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    GATE 2026 CE Question Paper with Solutions PDF - Download Link

    GATE 2026 CE Question Paper with Solutions PDF - Download Link

    Shivani PooniaUpdated on 19 Mar 2026, 07:24 PM IST

    The GATE 2026 exam was conducted on 7, 8, 14, and 15 February 2026. This year, the GATE 2026 Exam was conducted by IIT Guwahati. The GATE Civil Engineering Exam 2026 was held on 14 February 2026. GATE CE Exam 2026 was conducted in two sessions (Forenoon and Afternoon). Both shifts have been completed, and exam details are provided below. Following the examination, the Candidate Response, Master Question Paper, and Master Answer Key have been uploaded on the GOAPS portal, allowing candidates to verify their recorded responses and analyse their expected performance. The GATE Exam 2026 is the entry point for Civil Engineering students to get successful admission into some of the reputed colleges in India, like NITs, IISc and IITs. IIT Guwahati has released the GATE official question papers, candidates can download the question paper from the link provided in the article.

    This Story also Contains

    1. GATE 2026 CE-1 Feb 14 Forenoon Shift
    2. GATE Civil Engineering 2026 Question Paper Overview
    3. Download GATE CE Question Paper 2026
    4. GATE Civil Engineering 2026 Exam Pattern
    5. GATE Civil Engineering Syllabus 2026
    6. GATE Civil Engineering 2026 Subject-Wise Weightage
    7. Download GATE Civil Engineering Previous Year’s Question Papers
    8. Benefits of Solving GATE CE Previous Year Question Papers
    GATE 2026 CE Question Paper with Solutions PDF - Download Link
    GATE 2026 CE Question Paper with Solutions PDF

    The GATE 2026 exam is an aspirant's first step towards achieving their favourite work life. But to crack this exam, aspirants need to be smart. This is where the GATE CE Question Paper 2026 comes into play. It helps you see the GATE CE 2026 Exam Pattern, past trends, and understand the difficulty level of the exam. Here is all the information you need about the GATE CE 2026 Exam from the GATE 2026 CE Question Paper with Solutions to the GATE 2026 CE Syllabus, Exam Pattern, and Mock Tests, Memory-based questions in an easily accessible manner.

    GATE 2026 CE-2 Feb 14 Afternoon Shift

    Some memory-based questions for CE-2 are added below:

    Question 1: A rectangular catchment ABCD has an area of 7 hectares. The times of concentration from the four extreme points A, B, C and D to the outlet are 10, 20, 15 and 25 minutes, respectively. The rainfall intensity-duration relationship is given by I=25t+20, where I= rainfall intensity in cm/hr and t= time of concentration in minutes. The runoff coefficient of the catchment is 0.4. Determine the peak discharge from the catchment. (Enter the numerical value only in m3/s.)

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    Question 2: A bridge has an expected design life of 50 years. It is designed for a flood discharge of 1000 m3/s, which corresponds to a return period of 100 years. Determine the risk (probability) that the design flood will be equalled or exceeded at least once during the design life of the bridge. (Enter the numerical value of risk in decimal form, correct up to three decimal places).

    Question 3: A portal frame has a span of 4m(2m+2m) and a height of 3m. The left base is hinged and the right base is roller supported. A horizontal load of 50 kN acts at the top left joint. A vertical concentrated load of 90 kN acts at the midspan of the top beam. Determine the absolute value of the maximum bending moment in the frame.

    Question 4: Match the following:

    Air pollutantTreatment Tech.
    (1) Dust(P) Cyclone seperation
    (2) CO(Q) Wet lime water scrubber
    (3) SO2(R) ESP
    (4) Fly ash(S) Catalytic Convertor

    Question 5: Long-term deformation of a material under sustained constant loading is primarily governed by:
    (a) Creep
    (b) Modulus of toughness
    (c) Modulus of resilience
    (d) Yield strength

    Question 6: In a reinforced concrete slab, 10 mm diameter bars are provided at a centre-to-centre spacing of 150 mm to resist a given design moment. If instead of 10 mm bars, 12 mm diameter bars of the same grade of steel are used, determine the required centre-to-centre spacing (in mm ) so that the slab resists the same design moment. (Assume effective depth and other parameters remain unchanged. Enter the numerical value only in mm.)

