GATE 2026 Books: Check Top-Rated GATE books for CS, ME, DA, EE, CE and more
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2025 ( GATE )
Admit Card - 2 Jan '26
GATE 2026 Books: IIT Guwahati is all set to start the GATE 2026 exam, and one thing we all can agree on is that a well GATE 2026 preparation comes with good books. The GATE 2026 exam dates are February 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2026. Choosing the right GATE 2026 books for this year's preparation can save a lot of time, reduce confusion, and help you stay focused. Preparing for GATE 2026 demands more than just classroom knowledge- which is strategic approach, concept clarity, and consistent practice.
Candidates can check here the best available books for the GATE 2026 Exam. For smoother and more conceptualised preparation, referring to a standard and reference book is always advisable, followed by the previous year's question paper. Read below for more.
Latest Updates: GATE 2026 late fee registration date extended to October 13, apply now
- GATE 2026 Books for Computer Science (CS)
- GATE 2026 Books for Aerospace Engineering (AE)
- GATE 2026 Books for Electrical Engineering (EE)
- GATE 2026 Books for Electronics and Communication Engineering (EC)
- GATE 2026 Books for Mechanical Engineering (ME)
- GATE 2026 Books for Civil Engineering (CE)
- GATE 2026 Books for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DA)
- GATE 2026 Books for Life Sciences (XL)
- How to utilize the best GATE 2026 books during the last phase of preparation?
GATE 2026 Books for Computer Science (CS)
Candidates can check the best available options of GATE 2026 CSE Books for each section of Computer Science and Information Technology.
| Section |
Topic |
Books |
Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Logic
|
|
Digital logic and computer design |
M. Morris Mano |
| Modern digital electronics |
R.P Jain |
||
| Computer Organisation and Architecture |
|
Computer Organization and Architecture |
William Stallings |
| Computer organization |
Carl Hamacher |
||
| Programming and Data Structures |
|
The C programming language
|
Dennis M.Ritchie |
| C: The complete reference |
Herbert Schildt |
||
|
Fundamentals of data structure |
Sartaj Sahni |
|
| Data structures and algorithms MADE EASY |
Narasimha Karumanchi |
||
| Algorithms |
|
Introduction to algorithms |
Thomas H.Cormen |
| Fundamentals of computer algorithms |
Rajasekaran, Sahni, Horowitz |
||
| Theory of Computation |
|
An introduction to formal languages and automata |
Peter Linz |
| Automata theory, languages and computation |
John E Hopcroft, Jeffrey D. Ullman |
||
| Compiler Design |
|
Compilers' principles, techniques and tools |
Alfred Aho and Jeffrey Ullman |
| Principles of Compiler Design |
Alfred Aho and Jeffrey Ullman |
||
| Databases
|
|
Database System Concepts |
Henry Korth |
| Fundamentals of database system |
Elmasri Navathe |
||
| Computer Networks |
|
Data communication and networking |
Behrouz A. Forouzon |
| Computer networks |
Andrew S. Tanenbaum, David J. Wetherall |
Commonly asked questions
To prepare for the GATE General Aptitude section, here are some of the best books -
- Quantitative Aptitude for all competitive exams by Abhijit Guha
- A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S Agarwal
To fetch full marks in GATE General Aptitude, here's what you can do -
- Study English Grammar Textbooks.
- Try solving language puzzles and take online quizzes to test your skills and accuracy.
- Practice general aptitude section from previous year's GATE question paper.
The GATE CS is one of the most demanding paper taken by the aspirants. Here are some of the important high-weightage topics and chapters that are frequently asked in the GATE exam every year.
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- Theory of Computation
- Operation Systems
- Databases and Computer Networks.
Every year, more than 8 to 12 marks of questions are extracted from these topics. The questions range from easy to challenging. So, it is advisable to focus on these topics for GATE preparation.
Here are some of the best books for GATE Computer Science and Engineering preparation -
- Digital Logic and Computer Design by Morris Mano
- The C Programming Language by Dennis M.Ritchie
- Introduction to Algorithms by Thomas H.Cormen
- Database System Concepts Henry Korth
- Data Communication and Networking Behrouz A.Forouzon
Candidates are advised not to neglect textbooks as well. They are gold. The textbooks cover majority of concepts and fundamentals explained easily. So, start with your standard books first, then use the reference books for further preparation.
