GATE 2026 Subject Wise Weightage (Available) – Check Paper-Wise Marking Scheme

GATE 2026 Subject Wise Weightage (Available) – Check Paper-Wise Marking Scheme

Ongoing Event

GATE Application Date:28 Aug' 25 - 06 Oct' 25

Shivani PooniaUpdated on 01 Oct 2025, 01:49 PM IST

The GATE 2026 exam pattern gives a clear idea of subject-wise weightage and paper-wise marking scheme of each paper. Each paper carries 100 marks with questions from General Aptitude, and Core Subject topics. While General Aptitude is of 15 marks and Core Subject is of 85 marks. Knowing subject-wise weightage is essential for preparing GATE 2026 exam. In this Article we have provided the GATE subject-wise weightage, including the exam pattern and the list of books. To know more, Scroll down the article.

This Story also Contains

  1. GATE 2026 Subject Wise Weightage
  2. GATE 2026 Exam Pattern
  3. Books for GATE 2026 Preparation
  4. How Weightage Analysis Helps in GATE Preparation
GATE 2026 Subject Wise Weightage (Available) – Check Paper-Wise Marking Scheme
GATE 2026 Subject Wise Weightage

GATE 2026 Subject Wise Weightage

GATE 2026 weightage tables are given below considering the last 5 years question papers. We have provided the GATE 2026 subject wise weightage for every subject below. It is important to know which topic holds the most weightage for each subject for GATE 2026. Knowing the important topics is always a key tip for enhancing the preparation and doing better in the exam. We have given Weightage for all branches. You can check Gate 2026 subject wise weightage pdf download below!

GATE General Aptitude Weightage 2026

Chapter Name

Weightage

Verbal Ability

60%

Numerical Ability

40%

Grand Total

100.00%

GATE CS and IT Weightage 2026

Chapter

Weightage

Aptitude

16.40%

Engineering Mathematics

15.73%

Programming and Data Structures

9.89%

Computer Networks

9.89%

Computer Organization & Architecture

9.44%

Operating System

8.54%

Theory of Computation

8.76%

Digital Logic

7.19%

Algorithms

4.94%

Databases

4.72%

Compiler Design

4.49%

Grand Total100%

Also Read: GATE 2026 Syllabus for Computer Science (CS) and Information Technology (IT)

GATE Electronics and Communications Weightage 2026

Chapter Name

Weightage

Analog and Digital Electronics

18.41%

Aptitude

15.87%

Control Systems

9.52%

Electric Circuits

8.57%

Electrical and Electronic Measurements

13.33%

Electrical Machines

5.40%

Electromagnetic Fields

2.86%

Engineering Mathematics

4.13%

Power Electronics

4.44%

Power Systems

9.84%

Signals and Systems

7.62%

Grand Total

100.00%

GATE Civil Engineering Weightage 2026

Chapter Name

Weightage

Aptitude

15.87%

Engineering Mathematics

13.02%

Environmental Engineering

11.11%

Geomatics Engineering

6.35%

Geotechnical Engineering

13.97%

Structural Engineering

16.51%

Transportation Engineering

10.79%

Water Resources Engineering

12.38%

Grand Ttotal

100.00%

Also Read: GATE: How to Prepare for Civil Engineering

GATE Electronics and Communication Engineering Weightage 2026

Chapter Name

Weightage

Analog Circuits

11.38%

Aptitude

15.38%

Communications

9.23%

Control Systems

8.62%

Digital Circuits

7.69%

Electromagnetics

6.77%

Electronic Devices

8.62%

Engineering Mathematics

11.08%

Networks, Signals and Systems

7.38%

Signals and Systems

13.54%

Grand Total

100.00%

Also Read: GATE: How to Prepare for Electronics & Communication Engineering

GATE Chemistry Weightage 2026

Chapter Name

Weightage

Organic Synthesis

16.19%

Aptitude

15.87%

Transition Elements

6.03%

Quantum Chemistry

5.71%

Spectroscopy

5.71%

Chemical Kinectics and Electrochemistry

5.71%

Main Group Elements

5.71%

Organometallics

5.40%

Experimental techniques of organic chemistry

4.13%

Equilibrium

3.81%

Thermodynamics

3.81%

Surfaces and Interfaces

3.81%

Steriochemistry

2.86%

Group Theory

2.54%

Bioinorganic

2.54%

Reaction Mechanism

2.54%

Instrumental Method of Analysis

1.90%

Solids

1.59%

Lanthanoids and Actinoids

1.27%

Pericyclic and Photochemistry

1.27%

Biomolecules

1.27%

Radioactivity

0.95%

Total

100.00%

Also Read: GATE 2026 Syllabus for Chemistry (CY)

GATE Mechanical Engineering Weightage 2026

Chapter Name

Weightage

Applied Mechanics and Design

23.81%

Aptitude

15.87%

Engineering Mathematics

27.62%

Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences

17.78%

Materials, Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering

14.92%

Grand Total

100.00%

Also Read: GATE: How to Prepare for Mechanical Engineering

GATE Chemical Engineering Weightage 2026

Chapter Name

Weightage

Aptitude

15.38%

Chemical Reaction Engineering

10.46%

Chemical Technology

4.92%

Engineering Mathematics

14.15%

Fluid Mechanics and Mechanical Operations

8.62%

Heat Transfer

9.23%

Instrumentation and Process Control

10.77%

Mass Transfer

12.31%

Plant Design and Economics

3.08%

Process Calculations and Thermodynamics

11.08%

Grand Total

100.00%

Also Read: GATE: How to Prepare for Chemical Engineering

GATE Metallurgical Engineering Weightage 2026

Chapter

Weightage

Engineering Mathematics

11.43%

General Aptitude

15.87%

Manufacturing Processes

13.02%

Mechanical Metallurgy

7.62%

Metallurgical Thermodynamics

14.29%

Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy

8.89%

Physical Metallurgy

19.37%

Transport Phenomena and Rate Processes

9.52%

Grand Total

100.00%

Also Read: GATE 2026 Syllabus for Metallurgical Engineering (MT)

GATE Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Weightage 2026

Chapter Name

Weightage

Aptitude

15.38%

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

8.46%

Calculus and Optimization

8.46%

Database Management and Warehousing

8.46%

Linear Algebra

10.77%

Machine Learning

14.62%

Probability and Statistics

16.92%

Programming, Data Structures and Algorithms

16.92%

Total

100.00%

GATE Petroleum Engineering Weightage 2026

Chapter Name

Weightage

Aptitude

15.87%

Engineering Mathematics

10.48%

Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques

6.98%

Health, Safety and Environment in Petroleum Industry

7.94%

Latest Trends in Petroleum Engineering

0.95%

Offshore Drilling and Production Practices

3.49%

Oil and Gas Well Drilling Technology

6.98%

Oil and Gas Well Testing

6.67%

Petroleum Exploration

5.40%

Petroleum Formation Evaluation

12.06%

Petroleum Production Operations

10.16%

Reservoir Engineering

13.02%

Grand Total

100.00%

Also Read: How to Prepare for GATE

GATE 2026 Exam Pattern

Let’s understand the exam pattern along with GATE subject wise weightage 2026. GATE 2026 will follow a computer-based format and include a mix of question types, such as multiple-choice, multiple-select, and numerical answer types. The GATE exam pattern is structured to evaluate both general aptitude and subject-specific knowledge in a comprehensive and time-efficient manner. Check it in detail below:

Feature

Details

Exam Mode

Computer-Based Test (CBT)

Duration

3 Hours (180 Minutes)

Total Marks

100

Total Questions

65

Question Types

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) - Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) - Numerical Answer Type (NAT)

Sections in Paper

General Aptitude (15 Marks) - Subject-Specific (85 Marks)

General Aptitude (GA)

Common for all papers; 10 questions: 5 Qs (1 mark), 5 Qs (2 marks)

Marking Scheme

1-mark and 2-mark questions

Negative marking:

• 1-mark MCQ: -0.33

• 2-mark MCQ: -0.66

No negative marking for MSQ/NAT

Allowed Papers Combination

Some papers allow 2-paper combinations (refer to GATE website for options)

Total Paper Codes

30+ papers (Engineering, Science, Humanities, etc.)

Virtual Calculator

Provided during the exam

Medium of Exam

English only

Also Read: GATE - A Complete Guide

Books for GATE 2026 Preparation

Along with knowing GATE subject wise weightage 2026, It is essential to refer to good books to prepare for GATE 2026. But, as there are a bunch of books in the market, it is hard to understand which one to refer to. So, here we have given crucial books for preparing for GATE 2026. Check them below:

Stream

Book Title

Author/Publisher

General Aptitude

A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning

R.S. Aggarwal

Quantitative Aptitude

R.S. Aggarwal

GATE General Aptitude

Made Easy / ACE Academy

Mechanical Engineering

Engineering Thermodynamics

P.K. Nag

Strength of Materials

R.K. Bansal / S.S. Bhavikatti

Theory of Machines

R.S. Khurmi / S.S. Rattan

Fluid Mechanics

R.K. Bansal / Frank M. White

Heat Transfer

J.P. Holman / R.K. Rajput

Machine Design

V.B. Bhandari

GATE ME Previous Year Papers

Made Easy / ACE Academy

Computer Science

Introduction to Algorithms

Cormen, Leiserson, Rivest, Stein

Data Structures Using C

Yashwant Kanetkar / Seymour Lipschutz

Operating Systems

Galvin / William Stallings

Computer Networks

Andrew S. Tanenbaum / Forouzan

Theory of Computation

Ullman / Peter Linz

GATE CSE PYQs & Practice Papers

Made Easy / GateForum

Electrical and Communication Engineering

Electrical Machines

P.S. Bimbhra

Power Systems

C.L. Wadhwa / Nagrath & Kothari

Control Systems

Nagrath & Gopal

Electrical and Electronic Measurements

A.K. Sawhney

GATE EE Previous Year Papers

Made Easy / ACE Academy

Civil Engineering

Strength of Materials

R.K. Bansal / S.S. Bhavikatti

Structural Analysis

C.S. Reddy

Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering

B.C. Punmia / K.R. Arora

Environmental Engineering

S.K. Garg

GATE CE Solved Papers

Made Easy / ACE Academy

Electronics and Communication

Electronic Devices & Circuits

Boylestad / Millman & Halkias

Network Analysis

Van Valkenburg

Signals and Systems

Oppenheim & Willsky

Control Systems

Nagrath & Gopal

Communication Systems

Simon Haykin

GATE ECE Solved Papers

Made Easy / ACE Academy

Data Science and AI

Introduction to Machine Learning

Ethem Alpaydin

Python Machine Learning

Sebastian Raschka

Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning

Christopher Bishop

Statistics for Engineers and Scientists

Navidi

Chemistry

Physical Chemistry

P.W. Atkins / Puri Sharma Pathania

Organic Chemistry

Morrison & Boyd / O.P. Tandon

Inorganic Chemistry

J.D. Lee / Concise Inorganic by J. Huheey

GATE Chemistry Previous Papers

ACE Academy / Made Easy

Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineering Vol. 1 & 2

Coulson & Richardson

Chemical Reaction Engineering

O. Levenspiel

Transport Processes

Geankoplis

GATE Chemical Engg. Previous Papers

Made Easy / ACE Academy

Petroleum Engineering

Petroleum Production Systems

Michael J. Economides

Reservoir Engineering Handbook

Tarek Ahmed

Drilling Engineering

J.J. Azar

GATE Petroleum Engg. Previous Papers

Made Easy / ACE Academy

Metallurgical Engineering

Physical Metallurgy Principles

Reed-Hill / Abbaschian

Extractive Metallurgy

Terk

Also Read: Best Books for GATE 2026

How Weightage Analysis Helps in GATE Preparation

Subject-wise weightage analysis of Gate helps students to understand the exam pattern and topics which are frequently asked in the exam. There are several other benifits of knowing the weightage which are given below:

Smart Time Management – It will helps you in dividing your study hours between General Aptitude, and Core Subjects effectively. And in main subject you can allocate toime to the topics according to their weightage.

Prioritise Important Topics – If you know which topics are most frequently asked in the GATE previous year's questions paper, you can prioritize those topics accordingly by giving more time and focus to the ones that carries higher weightage

Boosts Accuracy and Confidence – Practising more from high-weightage topics increases your chances of scoring better.

Balanced Preparation – When you know the weightage of the topics, your preparation will be more balanced. You won’t end up spending too much time on topics from which questions have hardly appeared in previous years. This will help you maintain a well-structured and effective preparation strategy.

Also Read: How to crack GATE?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Does the weightage include the General Aptitude (GA) section?
A:

Yes, General Aptitude (GA) is mandatory for all papers and consistently accounts for 15 marks out of the total 100 marks. The remaining 85 marks are dedicated to the Technical Subjects and Engineering Mathematics.

Q: Can I appear for two papers in GATE 2026?
A:

Yes, candidates can appear for up to two papers from the allowed two-paper combinations.

Q: Does this article contain GATE 2026 subject wise weightage for CS?
A:

Yes, this article does contain CS and IT weightage.

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Questions related to GATE

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to GATE ?

Hello,

Yes, you as a Bachelor of Science graduate in home science can appear for the GATE 2026 exam, as the eligibility criteria include graduates from "Science" and other fields, as well as those in the 3rd year or higher of an undergraduate program.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hey! The GATE exam (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) is very important for long-term career growth. It opens opportunities for postgraduate studies (M.Tech, MS, PhD) in top institutes like IITs and NITs and is also used by many public sector companies (PSUs) for recruitment, often with higher salary packages. In the long run, qualifying GATE can enhance your technical knowledge, career prospects, and credibility in the engineering field.

If your GATE application shows failed status even after a successful payment, don’t worry, this usually happens due to server or transaction update delays. First, wait for 24–48 hours as sometimes the status gets updated automatically. If it still shows failed, you should raise a query through the GATE application portal by providing your enrollment ID and payment receipt or transaction details. You can also contact the GATE zonal office via email or helpline with proof of payment. Keeping a screenshot of the payment success message will also help in resolving the issue quickly.

Hi dear candidate,

You can refer to the online E Books for GATE examination available on our official website that you can download anytime.

Kindly refer to the link attached below to access them for practice.

Link: GATE E-books and Sample Papers

BEST REGARDS

Hey! The qualifying cutoff for GATE CSE in 2025 was around 29.2 marks for General, 26.2 for OBC/EWS, and 19.4 for SC/ST/PwD. For GATE 2026, the official cutoff is not declared yet, but if we look at the past trends, it usually stays around 30–32 marks for General category. So, if you are preparing, it’s better to target a score well above this range to be on the safer side.