GATE

No, it is not compulsory to attempt all questions asked in GATE question paper. Since there is negative marking for incorrect answers, students are advised to answer those questions which they are confident of.

The following IITs have the lowest GATE cutoffs -

• IIT Mandi
• IIT Palakkad
• IIT Tirupati and 
• IIT Dharwad

These IITs mostly offer admission with GATE AIR between 3000 - 5000 ranks (approx) for computer Science and engineering.

No, the GATE 2026 question paper has not been released. The expected release date is last week of February 2026.

The difficulty level of GATE question paper changes every year, as different IITs and IISc Bangalore conduct the competitive exam on rotational basis. However, based on the last past 5 to 10 years of GATE paper review, the difficulty level usually remains moderate to tough mostly.

There is no one IIT that is consistent with GATE question paper difficulty level. However, based on students and subject experts, it is observed that IIT Bombay and IISc Bangalore has a record of setting the toughest GATE question paper so far. Apart from that, IIT Kanpur is also known for setting difficult GATE question paper, especially for EE (electrical engineering) branch. 

Therefore, it is advised to make concepts strong while preparing for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering. 

GATE counselling 2026 will be conducted by COAP and CCMT, which will be done by respective IITs and IISc on rotational basis. 

• Through COAP, students will be offered admission to IITs
• Through CCMT, students will be offered admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs.

No, fee for raising objection is non-refundable. Candidates will have to pay a non-refundable amount of INR 500 per question. 

Candidates can check GATE 2026 exam dates on official website - gate2026.iitg.ac.in. IIT Guwahati has also released branch-wise exam dates for all 30 papers. The CBT was held on Feb 7, 8, 14, and 15 in two shifts.

GATE EC exam - Electronics and Communication Engineering paper was held on February 15 in the first shift- 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. 

Securing 25 marks in GATE is just reaching the qualifying cutoff. For SC/ST or PwD applicants, 25 marks can be average and safe for securing good GFTIs. However, targeting core branches can be impossible.

In addition, 25 marks in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering can give different results, based on the paper you have applied for. 

For example, 25 marks in GATE CSE or ECE can fetch you a lower rank. While 25 marks in GATE AG or CY might give you good options during counselling (due to low competition).