GATE Architecture & Planning Exam Pattern 2026 - Check Type of Questions, Exam Duration, Marking Scheme

GATE Architecture & Planning Exam Pattern 2026 - Check Type of Questions, Exam Duration, Marking Scheme

Edited By Jalla Venkatesh | Updated on Apr 09, 2025 02:52 PM IST | #GATE

GATE 2026 Architecture & Planning Exam Pattern: IIT Guwahati will publish the GATE Architecture & Planning 2026 exam pattern on the official website. Candidates can check the GATE 2026 architecture & planning exam pattern on this page. The exam pattern will include details such as the types of questions, total marks, exam mode, marking scheme, and the number of questions asked. In addition to understanding the exam pattern for GATE 2026, candidates must also be aware of the GATE 2026 syllabus for Architecture & Planning, as it plays a crucial role in their preparation strategy. The GATE 2026 exam will be conducted online.

This Story also Contains
  1. GATE 2026 Architecture and Planning Exam Pattern
  2. GATE Architecture & Planning Exam Pattern 2026 - Key Points
  3. GATE Architecture & Planning 2026 Syllabus
  4. GATE 2026 Architecture & Planning Best Books
GATE Architecture & Planning Exam Pattern 2026 - Check Type of Questions, Exam Duration, Marking Scheme
GATE Architecture & Planning Exam Pattern 2026 - Check Type of Questions, Exam Duration, Marking Scheme

GATE 2026 Architecture and Planning Exam Pattern

The Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati will release the GATE Architecture and Planning exam pattern on the official website. According to the GATE 2026 architecture & planning paper pattern, the question paper will consist of three sections: General Aptitude, a compulsory section (Part A), and the core subject (Part B). The question pattern may include the following types of questions: (i) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), (ii) Multiple Select Questions (MSQ), and/or (iii) Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions.

The General Aptitude section will hold 15 marks, the compulsory section will hold 60 marks, and the subject section will hold 25 marks in total. The paper will be prepared based on the GATE 2026 syllabus. Read the full article to know more about the key points related to the GATE architecture & planning exam pattern 2026. Candidates before appearing for the exam are advised to check the exam pattern of GATE 2026 architecture and planning.

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GATE 2026 Architecture and Planning Exam Pattern

Particulars

Details

Mode of Examination

Computer Based Test

Sections

There will be three sections-

Section 1- General Aptitude

Section 2- Compulsory Section

Section 3- Architecture/Planning

Duration of Exam

180 minutes

Type of Questions

Multiple Choice Questions, MSQs, and NATs

Total number of Questions

65

General Aptitude Section

  • 5 questions of 1 mark each

  • 5 questions of 2 marks each


Engineering Mathematics

  • 18 questions of 1 mark each

  • 21 questions of 2 marks each


Subject Section

  • Part B1: For Architecture Only

  • 7 questions of 1 mark each

  • 9 questions of 2 marks each

  • Part B2: For Planning Only

  • 7 questions of 1 mark each

  • 9 questions of 2 marks each

Total Marks

100 marks

Language of Examination

English

Marking Scheme

For a wrong answer chosen in an MCQs, there will be a negative marking as follows:

For 1-mark MCQ, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer.

For 2-mark MCQ, 2/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer.

There will be no negative marking for MSQs & NATs.


GATE 2026 Architecture and Planning Marking Scheme

Candidates must check the marking scheme of GATE Architecture & planning 2026 as an important step while preparing for the entrance exam. Being aware of the GATE architecture & planning marking scheme 2026 will help candidates to know the exam pattern and analyse which questions to attempt, how much time to devote to which questions, and how many questions should be attempted.

Subject

Total No. of Questions

Marks Allotted

General Aptitude

10

15

Compulsory (Part A)

39

60

Core Subject (Part A and Part B)

16

25

Total

65

100

Difficulty Level of GATE Architecture & Planning 2026

GATE is one of the toughest postgraduate engineering exams. The competition for GATE is high. Every year lakhs of students apply for the examination. Looking at the GATE paper analysis, the difficulty level of the GATE 2026 architecture and planning paper is expected to be tough this year.

