GATE 2026 Admission Cutoff: For IITs, NITs, and Top Branches

Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2027 ( GATE )

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GATE 2026 Scorecard by paying a fee of INR 500 per test paper

1 Jun '26 - 31 Dec '26

UPASANA
UPASANA PRADHAN
Assistant Manager- Editorial
Updated on Mar 28, 2026 21:52 IST
For IITs, the GATE admission cutoff usually ranges between 700 - 800. GATE admission cutoff/score is the minimum score required to be eligible for admission to IITs and NITs. It is comparatively higher than the qualifying mark. The admission cutoff makes them eligible for round 1 COAP/CCMT counselling. Read below for more.

Candidates can check GATE 2026 admission cutoff for IITs and NITs here. The admission cutoff mainly refers to the minimum score required to get a sure-shot seat at reputed institutions. However, it depends on several factors, like seat matrix, GATE cutoff branch-wise, etc, Candidates can check accepted GATE exam scores for admission below. IIT Guwahati declared GATE 2026 results on March 19. In addition, GATE toppers's 2026 and cutoff marks were released on March 28.

GATE Admission Cutoff

GATE Admission Cutoff

GATE 2026 admission cutoff allow students to get a seat in the desired branch/specialisation or institute. Admission cutoff is completely different to qualifying cutoff. In this article, we have explained, what exactly does admission cutoff in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering mean. GATE qualifying mark is the minimum mark needed to be eligible for the counselling process. In short, it can also mean as passing mark. On the other hand, GATE cutoff for admission is minimum mark required to be eligible for IITs and NITs. It is comparatively higher than the qualifying mark. The admission cutoff makes them eligible for round 1 COAP/CCMT counselling. 

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GATE 2026 Cutoff Marks (Category-Wise) OUT

IIT Guwahati released official GATE 2026 cutoff marks for all 30 papers. Candidates can check below -

Paper Code Test Paper No. of Candidates Registered No. of Candidates Appeared Cut-off (GEN) Cut-off
(OBC-NCL/ EWS)
Cut-Off (SC/ST/PwD)
AE Aerospace Engineering 8444 6591 25 22.5 16.6
AG Agricultural Engineering 2985 2545 25 22.5 16.6
AR Architecture and Planning 10673 8415 40 36 26.6
BM Biomedical Engineering 3756 3041 25 22.5 16.6
BT Biotechnology 26808 21513 25.8 23.2 17.2
CE Civil Engineering 97486 76385 28.7 25.8 19.1
CH Chemical Engineering 17416 14077 25 22.5 16.6
CS Computer Science and Information Technology 259922 211020 30 27 20
CY Chemistry 30775 22457 25 22.5 16.6
DA Data Science and Artificial Intelligence 91764 69242 26.4 23.7 17.5
EC Electronics and Communication Engineering 115448 95752 26.4 23.7 17.5
EE Electrical Engineering 81947 65801 27.7 24.9 18.4
ES Environmental Science and Engineering 7341 5107 30 27 20
EY Ecology and Evolution 3659 2601 40 36 26.6
GE Geomatics Engineering 3582 2592 25 22.5 16.6
GG-1 Geology and Geophysics (Geology) 5647 4336 39.3 35.3 26.1
GG-2 Geology and Geophysics (Geophysics) 668 519 37.1 33.3 24.7
IN Instrumentation Engineering 15608 12424 39.8 35.8 26.5
MA Mathematics 16272 11561 34.7 31.2 23.1
ME Mechanical Engineering 76823 59612 25.2 22.6 16.7
MN Mining Engineering 8415 6732 29.5 26.5 19.6
MT Metallurgical Engineering 4794 3908 40 36 26.6
NM Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering 548 419 33.7 30.3 22.4
PE Petroleum Engineering 1428 1137 40 36 26.6
PH Physics 24225 18055 25.5 22.9 17
PI Production and Industrial Engineering 4849 3673 36 32.4 24
ST Statistics 3333 2087 30.4 27.3 20.2
TF Textile Engineering and Fibre Science 1549 1183 31.5 28.3 21
XE Engineering Sciences 12622 9099 35.2 31.6 23.4
XH-C1 Humanities and Social Sciences (Economics) 4166 2952 35.7 32.1 23.8
XH-C2 Humanities and Social Sciences (English) 5350 3711 40 36 26.6
XH-C3 Humanities and Social Sciences (Linguistics) 383 285 37.4 33.6 24.9
XH-C4 Humanities and Social Sciences (Philosophy) 800 570 38.3 34.4 25.5
XH-C5 Humanities and Social Sciences (Psychology) 8858 6178 39.3 35.3 26.1
XH-C6 Humanities and Social Sciences (Sociology) 2643 1819 40 36 26.6
XL Life Sciences 50732 40035 36.3 32.6 24.1
Total   10,11,719 797434      
Table of contents
  • GATE 2026 Marks vs Rank vs Score
  • GATE 2026 Result and Cutoff Release Date
  • GATE Admission Cutoff 2026: Important Points to Note
  • GATE 2026 Admission Cutoff for IITs
  • GATE IIT Admission Cutoff and Safe Score (Branch-Wise)
  • GATE Cutoff for IITs: Last Year Admission Cutoff PDF download
  • GATE NIT Admission Cutoff 2026
  • GATE 2026 Admission Cutoff for IISc Bangalore
  • GATE 2026 Marks Vs Rank Analysis
View More

