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GATE 2026 Marking Scheme Explained - Negative Marking & Total Marks

GATE 2026 Marking Scheme Explained - Negative Marking & Total Marks

#GATE
Chintakuntla Sai GnanUpdated on 11 Dec 2025, 02:46 PM IST

GATE Marking Scheme 2026 - IIT Guwahati has published the GATE 2026 marking scheme on the official website, gate2026.iitg.ac.in. Candidates can check the GATE marking scheme 2026 on this page. The marking scheme includes details such as the total number of questions, section-wise questions, and mark distribution. In MCQs, incorrect answers will incur a penalty: 1/3 mark for 1-mark questions and 2/3 mark for 2-mark questions, with no negative marking for MSQs or NATs. The GATE exam will consist of a total of 65 questions: 10 questions from General Aptitude (GA) and 55 subject-specific questions. Each question will carry either 1 or 2 marks. The GATE 2026 exam will be held on February 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2026.

LiveGATE 2026 Admit Card LIVE: IIT Guwahati issues MTech examination schedule; exam hall ticket soon, syllabusJan 6, 2026 | 9:19 PM IST

IIT Guwahati has also released the sample paper for the new energy science sectional paper and previous years’ question papers for GATE 2026.

Read More

This Story also Contains

  1. GATE 2026 Marking Scheme Highlights
  2. GATE 2026 Marking Scheme Question Distribution
  3. GATE 2026 Exam Pattern
GATE 2026 Marking Scheme Explained - Negative Marking & Total Marks
GATE 2026 Marking Scheme Explained - Negative Marking & Total Marks

Students can also attempt the GATE 2026 mock test to understand the marking scheme. The exam will be conducted for 30 test papers. Read this article carefully to understand the GATE 2026 better marking scheme.

GATE 2026 Marking Scheme Highlights

Below is the marking scheme for GATE 2026. Check the number of questions and their mark distribution:

GATE 2026 Marking Scheme

ParticularsDetails

Total Number of Questions

65

Exam Sections

General Aptitude: 10 Questions

Subject Component: 55 Questions

Marks Carry

1 or 2

Type of Questions

MCQ: Multiple Select Questions

MSQ: Multiple Choice Questions

NAT: Numerical Answer Type

Negative Marking

1 Mark MCQ: 1 for correct attempt and -⅓ for wrong attempt.

2 Mark MCQ : 2 for correct attempt and -⅔ for wrong attempt.

In test papers AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI, and TF

  • 15 marks for GA

  • 85 marks for Subject Questions.

  • Including 13 marks for Engineering Mathematics.

In test papers AR, CY, DA, EY, GE, GG, MA, PH, ST, XH, and XL

  • 15 marks for GA

  • 85 marks for Subject Questions.

  • No mathematics questions.

XE has a common compulsory section

XE-A(Engineering mathematics) carry 15 marks

GATE 2026 Marking Scheme Question Distribution

Below is the section-wise question distribution for all GATE 2026 papers. There will be a total of 30 papers.

GATE 2026 Marking Scheme

GATE Paper CodeGeneral Aptitude (GA)Subject QuestionsTotal Marks

AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI, and TF


15

85

100

AR [Part A + Part B (B1: Architecture or B2: Planning)]

15

60 + 25

100

GE [Part A + Part B (Section I or Section II)

15

55 + 30

100

GG [Part A + Part B (Section 1: Geology or Section 2: Geophysics)]

15

25 + 60

100

XE (Section A + Any TWO Sections)

15

15 + (2 x 35)

100

XH (Section B1 + Any ONE Section)

15

25 + 60

100

XL (Section P + Any TWO Sections)

15

25 + (2 x 30)

100

CY, DA, EY, MA, PH

15

85

100

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GATE 2026 Exam Pattern

Candidates must understand the GATE exam pattern and the GATE 2026 syllabus before starting the GATE exam preparation. Check the latest exam pattern as well.

GATE Exam Pattern

ParticularsDetails

Examination Mode

Computer based Exam(CBT)

Language

English

Exam Duration

3 Hours (180 minutes)

Numbers of Questions

65

Marks Carry

1 or 2

Type of Questions

MCQ : Multiple Select Questions

MSQ : Multiple Choice Questions

NAT : Numerical Answer Type

Negative Marking

1 Mark MCQ : 1 for correct attempt and -⅓ for wrong attempt.

2 Mark MCQ : 2 for correct attempt and -⅔ for wrong attempt.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the total marks and duration of GATE 2026?
A:

GATE 2026 will be for 100 marks with a duration of 3 hours.

Q: How much is the negative marking in GATE 2026?
A:

For 1-mark MCQs, ⅓ mark is deducted; for 2-mark MCQs, ⅔ mark is deducted. No negative marking for MSQ and NAT questions.

Q: What is the marking scheme in GATE 2026?
A:

Most 1-mark questions carry 1 mark each, and 2-mark questions carry 2 marks each. Wrong attempts will  have negative marking.

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Have a question related to GATE ?
Last three year gate questions

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.

Read Complete Answer
S
SUANGANA ROY
1 Jan'26
Gate exam for DA subject. Give the sample papers

Hello,

Here is a link for the sample papers for GATE Exam with DA subjects. Tap on the link given below to open it:

https://engineering.careers360.com/user/update-profile?destination=https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/gate-da-data-science-and-artificial-intelligence-question-papers

Thankyou.

Read Complete Answer
K
Kamakshi
19 Dec'25
i didnt do my corrections in gate 2026 please tell me what to do i have to change my surname

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

Read Complete Answer
S
Sachin
9 Dec'25
I am 2nd year engineering student so how study I confused . how manage time for semester and gate exam preparation both

Hi Aanchal,

Balancing Engineering semester exams with competitive exam preparation can feel confusing but with right and realistic routine makes it very achievable.

Start by dividing your day into two parts: use college hours and afternoons for semester prep and keep early mornings or late evenings for GATE prep.

Make

Read Complete Answer
A
ABINAYA VARSHINI A D
4 Dec'25
hi sir I am BCA student but i did not pass i did have some backlog still have one I am preparing for GATE XH C6 paper i like sociology and i want study development studies i can clear before February exam 2026 my cgp is 6.9 what you think

If you are interested in Development Studies and planning to appear for GATE XH C6 (Sociology), then you are already moving in the right direction. Having a backlog does not disqualify you from pursuing higher studies, as long as you clear it before the admission process begins. Since you mentioned

Read Complete Answer
A
Ayshwarya Mahadevan
4 Dec'25
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