GATE 2026: What to carry, Prohibited Items at centre, Guidelines and Last Minute Tips

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 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

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