GATE 2026 Feb 15 Live Updates: DA, AR, ECE Paper analysis OUT, Answer Key Questions Available

The GATE 2026 score is the mark obtained by candidates. On the other hand, thhe All India Rank secured is the GATE rank.

GATE 2026 official answer key (provisional) answer key will be released by last week of February based on the past year's trends. Students to attempted exam this year will be able to access the answer key at GOAPS portal.

GATE normalisation process is used for multi-session papers, because the difficulty level per session can vary. Therefore to ensure fairness among students and marking system, normalisation process is used to calculate rank/mark.

Candidates obtaining GATE rank under 200 have good chance of admission to IITs and IISc Bangalore. On the other hand, a GATE rank between 300 - 800 is considered good and can help candidates gain admission to NITs and IIITs.

Actual GATE Marks are calculated out of 100 for 65 questions, using the marking scheme which can be checked below-

• For each correct answer, 1 or 2 marks are awarded.
• For every incorrect answer, 1/3 or 2/3 marks are deducted.
• In the case of NATs and MSQs, no marks are deducted.

Candidates need to score at least 80+ marks in GATE ECE 2026 in order to secure an AIR rank under 10. 

To prepare GATE cutoff 2026, authorities will consider following factors:

• Number of registered students
• Total seat intake in IIT through GATE 2026 MTech
• Qualifying cutoff mark
• Applicant's category

Candidates can check unofficial GATE 2026 question paper with answers for ECE below.

Some of the top PSUs that accept candidates based on their GATE scores are:

• Airports Authority of India (AAI)
• Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)
• Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)
• Coal India Limited (CIL)
• Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS)
• Chenab Valley Power Projects Limited (CVPPL)
• Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC)
• Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL)
• Engineers India Limited (EIL)
• Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL)
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
• Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)
• Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)
• Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID)
• Grid Controller of India Limited (GRID-INDIA) (previously known as POSOCO)
• Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), etc.

Candidates will be able to calculate their probable secured marks using GATE 2026 provisional answer key. To do the calculation, the candidates will have to compare their responses to official answers. Official marking scheme has to be followed. Total calculated will be probable scores secured in the exam.

GATE 2026 result date has been announced. Candidates will be able to check their result on March 19 by logging in using their enrollment ID and password.

NPCIL accepts following GATE branches or disciplines for recruitment - Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, Electronics, Instrumentation, Civil, Industrial, and Fire Safety engineering

GATE normalisation process is done to provide fairness to all applicants who are appearing for examination. It is because GATE is conducted in multiple sessions. In such case, raw marks are converted into normalised marks using the formula.

The following details are mentioned on GATE result scorecard 2026 -

• Candidate's name, photograph, and signature
• GATE paper appeared for GATE
• Score out of 100
• scorecard validity
• Qualifying marks GATE All India Rank (AIR)
• Total number of candidates who appeared for
• GATE QR Code

The steps to download GATE official answer key can be checked below -

• Visit GATE official website 
• Login using enrollment ID and password
• The answer key will be displayed on screen
• Check and download

Based on final answer key GATE scores will be calculated. Candidates must note that final answer keys cannot be challenged. 

IIT Guwahati will release GATE result on March 19, 2026, as mentioned in the information brochure. Students who appeared for the exam can check their result at GOAPS using their enrollment ID and password.

Other than MTech admission, GATE offers many benefits such as -

• Candidates can get to MTech or PhD programmes in IITs, NITs, IISc, or GFTIs or apply for research programmes.
• Get jobs are top PSUs like GAIL, AAI, BHEL, IOCL, etc
• Qualified GATE applicants (with valid score) can get financial assistance of INR 12,400 monthly during their academic period
• Candidates applying for PhD/research with a valid GATE score can get financial assistance of INR 37,000 (in first two years) and INR 42,000 (from third to fifth year)
• Qualified candidates can also study abroad. Accepting GATE study abroad universities are- National University of Singapore, RWTH Aachen University, and University of Munich

Here is a list of Maharatna PSUs that accept GATE scores for recruitment -

Based on experts and PSU official notification, candidates can check salary range of PSUs below -

Candidates can check the last 5 year's trends of GATE 2026 answer key below -

Candidates can check GATE 2026 exam analysis of major papers below -

Qualifying mark of GATE exam usually varies every year depending on certain factors. Candidates can refer to expected cutoff based on last year's trends 

• General - 25 to 32
• OBC - 22 to 28
• SC/ST/PwD - 17 to 25

Based on the paper difficulty level and students reactions, the GATE 2026 ECE cutoff is expected to fall around 27- 32 marks. However, based on past trends analysis, the category-wise cutoff can be around -

• 25 to 29 marks for general category
• 22.5 - 26 marks for OBC-NCL/EWS category
• 16.6 - 19.4 marks for SC/ST category

Yes, there is negative marking for GATE 2026 exam. Negative marking implies for MCQs only. 

