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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 aspirants aiming for PSU opportunities in Life Sciences or M.Tech, research programs in related fields. 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. Along with the question paper, the official GATE XL answer key is available on the official website gate2026.iitg.ac.in. 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 shortly. Until then, you can view the snippets of memory-based question paper added below. Also, you can view the analysis for the question paper 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 |
Memory based questions:











GATE Life Science 2026 Question Papers with Answers PDF | Available soon |
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
The cutoff marks for OBC category students are different for different paper codes. You can check the article on Gate cutoff for all the detailed information. Hope it helps.
IIT Guwahati has released GATE exam ME answer key in online mode. Here we have provided direct link to download IIT Guwahati Mechanical Engineering answer key.- Download Here
The official GATE 2026 Shift 2 (Feb 8) answer key was released by IIT Guwahati on February 22, 2026, on the GOAPS portal.
Check out the GATE 2026 February 8 Question Paper with Solutions .
Hi Raj, please check the link for GATE Agricultural Engineering question paper 2026 to know about the syllabus and the topic covered.
Hi Uma,
You can download GATE 2026 February 8 question paper with solutions by clicking on the link below:
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