GATE 2026 Exam Date Branchwise Shift Timing
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026 ( GATE )
Exam On - 7 Feb '26
IIT Guwahati will conduct the GATE 2026 exam on February 7, 8, 14, and 15. The exam will be held in two shifts each day. It is important that candidates are aware of the date and shift of their paper as the exam is spread over 4 days with multiple shifts. Read here to know more.
GATE 2026 Exam Date Branch Wise Shift Timing
GATE 2026 Branch wise Exam Dates: IIT Guwahati has announced the exam dates and shifts for all 30 papers of GATE 2026. The exam will be held on February 7, 8, 14 and 15 in two shifts each day. The GATE 2026 exam date branch-wise can be checked on this page.
Candidates appearing in the exam must ensure they reach their test centre as per the date and time mentioned in admit card. Candidates must bring a printed copy of the GATE 2026 Admit Card on A4 paper to the exam for verification along with a valid original photo Identity Document, specified during the filling up of the online application. The Admit Card is valid if and only if the candidate's photograph and signature are clear. GATE 2026 Admit Card and Original ID proof are essential for entry into the examination centre.
Also Check: GATE 206 exam day guidelines
- GATE 2026 Exam Date Branchwise
- GATE 2026 Exam Shift Timing
- Important Information for GATE Aspirants
- GATE 2026 Answer Key Date
- GATE 2026 Result Date
GATE 2026 Exam Date Branchwise
| GATE Exam Date |
Test Papers |
Time |
| February 07, 2026 (Saturday) |
AG, ES, GG, IN, MA, MN, TF, XE, XL |
9:30 am to 12:30 pm |
| AE, BT, CH, CY, GE, PH, XH |
2:30 pm to 5:30 pm |
|
| February 08, 2026 (Sunday) |
CS-1, ST |
9:30 am to 12:30 pm |
| CS-2, EY, NM, PE |
2:30 pm to 5:30 pm |
|
| February 14, 2026 (Saturday) |
CE-1, EE, PI |
9:30 am to 12:30 pm |
| BM, CE-2, ME, MT |
2:30 pm to 5:30 pm |
|
| February 15, 2026 (Sunday) |
EC |
9:30 am to 12:30 pm |
| AR, DA |
2:30 pm to 5:30 pm |
GATE 2026 Exam Shift Timing
| GATE Exam Date |
Time |
Test Papers |
| February 7, 2026 (Shift 1) |
9:30 am to 12:30 pm |
AG, ES, GG, IN, MA, MN, TF, XE, XL |
| February 7, 2026 (Shift 2) |
2:30 pm to 5:30 pm |
AE, BT, CH, CY, GE, PH, XH |
| February 8, 2026 (Shift 1) |
9:30 am to 12:30 pm |
CS-1, ST |
| February 8, 2026 (Shift 2) |
2:30 pm to 5:30 pm |
CS-2, EY, NM, PE |
| February 14, 2026 (Shift 1) |
9:30 am to 12:30 pm |
CE-1, EE, PI |
| February 14, 2026 (Shift 2) |
2:30 pm to 5:30 pm |
BM, CE-2, ME, MT |
| February 15, 2026 (Shift 2) |
9:30 am to 12:30 pm |
EC |
| February 15, 2026 (Shift 2) |
2:30 pm to 5:30 pm |
AR, DA |
Important Information for GATE Aspirants
Students appearing in GATE 2026 must follow the instructions given here
- All GATE papers will include two sections – Maths and General Aptitude beside the subject related section.
- All test papers of GATE 2026 will be of the duration of three hours consisting of 65 questions for a total of 100 marks. After the duration completes, the exam will terminate automatically.
- Candidates will be permitted to occupy their allotted seats 40 minutes before the scheduled start of the examination.
- Candidates can login and start reading the instructions 20 minutes before the start of examination.
- Candidate will NOT be permitted to login after 30 minutes from the scheduled start of the examination. Candidates will NOT be permitted to leave the examination hall before the scheduled end of the examination.
- The exam will have Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Select Questions (MSQs), and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions. In MCQs, only one out of four options is correct. In MSQs, one or more than one out of four options is/are correct; and for NAT questions, the answer has to be written using a virtual keypad.
GATE 2026 Answer Key Date
The date for GATE answer key 2026 release is yet to be announced by IIT Guwahati. It is expected that the answer key will be released by March first week. Once available, candidates can download the same from GOAPS login using their registered email ID/enrollment number and password. Along with the answer key, GATE response sheet and official question papers will be also available for download.
Explore more Engineering exams with upcoming dates
15 Feb '26 - 19 Feb '26
3 Feb '26 - 3 Mar '26
7 Mar '26
31 Mar '26
15 Feb '26
12 Mar '26
6 Feb '26 - 14 Mar '26
7 Jun '26 - 23 Jun '26
Candidates can raise objections in the official GATE answer key if they’re not satisfied with the answers. For this, candidates will also need to submit proof supporting their claim/objection of answer key.
GATE 2026 Result Date
IIT Guwahati will announce the GATE result 2026 on March 19. The result will be released online on the GATE official website. Candidates will have to use GOAPS portal for checking their results. Candidates who will qualify the exam with marks above the cutoff will be issued GATE scorecard.
Read More: What is a good rank in GATE 2026
There are two shift timings for the GATE exam. Candidates can find the details of the shift timing on the official website. The GATE shift timings are as follows -
- Forenoon - 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
- Afternoon - 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm
Candidates can also find the exam timing details mentioned in the GATE admit card. Candidates are advised to appear for the GATE 2026 exam on the date prescribed in the hall ticket.
