GATE 2026 Cutoff for XL: Expected Marks & Past Year Trends
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026 ( GATE )
Exam On - 7 Feb '26
The GATE XL (Life Sciences) is scheduled for today, February 7, 2026. It is a specialized, optional subject paper in designed for postgraduate (PG) admission and research fellowships in subjects such as - life sciences and biotechnology. Check here the GATE 2026 cut off XL and the target marks which students need to score to have a chance for top colleges.
Expected Marks for 2026 Session & Past Year Trends
GATE 2026 Cutoff for XL: The GATE exam for XL subject will be conducted today, Feb 7, 2026 in first shift 9:30 am to 12 pm. Prior to appearing in GATE 2026, students must understand GATE 2026 Cutoff for Life Sciences (XL) for IITs, NITs, and IIITs, and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). Candidates will also be able to check the GATE 2026 Life Science XL Question Paper as and when it is released.
GATE exam for XL subject will have questions from General Aptitude and Chemistry, plus two chosen optional subjects from Biochemistry, Botany, Microbiology, Zoology, or Food Technology. The memory based GATE 2026 XL Answer Key with Solutions will also be shared for candidates to estimate their marks before the result is declared. IIT Guwahati will conduct the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 on February 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2026. Candidates can check here the cut off of GATE 2026 XL to know the minimum marks required to crack the exam.
Also read:
The cutoff for GATE 2026 is divided into types: qualifying cutoff, and admission cutoff. Qualifying cutoff of GATE determines if students have passed exam, and admission cutoff varies by institute based on competition and seat availability. Check here the GATE 2026 cut off of XL.
Also read: What is GATE Login 2026
- GATE 2026 Cut off XL - Key Insights
- Expected GATE 2026 XL Qualifying Cutoff (Based on Past year data)
- GATE Cut off 2026 - Factors Influencing Cutoff
- Past year Cut off trends - GATE XL Official Qualifying Cutoff (2021–2025)
GATE 2026 Cut off XL - Key Insights
- Life Sciences sees a high number of registrations driving up admission cutoff even if the qualifying mark remains stable.
- If technical sections (Biochemistry, Botany, Zoology) are tougher than previous years, the qualifying marks may drop slightly.
- Since students choose two optional sections out of five, the overall performance in sections like Biochemistry and Zoology significantly impacts final normalized marks.
Also read: GATE EE Syllabus 2026
Expected GATE 2026 XL Qualifying Cutoff (Based on Past year data)
| Category |
Expected Qualifying Marks (Out of 100) |
|---|---|
| General (UR) |
31.0 - 32.0 |
| OBC-NCL / EWS |
27.5 - 28.1 |
| SC / ST / PwD |
20.0 - 20.8 |
Also read: GATE 2026 DA Syllabus
GATE Cut off 2026 - 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 :
| Factor |
Impact on Cutoff |
Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| Difficulty level of exam |
Inverse Relationship |
Tougher papers lead to low qualifying marks. If paper is tricky, the cutoff may drop by 1-3 marks. |
| Candidate Volume |
High Upward Pressure |
A higher number of registered applicants increases competition, driving cutoff upward. |
| Seat Availability |
Admission-Specific |
While it doesn't affect passing marks, fewer seats in top programs lead to much higher admission-based scores. |
| Normalization |
Fairness Adjustment |
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 XL Official Qualifying Cutoff (2021–2025)
From following table students can check cut off marks in each category out of 100.
| Year |
General (UR) |
OBC-NCL / EWS |
SC / ST / PwD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
31.3 |
28.1 |
20.8 |
| 2024 |
29.3 |
26.3 |
19.5 |
| 2023 |
32.9 |
29.6 |
21.9 |
- Based on past year cut off trends we can estimate qualifying mark for General category to range between 28 and 32.
- For candidates belonging to OBC/EWS categories the cut off for XL might range between 23-27.
- While qualifying marks are around 30, top-tier institutes like IITs and IISc require scores above 55-65 marks.
Also read: MTech Exams other than GATE
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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The GATE cutoff changes every year depending on seat intake, number of applicants appeared in exam, toughness of question paper, and previous cutoff trends. Candidates who meet cutoff score can participate for counselling.
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.
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