Students’ Speak: These are your options in case of a low GATE score
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026 ( GATE )
GATE 2026 Scorecard (free download)
27 Mar '26 - 31 May '26
By: Vivek Kumar
Everyone gets the opportunity to grow with different challenges to be faced in life. Make the most of the options available and work towards achieving the set goals.
Let's analyse all the scenarios if a student can or cannot crack the GATE exam.
The total number of candidates appeared for GATE 2019 was over 9 lakhs and around 7.8 lakhs gave the exam out of which only 1.29 lakhs including all categories qualified this exam. Getting in PSU after clearing GATE is like a dream for every student but what about other students who could not clear this exam. In this article, we will discuss the options available for students with low scores in GATE.
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Some points that could be considered by students are as follows:
- Re-attempt: If a student is confident to prepare for GATE again with focus and diligence then they could go for re-attempting the exam Re-attempting would require re-planning of the schedule and adhere to it at all cost.
- Practise hard to make sure the same mistakes are not repeated this time
- Solve mock tests and then analyse it; this would give a chance to understand the mistakes and re-work on the same.
- Practising more previous year question papers and mock tests regularly would help in boosting the confidence level
- Preparing for other government exams: If you’re good in Aptitude and reasoning but lack in core subjects of graduation then opt for other government exams as well. First, check the exam pattern of the exam you are planning to prepare for and then plan accordingly.
- Career change: Self-satisfaction is important for every individual, so in case you’re not satisfied with the field chosen by you; then start exploring options and start doing whatever makes you feel happy. Everyone gets a new opportunity to grow, however, the challenges may differ from person to person. It’s ok to go after your dream even if you have identified it late in life.
Continue with Corporate Life: In case, you are working in a good corporate and GATE was only given to test your capabilities and not for any future preference then it is advised to continue with the current job.
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About the Author:
A writer by hobby and a coder by choice, Vivek Kumar is a B.Tech in CSE student at Lovely Professional University. He is intermediate trained in JAVA, SQL, R, Tableau.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 days ago
MANIT M.Tech fellowship is paid every month based on your attendance. You need to fill out a simple form and get it signed by your teacher. This shows you attended your classes and did your lab assistant work. Once the department confirms this, the money goes straight to your bank account.
R
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 2 days ago
MANIT M.Tech application starts by qualifying the GATE. Next, you register on the CCMT portal during the month of May. You will fill in your personal details and upload your scorecard. Then, you must list your preferred branches at MANIT in order. If you are allotted a seat, pay the fee and verify y
R
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a week ago
This year, 10,11,719 candidates registered for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, and 797434 candidates appeared for the GATE. The number of qualified students list will be available once statistical report is released.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
Yes, COAP is only for M.Tech and PhD admissions at IITs and IISc Bangalore. The portal also updates job offers for some PSUs. Overall, around 23+ IITs participate in GATE COAP counselling every year.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
With a GATE EC 2026 score of 609 and EWS category rank, you are well within the cutoff range for M.Tech in VLSI/Microelectronics at several IITs (like IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Roorkee) and top NITs (like NIT Trichy, NIT Warangal, NIT Calicut). Your score is strong enough to target premier in
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Yes, you can join NIT Puducherry without GATE, but only through specific alternative admission channels such as the Self-Support M.Tech program, Sponsored/QIP (Quality Improvement Program), or DASA (Direct Admission of Students Abroad). Regular M.Tech seats are primarily filled via GATE and CCMT cou
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
The GATE exam is conducted in the month of February. Registrations can be done on respective website. The application forms are generally out in last week of August. The application fee is INR 1,000 (female/SC/ST/PWD) and INR 2,000 (Male/General/OBC/EWS). Students have to register separately on univ
B
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
No, Indian students don't need JEE, NEET, or GATE exam score to get a seat at Imperial College. However, programs like MBBS (UCAT), MBA (GMAT), and some STEM programs (ESAT, TMUA, GRE) do ask for additional test scores.
Make sure to check entry requirements for desired course before applying at Impe
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes, you can get admission in M.Tech without GATE exam at MIT College of Management and Computer Application. In that case, you can appear for PERA CET or MIT-WPU CET exam and get a valid score for admission.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
| Target Performance | Desired Score | Approx. Questions to Attempt | Reasoning |
| Top IITs / PSUs | 70 - 85+ | 55 - 60 Questions | High attempts with near-perfect accuracy are required to compete for the top 500 ranks. |
| Old IITs / Top NITs | 55 - 70 | 45 - 52 Questions | A safe zone where you focus on high-weightage topics and core subjects. |
| Qualification / New NITs | 30 - 45 | 35 - 40 Questions | Focus on General Aptitude, Mathematics, and your the strongest 3–4 technical subjects. |
S
Contributor-Level 10