GATE 2026 Books for Aerospace Engineering (AE)
Candidates can check the best GATE 2026 Aerospace Engineering (AE) books here -
| Section | Topics | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerodynamics |
|
Fundamentals of Aerodynamics | John D. Anderson, Jr |
| Aerodynamics of Engineering Students | E.L Houghton, P.W. Carpenter | ||
| Gas Dynamics | E. Rathakrishnan | ||
| Flight Mechanics |
|
Aircraft Performance and Design | John D. Anderson, Jr |
| Introduction to Flight | John D. Anderson, Jr | ||
| Airplane Performance, Stability, and Control | Perkins and Hage | ||
| Propulsion |
|
Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Propulsion | Hill & Peterson |
| Gas Turbines | V Ganesan | ||
| Elements of Rocket Propulsion | George P. Sutton | ||
| Engineering Mathematics |
|
Advanced Engineering Mathematics | Erwin Kreyszig |
| Advanced Engineering Mathematics | HK Dass | ||
| Advanced Engineering Mathematics | RK Jain, SRK Iyengar | ||
| Structures |
|
A Textbook of Strength of Materials | RK Bansal |
| Strength of Materials | Stephen Timonshenko | ||
| Aircraft Structures for Engineering Students | THG Megson |
Commonly asked questions
Balamurugan was the GATE 2025 topper in the Aerospace Engineering branch/discipline scoring 81 marks out of 100 (with a GATE score of 990 out of 1000). Last year, 7576 candidates registered for the GATE AE paper, out of which 6009 candidates appeared for the exam.
The GATE 2025 cutoff for Aerospace Engineering (category-wise) can be checked below -
- General category - 28.9
- OBC-NCL or EWS category - 26
- SC/ST category - 19.2
Out of 7576 candidates, 6009 applicants appeared for the exam. Candidates must note that the GATE cutoff varies every year depending on certain factors, such as difficulty level, registered applicants, etc.
Here are some good books for GATE AE that candidates can refer for preparation and revision -
- Fundamentals of Aerodynamics by JD Anderson
- Aircraft by GM Sutton and Oscar Biblarz
- Airplane Performance, Stability, and Control by Perkins and Hage
- Aerodynamics of Engineering Students by E.L Houghton, P.W Carpenter
- Introduction to Flight by JD Anderson
GATE 2026 Books for Electrical Engineering (EE)
Candidates can check GATE Electrical Engineering (EE) books here
| Section |
Topics |
Book |
Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric circuits |
|
Fundamentals of Electric Circuits |
Charles. K. Alexander |
| Engineering Circuit Analysis |
WH Hayt, SM Durbin |
||
| Circuit Theory: Analysis & Synthesis |
Abhijit Chakraborti |
||
| Electromagnetic Fields |
|
Engineering Electromagnetics |
W H Hayt, John A Buck |
| Electromagnetic waves and Radiating Systems |
Edward C. Jordan, Keith G. Balmain |
||
| Signals and Systems |
|
Signals And Systems |
Oppenheim Alan V, W Alan, NS Hamid |
| Signals and Systems |
A. Anand Kumar |
||
| Signals and Systems |
Simon Haykin, Barry Van Veen |
||
| Electrical Machines |
|
Electric Machinery fundamentals |
Stephen J. Chapman |
| Electric Machinery |
P.S. Bimbhra |
||
| Electric Machinery |
Fitzgerald and Kingsley |
||
| Power Systems |
|
Elements of Power System Analysis |
William D Stevenson |
| Electrical Power Systems |
C.L. Wadhwa |
||
| Electrical Power Systems by |
Ashfaq Hussian |
||
| Power System Engineering |
D.P. Kothari and J. Nagrath |
||
| Control Systems
|
|
Control Systems Engineering |
I.J. Nagrath, M. Gopal |
| Automatic Control Systems |
B.C. kuo, Farid Golnaraghi |
||
| Modern Control Engineering |
Katsuhiko Dgata |
||
| Principles of linear system and signals |
BP Lath |
||
| Electrical and Electronic Measurements |
|
Electrical and Electronic Measurements and Instrumentation |
AK Shawhey
|
| Modern Electronic Instrumentation and Measurement Technique |
AD Helfrick William D. Cooper
|
||
| Analog and Digital Electronics |
|
Integrated Electronics |
Jacob Millman Christos C Halkias |
| Digital Logic and Computer Design |
M Morris Mano |
||
| Electronic Devices and Circuit |
Robert L. Boylestad Louis Nashelsky |
||
| Power Electronics |
|
Power Electronics |
P.S. Bimbhra |
| Devices, Circuits and applications |
Muhammad H. Rashid |
Check below -
Commonly asked questions
The GATE cutoff (last year - 2025) for electrical engineering can be checked below -
- General category - 25
- OBC-NCL/EWS category - 22.5 marks
- SC/ST category - 16.6 marks
Candidates must note that GATE cutoff varies every year, depending on various factors like number of applicants appearing, difficulty level, pattern, etc.
