GATE 2026 Exam and Shift Timing (OUT): Check Branch-wise Reporting Time, Dates, Schedule
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026 ( GATE )
Result - 27 Mar '26 - 31 May '26
Aspirants of the GATE 2026 exam must be aware of the GATE exam and shift timings. IIT Guwahati will conduct GATE 2026 over four days in multiple shifts. Candidates must check the reporting time, exam start time and duration of each shift before appearing for the exam.
GATE 2026 Exam Timings: Know Shift-wise Reporting Time and More Details
GATE Exam and Shift Timings 2026: IIT Guwahati has announced the GATE 2026 exam and shift timings. The GATE exam dates are February 7, 8, 14 and 15. GATE 2026 is being conducted for 30 subjects. The authority has concluded the exam for the first two days with 21 papers. The exam now resumes on February 14 with CE, EE, PI, BM, ME and BT papers. As usual, the exam will be conducted in a two-shift format of 3 hours each- forenoon and afternoon shifts. The forenoon shift timings are 09:30 AM to 12:30 PM, while the afternoon shift timing is 02:30 PM to 05:30 PM. Candidates must reach the exam centre as per the reporting time. The GATE reporting and exam timings are mentioned on the GATE admit card 2026.
LIVE Now: GATE 2026 Feb 14 exam
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a national-level exam for engineering and science graduates in India. Every year, lakhs of candidates appear for the exam for admission to postgraduate courses or to apply for PSU recruitment. The GATE exam timing is an important detail that every aspirant should carefully check before appearing for the exam. Check the following article for more details on the GATE exam and shift timings 2026.
Also Read:
| GATE 2026 CE Shift 1 Question Paper with Solutions | GATE 2026 ME Answer Key Solutions PDF |
| GATE 2026 EE Question Paper with Answer Key |
|
- GATE 2026 Exam Timings
- Importance of Checking GATE Shift Timing
- Instructions for Candidates on Exam Day
- GATE Exam Dress Code 2026 for Male and Female Candidates
- How to Check GATE Exam Timing?
- GATE 2026 Exam Date Branchwise
GATE 2026 Exam Timings
The GATE exam is conducted in two shifts per day- forenoon and afternoon shifts. Candidates are advised to reach the exam centre well before the reporting time to complete security checks and identity verification smoothly.
| Morning Shift Timing |
Afternoon Shift Timing |
|---|---|
| Reporting Time: 8 AM |
Reporting Time: 1 PM |
| Exam Start Time: 9:30 AM |
Exam Start Time: 2:30 PM |
| Last Entry Allowed: 10 AM |
Last Entry Allowed: 3 PM |
| Exam End Time: 12:30 PM |
Exam End Time: 5:30 PM |
Commonly asked questions
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.
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 conducted GATE 2026 exam on Feb 7 and 8 in two shifts. Then on Feb 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 exam dates has been released on official website - gate2026.iitg.ac.in.
Importance of Checking GATE Shift Timing
Knowing the correct shift timing is extremely important for candidates. Reaching the exam centre late may lead to disqualification, as entry is not allowed after the gate closing time. Shift timing details are mentioned on the GATE admit card, which candidates must download from the official website. Candidates should check:
- Exam date
- Shift (morning or afternoon)
- Reporting time
- Exam centre address
Must Check:
| GATE 2026 CSE Shift 1 Answer Key | |
Instructions for Candidates on Exam Day
On the day of the GATE exam, candidates must follow certain guidelines related to timing:
- Reach the exam centre at least 30-45 minutes before the reporting time
- Carry a printed copy of the admit card
- Bring a valid photo ID proof
- Do not carry prohibited items such as mobile phones, smart watches, or notes
Commonly asked questions
GATE scorecard 2026 is valid for three years, which means the scorecard can be used till 2029. Candidates can download their scorecard using their enrollment ID and password. It can be used for MTech, PhD, Research work admissions and PSU recruitment.
The GATE 2026 exam will be conducted in more than 200 cities across eight zones in India. There are no international centres. Candidates who wish to appear for the exam must travel to India. The details regarding the test city and address will be mentioned in the GATE admit card.
There is no ideal time to start the GATE preparation. Start early (from the first year itself). It is mainly because your bachelor's topics and chapters have the most weightage in the GATE question paper. The topics that are taught in your third year are the backbone. If you are clear with the fundamentals and concepts (taught in classes), then you do not require extra time to prepare for GATE. Just revise and practice questions. That's enough.
So, start preparing for GATE right from the first year. Your brain is fresh with the concepts and formulas, thus making it easy to solve the questions and prepare for the exam.
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GATE Exam Dress Code 2026 for Male and Female Candidates
Male and female candidates must be aware of what they should wear at the GATE 2026 exam centre in order to avoid any issues in the scrutiny process. The GATE 2026 exam dress code is important because wearing the right kind of clothing during the GATE paper can save a lot of time and stress.
How to Check GATE Exam Timing?
Candidates can check their exact GATE exam timing by following these steps:
- Visit the official GATE website, gate2026.iitg.ac.in
- Log in using enrollment ID and password
- Download the GATE admit card
- Check the exam date, shift, and reporting time mentioned on the admit card
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GATE 2026 Exam Date Branchwise
IIT Guwahati announced the exam dates on the official website. Candidates can check GATE 2026 branch-wise exam dates below.
| 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 |
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 5 days ago
IIT Guwahati has updated the status of GATE result on the homepage of the official website (under the notification tab). Candidates can login to their page and access the result link.
P
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 5 days ago
IIT Guwahati has declared GATE 2026 result. Candidates can access their result at official website.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 5 days ago
Candidates can find the direct link to access GATE result 2026 at gate2026.iitg.ac.in. The new tab will be created at candidate's login dashboard. The link will reflect once you are logged in.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 6 days ago
The GATE 2026 final answer key will be released soon. The official announcement will be done by the authorities on official website - gate2026.iitg.ac.in. Candidates must note that final answer key cannot be challenged.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
But this score range 330-400 are below cutoff. Then how those candidates can register in the portal below the cutoff?
D
Beginner-Level 1
Answered a week ago
IIT Guwahati released GATE 2026 final answer key. Candidates can login at GOAPS and access master question paper and answer key.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
UIET Chandigarh considers GATE scores for admission to M.Tech programme. Selected candidates are called for counselling. Aspirants can get admission in M.Tech without GATE scores provided they meet the selection criteria.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered a week ago
MGM Institute of Biosciences and Technology does accept GATE scores for admission to M.Tech courses. Aspirants can also get into M.Tech based on their scores in NET or MGMU CET. The seats are offered to candidates based on their ranks in either of the accepted entrance exams.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered a week ago
Aspirants without GATE scores can get admission at NIT Goa. Such candidates need to fill out the institute-level form and appear for written test conducted by the institute. NIT Goa releases the test results on the official website.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered 2 weeks ago
Overall, the difficulty level of GATE 2026 paper was moderate to tough. The papers that were held on the first day were easy to moderate. The difficulty level of the popular papers- CSE, ME, CE, ECE, and EE had mixed student reactions from students and experts. Refer below to get a brief analysis of
B
Contributor-Level 7