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GATE Exam Pattern for Civil Engineering 2026 - Download PDF

GATE Exam Pattern for Civil Engineering 2026 - Download PDF

#GATE
Team Careers360Updated on 14 Jan 2026, 06:44 PM IST

GATE 2026 Exam Pattern for Civil Engineering: IIT Guwahati has released the GATE Civil Engineering exam pattern 2026 on the official website, gate2026.iitg.ac.in. Candidates can check the GATE 2026 exam pattern for Civil Engineering on this page. The exam pattern includes three types of questions: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions. The exam pattern includes the marking scheme, duration of the exam, types of questions, mode of exam, and more. Moreover, candidates must check the GATE 2026 CE syllabus along with the CE paper pattern. The authority will conduct the GATE CE entrance exam on February 14, 2026. The GATE 2026 exam will be held on February 7, 8, 14 and 15, 2026 in online mode.
Also Read: GATE 2026 Syllabus | GATE 2026 Mock Test

This Story also Contains

  1. GATE Exam Pattern 2026 Civil Engineering
  2. GATE Civil Engineering Marking Scheme 2026
  3. Syllabus of GATE Civil Engineering 2026 Topic Wise Weightage
  4. GATE Civil Engineering Question Paper Pattern 2026
  5. GATE 2026 Civil Engineering Question Paper
  6. GATE Civil Engineering Syllabus 2026
  7. GATE 2026 CE General Aptitude Syllabus
  8. GATE Civil Engineering 2026 Best Books
GATE Exam Pattern for Civil Engineering 2026 - Download PDF
GATE Exam Pattern for Civil Engineering

GATE Exam Pattern 2026 Civil Engineering

The authority released the GATE 2026 exam pattern on the official website, gate2026.iitg.ac.in. The CE exam will consist of 65 questions carrying a total of 100 marks. It will be divided into two sections: General Aptitude (10 questions) and Civil Engineering Subject (55 questions). The weightage distribution for the GATE 2026 Civil Engineering paper will be 72% for subject-based questions, 13% for Engineering Mathematics, and 15% for General Aptitude.

GATE Civil Engineering Exam Pattern 2026 Highlights

Below are the important highlights of the GATE Civil Engineering exam pattern 2026:

Particulars

Details

Exam Mode

Online Computer-Based Test (CBT)

Duration

3 Hours (180 Minutes)

Question Pattern

  • Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)

  • Multiple Select Questions (MSQ)

  • Numerical Answer Type (NAT)

Number of Sections

  • General Aptitude

  • Civil Engineering

Type of sections

  • Recall

  • Comprehension

  • Application

  • Analysis and Synthesis

Total Number of Questions

10 (General Aptitude)

55 (Civil Engineering)

Total- 65 Questions

Total Marks

100 Marks

Marking Scheme

1 Marks and 2 Marks questions (No partial marking)

Negative Marking

  • For 1-mark MCQ question, 1/3 mark will be deducted.

  • For 2-mark questions MCQ, 2/3 marks will be deducted.

  • No negative marking MSQ and NAT questions.

Related links:

Gate exam pattern for CSE

Gate exam pattern for Chemistry

Gate exam pattern for ECE

Gate exam pattern for Textile Engineering

Gate exam pattern for Mechanical Engineering

Gate exam pattern for Physics

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GATE Civil Engineering Marking Scheme 2026

Subject Code/Name

No. of Questions

Marks Distribution

Marks

Negative Marking

Total time

General Aptitude

10

5 Ques- 1 Marks

5 Ques- 2 Marks

15

1/3 for 1 mark Que in MCQ


2/3 for 2 marks ques in MCQ


No Negative marking in MSQ and NAT


CE (Civil Engineering)

45

18 Ques- 1 Marks

27 Ques- 2 marks

72


Engineering Mathematics

10

7 Ques- 1 Marks

3-Ques- 2 Marks


13


Total

65


100


180 Minutes

GATE

GATE CCMT Counselling

Syllabus of GATE Civil Engineering 2026 Topic Wise Weightage

Topic

Weightage

Topic

Weightage

Solid Mechanics

7.75

Highway & Surveying

12

Structural Analysis

3.5

Design of Steel Structures

4.25

Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic machine

6.75

Environment Engg

9

Irrigation and Hydrology

7.75

General Aptitude

15

RCC and Prestressed concrete

6.5

Engineering Mathematics

12.25

Geo-Technical

15.25



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GATE Civil Engineering Question Paper Pattern 2026

65 questions will be asked in the GATE Civil Engineering exam 2026. Three types of questions are asked in the GATE exam. Check below for more details.

  • Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ): Each question has four options, of which the candidate has to choose only one correct option. Each question carries 1 or 2 marks, in all the papers and sections.

  • Multiple Select Questions (MSQ): Candidates have to choose one or more options as answers to these types of questions. Each question carries 1 or 2 marks, in all the papers and sections. There is no partial marking.

  • Numerical Answer Type (NAT): Each question carries 1 or 2 marks, all papers, and sections. The candidate has to enter their answer using the virtual numeric keypad on the monitor.

  • Negative Marking: There will be negative markings for MCQ questions. For each wrong 1-mark question, 1/3 mark will be deducted and for each wrong 2-mark question, 2/3 mark will be deducted. However, there will be no negative markings in MSQ and NAT questions.

GATE Previous Year Question Paper's
Download GATE previous year question papers to understand exam pattern and difficulty level. Practice with these papers to boost your preparation and improve your score.
Check Now

GATE 2026 Civil Engineering Question Paper

The authority designs the GATE exam pattern for Civil Engineering 2026 to test the following abilities of candidates.

