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GATE XL 2026 Question Paper with Solutions- The GATE XL exam 2026 was conducted on February 7, forenoon shift. The overall difficulty level of the exam was reported to be moderate. This test is taken by students aiming for PSU opportunities in Life Sciences, M.Tech, and research programs in related fields. The Official GATE questions papers are released by IIT Guwahati. The GATE XL question paper and GATE XL answer key is available on the official website gate2026.iitg.ac.in.You can find the memory-based questions from the GATE Life Sciences 2026 exam added below. Aspirants can view the GATE Life Science 2026 question paper given in this article to evaluate how well their exam went.GATE 2026 exam provides students with a clear understanding of the exam pattern and question trends.
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The official GATE Answer Key 2026 and response sheet, along with the question paper, have been released. Candidates can download the Master Question Paper with Answer Key using their Enrollment ID and Password.
You can use the GATE 2026 XL question paper with solutions pdf free download along with that you can also refer to the GATE XL analysis below:
| Section | Difficulty Level | Key Topics Asked | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude (GA) | Easy | Dice, Pythagoras theorem, Age problems, Distance problems | Straightforward and scoring |
| Chemistry | Moderate | Organic reaction mechanisms (SN1/SN2), Nitric acid reactions, Buffer solutions, Coordination compounds | Concept-based, required clarity in fundamentals |
| Biochemistry | Easy | Pentose phosphate pathway, Enzyme kinetics, Turnover number | More MSQ & NAT questions than usual; scoring for prepared students |
| Botany | Moderate to Tough | Conceptual and analytical plant science questions | Required in-depth understanding |
| Microbiology | Moderate | Core microbiology concepts | Balanced mix of theory and application |
| Zoology | Moderately Challenging | Metabolic pathways, Enzyme kinetics, Receptor–ligand interaction | Conceptual and slightly lengthy |
| Food Technology | Easy | Basic food science and processing concepts | Easiest and most scoring section for many candidates |
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Memory based questions:
Question 1: Not a storage polysaccharide?
i.dextrion
ii.Chitin
iii. starch
iv. Glycogen
Question 2: Which one is containing I chinal C?
i. Leucine
ii. Serine
iii. Isolaricine $X$
iv. Threonine $x$
Follow the steps below to download the GATE 2026 Life Science Question Papers with Answers PDF:
Click on the GATE Life Science Question Papers link available in the table above.
By clicking on that link, you will be redirected to the official website of Careers360.
After logging in, click on the Download PDF option.
The GATE Life Science Question Paper with Answers PDF will be sent to your registered email ID.
Go through the table below to understand the paper pattern for the GATE XL question paper 2026:
|
Particulars |
Details |
|
Total Marks |
100 |
|
Mode |
CBT (Computer-Based Test) |
|
Duration |
3 Hours |
|
Number of Questions |
65 |
|
Sections |
General Aptitude + Life Science |
|
Exam Date |
February 7, 2026 ( forenoon shift) |
The official answer key and response sheet, along with the question paper, have been released. You can use it to calculate your marks. Using the table and formula below, you can calculate your estimated marks for GATE 2026:
Formula:
Total Marks = Marks secured for correct responses – Negative marks for wrong responses
There is no negative marking for MSQ and NAT questions. You can also visit the marking scheme of GATE 2026
|
Component |
Details |
|
Total Marks |
100 marks per paper |
|
Exam Duration |
3 hours (180 minutes) |
|
Question Types |
MCQ, MSQ, NAT |
|
Marks per Question |
1 mark or 2 marks |
|
Negative Marking – MCQ |
1-mark MCQ: –1/3 mark for each wrong answer 2-mark MCQ: –2/3 mark for each wrong answer |
The Life Sciences (XL) paper allows candidates to choose any two sections from the following list:
|
Section Code |
Section Name |
|
XL-P |
Chemistry |
|
XL-Q |
Biochemistry |
|
XL-R |
Botany |
|
XL-S |
Microbiology |
|
XL-T |
Zoology |
|
XL-U |
Food Technology |
Each selected section carries 35 marks, and General Aptitude carries 15 marks, making a total of 100 marks. To view the whole syllabus, download the GATE 2026 Life Sciences syllabus.
You can check last year's GATE XL qualifying marks and prepare accordingly for GATE 2026:
|
Test Paper |
Cut-off (GEN) |
Cut-off (OBC-NCL/EWS) |
Cut-off (SC/ST/PwD) |
|
Life Sciences |
31.3 |
28.1 |
20.8 |
You can also download the GATE Computer Science Question Papers with Answers PDF:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The GATE Life Science Syllabus for 2026 is divided into three sections: Chemistry (XL-P), General Aptitude, and specific Life Science subjects, which include Botany (XL-R), Biochemistry (XL-Q), Zoology (XL-T), Microbiology (XL-S), and Food Technology (XL-U).
It was moderate to difficult.
The GATE Life Science Syllabus undergoes minor revisions annually, and significant changes are communicated officially through the GATE website.
The official date of the GATE 2026 result announcement is March 19, 2026, according to IIT Guwahati.
On Question asked by student community
Hello Bhaskar
You can check you Admission chances from the link given below:
https://engineering.careers360.com/gate-college-predictor
Hope it helps.
Check the syllabus first - https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/gate-data-science-and-ai-syllabus . Understand where you stand with your knowledge. Check out any past question papers for this and see the question types.
Start preparing on those lines, take up free mock tests and series. There are plenty available on reddit and telegram and other social
Hello, admission for MTech or PhD depends on your GATE score, cutoff, college and branch you choose. Cutoff is different for each and changes every year.
For more details, please check this link: GATE Cutoff 2026
Hello Student,
You can click on the following link and know the branch-wise Gate cutoff for IIIT Pune.
Link - IIIT Pune Cutoff 2026: Check JEE Main and GATE Closing Ranks
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