GATE 2026 XL Question Paper (Available): Download Life Science PDF here
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026 ( GATE )
GATE 2026 Scorecard by paying a fee of INR 500 per test paper
1 Jun '26 - 31 Dec '26
The XL paper in GATE exam is conducted for M.Tech or Ph.D. admissions in IITs and IISc, PSUs. Check here the memory-based question papers of GATE XL.
Memory Based Question Papers PDF here
GATE 2026 Life Science XL Question Paper: The memory based GATE question paper 2026 for Life Science XL is made available here. As per the student reaction received by shiksha.com the exam was of moderate level, though some questions were lenghty, overal good attemptes were 55-57. The GATE 2026 Life Science (XL) question paper is a specialized test paper which is designed for graduates from biological sciences, biotechnology, and related fields who want to move into post graduation into the same field. Candidates can also check the GATE 2026 Cutoff for XL (Life Sciences) to know the expected cut off.
Latest update: The exam conducting authority, IIT Guwahati declared the GATE 2026 results for various subjects was declared on March 19, 2026, for the exam which was held on Feb 7, 2026.
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- GATE 2026 Life Science Analysis
- GATE 2026 Life Science XL Question Paper PDF
- GATE XL (Life Sciences) 2026: Scheme of the exam and Section-wise Weightage
- GATE 2026 Marking Scheme
- What is the GATE exam?
GATE 2026 Life Science Analysis
From the following table, students can check the analysis of the GATE 2026 Life Sciences question paper conducted today.
| Subject | Difficulty Level (Easy/Medium/Hard) | No. of Questions Attempted | Topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude | Easy | 10 |
Data Interpretation, Spatial Visualization, Syllogisms, and Basic Profit/Loss.
|
| Chemistry (XL-P) | Hard | 15 |
Physical: Kinetics (k) values), Thermodynamics. Organic: Stereochemistry & Name Reactions. Inorganic: Coordination Chemistry.
|
| Biochemistry (XL-Q) | Moderate | 20 |
Enzyme Kinetics, Protein Folding (Ramachandran Plot), and TCA cycle regulation.
|
| Biochemistry (XL-R) | Easy to moderate | 20 |
Plant Hormones, Photosystems (PS I & II), Genetics (Linkage maps), and Economic Botany.
|
| Microbiology (XL-S) | Moderate | 20 |
Microbial Growth Curves, Virology (Viral replication), Antibiotic resistance, and Lac Operon.
|
| Zoology (XL-T) | Moderate | 20 |
Comparative Physiology, Developmental Biology (Organogenesis), and Animal Behavior (Ethology).
|
| Food Tech (XL-U) | Moderate | 20 |
Thermal Processing (D,Z,F) values), Food Chemistry, and Preservation Techniques.
|
Must Read:
GATE 2026 Life Science XL Question Paper PDF
We will be sharing the download links for the question paper of GATE 2026 Life Sciences XL here as and when it is released.
GATE XL (Life Sciences) 2026: Scheme of the exam and Section-wise Weightage
| Section |
Subject |
No. of Questions |
Total Marks |
Topics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part A |
General Aptitude (GA) |
10 |
15 |
Verbal, Quant, Analytical, and Spatial Aptitude. |
| Part B |
Chemistry (XL-P) |
15 |
25 |
Atomic structure, Thermo, Kinetics, Biomolecules. |
| Part C |
Optional Life Science (Any Two) |
40 (20 per section) |
60 |
Select from: Biochemistry, Botany, Microbiology, Zoology, or Food Tech. |
| Total |
All Sections |
65 |
100 |
Time duration - 3 hours |
Also read:
- What is GATE Login 2026
- GATE 2026 Cut off for XE (Engineering Sciences)
- GATE Cut off for CS (Computer Science)
GATE 2026 Breakdown of Questions and Marks
| Section |
1-Mark Questions |
2-Mark Questions |
Total Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude |
5 |
5 |
10 |
| Chemistry (XL-P) |
5 |
10 |
15 |
| Optional Section 1 |
10 |
10 |
20 |
| Optional Section 2 |
10 |
10 |
20 |
Also read:
| GATE 2026 CSE Shift 2 Question Paper PDF | GATE 2026 CSE Shift 2 Answer Key with Solutions PDF |
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GATE 2026 Marking Scheme
| Question Type |
Correct Answer |
Negative Marking (1-Mark Q) |
Negative Marking (2-Mark Q) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) |
Full marks |
-1/3 |
-2/3 |
| MSQ (Multiple Select Questions) |
Full marks |
No |
No |
| NAT (Numerical Ability Test) |
Full marks |
No |
No |
Also read: GATE 2026 DA Syllabus
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What is the GATE exam?