Here are some good books for GATE Electrical Engineering and Electronics and Communication Engineering -
| GATE EE Books | GATE EC Books |
| Fundamentals of Electric Circuits by Charles K. Alexander | Fundamentals of Electric Circuits by Charles K. Alexander & Matthew N.O. Sadiku |
| Signals and Systems by A. Anand Kumar | Digital Logic and Computer Design by M.Morris Mano |
| Electric Machinery by P.S Bhimbra | Modern Digital Electronics by R.P Jain |
| Electrical and Electronic Measurements and Instrumentation by AK Shawhey | Analog and Digital Communication Systems by Simon Haykin |
Pradeep Chauhan was the GATE 2025 topper in the electrical engineering branch, scoring 81.67 marks out of 100. His GATE score was 1000. In GATE 2025, around 83355 candidates registered for the exam, out of which 67701 candidates appeared for the test.
GATE 2026 Books for Electronics and Communication Engineering (EC)
Candidates can check GATE 2026 EC Books here;
| Section |
Topic |
Books |
Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Networks, Signals and Systems |
|
Fundamentals of Electric Circuits |
Charles K. Alexander & Matthew N.O. Sadiku |
| Engineering Circuit Analysis |
William H. Hayt
|
||
| Network Analysis |
Mac Van Valkenburg |
||
| Electronic Devices |
|
Semiconductor Physics and Devices |
Donald A Neaman & Dhrubes Biswas |
| Solid State Electronic Devices |
Ben G. Streetman and Sanjay Banerjee |
||
| Semiconductor Devices |
S. M. Sze |
||
| Analog Circuits
|
|
Integrated Electronics
|
Jacob Millman Christos C Halkias |
| Electronic Devices and Circuit |
Robert L. Boylestad Louis Nashelsky |
||
| Micro Electronics circuit |
Sedra & Smith |
||
| Digital Circuits
|
|
Digital Electronic Principles and Applications |
Ronald J. Toccii |
| Digital Logic and Computer Design |
M Morris Mano |
||
| Modern Digital Electronics |
R.P. Jain |
||
| Control Systems |
|
Control Systems Engineering |
I.J. Nagrath, M. Gopal |
| Automatic Control Systems |
B.C. kuo, Farid Golnaraghi |
||
| Modern Control Engineering |
Katsuhiko Dgata |
||
| Principles of linear system and signals |
BP Lath |
||
| Communications |
|
Analog and Digital Communication Systems |
Simon Haykin
|
| Principle of Communication System
|
Taub& Schillings |
||
| Modern digital and analog Communications system |
BP Lathi
|
||
| Electromagnetics |
Maxwell's Equations Plane Waves and Properties Transmission Lines |
Principles of Electromagnetics |
Matthew N.D. Sadiku & S.V. Kulkarni |
| Elements of Electromagnetics |
Matthew N.O. Sadiku |
||
| Engineering Electromagnetics |
William Hayt
|
GATE 2026 Books for Mechanical Engineering (ME)
Candidates can check GATE ME Books;
| Section |
Topics |
Book |
Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Mechanics and Design |
|
Engineering Mechanics- New Age International |
S S Bhavikatti |
| An Introduction to Mechanics |
Daniel Kleppner and Robert Kolenkow |
||
|
Strength of Materials |
Timoshenko & Gere |
|
| Mechanics of Materials |
RC Hibbeler |
||
|
The Theory of Machines |
SS Ratan |
|
|
Mechanical Vibrations |
G K Grover |
|
|
Designs of Machine elements |
VB Bhandari |
|
| Fluid Mechanics |
|
A Textbook of Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Machines |
RK Bansal |
| Fluid Mechanics |
Frank White |
||
| 1000 Solved Problems in Fluid Mechanics |
K Subramanya |
||
|
Thermal sciences |
|
Heat & Mass Transfer |
JP Holman & S Bhattacharyya |
|
Engineering Thermodynamics |
P.K. Nag |
|
| Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach
|
Yunus A. Cengel, Michael A. Boles |
||
|
Refrigeration & Air Conditioning |
C.P. ARORA |
|
| Internal Combustion Engines |
V. Ganesan |
||
| Power Plant Engineering |
P.K. Nag |
||
| Materials, Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering |
|
Material Science and Metallurgy |
OP Khanna |
| Callister's Materials Science and Engineering
|
R. Balasubramaniam
|
||
|
Industrial Engineering and Management |
O. P. Khanna
|
|
| Industrial Engineering and Organization Management |
S. K. Sharma Savita Sharma
|
||
| Industrial Engineering and Production Management |
Telsang Martand
|
GATE 2026 Books for Civil Engineering (CE)
Candidates can check the GATE 2026 CE books here;
| Section |
Topic |
Book |
Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structural Engineering. |
|
Structural Analysis |
RC Hibbler |
| Basic Structural Analysis |
CS Reddy |
||
|
Construction Project Management |
K.N. Jha |
|
|
|
Construction Planning Management |
B. C. Punamia |
|
|
RCC. Design |
A. K. Jain & S N Sinha |
|
| Reinforced Concrete Design |
Pillai & D. Menon |
||
| Prestressed Concrete |
NK Raju |
||
|
Design Of Steel Structures |
