GATE 2026 Exam Preparation: How to achieve AIR 1 in GATE, Books, Important Topics, Weightage, and more

Well, the GATE is a prestigious and highly competitive examination that is conducted annually to offer admissions to higher studies and research programmes. The admission process can be divided into two stages: pre-exam stage and post-exam stage. 

• The pre-exam stage include registration, form correction, and downloading the admit card process
• While the post-exam stage include the examination, result declaration and downloading the admit card, and counselling process. 

Candidates who qualify for the GATE exam will be able to download scorecard, which will be available on the GOAPS portal, and is valid for three years. 

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. 

Qualifying GATE offers the following benefits to the students -

• Admission to the master's programmes in top institutes like IITs, NITs, IIITs, etc. 
• Jobs at PSUs like AAI, NHAI, GRID-India, ONGC, BHEL, etc. with high salary and perks
• Stipend of INR 12,400 monthly to adjust expenses.
• Research fellowships at top government organisations. 

The simple answer is, Yes

How? Now that completely depends on your goals and why you want to crack the GATE exam. First, be clear about that. Once, you have passed the test, then you can go ahead with your GATE preparation. 

Here are some tips that can help you with cracking GATE exam without coaching -

• Begin with the basics - start understanding the pattern and syllabus of the paper you want to apply. 
• Start with your standard textbooks. Clear your fundamentals and concepts. 
• Solve the GATE previous year's question papers as many times you can to get an understanding of the exam structure. 
• Attempt mock tests every day.
• Revise everyday to stay acquainted with the topics.
• Do a self-talk. Try explaining the topics to yourself, this will help you grasp the topics easily. 

The following are the most registered subjects/papers in the GATE examination -

• Computer Science and Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Electronics and Communication Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering

Every year, Lacs of candidates register for the above subjects, making the respective branch competitive. 

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 -

The distribution of marks in AR, CY, DA, EY, GG, GE, MA, PH, ST, XH, and XL can be checked below -

• General aptitude  - 15 marks
• Subject marks - 85 marks
• Total marks allotted - 100 marks
• Exam mode - online
• Time duration  - 3 hours

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. 

The standard books for GATE play a vital role in the preparation. The textbooks comprise of all topics and chapters explained easily. Here's how you can use the standard books for GATE for your preparation -

• Go through the pattern and syllabus
• Segregate the topics (as per your difficulty level)
• Read and understand. Pick out the definitions, terms, and formulas to squeeze out the important points from that particular topic. Doing this will save most of your time.
• Now that your concept is clear, start solving questions relevant to the topic. 
• Do this for every single topic and chapter (that carries high weightage of marks)

After covering your GATE standard books, if you want more in-depth explanation to the topic, then go ahead with GATE reference books (as per your subject/branch). 

Here are some good books for GATE Electrical Engineering and Electronics and Communication Engineering  -

The GATE general aptitude (GA) section is common for all branch papers. The section carries 15 marks in the question paper.

The GATE GA syllabus include: verbal aptitude, quantitative aptitude, analytical aptitude, and spatial aptitude. 

Bonus tip - If you prepare and attempt the general aptitude section, it can help you fetch good marks in the GATE exam. 

Yes, GATE General Aptitude is common for all papers. The general aptitude section carries 15 marks out 100 marks, comprising 10 questions in total. The section mainly tests candidates' analytical and thinking skills in the exam. Here's a breakdown of the GATE General breakdown of questions -

• The GA section includes 5 questions of 1 mark and 
• 5 questions of 2 marks. 

The GATE marking scheme is the same for all. 

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.

There is no ideal time to start the GATE preparation. Start early (from the first year itself). It is mainly because your bachelor's topics and chapters have the most weightage in the GATE question paper. The topics that are taught in your third year are the backbone. If you are clear with the fundamentals and concepts (taught in classes), then you do not require extra time to prepare for GATE. Just revise and practice questions. That's enough. 

So, start preparing for GATE right from the first year. Your brain is fresh with the concepts and formulas, thus making it easy to solve the questions and prepare for the exam. 

Reserve at least two to three months for GATE revision. Grab your notes, formula handbooks, and shortcut tricks sheet and revise daily. Avoid starting anything new. Practice question papers and mock tests daily to build efficiency and accuracy to attempt the questions, and you are good to go. 

Well, yes

Self-assessment is important, especially if you are preparing for the GATE 2026. It is because it is a highly competitive examination, and the difficulty level is unpredictable (every year). However, if you are consistent and practice daily, doing self-assessment, you will understand where you are making mistakes and in which type of questions you are spending the most time. It is advised to do a quick self-assessment test after every GATE question paper you solve. 

