GATE Preparation

There is no the easiest subject/branch to crack in GATE 2026. It completely depends on candidate's interest, academics, strengths and skill set. But compared to the previous GATE stats, here are some papers that have lesser competition compared to other GATE papers -

• Life Sciences (XL)
• Environmental Science and Engineering (ES)
• Humanities and Social Sciences (XH)
• Ecology and Evolution (EY)

These GATE papers usually have a less crowded competition pool compared to high-volume branches like CS, CE, EC, EE, or ME. That said, ease also depends on the syllabus overlap with your graduation, your grip on concepts, and smart preparation. Choose a subject where you feel confident solving numerical and theoretical problems consistently.

There's no one size fits all "best" branch for the GATE exam. It completely depends on the academic background of the candidate, interest, and career goals.

However,  Computer Science (CS),  Mechanical Engineering (ME),  Electrical Engineering (EE),  Civil Engineering (CE), and Electronics and Communication Engineering (EC) are considered to be the most popular engineering branches due to high demand in PSUs and M.Tech admissions. 

If you are from the non-engineering background, then branches like Mathematics (MA), Physics (PH), Life Sciences (XL), and Environmental Science and Engineering (ES) have great career opprtunities. 

PRO TIP: Choose subject/paper that is aligned with your degree, skills, and strengths. A subject with high competition isn't necessarily harder, it only requires more dedication and perfection in preparation. All you have to do is master confidently in your desired subject. 

IIT Guwahati will be conducting the GATE 2026 exam on February 7, 8, 14, and 15. Registrations are open from August 28 to September 28 (without late fees) and till October 9 (with late fees). 

Aspirants have started preparing for the exam, and based on the GATE question paper trends, here's what we can conclude which topics and chapters is expected to carry high weightage -

These have been consistently been high scoring sections and frequently repeated across past GATE papers. Topics with interdisciplinary relevance, such as machine learning basics or data interpretation, may also be prominent. Hence, it is advisable to focus on high-yield topics from the previous 15 years' GATE papers can help in the smarter GATE preparation. 

The GATE 2026 exam is expected to maintain a moderate to high difficulty level, similar to previous years. Candidates are advised to focus more on core concepts, analytical thinking, and application-based problems. Aspirants should be prepared for tricky questions, especially NATs, (as they can be time-consuming.)

As the competition is increasing every year due to PSU and M.Tech admissions, the examiners may introduce complex integrative questions from multiple topics. Like for examples, questions structured by blending two to three concepts/topics. Hence, it is important to parctice time management skills with a deep understanding of the fundamentals. 

Here are tips and hacks that GATE aspirants can follow for preparation -

• Be clear with the concepts and fundamentals of each. 
• Pick one topic and start going through it.
• Revise it properly from your lecture notes
• When starting your second revision, start creating short notes (as per your understanding)
• Practice mock tests and previous year's question as many times you can. 
• Keep a error notebook to analyse your mistakes and performance
• Keep at least one month for revision only. Avoid touching anything new. 

Mock tests and GATE old question papers really help gauge difficulty trends.