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, short for the GATE exam, is organized by different IITs every year. In 2026, the entrance exam is being organized by IIT Guwahati, to shortlist candidates for admissions into M.Tech, M.Sc., and Ph.D. programs, as well as for recruitment in various Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
The IIT Dhandbad GATE cutoff 2026 for the SC AI category ranged from 239 to 597 in the first round. As per this range, the most and least competitive branches for admission were MTech CSE and MTech in Pharmaceutical Science and Engineering, respectively.
Students can check out the table below to kno
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
The score needed for admission would depend on the category, chosen specialisation, and round you are applying to. The IIT Dhanbad GATE cutoff 2026 was released for the first round for various MTech course specialisations.
For the General AI category, the round 1 cutoff ranged from 456 to 762. As per
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
The IIT Dhanbad GATE cutoff 2026 ranged from 456 to 762 in the first round for the General AI category.
The IIT Dhanbad cutoff 2026 was released for the first round for admission to the M.Tech course and its various specialisations in the form of scores. The cutoff was out for different All India quo
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
The IIT Dhanbad GATE COAP cutoff 2026 ranged from 456 to 762 for the General AI category in the first round. Hence, students need at least 456 to be considered for admission.
The cutoff was released for the various other AI quota categories for the first round. Students can check the table below to k
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
Yes, candidates can get admission based on their GATE scores in M.Tech at Ramaiah Institute of Technology. Aspirants can also get a seat in M.Tech course based on Karnataka PGCET scores. The seats are allotted via KEA Counselling.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered 5 days ago
If you belong to the ST AI or SC AI category and have a score of 3000 in GATE CCMT, you could get admission at NIT Agartala in the first round.
For the ST AI category, the NIT Agartala GATE CCMT cutoff 2026 for Round 1 ranged between 251 and 334. See below to know which specialisations are availabl
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Candidates can check below the seat allocation rule followed for admission in M.Tech of DTU for the GATE qualifying students:
The total number of seats (out of 18) should be-
- 60 % (~11) for (aa) i.e B.E/B.Tech. in Engineering
- 40% (~7) for (ab) i.e M.Sc. and (ac) i.e MCA.
- During the spot round, all seats
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
For the OBC AI category, the NIT Agartala M.Tech cutoff 2026 ranged from 321 to 488 in the first round.
As per this range, the most competitive M.Tech course specialisation was Artificial Inteligence, with the cutoff being 488. On the other hand, the least competitive branch was Chemical Engineering
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
The NIT Agartala M.Tech cutoff 2026 ranged from 353 to 518 in the first round for the General AI category. The NIT Agartala CCMT cutoff 2026 was released for the first round for various All India categories.
See the table below to know the round 1 cutoff range for all other categories.
| Category | NIT Agartala M.Tech cutoff 2026 |
|---|---|
| General | 353 - 518 |
| OBC | 321 - 488 |
| SC | 174 - 411 |
| ST | 251- 334 |
| EWS | 321 - 516 |
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
No, students cannot get admission in Dwarkadas J. Sanghvi College of Engineering M.Tech without GATE. Admission is entrance-based. Candidates are shortlisted for the M.Tech programme based on entrance scores in GATE. Candidates who qualify in the admission process are eligible to secure their seat i
G
Contributor-Level 10
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