GATE 2026 Marks vs Rank vs Score

Marks

Rank

Score

55.68 (Electrical Engineering)

408

672

68 (Electronics and Communication Engineering)

61

856

78.33 (Instrumentation Engineering)

6

879

40.78 (Computer Science and Engineering)

9272

-

53 (Humanities and Social Sciences)

262

-

60.67 (Electrical Engineering)

196

730

77.91 (Computer Science)

63

910

On the other hand, the admission cutoff is higher than passing marks. With the help of these qualifying mark, students can also estimate their chances using GATE college predictor.

GATE 2026 Result and Cutoff Release Date

IIT Guwahati has declared GATE result 2026 on March 19. The authority will also release GATE 2026 cutoff marks for all 30 papers respectively. Candidates who meet the qualifying cutoff will be eligible for further admission process. 

However, qualifying GATE 2026 does not guarantee you admission, yet it allows you to participate in the COAP or CCMT counselling process. 

Also Check: GATE 2026 marks vs rank analysis: what rank can you get with 60, 70, and 80 marks?

GATE Admission Cutoff 2026: Important Points to Note

For candidates who are confused what exactly, admission cutoff in GATE 2026 means can check important highlights below -

Understanding GATE opening and closing rank

The opening and closing GATE score indicates the minimum score required to get admission to particular branch/specialisation. It can vary depending on the institute, branch, category, etc. For example, the GATE IISc Bangalore admission cutoff for Round 1 CSE branch is 800 to 1000, where 800 is determined as the low and 1000 indicates the high score in GATE. Hence, candidates obtaining a score within this threshold will be eligible to participate in the Round 1 COAP counselling

For IIT admission, candidates need to register at COAP and for NITs, candidates need to register for CCMT counselling. It is released by the participating institutes via counselling portal. 

Also read:

GATE 2026 cutoff for ME GATE 2026 cutoff for civil engineering (CE) GATE 2026 cutoff for EE
GATE 2026 CSE cutoff GATE Scholarships Admission to IITs without GATE scores
GATE Topper's List 2026 with marks GATE 2026 cutoff for NITs Is GATE score of 500 enough for MTech admission at IITs

GATE 2026 Admission Cutoff for IITs

For IITs, the GATE admission cutoff usually ranges between 700 - 800, which is mainly considered safe for to get a seat in the round 1 counselling itself. However, IIT GATE admission cutoff depends on various factors, such as