  • Recall: Candidates are required to choose the correct answer using their memory or from a one-line computation. It tests the factual knowledge of the examinee. This part contains facts, principles, formulae, or laws in the discipline of the paper.

  • Comprehension: These questions are designed to test the understanding ability of the candidate in which he is required to conclude answers from fundamental ideas.

  • Application: The students are required to use their knowledge using computation or logical reasoning.

  • Analysis and Synthesis: They test the analytical skills of the candidate. They have to analyze the data which is present in the form of diagrams images, etc. Based on their analysis and synthesis of questions, candidates have to compare the information and choose the right answer.

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GATE Civil Engineering Syllabus 2026

The authority released the syllabus for GATE Civil Engineering exam 2026 online. Candidates can check the GATE Civil Engineering syllabus in the table below.

GATE 2026 CE Sections

Important Topics



Engineering Mathematics

  • Linear Algebra

  • Calculus

  • Partial Differential Equation (PDE)

  • Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE)

  • Probability and Statistics

  • Numerical Methods

Transportation Engineering

  • Transportation Infrastructure

  • Highway Pavements

  • Traffic Engineering

Geomatics Engineering

  • Principles of surveying

  • Maps

  • Distance and angle measurement

  • Horizontal and vertical curves

  • Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing


GATE 2026 CE General Aptitude Syllabus

Given below is the GATE 2026 GA syllabus which is common for exam papers.

Syllabus for GATE GA 2026

Subject

Important Topics



General Aptitude

  • Verbal Aptitude

  • Quantitative Aptitude

  • Analytical Aptitude

  • Spatial Aptitude

Also Read: GATE GA Previous Year Question Papers

GATE Civil Engineering 2026 Best Books

Civil Engineering Topics

Authors

Theory of Structure

CK Wang, S. Rammamrutham, L.S. Negi & Jangit

Theory of Elasticity

Timoshenko & Gere

Strength of Materials/Mechanics of Structure

Soil Mechanics

Gare & Timoshenko,

E. Popove, L. Singer,

B.C. Punamia, Rammamrutham

Geo-tech Engineering

Gopal Ranjan and Rao, R.F. Craig

Pre-stressed Concrete

Krishna Raju

Reinforced Concrete

Ashok K Jain

Highway/ Pavement & Traffic

Khanna & Justo, Kadiyali

Fluid Mechanics & Machines

RK Bansal, Modi & Seth

Also Read: GATE 2026 Important Books for all Subjects

GATE Civil Engineering CutOff 2026

Candidates who qualify for the GATE exam will be eligible for admission to top institutes. Aspirants will be able to check the GATE Cutoff 2026 on the official website of GATE.
Also Read: GATE 2026 preparation tips

GATE 2026 Civil Engineering: Previous Year Question Papers

Candidates who are looking for previous year question papers can download GATE 2026 CE question papers from careers360 for free. All the answers are available with the sample papers. The candidates are advised to solve these papers to understand the GATE exam pattern for civil engineering 2026 and prepare for their exams so that they can score good grades.
Also Read: Download Free All subjects GATE Sample Papers

Quick Tips To Prepare GATE Civil Engineering Paper 2026

Here are the important tips for GATE preparation for Civil Engineering (CE) 2026

  • Go through the syllabus of GATE 2026 for Civil Engineering carefully and mark the important topics.

  • Understand the GATE exam pattern for Civil Engineering and make a study plan before starting your GATE CE 2026 preparation. Set a specific time for a specific topic and make a daily schedule. It is crucial to stick to the plan.

  • Don't forget to revise your course syllabus, and make sure that you have covered all sections.

  • Solve the GATE CE previous year's mock test papers and check your score to know your progress.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is the GATE exam pattern for civil engineering 2026 released?
A:

Yes, the GATE 2026 exam pattern for civil engineering has been released online.

Q: How many questions will GATE CE Exam 2026 contain?
A:

The GATE 2026 CE exam includes a total of 65 questions. In, the general aptitude section will have 10 questions, for engineering mathematics, 10 questions, and the remaining 45 questions related to the core subject which is civil engineering.

Q: Is there a negative marking in the GATE 2026 examination?
A:

Yes, there will be a negative marking in MCQ questions and not for MSQs, NATs in GATE 2026 exam. For 1 marks questions, 1/3 mark will be deducted and for 2 marks questions, 2/3 mark will be deducted.

Q: What is the duration of the GATE 2026 Exam?
A:

The GATE exam 2026 duration is 3 hours (180 Minutes). For disabled, candidates 1 hour of compensatory (extra) time for an examination shall be provided.

Q: How many sections are there in the GATE CE Exam 2026?
A:

There will be a total of 7 sections in GATE CE exam. These subjects are Engineering Mathematics, Structural Engg, Geomatics Engg, Environmental Engg, Transportation Engg, Water Resource Engg, and Geotechnical Engg.

Q: What is the pattern of GATE 2026 Civil Engineering?
A:

The GATE paper comprises 65 questions for 100 marks. The duration of the GATE Civil Engineering exam will be three hours. Negative marking will be done for wrong answers.

Q: What is the mode of the GATE CE 2026 Exam?
A:

The GATE CE 2026 exam will be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.

Q: How many papers are in GATE 2026?
A:

GATE 2026 will be held for 30 papers.

Q: When should I start preparing for GATE 2026?
A:

Early preparation is considered to be good. It will save plenty of time for revision.

Q: How to check the GATE Exam Pattern for Civil Engineering PDF?
A:

Candidates can check the GATE exam pattern for Civil engineering on the official website.

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