Topics Asked in Previous Year GATE Architecture & Planning Paper

Candidates can check the list of topics that have been asked by the examination conducting body previously.

S.No.

Topics

1

Architectural Graphics

2

Building Byelaws

3

Principles and design of disaster-resistant structures

4

Housing typologies

5

World History of Architecture

6

Alternative building materials

7

Principles of electrification of buildings

8

National Housing Policies

9

Land Acquisition Act

10

Traffic flow Analysis

GATE Architecture & Planning Exam Pattern 2026 - Key Points

  • GATE Architecture and Planning Exam 2026 will be conducted as a computer-based exam of 3 hours.

  • The GATE 2026 Architecture and Planning paper will have three sections- General Aptitude, compulsory part, and core subject part.

  • The GATE AR question paper will be divided into 3 types of questions. The question paper will have multiple choice questions (MCQ), multiple select questions (MSQ), and numerical answer types (NATs).

  • There is no negative marking in the GATE Architecture & planning for MSQs and NATs questions while for MCQs there will be negative marking.

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GATE Architecture & Planning 2026 Syllabus

IIT Guwahati will release the GATE Architecture and Planning syllabus 2026 on the official website. The question paper for architecture will be based on the syllabus of GATE 2026 Architecture and Planning. Candidates who will be appearing for the exam must go through the GATE syllabus PDF 2026 beforehand. Apart from this candidates should also practice the GATE question paper to analyse their strengths and weaknesses and thus prepare accordingly.

GATE 2026 Architecture & Planning Best Books

Studying from any random book will not fetch you a good rank in the GATE exam. If you want to get into the institute of your choice to pursue post-graduation, then you should leave no stone unturned. And therefore GATE Architecture & planning 2026 best books come into the picture. Candidates can follow the below-mentioned best books for GATE Architecture and Planning 2026.

Subject

Name of Books

Author/Publication

General Aptitude

A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning

R S Aggarwal

Quantitative Aptitude

R S Agarwal

AR

GATE Architecture/ Planning (6 Edition)

B. K. Das

GATE NUMERICALS TOPIC WISE for Architecture & Planning

Faculty of Architecture GATE

Building Construction

Sushil Kumar

The Great Ages of World Architecture

G. K. Hiraskar

Integrated Environment Planning

James K. Lein

History of Architecture

Sir Banister Fletcher

Fundamentals of Town Planning

G K Hiraskar

Theory of Structures and Strength of Materials

Henry Taylor

Urban Planning: Theory & Planning

M. Pratap Rao

Dictionary of Urban and Regional Planning

S. K. Kulshreshtha

Manual of Tropical Housing and Building

Alan Mayhew, S. V. Szokolay, T. G Ingersoll, O. H Koenigsberger

Urban Transportation Planning and Management

Pratibha Deshmuh

Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach

John L. Hennessey and David A. Patterson

Building Services and Equipment Volume I and Volume II

Fred Hall

Building Material

P C Varghese

Becoming a Landscape Architect: A Guide to Careers in Design

Kelleann Foster


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How many sections will GATE 2026 architecture exam have?

GATE 2026 architecture question paper will consist of three sections - General Aptitude, Compulsory subject, and core subject.

2. What will be the total duration of GATE 2026?

The total time duration of GATE will be 180 minutes.

3. What is the marking scheme of GATE 2026?

For a wrong answer chosen in a MCQs, there will be negative marking as follows:

  • For 1-mark MCQ, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer.
  • For 2-mark MCQ, 2/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer.
  • There will be no negative marking for MSQs & NATs.
4. Will I be required to appear for both the architecture & planning section in the question paper?

No, candidates will have to choose any one section in the question paper.

5. How many questions will be there from the Compulsory section?

There will be 39 questions in Part A (compulsory section) of the paper.

6. The GATE architecture and planning question paper will be of how much marks?

The GATE paper will be of 100 marks for architecture and planning.

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Questions related to GATE

Have a question related to GATE ?

Hello Ansh,

Whether you can get admission in the Computer Science (CS) or Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) branch depends on several key factors:

  • Entrance Exam Rank/Score : Your performance in entrance exams like JEE Mains, JEE Advanced, state-level exams (like KCET, AP EAMCET, TS EAMCET), or university-specific exams plays a major role. A high rank increases your chances for CS or ECE.

