GATE Exam Pattern for CSE 2026 - Check Marking Scheme, No. of Questions

GATE Exam Pattern for CSE 2026 - Check Marking Scheme, No. of Questions

Ongoing Event

GATE Application Date:28 Aug' 25 - 28 Sep' 25

Team Careers360Updated on 06 Mar 2025, 02:21 PM IST

GATE Exam Pattern for CSE 2026: IIT Guwahati will release the GATE 2026 CSE exam pattern on the official website, Candidates can check the GATE 2026 exam pattern for CSE on this page. The GATE exam pattern for CSE will provide details such as the marking scheme, mode of exam, duration of test, types of questions, and more. As per the GATE exam pattern, the CSE question paper will consists of 65 questions for 100 marks. Aspirants preparing for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering must follow the GATE exam pattern and syllabus to plan their preparation strategy. The GATE 2026 exam will be conducted in online mode.

This Story also Contains

  1. GATE CSE Exam Pattern 2026 - Highlights
  2. GATE CSE Paper Pattern 2026
  3. GATE Marking Scheme for CSE 2026
  4. GATE Syllabus For CSE 2026
  5. GATE Books for CSE (Computer Science Engineering)
  6. Download GATE 2026 CSE Solved Papers PDF Free
GATE Exam Pattern for CSE 2026 - Check Marking Scheme, No. of Questions
GATE Exam Pattern for CSE 2026

According to the GATE CSE exam pattern 2026, the question paper will consist of 11 major sections, including General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics, Digital Logic, Computer Organization and Architecture, Programming and Data Structures, Algorithms, Theory of Computation, Compiler Design, Operating Systems, Databases, and Computer Networks. In terms of weightage, Computer Science and Information Technology will account for 72% of the syllabus, Engineering Mathematics will make up 13%, and General Aptitude will contribute 15%. The GATE CSE 2026 question paper will feature three main types of questions: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), Multiple Select Questions (MSQ), and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions. Read the article to know more about the GATE paper pattern for CSE, syllabus, and marking scheme.

GATE CSE Exam Pattern 2026 - Highlights

The authority will release the GATE 2026 CSE exam pattern on the official website. Along with the GATE CSE exam pattern 2026, candidates must know the marking system, mode of examination, and other important details. The GATE CSE 2026 exam pattern can be found below:

GATE 2026 CSE Exam Pattern

Particulars

Specifications

GATE CSE Exam Mode

Online CBT (Computer Based Test)

GATE CSE Exam Duration

3 Hours (180 Minutes)

GATE CSE Total No. of Questions

65

GATE CSE No. of Sections

  • General Aptitude

  • Engineering Mathematics

  • Computer science and Information technology

GATE CSE Total marks of Exam

100

GATE CSE Marking Scheme

1 and 2 marks questions

GATE CSE Type of Questions

MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions)

MSQ (Multiple Select Questions)

NAT (Numeric Answer Type)

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GATE CSE Paper Pattern 2026

  • The GATE exam pattern for CSE 2026 will include 3 types of questions MCQ, MSQ, and NAT.

  • For Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) candidates have to select the one correct answer out of four options.

  • For Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) candidates can select more than one correct option out of four options.

  • The numerical Answer Type (NAT) candidate has to enter the correct answer using the virtual numeric keypad on the monitor.

  • There will be negative markings only in MCQ questions. 1/3 mark will be deducted for 1 mark question and for 2 mark question, 2/3 mark will be deducted. There will be no negative markings in MSQ and NAT questions.

  • The GATE CSE Paper pattern is designed to check the recall, comprehension, application, analysis & synthesis abilities of candidates.

  • Candidates have to answer the application & formula-based questions using their recalling ability.

  • There will be diagrams and figures-based questions in the GATE CSE questions papers.

  • There will be some data synthesis and analysis questions. Candidates can solve these questions using analytical and data analysis skills.

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

Also Read: GATE Syllabus for CSE and IT - Check Computer Science and Information Technology Syllabus

GATE Marking Scheme for CSE 2026

  • The GATE CSE question paper 2026 will have 65 questions for 100 marks.

  • All the questions will be mandatory to answer.

  • There will be 1 mark and 2 marks for MCQ questions. For each 1 mark incorrect answer; 1/3 mark will be deducted and for each 2 mark incorrect answer 2/3 mark will be deducted.

  • There will be no negative marking in the Numerical Answer Type (NAT) and Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) questions.