  • Type of IIT applying for (Top IITs, such as IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, etc. look for high GATE scores for admission). On the other hand, new IITs require low GATE scores
  • Course/programme popularity
  • Difficulty level of the question paper
  • GATE seat matrix 2026 
  • Number of candidates registered
  • Past year’s cutoff trends
CCMT 2026 Round 1 Cutoff OUT

GATE 2026 mark vs rank: expected AIR for 30, 40, and 50 marks

GATE toper's 2026 list out, check AIR raw marks and scores GATE 2026 cutoff marks (branch-wise released)
GATE Counselling 2026: COAP registrations on March 27, check details GATE reservation criteria 2026 for counselling
GATE 2026 qualification rate for popular papers: CSE, ME, EE, ECE, and CE GATE result 2026 link out, check your qualifying status now

Final verdict: A GATE score of 800+ is considered safe for admission in IITs. For mid-IITs, a GATE score of 650+ is considered safe for admission. For new IITs, a GATE score of 500+ is safe for admission. 

For SC/ST categories, the admission cutoff can be low, which means that a candidate with a score range of 280 - 450 can also get a seat in top IITs. 

Also read: GATE CSE 2026 marks vs rank

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What is the required GATE Score for M.Tech admission?
A: 

Based on previous year's cutoff trends and experts analysis, here is an expected GATE score range required for M.Tech admission -

GATE Score RangeMTech options
300 to 400 MTech in any state government college. Also, aspirants can apply for other exams. 
GATE Score 500 to 600The maximum chances of getting into a state government college. Few new NITs options (specific branches or category)
600 to 700 score in GATETop NITs (in-demand branches) and few new IITs
GATE score 700 to 800Top NITs, IITs, and IISc, High chances for PSU recruitment
GATE score 800 to 900MTech or MSc  in Top IITs (core branches), top PSUs recruitment like ISRO, BARC, and DRDO
 GATE score 900+Top IITs, NITs, IISc, and PSU recruitment. Aspirants can also opt for research work.
Q:   What is the expected GATE cutoff marks?
A: 

IIT Guwahati has released GATE 2026 cutoff mark on its official page. Candidates who have appeared exam, can check qualifying marks now. The GATE passing mark differs for each branch paper.

Q:   Which PSUs accept GATE scores for recruitment?
A: 

Many PSUs accept the GATE score for recruitment. Here are some top PSUs that accept GATE scores for jobs -

  • Airports Authority of India (AAI)
  • Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC)
  • Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)
  • Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)
  • Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS)
  • National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)

Most of the PSUs accept the current GATE scorecard for recruitment. Therefore, it is important to stay updated with the recruitment notifications. 

Q:   What is the GATE cutoff for CSE?
A: 

GATE 2026 CSE cutoff (category-wise) can be checked here -

General

OBC-NCL EWS

SC/ST and PwD

30

27

20

The cutoff is the minimum mark that is required for all candidates to qualify for the exam. IIT Guwahati announced GATE result 2026 on March 19. 

GATE IIT Admission Cutoff and Safe Score (Branch-Wise)

Branch

GATE admission cutoff score (expected)

Computer Science (CSE)

750 - 950

Expected GATE raw marks: 75+

However, obtaining 700 to 800 is considered safe

Electrical Engineering (EE)

750 - 900

Expected raw marks - 65 - 70+

Civil Engineering (CE)

650 - 800

Expected raw marks - 65+

Mechanical Engineering (ME)

800+ for top IITs and 700+ for new and mid IITs 

Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE)

