Is Calculator Allowed in GATE 2026: Guidelines, Instructions by Invigilator, and Tips
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026 ( GATE )
Exam On - 14 Feb '26
Is calculator allowed in the GATE exam: One of the most commonly asked questions among GATE aspirants is that, whether a calculator is allowed in the GATE exam or not? Since GATE is known to be one of the competitive exam nation-wide, understanding the GATE exam guidelines is highly important. Read below to know more.
Since GATE is conducted by IITs and IISc on a rotational basis, and this year, IIT Guwahati is conducting GATE examination, knowing the exam day guidelines and instructions beforehand is essential. It can help you stay away from the confusion and perform better on the exam day.
In this article, we have explained a few things -
- Is calculator allowed inside GATE exam hall?
- What type of calculator one can use for calculations?
- Important instructions one must follow inside GATE exam hall.
Latest Update: GATE 2026 admit card release date, check steps to download, and other details
- Is Calculator allowed in GATE 2026 Exam?
- Use of Virtual Calculator in GATE 2026 Exam
- Is it mandatory to use GATE 2026 Virtual Calculator in the exam?
- Can we carry rough sheet to the GATE 2026 Exam?
- How to use Virtual Calculator in the GATE Examination?
Is Calculator allowed in GATE 2026 Exam?
Yes, calculators are allowed in the GATE examination, but only virtual calculators. The GATE virtual calculator will be implemented by default in your system that is provided in the exam hall. Physical calculators, such as scientific or non-scientific are not allowed inside the exam hall. The GATE 2026 exam conducting authorities provide on -screen calculator and students have to use it for all numerical and mathematical calculations.
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What type of Calculators are not allowed in GATE Exam?
The following types of calculators are strictly prohibited in the GATE exam -
- Scientific
- Non-scientific
- Programmable
- And Mobile phones with calculator apps
Candidates will be checked thoroughly before entering inside the GATE exam centre. Any form of electronic gadget is not allowed.
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.
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.
Use of Virtual Calculator in GATE 2026 Exam
GATE authorities provide virtual scientific calculator to perform calculations, such as
- Basic arithmetic operations
- Trigonometric functions
- Logarithmic calculations
- Square root and power functions
Students who are appearing for GATE 2026 exam, conducted on February 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2026, must be aware of the functions provided by GATE scientific calculator. One must start practising and get well-acquainted with its features to solve questions in accuracy. The GATE admit card will be released on January 2, 2026.
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Is it mandatory to use GATE 2026 Virtual Calculator in the exam?
Yes, as physical calculators are prohibited in GATE exam, therefore using virtual calculator is mandatory for solving numerical problems available in GATE previous year's question paper. The on-screen calculator will appear on the system/dashboard and can be opened whenever required.
Note: Students are advised to develop strong mental calculation skills and simplify equations whenever required in the examination.
The main objective of implementing GATE virtual calculators is to ensure that all students work under the same conditions.
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) |
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.
Can we carry rough sheet to the GATE 2026 Exam?
No, candidates are not allowed to carry a rough sheet to the GATE examination centre. A scribble pad will be provided inside the exam hall. After receiving the GATE scribble sheet, students have to write their name and roll number first and start doing their calculations. Once the exam is completed, students will have to return it to the invigilator.
How to use Virtual Calculator in the GATE Examination?
Here’s how one can use the GATE virtual calculator effectively -
- Start solving questions using GATE scientific calculator in advance.
- Try accessing the virtual calculator only for the tricky questions only, this will save a lot of time.
- Learn shortcuts and approximation techniques using GATE scientific calculator.
- Use scribble pad to solve easy questions.
In short, students are advised to practise solving numerical questions using GATE virtual calculator right before the exam. It will help to improve accuracy and time management in the exam.
Also read:
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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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 days ago
The GATE 2026 question paper difficulty level of all subjects will be available after the completion of exam. In addition, students will also get an idea about chapter-wise weightage and important topics asked in major papers like GATE CSE, ME, EC, EE, DA, XE, etc.
H
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 days ago
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 3 days ago
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 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"
For GATE Paper "XH"
For GATE Paper "XL"