Candidates can find the GATE 2026 mock test papers on the official website- gate2026.iitg.ac.in. The mock test link will be activated a few months before the exam. Aspirants can attempt the GATE mock tests for free using a dummy email ID. The mock test links are available for all 30 branch papers. With the help of the GATE mock test papers, candidates can get an idea of the exam pattern, difficulty level, and high-weightage topics. 

The GATE mock tests are dummy test papers that give the experience of attempting the real exam. The mock tests are like sample papers that reflect the difficulty level and pattern of the exam. GATE aspirants must keep up the habit of solving mock tests as they come with several benefits, such as -

• Since they mimic the real exam. You get to understand the GATE paper structure and format.
• You get an idea of what kind of questions are asked in the exam. 
• Check your performance analysis and see the improvement in how you score in the test. 

All in all, mock tests improve your time management and accuracy skills. So, give as many GATE mock tests you can. 

Aspirants can find the GATE CS mock test papers on the official website. To access the mock test paper, visit the website, click on the question paper section and select the mock test link. Choose your paper or branch and start attempting the paper. 

You are preparing for GATE, and not implementing discipline and consistency can lead to silly yet heavy mistakes, which can directly impact your scores and rank in the GATE exam. Here are some common mistakes that aspirants mainly make in their GATE preparation -

• Avoiding understanding the exam pattern and syllabus - randomly starting their GATE preparation can waste a lot of time and miss out on all the important topics that they should have considered as a priority. 
• Not creating a structured timetable.
• Not solving GATE PYQs and
• Neglecting engineering mathematics and general aptitude.

Besides that, not spending time on other topics (with less weightage), not taking care of health and sleep schedule. 

No, doing this can be one of the harmful decisions that you are going to make in your GATE preparation. Instead, give attention to all the topics and chapters equally. You can start with the high-weightage topics and chapters in GATE first, but also try to give at least an hour per day to go through the lower weightage topics. Look for what sort of questions are asked in previous years, whether they are theoretical or numerically-based. Prepare according to that. By doing this, you are exercising a balanced GATE preparation. 

IIT Guwahati will be conducting the GATE 2026 exam on February 7, 8, 14, and 15. Utilise these 4 to 5 months in the best way. Here is a quick yet effective GATE preparation plan that can help you score well in the exam. 

• Starting from November to December, start covering at least two subjects per day. Pick your notes and formula handbook and run through it. Pick videos for a detailed explanation. After covering that, try explaining the concept to yourself for understanding.
• From January, take full-time mock tests and sample papers to check your performance. Do not forget to download your admit card, the GATE admit card 2026 releases on January 2. 
• Last and final month, dedicate to revision and only revision. Solve GATE question papers again, which you find you made more mistakes. 

First things first, separate your college work from GATE preparation. Try completing your college work during your class hours, so that you can utilise it for GATE preparation at home. Attend your class lectures honestly (to score a good CGPA equally important, especially for GATE PSUs) and grasp the concepts right at that time, so that you can implement them while solving GATE questions. Here are some quick tips and hacks that you can incorporate while preparing for GATE with college -

• Start right from your college year, as mentioned above. Look closely at the formula, concepts and fundamentals. Build your concepts from the start. 
• Take coaching classes to get a practical understanding of the GATE topics.
• Make notes of everything you find useful.
• Use Saturday and Sunday for question solving and revision of the topics that you've studied in class. By doing this, you are also preparing for the semester exams.  
• Implement a smart study routine. Around 7 to 8.5 CGPA is enough for PSUs and campus placements.

Lastly, stay consistent, aim to build foundation and you are good to go for cracking GATE. All the best!

The GATE scorecard 2026 is valid for three years, which means the scorecard can be used till 2029. Candidates can download the scorecard using their enrollment ID and password. Candidates can use the scorecard for M.Tech or PhD admissions, or PSU recruitment. 

Candidates who have qualified in GATE can download the GATE scorecard. The scorecard will be available from March 27 onwards at the GOAPS portal. To download the scorecard, candidates can follow the steps below -

• Visit the official website of GATE
• Click on the "application form portal link/GOAPS portal"
• Log in using enrollment ID and password
• The scorecard will be displayed on the screen. 
• Take a printout of the scorecard for future references. 

To download the GATE scorecard, candidates need to provide their enrollment ID and password. The scorecard serves as proof or qualifying status of the candidates. Only those who have passed the GATE examination 2026 can download the scorecard. The scorecard will have the name of the applicant, followed by marks secured, subject details, etc. 

The GATE 2025 cutoff of computer Science and information technology (category-wise) can be checked below -

• For general - 29.2
• OBC-NCL/EWS - 26.2
• SC/ST/PwD - 19.4

The cutoff is the minimum mark that is required for all candidates to qualify for the exam. IIT Guwahati will announce the GATE cutoff 2026 after the announcement of results. 

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. 

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.