GATE Application Date:28 Aug' 25 - 06 Oct' 25
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.
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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!
Chapter Name |
Weightage |
Verbal Ability |
60% |
Numerical Ability |
40% |
Grand Total |
100.00% |
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 Total | 100% |
Also Read: GATE 2026 Syllabus for Computer Science (CS) and Information Technology (IT)
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% |
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
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
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)
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% |
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% |
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)
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% |
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
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
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
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)
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.
Yes, candidates can appear for up to two papers from the allowed two-paper combinations.
Yes, this article does contain CS and IT weightage.
On Question asked by student community
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.
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