Does GATE 2026 have Negative Marking - Complete Marking Scheme Explained

Does GATE 2026 have Negative Marking - Complete Marking Scheme Explained

RanjeetaUpdated on 15 Feb 2026, 03:06 PM IST

Does GATE have negative marking? Yes, IIT Guwahati has announced that GATE 2026 has negative marking for its MCQ questions. As per the GATE 2026 exam pattern, there will be a negative marking of 1/3rd and 2/3rd for an incorrect answer to a 1-mark and a 2-mark question, respectively. Note that the negative marking scheme is only for the MCQ questions; no negative marking scheme will be applied to the MSQ (multiple selection questions) and NAT (numerical answer type) questions. Having a better understanding of the GATE 2026 marking scheme will provide students with a better chance in preparation for the exam. IIT Guwahati is conducting the GATE exam for all 30 papers on February 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2026. The GATE exam will be conducted in an online mode.

This Story also Contains

  1. Does GATE 2026 have Negative Marking?
  2. Does MSQ/NAT have negative marking in GATE 2026?
  3. GATE 2026 Marking Scheme: Distribution of Marks
  4. GATE 2026 score vs rank
Does GATE 2026 have Negative Marking - Complete Marking Scheme Explained
Does GATE 2026 have Negative Marking

Further, students can also check the GATE 2026 college predictor to find out the best colleges to get into based on their expected GATE scores. Find more details on the GATE marking scheme 2026 in the article below.

Does GATE 2026 have Negative Marking?

Negative marking in GATE 2026 is the method to deduct marks for every wrong answer. It is implemented to discourage random guessing while answering and providing only the accurate answer. As per the GATE 2025 marking scheme, negative marking is only applicable for the Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ). The MCQ will have a choice of four answers, out of which only one answer is correct. A negative mark is awarded for a wrong answer chosen from the answer options. Tabulated below is the GATE 2026 negative marking scheme for MCQ.

Negative Marking in GATE 2026 MCQ

Types of QuestionsCorrectIncorrect

MCQ – 1 mark question

+1

-1/3

MCQ – 2 marks question

+2

-2/3

Does MSQ/NAT have negative marking in GATE 2026?

No, MSQ (Multiple Select Questions) and NAT (Numerical Answer Type) questions in GATE 2026 have no negative marking schemes. There will be no deduction of marks for an incorrect answer in MSQ and NAT questions. Find below more details on the MSQ/NAT questions marking scheme.

MSQ questions marking scheme

  • The MSQ questions will have a choice of four answers.

  • Out of the four choices, one or more than one choice(s) is/are correct.

  • The candidate must select the correct combination of answers from the choices.

  • Candidates will be awarded zero marks if the answer is partly correct.

  • Therefore, to secure full marks, candidates must get the entire answer combination correct.

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NAT Questions marking scheme

  • The NAT question doesn't have multiple choices; candidates must enter a numerical value using a virtual keypad.

  • Each NAT question carries 1 or 2 marks.

  • The answer may be in decimals as well, for example,10.1 (one decimal) or 10.01 (two decimals) or -10.001 (three decimals).

  • Only correct answers are awarded full marks, while unanswered questions is given zero marks.

  • No partial credit is applicable for NAT questions.

GATE Previous Year Question Paper's
Download GATE previous year question papers to understand exam pattern and difficulty level. Practice with these papers to boost your preparation and improve your score.
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GATE 2026 Marking Scheme: Distribution of Marks

The GATE 2026 test paper will consist of 65 questions carrying a total of 100 marks, out of which 10 questions will have a total of 15 marks on General Aptitude (GA), and 55 subject-specific questions.

Find below the distribution of marks in various test papers for GATE 2026.

