The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will jointly conduct the exam on behalf of the GATE National Coordination Board of the Union Ministry of Education. IIT Guwahati is the organizing institution.
GATE Exam 2026- If you qualify
A GATE qualification is considered for admission to various master's and doctoral programs, as well as for jobs in many public sector organizations. GATE qualification may generally be required for admission to Engineering/Technology/Architecture Master's programmes and Doctoral programmes in relevant branches of Engineering/ Technology/ Architecture/ Science/ Humanities in higher education institutions run by the Union Ministry of Education and government agencies with financial assistance.
To get financial assistance, one must take admission in a concerned institution. Some colleges and institutions may admit GATE-qualified candidates without financial aid or fellowship from the Ministry.
Recruitments
Some of the companies that have conducted recruitment based on GATE score in previous years are: Airports Authority of India Limited, Bharat Heavy Electricals, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Coal India Limited, Centre for Railway Information Systems, Chenab Valley Power Projects Limited, Damodar Valley Corporation, Electronics Corporation of India Limited, Engineers India Limited, Gas Authority of India Limited, Grid India, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, National Aluminium Company Limited, National Capital Region Transport Corporation, National Highways Authority of India, National Mineral Development Corporation, Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited, North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd.
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, NTPC, Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, Power System Operation Corporation Limited, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, Rashtriya Ispat Limited, Steel Authority of India Limited, National Water Development Agency, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Intelligence Bureau, Cabinet Secretariat, Agricultural Insurance Company of India Limited, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, Haryana Power Utilities, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited etc. The institutions/agencies that will use the 2026 GATE score in their recruitment will be informed in due course.
New optional section
In addition to the existing seven sectional papers in the optional section of the Engineering Sciences paper, the subject of Energy Science has also been newly included as the eighth sectional paper.
Two papers can appear.
A person can appear for up to two papers. One of the 30 papers will be the primary paper. Along with each primary paper, the subject specified in the information brochure can be selected as the second paper from the remaining 29 papers.
You can choose the paper of the subject according to your qualifying degree and appear for the exam. However, you can decide which paper/papers to appear for, considering the program you want to join, the qualifications required for it, etc.
Application/GATE Registration
The application can be submitted from August 28 to September 28 through the ‘Application Portal’ link at gate2026.iitg.ac.in. After that, applications can be submitted till October 9 by paying a late fee. Women, Scheduled Castes/PWD candidates have to pay an application fee of Rs. 1000 per paper. For others, it is Rs. 2000 per paper. During the extended application period, the application fee is Rs. 1500 and Rs. 2500 per paper, respectively. The fee can be paid through debit/credit card, net banking, or UPI. For details check here: gate2026.iitg.ac.in.
Test Paper Subjects
A total of 30 subjects are studied. Subjects: Aerospace Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Architecture and Planning, Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science and Information Technology, Chemistry, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Science and Engineering, Ecology and Evolution, Geomatics Engineering, Geology and Geophysics, Instrumentation Engineering, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Physics, Production and Industrial Engineering, Statistics, Textile Engineering and Fiber Science, Engineering Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, Life Sciences.
Academic Qualification
Engineering/Technology/Architecture/Science/Commerce/Arts/Humanities graduates, who are in their third year or higher of their undergraduate degree program, can apply for GATE.
The eligible programmes/degrees are as follows: BE/BTech/BPharm/BArch, BSc (Research)/BS, PharmD, MBBS/BDS/BVSc, MSc/MA/MCA/equivalent, Integrated ME/MTech (Post BSc), Integrated ME/MTech/MPharm or Dual Degree (Post Diploma/10+2), BSc/BA/BCom. Candidates with qualifications like Integrated MSc/ Integrated BS/MS, BSc (Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry), who have completed these courses and are studying in the specified year, can apply.
Candidates with equivalent qualifications from professional bodies recognized by the Ministry of Education/AICTE/UGC/UPSC as equivalent to BE/BTech/BArch/BPlanning are also eligible to apply.
Professional bodies conducting examinations in various engineering fields include: Institution of Engineers (India), Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers, Aeronautical Society of India, Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers (including Polymer and Environmental Group), Indian Institute of Metals, and Indian Institute of Industrial Engineers.
Candidates with degrees higher than the mentioned degree programmes, those pursuing them, BA/BSc/BCom degree holders seeking admission to Master's programmes in IITs, IISc, NITs, and other CFITs are also eligible to apply. There are no age limits or chance conditions.
