Students’ Speak: Entrance exams you could appear for apart from GATE
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2025 ( GATE )
Admit Card - 2 Jan '26
By: Kandarp Patel
Only PSUs and IITs are not the options in GATE. There are also some good options or opportunities apart from these if your GATE score is low.
Got a low score in GATE 2020? There would be a lot of questions running through your head right now. Read this article to know what all options and opportunities you can still avail of.
The first step is to seriously think, whether or not should you re-attempt. If you are ready to do enough hard work for one more year and your passion is to pursue MTech from any of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) or to obtain a job in public sector undertakings (PSUs), then go for one more attempt.
Explore colleges based on GATE
Want better recommendations?
There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.
- Chat with our counselor
- Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
However, remember the risk will be higher. If you are ready for one more attempt then try to do a job or take admission in MTech in any private university along with the preparation for safer side. I am not advising you to do MTech from any private university as it is not worth but it is a better option than just to do GATE preparation.
Only PSUs and IITs are not the options in GATE. There are also some good options or opportunities apart from these if your GATE score is low. These include:
- MTech from NITs
- MTech from top state universities
- MTech or MS from foreign universities
- Research & development programmes in India or abroad
- MS from IITs (Apply in Winter session)
- PhD courses After BTech from IITs (Apply in Winter session)
- Project assistantship
- Interdisciplinary programmes from IITs
- Job opportunities in private companies if GATE qualified or appeared (varies from company to company)
Entrance Exams apart from GATE
There are various entrance exams apart from GATE to get admission to an MTech course from some good institutes. These include:
Explore more Engineering exams with upcoming dates
29 Nov '25
15 Feb '26 - 19 Feb '26
15 Feb '26
7 Jun '26 - 23 Jun '26
| Entrance Exam |
Institute |
|---|---|
| Postgraduate Entrance Examination (PGEE) |
Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad |
| IIIT Delhi M.Tech Entrance Exam |
IIIT Delhi |
| IIIT Bangalore M.Tech Entrance Exam |
IIIT Bangalore |
| IIIT Bhubaneswar M.Tech Entrance Exam |
IIIT Bhubaneswar |
| Vellore Institute of Technology Master’s Entrance Exam (VITMEE) |
VIT University |
| SRM Graduate Engineering Test (SRMGEET) |
SRM University |
| BITSAT Entrance Exam |
Birla Institute of Technology & Science |
| DAIICT Entrance Exam |
Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology (DAIICT) |
| UPES Entrance Exam |
University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) Dehradun |
| Calicut University M.Tech Entrance Exam |
Calicut University |
| Nirma University M.Tech Entrance Exam |
Nirma University |
| LPUNEST (M.Tech) |
Lovely Professional University (LPU) |
| Manipal Entrance Test PG (MET) |
Manipal University |
| Jawaharlal Nehru University Combined Entrance Examination for Biotechnology (JNU CEEB) |
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) |
Note: Apart from these entrance exams there are also state-wise M.Tech entrance exams of various states. Kindly go through the official websites of these institutes for detailed information like application form, dates & schedules and eligibility.
Don’t worry about a low score, there are many options mentioned above. Kindly go through all these options and make your decision wisely whether to choose any one option from these or to go for reattempt of GATE.
About the Author:
Kandarp Patel is a student at Nirma University, Ahemdabad, pursuing Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering (final year). He is also a campus representative with Shiksha.com since 2016.
Explore Other Exams
Oct '25 | JEE Main 2026 Registration Ses... |
Oct '25 | JEE Main 2026 Notification |
Feb '26 | TS EAMCET 2026 notification |
Mar '26 | TS EAMCET 2026 application for... |
6 Sep '25 - 8 Sep '25 | KCET Round 3 |
29 Aug '25 | Round 2 Mock Seat Allotment |
Apr '26 | JEE Advanced 2026 registration... |
Apr '26 | JEE Advanced 2026 practice tes... |
Oct '25 | DTU LEET 2025 Display of Merit... |
Oct '25 | DTU LEET 2025 Exam Date |
Jan '26 | OJEE 2026 registrations |
Mar '26 | OJEE 2026: Last date of fee pa... |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 5 days ago
Yes, IIT Guwahati has extended the GATE 2026 registration date with late fees. The new GATE 2026 registration date is October 13.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 5 days ago
If you notice an error or discrepancy after submitting your GATE form, don't panic. Once the application correction window opens, log in via GOAPS using your credentials and make the corrections. Details like category, gender, exam city, paper choice, date of birth, etc., can often be edited — usual
D
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The factors that determine the GATE cutoff are -
- Availability of seats (the total seat intake varies every year for NITs, IIITs, and IIT admission)
- Number of registered applicants
- The difficulty level of the examination - (GATE is conducted on multiple days, however, the paper difficulty varies for eve
I
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
Based on the previous year's trends, the GATE 2026 expected cutoff for computer Science and engineering can be checked below-
- For General category it might go around 30 to 31.0
However, the GATE cutoff varies every year, depending on the difficulty level, number of applicants appearing for the exam,
U
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
No, a duplicate GATE 2026 admit card will not be provided at the test center. Candidates must carry their own admit card along with the mentioned documents and items to the GATE exam center. IIT Guwahati will release the GATE admit card on January 2.
P
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
Candidates will get only one scribble pad at a time. They must write their name and registration number before using it. If the rough sheet gets filled, then they can ask for another one scribble pad after returning the previous one to the invigilator. After the exam concludes, candidates must retur
B
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
Yes, candidates will get a scribble pad in the GATE exam 2026 to do the rough work. Candidates have to write their name and registration number on the scribble pad before using it. However, the rough sheet must be returned after the completion of the exam.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
The barcode present in the GATE admit card 2026 carries the candidate's information. It is required for a faster verification process and fraud prevention. So, make sure it does not get tampered. Carry multiple copies in case your GATE 2026 hall ticket is torn or tampered.
T
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
Applicants must carry the following documents and items to the center along with the GATE 2026 admit card -
- Photo ID proof (as uploaded in the application form)
- Passport-size photograph
- Transparent water bottle
- Pen (blue or black)
It is advised to carry two to three copies of the GATE admit card to avoid
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
Candidates must provide their enrollment ID and password (created at the time of registration) to download their GATE admit card. The admit card will be made available on the GOAPS portal at the GATE candidate login. The GATE 2026 hall ticket release date is January 2 as mentioned in the information
H
Contributor-Level 7