    Question 7: Which of the following methods are used to check whether the flexural stresses in a prestressed concrete beam remain within permissible limits at transfer and final stages? Select all the correct option(s).
    (a) Hoyer's effect
    (b) Limiting zone of prestress method
    (c) Magnel's graph
    (d) Load balancing method

    Question 8: Let P = (101010101). Which of the following statements is/are correct?
    (a) PTP = I
    (b) P is skew-symmetric
    (c) The value of each eigenvalue of P is 1
    (d) The trace of P is equal to the sum of its eigenvalues

    Question 9: (y+3x−13)^3 + (x+y−7)^2 = 0 where x and y are integers. The value of x^3+y3^ is ____ .

    Question 10: Bag-I contains 4 white and 6 black balls, Bag-ll contains 4 white and 3 black balls. A ball is selected at random and it comes out to be a black ball. What is the probability that it is from Bag I?

    Question 11: Consider the matrix A = (9151550). The matrix A is decomposed using Cholesky decomposition. Determine the value of l22.

    Question 12: Given the following data: x:(−2,1,2), y:(28,4,16). Let P2(x) be the quadratic interpolating polynomial passing through the above three points. Find the value of P2(0).

    Question 13: Bernoullis equation is applicable in fluid, than which condition is satisfied?

    (a) Flow should be steady

    (b) Fluid should be frictionless

    (c) Fluid should be incompressible

    (d) Flow should be rotational

    Question 14: What is the purpose of windrose diagram?

    (a) Orientation of runway

    (b) Length of runway

    (c) Width of runway

    (d) Gradient

    Question 15: Algae is used where?

    (a) Septic tank

    (b) Slow sand filter

    (c) Oxidation pond

    (d) Trickling filter

    Overall Analysis

    Overall difficulty level: The overall difficulty level of the exam was Moderate to Difficult.

    Number of questions asked

    Topics

    Marks

    General Aptitude

    15

    Engineering Mathematics

    13

    Strength of materials

    5

    Structural Analysis

    4

    Reinforced Cement Concrete

    6

    Design of steel structures

    2

    Building material construction

    0

    Construction management

    0

    Geotechnical engineering

    13

    Fluid Mechanics

    8

    Engineering hydrology

    4

    Irrigation Engineering

    1

    Environmental engineering

    11

    Transportation engineering

    11

    Surveying

    7


    GATE 2026 CE-1 Feb 14 Forenoon Shift

    Question 1: Consider a soil sample where the following parameters are defined:
    S = Soil suction head
    K= Hydraulic conductivity
    w= Moisture content

    If the moisture content (w) of the soil increases, which of the following statements regarding the soil suction head (S) and hydraulic conductivity (K) is correct?

    (a) Both S and K increase.
    (b) Both S and K decrease.
    (c) S increases while K decreases.
    (d) S decreases while K increases.

    Question 2: For a two-lane road and a two-lane highway, the length of the submit curve depends on what?

    (a) friction(lateral)

    (b) Acceleration

    (c) SSD

    (d) OSD

    Question 3: A clay deposit is found to have a natural water content and void ratio that corresponds to a preconsolidation pressure ( σp′ ) that is greater than the present effective overburden pressure ( σo′ ). This clay is best classified as:
    (a) OCC (Over Consolidated Clay)
    (b) LCC (Lightly Consolidated Clay)
    (c) NCC (Normally Consolidated Clay)
    (d) Quick Clay

    Question 4: In a rectangular open channel, a hydraulic jump occurs. The ratio of the post-jump depth (y2) to the pre-jump depth (y1) is measured to be 2 . What is the Froude number (Fr1) of the flow immediately before the jump?
    (a) 2
    (b) 1.5
    (c) 3
    (d) 2.5

    Question 5: The Rational Method formula for estimating peak runoff is given as Q=CiA360. For the result Q to be in cubic meters per second (m3/s), what must be the units of rainfall intensity (i) and catchment area (A) ?
    (a) i in cm/hr, A in km2
    (b) i in mm/hr, A in km2
    (c) i in mm/hr, A in hectares
    (d) i in m/hr, A in hectares

    Question 6: Match the Gradually Varied Flow (GVF) profiles on a mild slope (M1,M2,M3) with the nature of their water surface slope (dy/dx) relative to the flow direction.
    Profile \& Nature of Slope (dy/dx)
    P. M1 Profile \& 1. Positive (Rising Curve)
    Q. M2 Profile \& 2. Negative (Drawdown Curve)
    R. M3 Profile \& 3. Positive (Rising Curve)

    Select the correct classification:
    (a) M1 is Rising, M2 is Rising, M3 is Falling
    (b) M1 is Rising, M2 is Falling, M3 is Rising
    (c) M1 is Falling, M2 is Rising, M3 is Falling
    (d) M1 is Rising, M2 is Falling, M3 is Falling

    Overall Analysis

    Overall difficulty level: The overall difficulty level of the exam was Moderate to slightly tough.