• For one mark MCQ- 1/3rd mark will be deducted and for 2 mark MCQ - 2/3rd mark will be deducted.
• There is no negative marking for MSQs and NATs.
• Also, no partial marking is offered to MSQs.

According to past cutoff trends and analysis, check institute-wise GATE score required -

The detailed steps to do the score calculation is given below.

• Download GATE 2026 CS Shift 1 Answer Key with Solutions PDF
• Candidates have to compare answer key with their individual responses.
• Correct and incorrect answers have to be noted.
• Official marking scheme has to be followed.
• Total calculated will be the probable GATE 2026 score.

IIT Guwahati will release GATE 2026 official answer key in last week of February. First, provisional answe key along with question paper and response sheet will be released. Candidates can also challenge the answer key by paying a fee of INR 500. After the submission of the challenges, final answer key and result will be announced. 

Yes, GATE score of 700 is good and enough to secure a seat NITs and IITs. However, it also depends on several factors, such as diffculty level of question paper, number of candidates registered, and past cutoff trends.

There are several factors that affect GATE cutoff marks, such as -

Based on the experts and students in community forums, IISc Bangalore is known for setting most difficult GATE papers. Questions are made considering analytical skill research.

The DA branch/discipline was introduced in 2024. Candidates can check GATE qualifying cutoff trends of last two years below -

Official Qualifying Cutoff (Out of 100)

Shift 1 exam was moderately difficult. Mathematics and Aptitude were moderate, while the CS section had some lengthy questions, More MSQs and NAT questions were asked. GATE 2026 CSE2 paper was easy to moderate. Discrete Mathematics had 3 questions approx combining 1 and 2 marks, compiler design had 4 questions combining 1 and 2 marks. Students say the paper was easy compared to first shift. 

Candidates can check the qualifying status of GATE applicants last year -

GATE login is an online portal facility for exam related activities. It is also called as GATE online application processing system (GOAPS). Portal is managed by the organising IIT, which is Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. Through these, students can complete various GATE-related activities, such as registration, check entrance test updates, how to download GATE hall ticket, access results, PSU recruitment notifications, etc. However, without a login ID and password, no candidate can access Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering Login.

Candidates can check past year trends of GATE ECE cutoff marks (2021-2025) below -

GATE Civil Engineering was held in two shifts and EE paper was held in first shift, candidates can check the analysis below -

For GATE AIR rank under 50, candidates need to secure at least 75 to 85 marks in GATE 2026 exam.

GATE 2026 official answer key is expected to be released by Feb last week. Candidates who appeared for GATE exam can access the answer key once released. The officials will release GATE answer key (provisional) along with master question paper and response sheet. Students challenge the answer key by logging to GATE GOAPS portal. 

Candidates can check expected GATE marks vs rank below -

As per the past year trends, the expected GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff mark for ECE (Electronics and Communication Engineering) is expected to be around 24-27 for the general category. 

Government GATE engineering universities and colleges that participate in GATE MTech 2026 admissions are - 

• Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Hyderabad
• Andhra University College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam
• Osmania University College of Technology, Hyderabad
• National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology (NIFFT), Ranchi
• Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU), New Delhi

A GATE score of 800+ is ideal for top PSUs such as NPCIL, AAI, ONGC, etc. To apply, candidates have to register on their official website once the notification is released. Qualified candidates have to participate in GATE PSU selection process 2026, and appear for written and personal interview. The selection process for each PSU is different. Therefore, candidates are advised to go through the official notification carefully before applying.

Based on the exam analysis of paper difficulty of GATE 2026 EC exam and students feedback, rank for 40 marks in GATE can be roughly around 650 -750 rank in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering.

Expected date of release of GATE question paper is in the last week of February 2026. Candidates who appeared for Paper will be able to download the GATE DA 2026 question paper at GOAPS portal. The link for the applicant portal will be available on the official website. 

Candidates can use the memory-based GATE 2026 question paper with solutions to calculate the marks before the GATE result 2026 is announced. Candidates must check GATE exam pattern and marking scheme to estimate the score. The steps to find the score using the GATE 2026 question paper PDF is given below. Candidates must download GATE question paper PDF

• In GATE 2026, each question is allotted either 1 or 2 marks
• There is negative marking for Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1.  For one-mark MCQs, 1 mark is given for correct answer, and 1/2 marks is deducted for incorrect response. 
2.  For 2-mark MCQs, 2 marks is given for correct answers, and 2/3 marks reduced for incorrect answers.

