Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a prestigious national-level examination that assesses candidates for comprehensive understanding in various undergraduate-level subjects in Engineering/Technology/Architecture/Science/Humanities for admission to various Master’s and Doctoral Programs and Recruitment by some Public Sector Undertakings.
About GATE 2026
• Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a prestigious national-level examination.
• The examination assesses the candidates for a comprehensive understanding of different undergraduate-level subjects in Engineering/Technology/Science/Architecture/Humanities.
• GATE 2026 is being conducted by IISc and all IITs, on behalf of the National Coordination Board (NCB), Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India.
• IIT Guwahati is the Organizing Institute for GATE 2026.
Admission
Valid GATE score can be used for seeking admission to:
• Master’s programs and direct Doctoral programs in Engineering/Technology/Architecture/Science/Commerce/Arts/Humanities; and
• Doctoral programs in relevant branches of Engineering/Technology/Architecture/Science/Commerce/Arts/Humanities, in the institutions supported by the MoE and other Government agencies.
Financial Assistance
Qualifying GATE score can be used for seeking financial assistance towards :
• Master’s programs and direct Doctoral programs in Engineering/Technology/Architecture/Science/Commerce/Arts/Humanities; and
• Doctoral programs in relevant branches of Engineering/Technology/Architecture/Science/Commerce/Arts/Humanities, in the institutions supported by the MoE and other Government agencies.
Financial Assistance given to M.Tech students is Rs. 12,400 per month and generally paid for 22 months. Please refer to PG Scholarship (GATE/GPAT) for details.
Financial Assistance given for Ph.D. programs (Direct Ph.D. after B.E./B.Tech/M.Sc equivalent with a valid GATE score) is ₹37,000 per month for the first two years and Rs. 42,000 per month from the third to the fifth year. Please refer to Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure Circular No. 33(14)PFC-II/2018 dated June 21, 2023 for details.
Recruitment
Many Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) have been using the GATE score in their recruitment process. A list (not exhaustive) of such PSUs is provided below :
Airports Authority of India (AAI), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Coal India Limited (CIL), Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), Chenab Valley Power Projects Limited (CVPPL), Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Engineers India Limited (EIL), Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL), National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), NLC India Limited (NLCIL), National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Odisha Power Generation Corporation Limited (OPGC), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), Grid Controller of India Limited (GRID-INDIA) (previously known as POSOCO), Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), etc.
GATE 2026 TEST PAPERS
• GATE 2026 will have a total of 30 test papers comprising full and sectional papers.
• A new sectional paper on Energy Science (XE-I) is being introduced in Engineering Science (XE) paper.
• A candidate can appear for one or two test papers.
• Only selected two-paper combinations are allowed for candidates appearing in two papers.
• GATE score obtained by the candidate will remain valid for a period of THREE years from the date of announcement of results.
Eligibility
Before filing an application, candidates are advised to ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria for GATE 2026.
Candidates who are currently studying in the 3rd or higher years of any undergraduate degree program or who have completed any government approved degree program in Engineering/Technology/Architecture/Science/Commerce/Arts/Humanities are eligible to appear for GATE 2026.
Some Professional Societies*/Institutions, which conduct examination in various fields of engineering, are given below.
• The Institution of Engineers (India) (IE)
• The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
• The Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE)
• The Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI)
• The Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, including Polymer and Environmental Group (IIChE)
• The Indian Institute of Metals (IIM)
• The Indian Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIIE)
Candidates who possess certification from any such professional societies must ensure that those examinations are approved by MoE/AICTE/UGC/ UPSC as being equivalent to B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch./B.Planning, etc.
Candidates who have obtained/are pursuing their qualifying degree from countries other than India: Candidates must be currently in the 3rd or higher years or must have completed their Bachelor’s degree (of at least three years duration) in Engineering/Technology/Architecture/Science/Commerce/ Arts/Humanities.
Any candidate fulfilling the above-mentioned criteria is eligible to appear for GATE 2026.
APPLICATION FEES
Regular Period (August 25 to September 25, 2025)
Female/SC/ST/PwD* candidates (per test paper) : 1000
All other candidates including foreign nationals (per test paper) : 2000
During the Extended Period (September 26 to October 06, 2025)
Female/SC/ST/PwD* candidates (per test paper) : 1500
All other candidates including foreign nationals (per test paper) : 2500
*PwD means Persons with Benchmark Disability.
Note : The above Application fees are for a single test paper. Candidates opting for two papers would have to pay twice the above mentioned fees.
Important Dates
Opening Date of GATE Online Application Processing System (GOAPS) : Monday, August 25, 2025
Closing Date of REGULAR online registration/application process (Without Late Fee) : Thursday, September 25, 2025
Closing Date of EXTENDED online registration/application process (With Late Fee) : Monday, October 06, 2025
GATE 2026 Examinations : February 07, 2026
February 08, 2026
February 14, 2026
February 15, 2026
*All dates are liable to change