    The General Aptitude section was scoring, and the core civil engineering section was conceptual and lengthy. The core technical section contained lengthy and conceptual questions.

    Number of questions asked

    Topics

    Marks

    General Aptitude

    15

    Engineering Mathematics

    13

    Strength of materials

    2

    Structural Analysis

    4

    Reinforced Cement Concrete

    4

    Design of steel structures

    3

    Building material construction

    3

    Construction management

    1

    Geotechnical engineering

    15

    Fluid Mechanics

    6

    Engineering hydrology

    4

    Irrigation Engineering

    3

    Environmental engineering

    9

    Transportation engineering

    11

    Surveying

    7


    GATE Civil Engineering 2026 Question Paper Overview

    It is important to have a clear picture of the exam before you start your preparation. Below is a quick overview of the GATE CE 2026 Exam. Please refer to the GATE CE 2026 Exam Pattern to get more in-depth information about the exam pattern.

    Paper Name

    Civil Engineering

    Paper Code

    CE

    Date of Examination

    14 February

    Conducting Body

    IIT Guwahati

    Mode of Examination

    Computer-Based Test

    Total Marks

    100

    Duration

    3 Hours

    Section-wise weightage

    General Aptitude: 15 Marks

    Subject Questions: 85 Marks

    Question Types

    MCQs, MSQs, NATs

    Download GATE CE Question Paper 2026

    Having access to the right resources is half the battle won, and one such resource is the GATE CE 2026 Question Paper. Candidates can use the GATE 2026 CE Question Paper with Solutions PDF Free Download to analyze the difficulty level and question trends. The GATE CE Official question paper has been released by IIT Guwahati.

    You can simply download the GATE 2026 CE Question Paper with Solutions PDF by using the link given below.

    GATE Civil Engineering 2026 Exam Pattern

    Getting familiarized with the exam pattern can help you avoid negative marking and can help you efficiently manage time. GATE CE 2026 Exam Pattern will be as follows. The exams was be conducted in online mode, i.e., Computer-Based Test (CBT).

    Paticulars

    Details

    Exam Mode

    Online Computer-Based Test(CBT)

    Duration

    3 Hours

    Question Pattern

    • Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)

    • Multiple Select Questions (MSQ)

    • Numerical Answer Type (NAT)

    Number of Sections

    • General Aptitude

    • Civil Engineering

    Types of Sections

    • Recall

    • Comprehension

    • Application

    • Analysis and Synthesis

    Total Number of Questions

    10 (General Aptitude)

    55 (Civil Engineering)

    Total-65 Questions

    Total Marks

    100 Marks

    Marking Scheme

    1 Mark and 2 Mark question

    Negative Marking

    • For a 1-mark MCQ question, 1/3 mark will be deducted.

    • 2-mark questions, ⅔ marks will be deducted.

    • No negative marking in MSQ and NAT questions.

    GATE Civil Engineering Syllabus 2026

    The GATE Civil Engineering 2026 Syllabus is comprehensive, right from the fundamentals of mathematics to advanced structural analysis. The GATE CE 2026 syllabus can be categorized broadly into three sections: General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics, and Core Civil Engineering topics. You can refer to the GATE 2026 CE Syllabus for a detailed insight into the syllabus.

    Sections

    Important Topics

    General Aptitude

    • Verbal Aptitude

    • Quantitative Aptitude

    • Analytical Aptitude

    • Spatial Aptitude

    Engineering Mathematics

    • Linear Algebra

    • Calculus

    • Partial Differential Equation(PDE)

    • Ordinary Differential Equation(ODE)

    • Probability and Statistics

    • Numerical Methods

    Transportation Engineering

    • Transportation Infrastructure

    • Highway Pavements

    • Traffic Engineering

    Geomatics Engineering

    • Principle of surveying

    • Maps

    • Distance and angle measurement

    • Horizontal and vertical curves

    • Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing

    GATE Civil Engineering 2026 Subject-Wise Weightage

    You need to know the subject-wise weightage to get a good score in GATE CE 2026. We have prepared an expected weightage table for GATE CE 2026 on the basis of the analysis of previous years.

