GATE 2026: What to carry, Prohibited Items at centre, Guidelines and Last Minute Tips
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IIT Guwahati is all set to conduct GATE 2026. With exam starting on February 7 onwards, candidates appearing Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering this year must be aware of the strict exam day guidelines, instructions, GATE exam shift timings, and what items must be carried and not carried to the GATE 2026 centre. Check below for more:
IIT Guwahati will start GATE 2026 from Feb 7 onwards. The exam will be held on multiple days in two shifts: forenoon and afternoon. On Day 1 of GATE 2026, a total of 16 subject papers have been scheduled for both shifts. Students appearing exam on this day, must follow all rules and regulations imposed by the GATE authorities, which are discussed below.
Which GATE papers have exam on Feb 7?
GATE MTech exam will be held in two shifts. The following branches have GATE exam on February 7. Check below -
| GATE Shift Timings |
Subject Papers |
|---|---|
| Forenoon (9:30 am to 12:30 pm) |
AG, ES, GG, IN, MA, MN, TF, XE, XL |
| Afternoon (2:30 pm to 5:30 pm) |
AE, BT, CH, CY, GE, PH, XH |
GATE 2026 Exam: What to carry to the centre?
Candidates appearing for GATE 2026 must carry the following to the test centre -
- GATE admit card 2026
- Transparent water bottle
- Pen or pencil
- Valid ID proof (the one submitted at the time of registration)
The GATE 2026 hall ticket must be printed clearly on an A4 size paper, and is mandatory to carry.
Prohibited Items at GATE Exam Centre
The following items are prohibited at the GATE exam centre -
- Electronic devices, such as mobile phones, physical calculator, bluetooth devices, pagers, etc.
- Any text materials, sheets, notes, books, etc
- Snacks or any eatable items
GATE 2026 Exam Day Guidelines
Candidates must note that exam day guidelines are clearly mentioned in the GATE 2026 admit card, which are as follows-
- Candidates must reach the exam centre 90 minutes before the commencement of the exam
- Students must carry only the items that are suggested by the authorities
- Rough sheets will be provided inside the exam hall for calculations.
- Students are not allowed to leave the exam centre before the completion of the exam.
Students can download their hall ticket at GOAPS portal of gate2026.iitg.ac.in using their enrollment ID and password.
GATE 2026 Last-Minute Tips
Commonly asked questions
The GATE 2026 paper code of XE stands for Engineering Sciences, XH stands for Humanities and Social Science, and XL stands for Life Sciences.
For GATE Paper "XE"
- General aptitude carries a total of 15 marks
- Engineering mathematics contains 11 questions of 15 marks
- Sectional option papers (from B to I) - contains 22 questions carries a total of 35 marks
For GATE Paper "XH"
- General aptitude section carries 15 marks
- Section B1 (Reasoning and Comprehension) carries 16 questions of 25 marks.
- Option section (from C1 to C6) - contains 39 questions of 60 marks.
For GATE Paper "XL"
- The general aptitude section carries 15 marks.
- Chemistry (compulsory) section contains 17 questions of 25 marks.
- Optional section (Q through U) - contains 19 questions of 30 marks.
No, physical calculators are not allowed inside GATE exam hall. Candidates will be provided with a virtual calculator to solve their questions. It is advised to practice using GATE calculator to improve accuracy.
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 -
| Events | Dates |
| GATE 2026 application form release date | August 28 |
| GATE 2026 application form last date (without late fees) | October 7 (REVISED) |
| GATE 2026 application form last date (with late fees) | October 13 |
| GATE 2026 form correction submission last date | November 10 |
| GATE 2026 admit card release date | January 13 |
| GATE 2026 exam date | February 7, 8, 14, and 15 |
| GATE 2026 result date | March 19 |
| GATE scorecard download date | March 27 to May 31 (free download) till December 31 (by paying a fee of INR 500) |
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering is a vast competitive exam conducted once in a year to offer admission to higher degree programmes, such as MTech, PhD, as well as PSU recruitment. IIT Guwahati is conducting GATE 2026 for Feb 7, 8, 14, and 15.
- Students appearing must revise as many times as possible.
- Practice GATE PYQs and mock paper
- Go through short notes
- Keep all your documents ready. Carry multiple copies of the admit card to centre.
- Reach the test centre before the reporting time.
Also read: GATE 2026 admit card revised for centre code 2082
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Upasana Pradhan is an Mtech graduate in Electronics and Communication Engineering from DTU who specialises in curating postgraduate and undergraduate engineering entrance exam content, such as GATE, TS PGECET, KCET,
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