650 to 750+ for top IITs

GATE Cutoff for IITs: Last Year Admission Cutoff PDF download

Candidates can download GATE admission cutoff of following IITs below -

Participating GATE IITs and IISc Download PDF
IISc Bangalore GATE IISc Bangalore Cutoff Scores for admission
IIT Bhilai GATE IIT Bhilai admission cutoff scores
IIT Bhubaneswar IIT Bhubaneswar GATE cutoff for admission
IIT Bombay GATE IIT Bombay Admission Cutoff for MTech
IIT Dharwad GATE IIT Dharwad 2025 admission cutoff 
IIT Delhi GATE 2025 IIT Delhi cutoff
IIT Goa GATE IIT Goa Admission cutoff for MTech
IIT Guwahati GATE MTech cutoff IIT Guwahati for admission
IIT Hyderabad GATE Admission Cutoff of IIT Hyderabad
IIT Indore GATE IIT Indore Admission Cutoff
IIT Dhanbad IIT Dhanbad GATE admission cutoff
IIT Jodhpur GATE Admission Cutoff of IIT Jodhpur
IIT Kanpur GATE IIT Kanpur Admission Cutoff
IIT Kharagpur GATE IIT Kharagpur Admission Cutoff for MTech
IIT Madras  IIT Madras GATE admission cutoff
IIT Mandi GATE 2025 IIT Mandi Admission Cutoff
IIT Palakkad GATE IIT Palakkad cutoff 
IIT Patna GATE IIT Patna Admission Cutoff
IIT Roorkee IIT Roorkee GATE admission cutoff for MTech
IIT Ropar -
IIT Jammu GATE IIT Jammu Admission Cutoff
Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What is the cutoff score in GATE?
A: 

The cutoff score in GATE is the minimum mark required to qualify for the exam. The conducting body releases the qualifying cutoff along with result. It determines, whether a candidate is eligible to participate in the counselling round or not. 

The cutoff score in GATE varies every year (category-wise), depending on the number of students registered, difficulty level of the question paper, and previous year's trends. The GATE cutoff score are mainly of two types - admission and qualifying cutoff.

Q:   What was the last year GATE CCMT Round 1 cutoff for National Institute of Technology Delhi CSE?
A: 

The GATE CCMT cutoff for CSE (round 1) at NIT Delhi can be checked below -

  • Minimum GATE score - 668
  • Maximum GATE score - 741
Q:   My score is 550/1000 in Mechanical Engineering. How much rank will I get in GATE?
A: 

A GATE score of 550 in mechanical engineering will fetch you a rank range of 1500 - 3000. Students with this GATE score range can opt for M.Tech at NIT Calicut, NIT Trichy, etc. 

GATE NIT Admission Cutoff 2026

The admission cutoff for NITs is usually lower than that of IITs. However, it depends on the category, specific branch/specialisation, seat intake, previous year’s cutoff trends, etc. For top NITs, a GATE score ranging between 600 - 700+ is considered to be safe for NIT admission. On the other hand, for new and mid NITs, a GATE score 500+ is considered safe for admission. 

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   How much marks is 500 GATE score?
A: 

A GATE score of 500 can be roughly around 40 to 50 raw scores out of 100 marks. However, it can vary depending for each engineering discipline. For example, for CSE it can be around 45 to 56 marks, for mechanical engineering it can correspond around 46 - 55, and for ECE it can roughly correspond around 50 to 60 marks depending on the paper difficulty level. 

Q:   What changes are made in GATE 2027?
A: 

This year, IIT Guwahati is conducting GATE 2026, and two things have been modified - 

  • The GATE fees have been revised for all categories
  • A new sectional paper has been introduced, called Energy Science (under Engineering Sciences).

The details are available on the official website as well as in the information brochure. 

Q:   What is the difficulty level of GATE question paper?
A: 

The difficulty level of GATE question paper changes every year, as different IITs and IISc Bangalore conduct the competitive exam on rotational basis. However, based on the last past 5 to 10 years of GATE paper review, the difficulty level usually remains moderate to tough mostly.

Q:   How much GATE score is required for M.Tech at IIT?
A: 

A GATE score of 700 to 800 is mainly required for M.Tech admission at IIT (especially for top IITs). However, the score also depends on the IIT popularity, branch popularity, and other factors. For new IITs, a GATE score of 500 to 600 is mainly required. 

