed in the past year.
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 ECE to know minimum marks required to crack the exam, as well as past year cut off trends of GATE ECE.
Also read: What is GATE Login 2026
- GATE 2026 Cutoff for ECE - Key Insights
- Expected GATE 2026 Cutoff for ECE
- GATE 2026 Cutoff for ECE - Factors Influencing Cutoff
- Past year Cut off trends - GATE ECE Official Qualifying Cutoff (2021–2025)
GATE 2026 Cutoff for ECE - Key Insights
Securing a seat in top-tier institutions or landing a PSU job via Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) is highly competitive, as it attracts highest-performing candidates. Here are some of the numbers for candidates to get an idea -
| Goal / Institution Type |
Target Raw Marks (Out of 100) |
Target GATE Score |
|---|---|---|
| Old IITs (B, D, M, K) |
68 - 75+ |
750 - 850+ |
| Top NITs |
55 - 65 |
650 - 720 |
| PSU Recruitment |
78 - 85+ |
850+ |
Also read: GATE EE Syllabus 2026
Expected GATE 2026 Cutoff for ECE
Based on past year trends, we can expect a similar score for 2026. From following table, candidates can find the GATE 2026 ECE cut off (expected) -
| Category |
Expected Cutoff Range (Out of 100) |
|---|---|
| General (Unreserved) |
25 - 29 |
| OBC-NCL / EWS |
22.5 - 26 |
| SC / ST / PwD |
16.6 - 19.4 |
Also read: GATE 2026 DA Syllabus
GATE 2026 Cutoff for ECE - 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 ME :
| 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 ECE Official Qualifying Cutoff (2021–2025)
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.
| GATE Year |
General (GEN) |
OBC-NCL / EWS |
SC / ST / PwD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
25 |
22.5 |
16.6 |
| 2024 |
25 |
22.5 |
16.6 |
| 2023 |
29.9 |
26.9 |
19.9 |
| 2022 |
25 |
22.5 |
16.6 |
| 2021 |
25 |
22.5 |
16.6 |
- Based on the past year trends, it is being noticed that the 2023 paper was relatively easier compared to other years. Hence, there was a higher qualifying mark of 29.9 that year.
- In four out of the last five years, the General category cutoff remained exactly at 25. marks, suggesting standardized difficulty.
- While these are qualifying marks, official GATE reports indicate that students aiming for top IITs usually need to double or triple these marks to stand a chance.
Also read: MTech Exams other than GATE
GATE Cut off marks of other popular streams
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As per past year cutoff trends and analysis, GATE 2026 cutoff can be around 25 to 50 marks for various disciplines/branches.
The GATE 2025 cutoff of computer Science and information technology (category-wise) can be checked below -
- For general - 29.2
- OBC-NCL/EWS - 26.2
- SC/ST/PwD - 19.4
The cutoff is the minimum mark that is required for all candidates to qualify for the exam. IIT Guwahati will announce the GATE cutoff 2026 after the announcement of results.
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 along with the results or after a few days. IIT Guwahati will announce the GATE 2026 result on March 19. The cutoff will be different for each subject/branch and varies every year. For preparation or planning their dream college/institute, candidates must refer to the previous year's GATE cutoff. Going through the cutoff of the respective branch helps students to understand the difficulty level of the question papers.
The IIT Roorkee conducted GATE 2025 exam. The cutoff for GATE EE (last year) can be checked below -
- cutoff for general category - 25
- cutoff for OBC-NCL or EWS category - 22.5
- and cutoff for SC/ST category was 16.6
This year, IIT Guwahati is conducting GATE 2026. Candidates can refer to these cutoff and plan their choice filling.
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SC/ST/PwD | 20.0 |
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