GATE 2026 CSE Important Topics – High-Weightage Subjects

GATE 2026 CSE Important Topics – High-Weightage Subjects

Shivani PooniaUpdated on 03 Oct 2025, 12:30 PM IST

GATE 2026 CSE Important Topics - In this article we will be looking at the GATE 2026 CSE important topics. The GATE exam is a national level examination conducted once in a year for admission into post graduate programs or for recruitment into top public sector undertakings (PSU) all over India. CSE is one of the core subjects and if taken, it opens doors to top class institutes like IIT, IISc and other research labs supported by the government. This article will help you prepare for CSE as we will dive into resources that will help you to ace your GATE 2026 exam.

LiveGATE Admit Card 2026 LIVE: IIT Guwahati will issue MTech exam hall ticket today? Test timings, guidelinesJan 12, 2026 | 10:16 PM IST

The GATE 2026 exam sectional papers are listed below

XE Paper Sections

Code

XH Paper Sections

Code

XL Paper Sections

Code

Engineering Mathematics

(Compulsory) (15 marks)

A

Reasoning and Comprehension

(Compulsory) (25 marks)

B1

Chemistry

(Compulsory) (25 marks)

P

Any TWO optional Sections

(2x35 = 70 marks)


Any ONE optional Section

(60 marks)


Any TWO optional Sections

(2x30 = 60 marks)


Fluid Mechanics

B

Economics

C1

Biochemistry

Q

Materials Science

C

English

C2

Botany

R

Solid Mechanics

D

Linguistics

C3

Microbiology

S

Thermodynamics

E

Philosophy

C4

Zoology

T

Polymer Science and Engineering

F

Psychology

C5

Food Technology

U

Food Technology

G

Sociology

C6



Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

H





Energy Science (Newly Introduced)

I




Read More
GATE 2026 CSE Important Topics – High-Weightage Subjects
GATE 2026 CSE Important Topics

Important Topics for GATE 2026 CSE

You should prioritize the high weightage topics for CSE in GATE exam 2026. Our experts have analysed the last 5 years GATE CSE question papers and prepared the table below. This table has the assigned weightage of each chapter and the number of questions asked in the particular year column. To prepare and get better marks, prioritze the chapters with a higher weightage and prepare accordingly.

Chapter

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

Total (5 Years)

Weightage

Engineering Mathematics

16

23

11

12

11

73

16.40%

Aptitude

20

20

10

10

10

70

15.73%

Computer Networks

10

12

6

9

7

44

9.89%

Programming and Data Structures

17

11

9

4

3

44

9.89%

Computer Organization & Architecture

13

13

5

6

5

42

9.44%

Operating System

10

10

7

7

4

38

8.54%

Databases

9

12

3

8

7

39

8.76%

Theory of Computation

9

9

6

4

4

32

7.19%

Digital Logic

9

5

4

2

2

22

4.94%

Compiler Design

9

8

1

2

1

21

4.72%

Algorithms

8

7

3

1

1

20

4.49%

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As seen, engineering mathematics covers the maximum weightage followed by aptitude. Well, these are seen as two different subjects. Coming to core chapters computer networks and programming and data structures both seem to have 9.89% overall weightage. You can also compare it according to the trends followed in the different years. Another point to note is that until 2021 there were only 55 total questions and 2024 onwards there are two papers being conducted for this subject: CSE I and CSE II making it a total of 130 questions overall. This graph will give you a visual representation and understanding of important topics of GATE CSE 2026. Since GATE is a highly competitive exam, it requires strategic study. Candidates must refer to the best books from reputable publishers for their preparation. We have listed down some of the most important topics for GATE 2026 CSE along with their main topics and best books to refer.

Subject

Top Chapter

Main Topics

Recommended Book

Engineering Mathematics (16.40%)

Linear Algebra

Matrices, Eigenvalues & Eigenvectors, Systems of Linear Equations, Vector Spaces

Higher Engineering Mathematics by B.S. Grewal

Aptitude (15.73%)

Linear Algebra


Matrices, Eigenvalues & Eigenvectors, Systems of Linear Equations, Vector Spaces


Higher Engineering Mathematics by B.S. Grewal


Computer Networks (9.89%)


TCP/IP and OSI Models


OSI Layers, TCP/IP Stack, IP Addressing, Routing Protocols, UDP vs TCP, Application Layer Protocols (HTTP, DNS)


Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach by James Kurose and Keith Ross


Programming & Data Structures (9.89%)

Trees and Graphs

Binary Trees, AVL Trees, Binary Search Trees, Graph Traversals (DFS, BFS), Spanning Trees, Graph Representations

Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in C by Mark Allen Weiss

Computer Organization & Architecture (9.44%)

Memory Hierarchy and Cache

Cache Mapping Techniques, Memory Access Time, Virtual Memory, RAM & ROM, Instruction Cycles, Pipeline Architecture

Computer Organization and Design by David A. Patterson and John L. Hennessy

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.
Check Now


GATE CSE 2026 Preparation Strategy

In order to help you prepare for GATE, we have noted down some suggestions to help you out. GATE is a highly competitive exam and a proper preparation guide is required. Some of the best practices are listed as follows:

1. Understand the GATE question paper pattern.
2. Strictly follow the GATE CSE syllabus.
3. Practice GATE Mock Test once you are done studying a significant part of the exam.
4. Create your own strategic GATE exam timetable. This will help you study in a systematic manner.
5. Practice and analyse the previous years GATE CSE question papers that can help you prepare for the exam and practice. We have listed down the previous years question papers for you:

Pursue M.E/M.Tech in USA

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Pursue M.E/M.Tech in Germany

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How many sections are there in the GATE CSE paper?
A:

Generally two sections: Aptitude and the rest of the paper (which contains Engineering Maths and CSE topics)

Q: What is the best book for Computer Networks preparation?
A:

Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach by Kurose and Ross is highly recommended.

Q: Which subject carries the highest weightage in GATE 2026 CSE?
A:

Engineering Mathematics holds the highest weightage at 16.40%, followed closely by Aptitude at 15.73%. You can also have a look at the table to strategize and prepare accordingly.

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Questions related to GATE

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to GATE ?

Hello,

Yes, you can get admission in M.Tech CSE without GATE .

  1. Through university entrance exams
    Many universities conduct their own M.Tech entrance exams. You have to qualify the test and sometimes attend an interview.

  2. Through JET for M.Tech
    JET (JAIN Entrance Test) is conducted by Jain University.
    It is

Hii

No  you cannot get admission to IIT for M Tech if your B Tech is not completed at the time of admission, even if you clear the GATE cutoff but Yes, you can appear for GATE 2028 in your 3rd year of B Tech even if your degree is

Hello,

The link to the question paper is attached here. You can access the question papers along with the answer key on the careers360 website. Careers360 also provides students with preparation tips that will help them in preparing and the mock test and analyse their in-depth performance.

https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/last-15-years-gate-papers-solutions

Thank you.

Hello aspirant,

If you missed the correction window for GATE 2026, the portal will not allow changes right now. Usually, IIT opens a correction period only once. Since you need to change your surname, the best option is to contact the GATE organizing institute through their official support email or