• There is no negative marking for Multiple Select Questions (MSQs) and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions. 

Ans: 14

Ans

Ans- 

GATE Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Question Paper 2026 had moderate level questions. Candidates can check question distribution below -

MCQs - 33, MSQs - 14, NATs - 6 questions

Questions were asked from Algo, DBMS, Data Ware House, Python, etc. Check memory-based questions below -

Q.

Based on students feedback -

• Questions related to DBMS were tricky and lengthy, Heavy-level mathematics based questions, Aptitude was easy, NAT and MSQs were asked the most
• Data Ware House questions had high weightage

Many students have found paper to be moderate with heavy level of mathematics-based questions. Few questions related to DBMS was tricky and lengthy.

IIT Guwahati has finally completed GATE DA exam. Based on students reaction, who have attempted Data Science paper found the exam moderate. The questions needed accuracy with strong mathematics skills. More analysis will be made available soon. Stay tuned. 

Candidates can check the expected GATE 226 cutoff for IISc Bangalore admission below -

• The GATE 2026 application fees have been revised. 
• A new sectional paper, called Energy Science, is introduced under Engineering Sciences. The GATE Energy-Science paper code is XE-I. 

GATE mock tests play a very important role in preparation. With the help of mock test papers, students can benefit the following -

• Since GATE mock test offers a real time exam experience (how CBT exam is conducted), it significantly improve time management
• Improves accuracy to attempt questions
• Helps to analyse your strengths and weaknesses
• Reduce exam day stress and anxiety

There are several factors that affect GATE cutoff marks, such as -

Yes, there is negative marking for GATE 2026 exam. Negative marking implies for MCQs only. 

• For one mark MCQ- 1/3rd mark will be deducted and for 2 mark MCQ - 2/3rd mark will be deducted.
• There is no negative marking for MSQs and NATs.
• Also, no partial marking is offered to MSQs.

The MCQ, MSQ, and NAT are the types of questions asked in the GATE examination. 

• MCQs are the multiple-choice questions
• MSQs are the multiple select questions
• and NAT are numerical answer type questions 

Each question type has a different marking scheme. However, there is no negative or partial marking for MSQs and NATs.

Last year, the IISc Bangalore GATE cutoff for ECE branch ranged from 659 - 820 scores for UR category in the first round. The lowest cutoff score was 436 for SC/ST category

GATE scorecard 2026 is valid for three years, which means the scorecard can be used till 2029. Candidates can download their scorecard using their enrollment ID and password. It can be used for MTech, PhD, Research work admissions and PSU recruitment.

GATE scorecard can be used for the PSU recruitment as well. Here are some top PSUs that accept GATE scores. However, the eligibilty criteria and selection process can vary. Check the list below -

• Airports Authority of India (AAI)
• Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)
• Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)
• Coal India Limited (CIL)
• Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS)
• Chenab Valley Power Projects Limited (CVPPL)
• Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC)
• Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL)
• Engineers India Limited (EIL)
• Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL)
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
• Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)
• Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)
• Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID)
• Grid Controller of India Limited (GRID-INDIA) (previously known as POSOCO)
• Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), etc.

The GATE 2026 DA and AR exam has started. The paper analysis with difficulty level and memory-based questions will be available soon.

IIT Guwahati will begin GATE 2026 Feb 15 shift 2 exam today. The shift timings are 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Students have already entered the exam hall. Analysis and memory-based questions will be made available soon. Stay tuned. 

Based on past year's cutoff trends, candidates can check expected GATE 2026 cutoff marks for IISc Bangalore below -

Last year, 75854 candidates registered for GATE DA exam, out of which 57,054 candidates appeared for Data Science. 

The GATE papers that will be conducted today in the second shift are -

• AR - Architecture and Planning 
• DA - Data Science and Artificial Intelligence

Question

Ans

Option: C and D

Based on the paper difficulty level and students reactions, the GATE 2026 ECE cutoff is expected to fall around 27- 32 marks. However, based on past trends analysis, the category-wise cutoff can be around -

• 25 to 29 marks for general category
• 22.5 - 26 marks for OBC-NCL/EWS category
• 16.6 - 19.4 marks for SC/ST category

GATE DA is an small section of Computer Science, which has been added by IITs in GATE 2024. Registrations for GATE DA paper has been increasing in coming years and is epxpected that more number of applicants will be appearing for the subject. Here are some reasons why IITs have decided to include GATE Data Science subject, and how it emerge in future years. 