Distribution of Marks under GATE 2026

Paper Code

Marks

General Aptitude (GA)

Subject: Compulsory (A) and optional (B)

Total Marks (TM/ Total Time (TT)

AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI, TF (incl. Engg Math 13 marks)

GA:15

Subject:85

TM- 100

TT- 180 min

CY, DA, EY, MA, PH, ST

GA:15

Subject:85

TM- 100

TT- 180 min

AR (A compulsory; B1/B2 optional)

GA:15

Subject - A:60, B:25

TM- 100

TT- 180 min

GE (A compulsory; B1/B2 optional)

GA:15,

Subject- A:55, B:30

TM- 100

TT- 180 min

GG (A compulsory; B1/B2 chosen at application)

GA:15

Subject- A:25, B:60

TM- 100

TT- 180 min

XE (A compulsory; any TWO other sections)

GA:15

Subject- A:15, 2x35:70

TM- 100

TT- 180 min

XH (B1 compulsory; ONE other section)

GA:15,

Subject- A::25, B:60

TM- 100

TT- 180 min

XL (P compulsory; any TWO other sections)

GA:15,

Subject - A:25, B: 2x30

TM- 100

TT- 180 min

GATE 2026 score vs rank

Candidates can take a look at the GATE score vs rank using the table given below. Here, we have given the previous year's GATE score vs rank analysis of the top scorers for a better understanding.

Previous Year GATE 2025 Toppers List with Marks

Test PaperName of the CandidateRaw Marks
(out of 100)
GATE Score
(out of 1000)
Aerospace EngineeringBALAMURUGAN81990
Agricultural EngineeringKEERTHI REVANTH KUMAR74.671000
Architecture and PlanningJAYANTH GIFTSON R831000
Biomedical EngineeringTANISH GUPTA77.671000
BiotechnologyARNAB PAUL66.671000
Civil EngineeringABHAY SINGH89.021000
Chemical EngineeringAMLAN KUMAR TRIPATHY75.331000
Computer Science and Information TechnologyRAHUL KUMAR SINGH1001000
ChemistryDEBASIS MANDAL701000
Data Science and Artificial IntelligenceSADINENI NIKHIL CHOWDARY96.331000
Electronics and Communication EngineeringSWARNAVA BISWAS82.671000
Electrical EngineeringPRADIP CHAUHAN81.671000
Environmental Science and EngineeringYASH JAIN67.331000
Ecology and EvolutionKESHAV R MENON86.331000
Geomatics EngineeringNITISH KUMAR61.671000
Geology and Geophysics (Geology)SUMIT GHOSH76.67970
Geology and Geophysics (Geophysics)RAHUL MUKHERJEE70.671000
Instrumentation EngineeringKAILASH GOYAL65993
MathematicsSOHAM PAL571000
Mechanical EngineeringRAJNEESH BIJARNIYA95.33967
Mining EngineeringANIKET KUMAR GUPTA75.671000
Metallurgical EngineeringYOGESH SARMA SEDAI89.67941
Naval Architecture and Marine EngineeringJATIN PAL52.331000
Petroleum EngineeringSAURABH KUMAR741000
PhysicsPURNENDU DAS76.671000
Production and Industrial EngineeringDEVENDRA DHANANJAY UMBRAJKAR85.671000
StatisticsARCHISHMAN MUKHERJEE771000
Textile Engineering and Fibre ScienceYADAV AVADHESH ANANTRAM73.671000
Engineering Sciences (Engineering Mathematics, Fluid Mechanics, Solid Mechanics)ANANT PRAKASH PANDEY88.331000
Humanities and Social Sciences (Sociology)VICTOR PRINCE N J80939
Humanities and Social Sciences (Psychology)SANJNA SHUKLA89922
Humanities and Social Sciences (Linguistics)MOOMAL MAJEE811000
Humanities and Social Sciences (Sociology)ARIJIT SENGUPTA80939
Humanities and Social Sciences (English)NAOREET KHONDEKAR711000
Humanities and Social Sciences (Economics)SAMBUDDHA ROYCHOWDHURY87.33948
Humanities and Social Sciences (Philosophy)MOHIT KUMAR761000
Life Sciences (Chemistry, Biochemistry, Zoology)YUGANSH BHATIA78.671000
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GATE 2024 Toppers List with Marks

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is there negative marking in GATE 2026?
A:

Yes, there will be negative marking for GATE 2026 for the MCQ questions.

Q: How are marks deducted under the GATE 2026 negative marking schemes?
A:

Under the GATE 2026 negative marking schemes, 1/3 mark is deducted for an incorrect answer to 1 marks question. In the same way, 2/3 marks will be deducted for every incorrect 2-mark question.

Q: Is there negative marking for MSQ/NAT-type questions in GATE 2026?
A:

No, there is no negative marking for MSQ/NAT-type questions in GATE 2026. 

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Hi Uma,

You can download GATE 2026 February 8 question paper with solutions by clicking on the link below: