GATE 2026 Marking Scheme Explained - Negative Marking & Total Marks

GATE 2026 Marking Scheme Explained - Negative Marking & Total Marks

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.

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

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.

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.

Articles
|
Upcoming Engineering Exams
Certifications By Top Providers
B.Tech Engineering Technology
Via Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani
Certificate Program in Machine Learning and AI with Python
Via Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Post Graduate Diploma Program in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
Via Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi
Computer Fundamentals
Via Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore
Programming Basics
Via Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
C-Based VLSI Design
Via Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Udemy
 1525 courses
Swayam
 817 courses
NPTEL
 773 courses
Coursera
 697 courses
Edx
 608 courses
Explore Top Universities Across Globe

Questions related to GATE

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to GATE ?

Hello,

The link to the question paper is attached here. You can also find the answer key that will help you analyse your in-depth performance. Careers360 provides students with preparation tips that will help them utilise their time effectively in preparartion.

https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/gate-metallurgical-question-papers

Thank you

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.