GATE 2026 Schedule Released with Exams Starting February 7 in Dual Shifts

The schedule for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 has been announced by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati. The entrance examination for admission to MTech, PhD and other postgraduate programmes across engineering, technology, architecture, science, commerce, arts and humanities is scheduled to be conducted from February 7 to 15, 2026, in two shifts per day.

According to the official notice, the computer-based test (CBT) will be administered in a forenoon shift from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and an afternoon shift from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm. The examination is set to be conducted on February 7, 8, 14 and 15, with candidates advised to check the detailed subject-wise schedule on the official website, gate2026.iitg.ac.in.

The results of GATE 2026 are scheduled to be announced on March 19, 2026.

Registered candidates have been encouraged to refer to previous years’ question papers to understand the level of difficulty and exam pattern. It has been stated that such papers will help improve preparation by offering familiarity with question formats and topic weightage.

GATE CSE 2026: Exam Pattern

The examination pattern for the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) paper has also been outlined. The test will be conducted for 100 marks, comprising 65 questions to be completed in three hours. The question paper will include Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Select Questions (MSQs) and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions.

The paper will be divided into three sections: General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics and Core CSE subjects. General Aptitude will account for 15% of the total marks, while Engineering Mathematics will carry 13%, and Core subject topics will constitute the remaining 72%.

A marking scheme with 1-mark and 2-mark questions has been specified. Negative marking will be applied to MCQs one-third deduction for 1-mark questions and two-thirds for 2-mark questions while no negative marking will be applied to MSQs or NAT questions.

The exam will be conducted exclusively in the English language.

Additional Information

Guidance for preparation, including subject-wise strategies and last-minute revision plans for candidates from Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Computer Science, has also been made available through official and educational platforms