IIT Guwahati will conduct GATE 2026 exam on February 7, 8, 14, and 15 in two shifts. The exam timings are Forenoon - 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and afternoon - 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Branch-wise dates have been announced at gate2026.iitg.ac.in
Explore colleges based on GATE
Want better recommendations?
There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.
- Chat with our counselor
- Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
The GATE 2026 paper code of XE stands for Engineering Sciences, XH stands for Humanities and Social Science, and XL stands for Life Sciences.
For GATE Paper "XE"
- General aptitude carries a total of 15 marks
- Engineering mathematics contains 11 questions of 15 marks
- Sectional option papers (from B to I) - contains 22 questions carries a total of 35 marks
For GATE Paper "XH"
- General aptitude section carries 15 marks
- Section B1 (Reasoning and Comprehension) carries 16 questions of 25 marks.
- Option section (from C1 to C6) - contains 39 questions of 60 marks.
For GATE Paper "XL"
- The general aptitude section carries 15 marks.
- Chemistry (compulsory) section contains 17 questions of 25 marks.
- Optional section (Q through U) - contains 19 questions of 30 marks.
No, physical calculators are not allowed inside GATE exam hall. Candidates will be provided with a virtual calculator to solve their questions. It is advised to practice using GATE calculator to improve accuracy.
The Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, has released the GATE 2026 exam dates on the official website. Candidates can check the GATE 2026 dates below -
| Events | Dates |
| GATE 2026 application form release date | August 28 |
| GATE 2026 application form last date (without late fees) | October 7 (REVISED) |
| GATE 2026 application form last date (with late fees) | October 13 |
| GATE 2026 form correction submission last date | November 10 |
| GATE 2026 admit card release date | January 13 |
| GATE 2026 exam date | February 7, 8, 14, and 15 |
| GATE 2026 result date | March 19 |
| GATE scorecard download date | March 27 to May 31 (free download) till December 31 (by paying a fee of INR 500) |
Engineering Education & Entrance Exam Expert
Role: Senior News Writer & Content Editor, Shiksha.com
Education: B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering [IET], MA Education Philosophy
Satyendra Singh is an Engineering gradua
Read Full BioNews & Updates
Explore Other Exams
1 Feb '26 - 25 Feb '26 | JEE Main 2026 Registration Ses... |
12 Feb '26 | JEE Main 2026 Result Date Sess... |
19 Feb '26 - 4 Apr '26 | TS EAMCET Application Form 202... |
May '26 | TS EAMCET Admit Card 2026 |
16 Jan '26 - 17 Feb '26 | KCET Application Form 2026 |
18 Feb '26 | Last date to pay application f... |
Sep '26 | DTU LEET 2026 Application Form... |
Oct '26 | DTU LEET 2026 Exam Date |
22 Mar '26 | OJEE 2026: Last date of fee pa... |
25 Apr '26 | OJEE 2026 Admit Card Release |
May '26 | AISECT Joint Entrance Exam 202... |
May '26 | AISECT Joint Entrance Exam 202... |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
Yes, there is negative marking for GATE Engineering Mathematics section. Candidates must go through exam pattern and marking scheme carefully before attempting any question.
T
Contributor-Level 7
Answered Yesterday
No, GATE questions are not exactly repeated. However, the concept, core, and question format may remain the same. Therefore, candidates must focus on concept-building and practice GATE PYQs as many times as possible. In addition, solve mock test paper to improve accuracy and time management.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered Yesterday
Yes, GATE has negative marking for Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) only. In GATE question paper, MCQs will be of one and two marks. Hence, the marking scheme for such questions can be checked below -
- For one mark MCQ - 1/3rd mark will be deducted
- For two mark MCQ - 2/3rd mark will be deducted
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
NHCE Bangalore accepts GATE score for admission to M.Tech programme. However, it is not compulsory. Aspirants can also get into M.Tech course based on their Karnataka PGCET scores. Selected candidates have to confirm their seat by paying the course fees.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered a week ago
Chandigarh University does not announce branch-wise GATE Exam 2026 cut-offs for M.E. admissions. Since GATE is not mandatory for admission, there are no fixed cut-offs for different specialisations. However, for GATE fellowship allocation, competition may vary by branch depending on the number of ap
A
Guide-Level 11
Answered 2 weeks ago
Candidates need to graduate from BTech at IIT Dhanbad with a minimum GPA of 8.0 or above to qualify for M.Tech admissions without GATE. Only the candidates who clear BTech from IIT Dhanbad are allowed admissions without GATE into M.Tech at II Dhanbad with the aforementioned score.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
No, the GATE 2026 has already been concluded for IIT Dhanbad M.Tech admissions. The GATE 2026 registrations are closed in the month of October. Candidates who have appeared for GATE will need to wait for all merit-lists to be revealed.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
The PhD admissions to the Institute Assistantship courses at IIT Guwahati require candidates to appear for the GATE or CEED.
However, PhD admissions to the other categories of PhD courses at IIT Guwahati are not decided on the basis of the aforementioned entrance exams scores.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
No, GATE is not a mandatory entrance exam for Plaksha University MS in AI admissions. Candidates also have the option to appear for other entrance exams to qualify for MS in AI admissions such as GRE, CAT and GMAT.
However, candidates who have cleared their UG level course from top institutes such as
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
The GATE paper will be divided into sections like engineering mathematics, structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, water resources engineering, environmental engineering, etc.
Here's the GATE 2026 Syllabus for Civil Engineering
N
Contributor-Level 9
The Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, will be conducting the GATE 2026 exam. The dates are OUT now. IIT Guwahati last conducted the GATE exam in 2018. Candidates who want to apply for M.Tech or any research programmes can apply for GATE. The application window is available till October 7 without late fees (revised), till October 13 (with late fee) and the exam will be conducted on February 7, 8, 14, and 15.