GATE 2026 Cutoff for ME: Check Expected Marks & Previous Year Cut off Trends
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026 ( GATE )
Exam On - 14 Feb '26
GATE ME (Mechanical Engineering) is a specialized, optional subject paper in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE). It is one of the most popular core subjects of GATE exam. Aspirants appearing in the exam can check here the GATE 2026 cut off ME and the target scores which they need to score in order to crack the exam.
Check Expected Marks & Previous Year Cut off Trends
GATE 2026 Cutoff for ME: IIT Guwahati is conducting the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 from February 7, 2026 onwards. The GATE exam was successfully held on February, 8 and will continue on, 14, and 15. The GATE Mechanical Engineering (ME) exam will be conducted on February 14, 2026 in computer based online mode. Based on past year data cut off analysis, it is being noticed that the expected cut off marks of GATE 2026 ME for General category candidates can be around 34-40, for OBC candidates it is expected to be 28 to 33, while for SC/ST candidates it can range between 23 to 26.
Also check: GATE 2026 Virtual Calculator
What is the GATE exam for Mechanical Engineering?
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) for Mechanical Engineering (ME) is held annually to shortlist candidates for admission into PG programs (M.Tech/Ph.D.) at IITs/NITs and top technical jobs (PSUs) like IOCL, NTPC, and BHEL.
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 - General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics, and core Mechanical Engineering subjects (thermodynamics, mechanics, manufacturing, etc.
Prior to appearing in GATE 2026, students must understand the GATE 2026 Cutoff for Mechanical Engineering (ME). 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 ME to know minimum marks required to crack the exam, as well as past year cut off trends of GATE ME.
Also read: What is GATE Login 2026
- GATE 2026 Cutoff for ME - Key Insights
- Expected GATE 2026 Cutoff for ME
- GATE 2026 Cutoff for ME - Factors Influencing Cutoff
- Past year Cut off trends - GATE ME Official Qualifying Cutoff (2021–2025)
GATE 2026 Cutoff for ME - Key Insights
- The GATE 2026 Mechanical Engineering cutoff determines candidates' possibility of getting admission for M.Tech admissions at premier institutes like IITs and IISc, or direct recruitment into PSUs.
- The GATE 2026 cutoff for ME is generally influenced by the difficulty level of the question paper, the total number of applicants who appeared in the exam.
- Based on recent stats, it is being noticed that the registrations has recently surged across core branches such as Computer Science, Civil, Mechanical, Electronics and Data Analytics.
- The qualifying cutoff is determined by IIT Guwahati and ensures candidates eligibility, however the admission cutoff varies significantly by institute and specialization, requiring much higher scores for competitive fields like Thermal or Design Engineering.
Also read: GATE EE Syllabus 2026
Expected GATE 2026 Cutoff for ME
Based on past year trends, we can expect a similar score for 2026. From following table, candidates can find the GATE 2026 ME cut off (expected) -
| Category |
Expected Cutoff Range (Marks) |
|---|---|
| General (GEN) |
34 - 40 |
| OBC-NCL / EWS |
29.5 - 33 |
| SC / ST / PwD |
23 - 26.5 |
Also read: GATE 2026 DA Syllabus
GATE 2026 Cutoff for ME - 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 |
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 ME 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 |
35.8 |
32.2 |
23.8 |
| 2024 |
28.6 |
25.7 |
19.0 |
| 2023 |
28.4 |
25.5 |
18.9 |
| 2022 |
28.1 |
25.2 |
18.7 |
| 2021 |
33.0 |
29.7 |
22.0 |
After analyzing the previous five years GATE ME cut off marks it has been revealed that there is a fluctuating trend in ME cutoffs since it is a core subject. This often reflects shifts in the difficulty level of the question paper and number of candidates who registered in the exam.
Last year in 2025, the GATE cutoff saw a significant jump, and recorded a multi-year high specifically for the General category. The above shared table indicates that while the 2022–2024 period remained stable around the 28-mark range, the 2025 peak suggests a more competitive landscape or a relatively higher-scoring paper.
Also read: MTech Exams other than GATE
GATE Cut off marks of other popular streams
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
No, GATE is not a mandatory entrance exam for all PhD admissions at NIT Jalandhar. Candidates who are qualified for direct admissions at NIT Jalandhar's Engineering PhD courses are require to clear it during ME/MTech admissions.
However, for the remaining candidates, they can also appear for the UGC-
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No, candidates who are applying through their GATE score are not required to appear for the Written Test conducted by IIIT Bhubaneshwar for M.Tech admissions. This Written Test is only meant for candidates who did not apply through a valid GATE score. Other candidates will be moved directly to the P
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Contributor-Level 10
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No, GATE is not a mandatory entrance exam for securing admissions at IIIT Bhubaneshwar. Candidates who fail to secure a GATE scorecard can still appear for the IIIT Bhubaneshwar M.Tech entrance exam which includes a written test. The syllabus of this written test is the same as the GATE.
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The GATE provisional answer key is an official document released by the official authorities along with the response sheet. The provisional answer key of GATE contains all the correct answers to the questions that were asked in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering.
With the help of the GATE 2026 pr
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"Marks to All" states that the marks allotted to that question will be given to all candidates who attempted that particular test paper.
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Contributor-Level 7
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No, both are the same in difficulty level. GATE is conducted for 30 papers, while JAM is held for seven papers. The difficulty level of IIT JAM and GATE varies from paper to paper. To score good marks, students must focus on the exam syllabus and high-weightage topics.
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Contributor-Level 9
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It is advised to check the past year's GATE c
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Contributor-Level 7
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Based on last year's cutoff mark and number of students appearing in the exam, the expected GATE cutoff for DA this year can be checked below -
Category | Qualifying Marks |
|---|---|
General | 36.5 - 38.7 (This year, GATE DA is expected to get tough, as the registered candidates are increasing) |
OBC-NCL/EWS | 27.5 |
SC/ST/PwD | 20.0 |
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Contributor-Level 7
Is GATE a mandatory entrance exam for NIT Jalandhar PhD admissions?