Students’ Speak: A low GATE score is not the end of the road
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026 ( GATE )
Exam On - 7 Feb '26
By: Yash Singhal
If you want to drop a year for the exam, I only advise you to do so only if you are confident enough that you can crack the gate exam with a good score.
Cracking GATE exam is always a dream for almost all the engineering students who want to make a successful career in their respective field. But it is not all who prepares for this exam get the expected results. But what to do if the percentile is low or below expectation?
First, don’t get disappointed after seeing the result as it is not the end of your life. It only a single exam that can’t define your ability or talent. Accept the result and look for the alternative, what else can be achieved at this score. Search as many fields that accept GATE score and will be suitable for your dream career. There will be certainly some companies or colleges that will accept your low score as well, but the only problem that you can get is the environment. But no matter prepare once more if you want or else explore more things that you can do after joining the organisation.
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If you want to drop a year for the exam, I only advise you to do so only if you are confident enough that you can crack the gate exam with a good score. Otherwise, I won’t suggest you drop a year for the same. What if you drop and are unable to crack it again? It will be more difficult to move on. Additionally, looking at the current economic scenario, a drop year can bring down your chances of being employed at a good organisation.
If you have scored great marks but still are unable to make it to your dream PSU, don’t get disappointed as there are several interview calls from other such organisations.
There are several opportunities even after this exam, you can apply for the IES exam and will be able to get a government job or you can apply for the other organisation’s field-specific departments. For instance, an electronics engineer can apply for BHEL engineers recruitment and other departmental opportunities. If you have cracked the exam, you will be given preference in the private job interviews, too. Additionally from this exam, you can get into any field-specific course and from there into different ministries. Do the best whatever you can and you will certainly get success in other exams.
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About the Author:
Yash Singhal is a student of NIET, Aurangabad pursuing his BTech in ESE. Singhal writes articles as a mentor and has been in the field of guiding and counselling students to get into the right stream by smart work instead of hard work.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
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 2 days 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 6 days 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 6 days 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 a week 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 a week 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 a week 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
Answered a week ago
Bachelor's degree holder from IITs with a CGPA of 8.0 or above can get direct admission in M.Tech programme of IIT Dhanbad without GATE. The respective department reviews such applications and seats for such aspirants are supernumerary.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered a week ago
Yes, you can get M.Tech admission without a GATE in Bangalore colleges through institute specific entrance exams. The seats are sponsored in IITs and NITS. Private and state universities also offer direct admissions via their own tests or merit.
Source: External site and may vary.
T
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Yes, Chandigarh University conducts an interview process for students who wish to avail the GATE Exam 2026 fellowship. Clearing the interview is a compulsory step, even for candidates with strong GATE scores. The interview is designed to assess the student's subject knowledge, communication skill,
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Beginner-Level 4