    Chapter Name

    2025

    2024

    2023

    2022

    2021

    Total

    Percentage

    Aptitude

    10

    10

    10

    10

    10

    50

    15.87%

    Engineering Mathematics

    9

    9

    6

    12

    5

    41

    13.02%

    Environmental Engineering

    7

    6

    8

    7

    7

    35

    11.11%

    Geomatics Engineering

    3

    5

    4

    2

    6

    20

    6.35%

    Geotechnical Engineering

    8

    8

    13

    8

    7

    44

    13.97%

    Structural Engineering

    11

    14

    11

    9

    7

    52

    16.51%

    Transportation Engineering

    8

    7

    5

    7

    7

    34

    10.79%

    Water Resources Engineering

    9

    6

    8

    10

    6

    39

    12.38%

    Grand Total

    65

    65

    65

    65

    55

    315

    100%

    GATE Civil Engineering 2026 Repeated Topics

    Here are the "Repeated Topics" that have appeared frequently in past exams, and chances are that they may appear in the GATE CE question paper 2026.

    Subject

    Key Topics

    Engineering Mathematics

    Linear Algebra, Calculus, Differential Equations

    Structural Engineering

    Structural Analysis, Design of Steel Structures, Design of Concrete Structures

    Geotechnical Engineering

    Soil Mechanics, Foundation Engineering, Earth Pressure Theories

    Environmental Engineering

    Water Supply Engineering, Wastewater Engineering, Air Pollution

    Transportation Engineering

    Highway Engineering, Traffic Engineering, Pavement Design

    Transportation Engineering

    Surveying, Remote Sensing, GIS

    Fluid Mechanics & Hydraulics

    Fluid Properties, Fluid Statics, Open Channel Flow

    Hydrology & Irrigation

    Hydrological Cycle, Groundwater Hydrology, Irrigation Methods

    Construction Materials & Management

    Construction Planning, Project Management, Building Materials

    Download GATE Civil Engineering Previous Year’s Question Papers

    Solving previous years' papers is the best way to simulate the actual exam environment. It helps you understand the GATE 2026 CE Question Paper with Answers PDF pattern better. Below are the links to download the previous years' question papers.

    Benefits of Solving GATE CE Previous Year Question Papers

    • Understand the Exam Pattern: The GATE Exam consists of mixed-type questions (MCQs, MSQs, and NATs). Solving the actual question paper helps you get familiar with the weird exam pattern.
    • Time Management: Solving previous year papers and giving mock tests regularly helps you in improving your speed and accuracy.
    • Self Assessment: The previous year's paper plays a very important role in your self-assessment. You will get answers to all those questions, like “Where did I make the mistake?” and “How a simple minus sign stopped me from gaining those two marks, resulting in negative marks?”, while solving the previous year's question paper. They help you identify your weak areas.
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    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Q: Who conducted the GATE exam 2026?
    A:

    The GATE Exam 2026 was conducted by IIT Guwahati.

    Q: When will the GATE CE Question Paper 2026 be released?
    A:

    The GATE CE Question Paper 2026 has been released by IIT Guwahati.

    Q: Can a 2nd-year B.Tech student apply for the GATE Exam?
    A:

    No, a 2nd-year B.Tech student cannot apply for GATE. The candidate must be in their 3rd year or higher of an undergraduate degree.

    Q: What is the negative marking pattern in GATE Mathematics?
    A:

    For MCQ questions, 1/3 mark is deducted for each wrong answer. There is no negative marking for MSQ and NAT-type questions.

    Q: What was the difficulty level of the GATE 2026 Civil Engineering (CE) exam?
    A:

    The overall analysis for the CE-1 paper was moderate to tough, and for the CE-2 difficulty level was moderate.

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    Questions related to GATE

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to GATE ?

    Hello,

    GATE 2026 score of 320 (OBC, AIR 1633 in XE), admission to top IITs will be difficult. However, you may get opportunities in newer IITs or lower-demand branches in later or spot rounds. You have better chances in NITs, IIITs, and state universities through CCMT counseling. PSU opportunities are

    Every PSU has different cut-off marks and eligibility. Hence, it is suggested to apply for PSU after checking the eligibility. Also, they do not reveal the marks of the finally selected candidates. So, wait for the final merit list.

    Yes. You can. GATE eligibility specifies that students in their 3rd year and above can appear for the exam. Since the results are valid for 3 years, you can use the same for your admissions.