  • Category and Reservation : SC, ST, OBC, EWS, or other reserved categories may have lower cut-off ranks for CS and ECE branches.

  • College Preference : Top colleges like IITs, NITs, IIITs, and top private universities have higher cut-offs for CS and ECE. Mid-tier or private colleges may offer more flexibility with lower ranks.

  • State Quota vs. All India Quota : Home state students often have a better chance under the state quota.

  • Gender-Based Quotas : Some institutions offer female-only seats or relaxed cut-offs for girls.

If you mention your entrance exam name, rank or percentile, category, and state, I can give a more specific answer.


I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries, feel free to share your questions with us, and we will be happy to assist you.

Thank you, and I wish you all the best in your bright future.

Hello there,

Yes, you can get admission to M.Tech at CBIT without a GATE score by qualifying through TSPGECET.

  • You must have a B.Tech or equivalent degree in a related field.

  • If you have a valid TSPGECET rank, you can apply under the regular counseling process (Category A).

  • If you do not have a TSPGECET rank, you may apply under Category B (management quota), where admission is based on your qualifying degree marks and seat availability.

  • M.Tech specializations at CBIT include Computer Science Engineering, Computer Networks and Information Security, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, and Information Technology.

  • Cutoff ranks for TSPGECET vary every year depending on competition and seats.

  • Category B admissions do not have a fixed cutoff; selection depends on merit and seat availability.

For exact cutoffs and seat details, you need to check with CBIT or the Telangana State Council of Higher Education during the admission process.


I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries, feel free to share your questions with us, and we will be happy to assist you.

Thank you, and I wish you all the best in your bright future.

GATE BT (Biotechnology) score of 350, you have a good chance of securing admission to Delhi Technological University (DTU) for M.Tech in Biotechnology or related programs.

DTU M.Tech Admission via GATE

  1. Eligibility Criteria:

    • You must have a valid GATE score in Biotechnology (BT) or a related discipline.

    • A minimum of 60% (or equivalent CGPA) in your B.Tech/B.E (Biotech or related field) from a recognized university.

Cutoff Trends :

DTU's cutoff for GATE BT usually ranges between 300-400 (varies yearly based on competition.

Unfortunately, you've missed the GATE 2025 exam registration deadline, which was initially September 20, 2024, and later extended to October 3, 2024, for regular registration, with a late fee option available until October 7, 2024. Since the exam dates are already scheduled for February 1, 2, 15, and 16, 2025, you won't be able to apply for this year's exam.


However, here are some potential options to consider:


- Prepare for GATE 2026: You can start preparing for the next year's exam, ensuring you meet the eligibility criteria and stay updated on the application process.

- Explore other exams: Look into other entrance exams for postgraduate programs, such as those offered by individual universities or institutions.

- Check eligibility for other programs: If you're interested in pursuing a postgraduate degree, research other programs that don't require GATE scores.


To better prepare for future exams, focus on

- Understanding the syllabus: Familiarize yourself with the exam pattern, syllabus, and marking scheme.

- Creating a study plan: Develop a structured study schedule, covering all relevant topics.

- Practicing with mock tests: Regularly take practice tests to assess your knowledge and identify areas for improvement.


Keep in mind that GATE scores are valid for three years, so if you plan to take the exam in 2026, your score will be valid until 2029.

Hello there,

With a GATE Electrical Engineering (EE) score of 630, getting admission to the M.Tech program in Instrumentation and Integrated Electronics at IIT Kharagpur is unlikely.

Key points:

  • The closing GATE score for this program in 2024 was around 608 for the general category.

  • For reserved categories, cutoffs are lower (OBC around 573, SC around 337, ST around 248).

  • Admission depends on GATE score and sometimes an interview.

Recommendations:

  • You can consider applying to other IITs or NITs where your score may meet the cutoff for similar courses.

  • Explore other reputed institutes offering M.Tech in Instrumentation and Electronics.

  • If this field is important for you, consider preparing to improve your GATE score for the next attempt.


I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries, feel free to share your questions with us, and we will be happy to assist you.

Thank you, and I wish you all the best in your bright future.


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