Will GATE 2026 be tougher than GATE 2025? Here's what experts say

As GATE 2026 calendar is about to be released, many engineering aspirants have one question in their mind: Will GATE 2026 be tougher than GATE 2025? Based on past five years of GATE paper analysis and candidates' qualifying statistics, many experts and forums reveal early indicators that suggest probable difficulty trends and advise aspirants to prepare accordingly. Read below for more. 

GATE 2026 admissions will begin soon, and various forums and communities have started predicting GATE 2026 difficulty level, competition level, expected number of applicants registering and appearing for the exam and more. This year, IIT Guwahati will be conducting GATE 2026 exam, and many assumptions have been cooking up on GATE 2026 question paper pattern, whether new changes to be made in GATE 2026, etc. Read below to know more. 

GATE 2026 Predictions: What to expect?

IIT Guwahati will conduct GATE 2026 exam and question paper is expected to be moderate to difficult based on past years. But, as per experts, it also has been predicted that number of applicants may increase during the registration process. Now, this increase in number of applicants may result in high competition. 

GATE 2026 Predictions: GATE 2026 Could Mirror GATE 2025's Difficulty, but competition is expected to get tougher

According to experts paper analysis, GATE 2026 is expected to be moderate to difficult or can be consistent as GATE 2025. Also, questions are expected to be more tricky and conceptually based. Candidates must focus more on NAT and MSQs, as it may carry 30 to 40% weightage of question paper 

How Difficult was GATE 2025?

Student feedback from GATE 2025 varied by stream:

• For Computer Science, difficulty ranged from easy to moderate, with Engineering Mathematics rated moderate and core CS subjects dipping into moderate-to-difficult territory
• Overall, the GATE 2025 exam was largely rated moderately difficult, though some shifts, especially the first shift, were tougher due to complex MSQs and time crunch. 
• In branches like Civil: MSC, and analytical questions increased, slightly lowering expected cutoffs compared to previous years.

Why GATE 2026 can be Difficult?

• Integrative and cross-disciplinary questions - Experts expect a greater blend of topics, requiring deep concept clarity and problem-solving agility. 
• Heavy inclination towards NATs and MSQs - With a rising trend, answers must be exact, no partial scoring, increasing pressure on accuracy.
• Increased competition - More aspirants eyeing PSUs and M.Tech seats may push question setters to up difficulty.

What Aspirants Should Do Now

• Focus on Core Concepts -  Master fundamentals in Engineering Mathematics and stream-specific subjects.
• Practice high-quality mocks - Attempt mock tests daily to understand paper difficulty level
• Analyse performance thoroughly- Revise weak topics, and review previous years’ GATE questions.