Rising Demand for Data Science Professionals

• With industry-wise digital transformation, demand for data scientists, AI engineers, and machine learning experts has seen a steep rise.
• Major top IITs and technical education institutes have introduced M.Tech and MS programs with specialisation in Data Science, AI, and Machine Learning.

Meeting the Current Industry Standards

• Fields like Artificial Intelligence, big data, and analytics are expected to grow rapidly.

Promoting Research and Tech-based Innovation

• Data science and AI are the foundation for innovations in sectors such as finance, robotics, healthcare, and climate modelling.
• The paper supports research-oriented candidates entering PhD or research programs in emerging areas.

DA can be an opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds (not just CS or engineering) who have relevant skills in data science. The subject is versatile and can be opted by anyone. 

Normally, the duration of the GATE exam is 3 hours. However, the duration for students availing the scribe facility (PwD or dyslexic) will get an hour compensatory time to complete the exam, which is four hours. Candidates have to opt for compensatory time at the time of filling out the application form. After the exam duration is over, the test will terminate automatically. 

Experts stated that this was one of easiest and straighforward question asked in the exam -

Ans:

Candidates found overall paper moderate to tough. Based on students review, check analysis below -

• Moderately tough with lengthy questions
• Candidates found Mathematics and Aptitude easy to moderate.
• ECE section had time-consuming questions.
• Some important topics were EMF, Analog Circuits, Control Systems, Op-amp Circuits, Discrete Time Signals, Vector Analysis, Differential Equations, etc.

GATE question paper consists of 65 questions in total, comprising MCQs, MSQs, and NATs. Around 10 to 15 NATs are usually asked in GATE exam. However, branch papers like CE or ME have more NATs (around 20+) based on past year's trends. 

Candidates can check ECE Memory-Based GATE questions and answer key below -

Question:

Ans:

Based on students feedback here are some topics that were covered in GATE 2026 EC paper -

• EMF question similar to one asked in CSE
• Op-Amp based
• Control systems (PYQs based)
• Analog electronic/circuits

IIT Guwahati GATE 2026 ECE question paper had  -

Many students have attempted around 50 to 60+ questions. However, the paper was lengthy, compared to EE, the paper was moderately tough.

The GATE 2026 ECE exam shift is now over. Students say that the paper was moderate with few lengthy and tricky questions. More detailed analysis will be available in a while, Stay tuned.

The GATE ECE exam will be over soon. Once the shift is completed, candidates can check the analysis along with unofficial answer key with solutions here. Stay tuned.

For ECE, the expected GATE 2026 minimum qualfying marks can be around 24-27 marks, depending on factors, such as number of registered candidates, difficulty level of GATE EC question papers, etc.

Candidates can check the GATE DA important topics and chapter-wise weightage weightage based on last year's analysis -

Engineering Mathematics - carries 13 to 15 marks, important chapters include linear algebra, probability, and calculus. Getting all this correct, can instantly boost your scores and rank in the exam.

Based on the past-year's trends, the expected cutoff marks for Electronics and Communication Engineering (EC) can be checked below -

For admission to IITs through ECE subject, then candidates need to score at least 68+ marks in GATE paper (especially for top IITs in India). Candidates can check the expected and approximate marks needed for MTech admission at IITs below -

The GATE Qualifying Cutoff is the minimum score required to pass the exam and is set by the organising institute for each subject. It determines whether a candidate can apply for admissions or PSU recruitment. On the other hand, the Admission Cutoff is the score required to secure a seat in a specific program at a particular institute. Admission cutoffs vary by institution, program, and category (General, OBC, SC/ST), depending on the number of applicants, seat availability, and competition. While qualifying ensures eligibility, meeting the admission cutoff is essential for securing a seat in postgraduate programs or institutions like IITs, NITs, or PSUs.

IIT Guwahati will conduct GATE Data Science Artificial Intelligence exam on Feb 15 in the second shift (2:30 pm to 5:30 pm). Candidates appearing for the exam, must report to the centre 90 minutes before the exam date. They must carry their admit card along with a valid ID proof. 

The GATE 2026 ECE question paper comprises 65 questions of 100 marks. It is divided into general aptitude questions of 15 marks and subject-specific question 85 marks. Each questions are either of 1 or 2 marks. There negative marking for MCQs only. 

The minimum qualifying cutoff mark of ECE paper was 25 for general category. For OBC/NCL-EWS category, the qualifying cutoff mark was 22.5 and for SC/ST the minimum qualifying cutoff score was 16.6.

If there is anu technical glitches in the system, then it advised to immediately inform the invigilator regarding the issue. A new system will allocated to the student, and they will be able to resume from where he/she has left (in the timer).