SK Duggal |
|
|
Strength of Materials |
BC Punamia |
|
| Mechanics of Structure |
S.B. Junnarkar Dr. H.J. Shah |
||
| Geotechnical Engineering |
|
Basic and Applied Soil Mechanics |
Gopal Ranjan ASR Rao |
| Soil Mechanics & Foundation Engineering |
S. K. Garg |
||
| Soil Mechanics & Foundation Engineering
|
KR Arora |
||
| Geomatics Engineering |
|
Surveying (vol. I & II) |
BC Punamia |
| Surveying (vol. I & II) |
SK Duggal |
||
| Water Resources Engineering |
|
Fluid Mechanics & Hydraulic Machines |
RK Bansal
|
| Fluid Mechanics & Fluid Machines |
K Subramanyam |
||
| Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics |
Dr. P.N. Modi & Dr. S.M Seth |
||
|
Hydrology |
K. Subramanya |
|
|
Irrigation Water Resources and Waterpower Engineering |
Dr. PN Modi |
|
| Irrigation Engineering and Hydraulic Structures |
S. K. Garg |
||
| Environmental Engineering |
|
Environmental Engineering (vol. I & II)
|
S. K. Garg
|
| Environmental Engineering (vol. I & II) |
BC Punamia |
||
| Environmental Engineering |
Peavy & Rowe |
||
| Transportation Engineering |
|
Railway Engineering |
S.C. Saxena & S.P. Arora |
| Airport Engineering |
S. K. Khanna & M. G. Arora |
||
|
Highway Engineering |
Khanna & Justo |
|
| Highway Engineering |
L.R. Kadiyali. |
||
| Highway Engineering |
S. K. Sharma |
GATE 2026 Books for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DA)
Candidates can check GATE DA Books here;
| Section |
Topic |
Books |
Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| Programming, Data Structures and Algorithms |
|
Fundamentals of Data Structures in
|
Horowitz & Sahani. |
| Classic Data Structures |
Debasis Samanta |
||
|
Python Programming – An Introduction to Computer Science |
John M Zelle |
|
| Database Management and Warehousing |
|
Database Management Systems
|
Raghu Ramakrishnan.
|
| Fundamentals of Database System |
Navathe |
||
| Database System Concepts |
Korth and Sudarshan |
||
| Machine Learning |
|
Mathematics for Machine Learning |
Marc Peter Deisenreth, A. Alde Faisal |
| Hands-on Machine Learning with Scikit- Learn, Keras & TensorFlow |
Aurélien Géron |
||
| Machine Learning: A Probabilistic Perspective |
Kevin Murphy |
||
| Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning |
Christopher Bishop |
||
| Artificial Intelligence |
|
Artificial Intelligence by Example |
Denis Rothman |
| Artificial Intelligence Basics |
Tom Taulli |
||
| Artificial Intelligence |
Stuart Russell & Peter Norvig |
Also read:
GATE 2026 Books for Life Sciences (XL)
How to utilize the best GATE 2026 books during the last phase of preparation?
Commonly asked questions
This year, IIT Guwahati is conducting the GATE 2026 exam. IIT Guwahati conducted the GATE exam in 2018. Based on the GATE 2018 and past year paper format, the GATE 2026 is expected to be moderately difficult. The question paper is expected to have higher weightage on concept-based questions, blending numerical and practical analysis. Candidates are advised to practice the previous year's question paper as many times as possible to understand the difficulty level of the question paper.
Honestly, textbooks are not enough for GATE preparation (especially if you are targeting IITs and top colleges).
Besides your college books, look out for top GATE books recommended by toppers, mentors, and professors. Pick at least one standard book for each subject and start studying it side by side. Apart from that, also practice solving GATE question papers of last 5 to 10 years to get hands on the question difficulty and pattern.
Stay consistent, prepare a practical timetable and religiously follow it. At the end, it's all upto how you prepare for the exam.
The GATE question paper is curated to test candidate's skills in analytics and practical-related scenarios. The questions are created in the following category-
- Recall - mainly inclines on the facts, principles, and formulae
- Comprehension - to examine student's understanding of the basic concepts
- Application - to test student's logical reasoning and computational skills.
- Analysis and synthesis - In such questions, candidates will be provided with data, charts, and diagrams, based on which candidates analyses before answering the question.
GATE Exam
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
2053 Institutes accepting GATE
DTU - Delhi Technological University
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- 2 years
- |
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Pilani • Private
IIT Bombay - Indian Institute of Technology
Powai, Mumbai • Public
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- Full Time
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