The GATE 2026 Life Science (XL) exam will be conducted by IIT Guwahati, today from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The XL paper is 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 exam conducting authority, IIT Guwahati will conduct the GATE 2026 exam for various subjects from today onwards. The first paper is GATE XL to be held in first shift, 9:30 am to 12 pm today.
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. We will be sharing here the GATE 2026 Life Science XL Question Paper (memory-based) as and when it is out. Candidates can also check the GATE 2026 Cut off for XL (Life Sciences) to know the expected cut off.
Also read:
- GATE 2026 Life Science Analysis (Soon)
- GATE 2026 Life Science XL Question Paper PDF (Soon)
- 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 (Soon)
From the following table, students can check the analysis of the GATE 2026 Life Sciences question paper conducted today.
| Section |
Subject |
Difficulty Level (Easy/Medium/Hard) |
No. of Questions Attempted |
Expected Accuracy |
Notable Topics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part A |
General Aptitude |
To be shared soon |
To be shared soon |
To be shared soon |
To be shared soon |
| Part B |
Chemistry (XL-P) |
To be shared soon |
To be shared soon |
To be shared soon |
To be shared soon |
| Part C-1 |
Optional: ________ |
To be shared soon |
To be shared soon |
To be shared soon |
To be shared soon |
| Part C-2 |
Optional: ________ |
To be shared soon |
To be shared soon |
To be shared soon |
To be shared soon |
| TOTAL |
Overall Paper |
/ 65 |
GATE 2026 Life Science XL Question Paper PDF (Soon)
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 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 EE Syllabus 2026
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
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).
Also read: MTech Exams other than GATE
So, if you are planning to appear for GATE this year, then it is very important to solve the GATE old question paper, as they come with tons of benefits.
- First and foremost, the GATE old question paper allows students to understand the GATE exam structure and pattern, with which you can tally and filter out the GATE subject-wise weightage, and which questions are asked more frequently.
- Also, solving the GATE previous year's paper gives you an upper hand in improving your time management skills and accuracy.
- Besides that, the GATE old question paper also gives you a clear understanding of the difficulty level.
Therefore, it is advised to keep a habit of solving GATE old question papers. Try to solve atleast one full-length paper per day.
The following are the most registered subjects/papers in the GATE examination -
- Computer Science and Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Electronics and Communication Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
Every year, Lacs of candidates register for the above subjects, making the respective branch competitive.
Explore colleges based on GATE
Yes, candidates can download GATE question papers for free. The GATE exam papers are available in PDF format and can be downloaded for free. IIT Guwahati has activated GATE mock test 2026 link for students to practice.
The reasoning and compulsory is a compulsory section in the GATE question paper. For humanities and social sciences, the reasoning and comprehension section contains 16 questions of 25 marks, where 7 questions will be of 1 mark and 9 questions will be of 2 marks.
Attempting two papers in GATE allows students to broaden their skills and career options in different disciplines. Implemented in 2021, the GATE two paper combination can be chosen from the given list of paper combinations (already set by the authorities). With the GATE two paper combination list, also, you have better chances of qualifying the examination.

Vikrant Shukla - Deputy Manager
Role: News Writer & Editor
Education: Graduation in Mass Communication, Master's in Political Science
Expertise: Engineering Exams
About: Vikrant has 9+ years of experience in content
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
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
Exam On - 7 Feb '26
The GATE previous years question paper are available on the official website - gate2026.iitg.ac.in. Candidates who are appearing for GATE exam must attempt the question paper to understand what sort of questions are asked in the exam. Candidates can download them for free. However, they must check the paper code carefully before downloading PDF.