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The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering GATE 2026, conducted by IIT Guwahati in different test centres across India, is scheduled for 4 days starting from today, 7th February to 15th February 2026. As per the examination schedule, which is released on the official website, gate2026.iitg.ac.in while the paper is conducted in 2 shifts, the first is a morning session and the other is an afternoon session.
Each exam shift is for a duration of 3 hours. After the exam, aspirants must know the difficulty level of the exam to get a fair idea about their performance, chances of securing a good rank to qualify for top-tier institutes, or direct entry to PSUs. The overall exam analysis will be shared with the GATE 2026 applicants here.
GATE Exam Analysis 2026
GATE Exam 2026 is organised by IISc and all IITs under the guidance of the National Coordination Board, which functions under the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India. The exam conducting body for this year is the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, responsible for organising the GATE online test 2026 for a total of 30 test papers for candidates from branches of Engineering, Technology, Science, Architecture, & Humanisites.
The GATE Exam 2026 scorecard remains valid for 3 years; therefore, the candidates must carefully read the complete analysis of the examination.
GATE Exam 2026 Analysis: Difficulty Level & Student Reactions
The GATE 2026 exam has started, and we will discuss the difficulty level of the overall exam day-wise and shift-wise in this section.
Exam Analysis of Shift 1 & Shift 2 Exams
| Date | Shift | Subjects | Difficulty Level |
| 07 Feb | Shift 1 (FN) | XE, XL, IN, MA, etc. | Moderate |
| Shift 2 (AN) | AE, CH, BT, CY, etc. | Moderate to Difficult | |
| 08 Feb | Shift 1 (FN) | CS-1, ST | |
| Shift 2 (AN) | CS-2, EY, NM, PE | ||
| 14 Feb | Shift 1 (FN) | CE-1, EE, PI | |
| Shift 2 (AN) | BM, CE-2, ME, MT | ||
| 15 Feb | Shift 1 (FN) | EC | |
| Shift 2 (AN) | AR, DA |
Subject-Wise GATE Exam Analysis (7th Feb 2026)
| Subject | Difficulty level |
| Aerospace Engineering (AE) | Modarate |
| Mathematics (MA) | Moderate to Difficult |
| Life Sciences (XL) | Modarate |
GATE Exam 2026 Shift & Schedule
| Day | Date | Time (IST) | Session | Test Papers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | February 07, 2026 | 9:30 am – 12:30 pm | Forenoon (FN) | AG, ES, GG, IN, MA, MN, TF, XE, XL |
| Saturday | February 07, 2026 | 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm | Afternoon (AN) | AE, BT, CH, CY, GE, PH, XH |
| Sunday | February 08, 2026 | 9:30 am – 12:30 pm | Forenoon (FN) | CS-1, ST |
| Sunday | February 08, 2026 | 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm | Afternoon (AN) | CS-2, EY, NM, PE |
| Saturday | February 14, 2026 | 9:30 am – 12:30 pm | Forenoon (FN) | CE-1, EE, PI |
| Saturday | February 14, 2026 | 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm | Afternoon (AN) | BM, CE-2, ME, MT |
| Sunday | February 15, 2026 | 9:30 am – 12:30 pm | Forenoon (FN) | EC |
| Sunday | February 15, 2026 | 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm | Afternoon (AN) | AR, DA |
GATE Exam Pattern 2026
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Sections | General Aptitude (GA) + Candidate’s Selected Subject(s) |
| Type of Questions |
|
| Testing of Abilities |
|
| Total Marks | 100 Marks |
GATE 2026 Exam Marking Scheme
| Question Type | Marks per Question | Negative Marking |
|---|---|---|
| MCQ | 1 mark | 1/3 mark deducted for wrong answer |
| MCQ | 2 marks | 2/3 mark deducted for wrong answer |
| MSQ | 1 or 2 marks | No negative marking |
| NAT | 1 or 2 marks | No negative marking |
GATE Exam 2026 Section-Wise Weightage
| Subjects/Sections | Papers with Engineering Mathematics | AR, CY, DA, EY, GE, GG, MA, PH, ST, XH & XL |
|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude (GA) | 15 marks | 15 marks |
| Engineering Mathematics | 13 marks | Not Applicable |
| Subject Questions | 72 marks | 85 marks |
| Total Marks | 100 marks | 100 marks |
Importance of GATE 2026 Exam Analysis for Aspirants
Understand the Difficulty Level: GATE 2026 exam analysis helps candidates get a clear idea about the overall difficulty level of the paper and the kind of questions asked. It allows aspirants to judge whether the exam was easy, moderate or difficult and assess their own performance accordingly.
Offers clarity on topic-wise weightage: By going through the analysis, students can understand which subjects had higher weightage and which topics were asked repeatedly. This makes it easier for GATE repeaters and future aspirants to plan their preparation with better clarity and focus.
Idea about Expected Cut-off Marks: Analysis of GATE 2026 Exam also gives an estimate of expected cut-off marks and score trends based on previous years. This is very helpful for candidates aiming for PSU recruitment, M.Tech admissions or research programs through GATE 2026 scores.
Right Exam Strategy: Most importantly, GATE 2026 analysis highlights common mistakes and time-management issues faced during the exam, making it a useful guide for improving performance in future attempts.
Helpful Roadmap for Future Aspirants: GATE exam analysis 2026 helps future aspirants understand the exam pattern, topic-wise weightage and difficulty level allowing them to plan their preparation strategy, manage time effectively and focus on high-scoring areas.
Examiner’s Point of View: It helps understand the examiner’s point of view where the focus is not on solving all questions but on smartly cracking the paper by understanding question placement, selecting the right questions first and managing time effectively.