It is advised to check the past year's GATE cutoff trends before opting for counselling and admission. 

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Commonly asked questions
Q:   What is the rank for 40 marks in GATE?
A: 

40 marks in GATE will approximately give a rank between 2000 to 5000 depending on the paper difficulty level and the number of registered candidates in that particular branch.  Obtaining 40 marks is mainly considered average, opening chances to a few new IITs (less popular branches) and NITs.

However, rank for 40 marks in the Graduate Aptitude in Engineering can give a different rank value for different branches and disciplines. For example, 40 marks in GATE CSE can correspond to 9000 to 10000 rank. On the other hand, 40 marks in GATE ME, can correspond to 6000 - 7100 rank. 

Advice to students who secured 40 marks in GATE exam: Better to apply in some state-level colleges or new NITs. 

Q:   What is the highest GATE cutoff score for NIT M.Tech admission?
A: 

The highest GATE cutoff score for NIT M.Tech admission typically ranges from 800 to 850 in the first round. Some of the top NITs include NIT Surathkal, NIT Trichy, and NIT Warangal, accept admissions with GATE score 800 above for branches like EC, CS, ME, and EE.

Qualified candidates have to register at the CCMT portal to participate in the GATE counselling. The counselling process will begin in June/July.

Q:   When will IIT Guwahati release GATE 2026 cutoff?
A: 

Indian Institute of Technology released GATE cutoff 2026. The IITG GATE 2026 result has been declared. The conducting body releases the exam result and cutoff for all 30 subjects. The cutoff for GATE 2026 is available category-wise. Candidates securing the minimum cutoff will be eligible to participate in counselling. 

Note: The minimum qualifying cutoff is different for all subjects. 

Q:   Can we give GATE exam two times in a year?
A: 

No, the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering examination takes place once a year. Every year, different IITs and IISc conduct exam on rotational basis. GATE is conducted online for three hours for 30 branch papers. 

NITs types

GATE score required

Top NITs (NIT Trichy, Warangal, Suratkhal)

700 - 800+

Mid NITs

500 - 600+

New NITs

300 - 400+

GATE NIT Admission Cutoff and Safe Score (Branch-Wise)

Branch

GATE admission cutoff score (expected)

Computer Science (CSE)

700 - 800

Electrical Engineering (EE)

550+

Civil Engineering (CE)

500 - 600

Mechanical Engineering (ME)

550+

Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE)

500 - 600

GATE 2026 Admission Cutoff for IISc Bangalore

For MTech admission at IISc Bangalore, a high cutoff score is required. A GATE score of 900+ have good chances of getting admission in top branches like CSE, ME, EE, ECE. 

GATE Score

Estimated Rank

IISc Admission Chances

850 - 1000

Top 100

High chance of admission to popular branches, including CSE, AI, and DS

800 - 850

100 to 300

High (EE, ME, Interdisciplinary)

750 - 800

300 to 800

Moderate

700 - 750

800 to 1500

Low (May get interdisciplinary)

Above 700

1500

Difficult unless category reservation applies

GATE 2026 Marks Vs Rank Analysis

Based on last year's results, candidates can check the GATE marks vs rank analysis below -

Rank (GATE AIR) GATE marks (out of 100)
1 to 10 85 - 90 marks
10 to 50 82 -87 marks
50 to 100  80 - 85 marks
100 to 200 78 - 83 marks
200 to 500 76 - 81 marks
500 to 1000 74 - 79 marks
1000 to 2000 72- 77 marks
2000 to 5000 70 - 75 marks
5000 - 10000 60 - 65 marks
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About the Author
author-image
UPASANA PRADHAN
Assistant Manager- Editorial

Upasana Pradhan is an Mtech graduate in Electronics and Communication Engineering from DTU who specialises in curating postgraduate and undergraduate engineering entrance exam content, such as GATE, TS PGECET, KCET,

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