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Check the below table to understand the section-wise distribution of marks for the GATE pattern for CSE -

SectionNo. of QuestionsMarksGATE Total Marks for CSE
General Aptitude10(1 x 5)
(2 x 5)
15
Computer Science and Information Technology45(25 x 1)
(30 x 2)
72
Engineering Mathematics1013
GATE exam total marks for CSE65
100


Also Read: Gate exam pattern for civil engineering

GATE Syllabus For CSE 2026

The authority will release the GATE 2026 syllabus for CSE in PDF format online. Familiarizing themselves with the GATE CSE 2026 syllabus will help candidates focus on and practice the key topics.

GATE 2026 CSE Syllabus

Computer Science Engineering SectionsImportant Topics
General Aptitude
  • Verbal Aptitude
  • Quantitative Aptitude
  • Analytical Aptitude
  • Spatial Aptitude
Engineering Mathematics
  • Discrete Mathematics
  • Linear Algebra
  • Calculus
  • Probability and Statistics
Digital Logic

  • Boolean algebra
  • Combination and sequential circuits.
  • Minimization.
  • Number representations and computer arithmetic (fixed and floating point)
Computer Organization and Architecture
  • Machine instructions, and addressing modes.
  • ALU, data path, and control unit.
  • Instruction pipelining, pipeline hazards.
  • Memory hierarchy.
Programming and Data Structures
  • Programming in C.
  • Recursion.
  • Arrays, stacks, queues, linked lists, trees, binary search trees, binary heaps, graphs.
Algorithms
  • Searching, sorting, hashing.
  • Algorithm design techniques: greedy, dynamic programming, and divide‐and‐conquer.
  • Asymptotic worst-case time and space complexity
  • Graph traversals, minimum spanning trees, shortest paths
Theory of Computation
  • Regular expressions and finite automata.
  • Context-free grammars and push-down automata.
  • Regular and context-free languages, pumping lemma.
Compiler Design
  • Lexical analysis, parsing, syntax-directed translation. Runtime environments.
  • Intermediate code generation.
  • Data flow analyses
Operating System
  • System calls, processes, threads, inter‐process communication, concurrency, and synchronization.
  • Memory management and virtual memory.
  • File systems.
Databases ER‐model.
  • Relational model: relational algebra, tuple calculus, SQL
  • Integrity constraints, normal forms.
Computer Network
  • Concept of layering
  • Data link layer
  • Basics of IP support protocols
  • Transport layer

Also Read: Download Free All subjects GATE Previous Year Papers

Subject Wise Weightage in GATE for CSE

SubjectsWeightage
General Aptitude15%
Engineering Mathematics5%
Computer Organization11%
Operating Systems10%
DBMS8%
Compiler Design4%
Computer Networks6%
Design and Analysis Algorithms6%
Digital Logic4%
Discrete Mathematics and Graph Theory10%
Programming and Data Structures12%
Theory Of Computation9%

GATE Books for CSE (Computer Science Engineering)

Book Name

Author

Architecture

Hamacher

Algorithm

Cormen

Operating System

Galvin

TOC - Theory of Computation

Ullman

Related links:

Download GATE 2026 CSE Solved Papers PDF Free

The aspirants looking for GATE CSE solved papers PDF can download free from the Careers360 website. All the previous years' solved questions and answers are available in the form of sample papers. The candidates can download free GATE CSE question papers, mock tests, and practice for GATE Computer Science.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is the GATE syllabus for CSE and IT the same?
A:

The GATE 2026 syllabus for Computer Science and Information Technology (CS and IT) comprises questions from aptitude and the subject. The subject is further divided into sections, including Engineering Mathematics, Digital Logic, Computer Organization and Architecture, Programming and Data Structures, Algorithms, Theory of Computation, Compiler Design, Operating System, Databases, and Computer Networks. Notably, there are a few changes in the GATE 2026 CSE syllabus compared to last year's.

Q: How section-wise weightage is divided in the GATE exam pattern for CSE 2026?
A:

There will be a total of 72 % weightage for the core GATE CSE syllabus, 13% will be engineering mathematics and General Aptitude contains 15% weightage.

Q: What is GATE 2026 CSE Computer science Syllabus?
A:

There are 11 sections in the GATE syllabus for CSE including General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics, Digital Logic, Computer Organization, and Architecture, Programming and Data Structures, Algorithms, Theory of Computation, Compiler Design, Operating System, Databases, and  Computer Networks.

Q: Is there negative marking in GATE 2026 CSE?
A:

For each 1 mark incorrect answer; 1/3 mark will be deducted and for each 2 mark incorrect answer 2/3 mark will be deducted.

Q: What is the total time duration for GATE CSE 2026?
A:

The total time duration for GATE CSE 2026 is three hours.

Q: What is the GATE exam pattern for CSE?
A:

Candidates must answer 65 questions within 3 hours. The GATE CSE exam pattern is divided into three sections: General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics, and Core Subject (Computer Science and Information Technology).

Q: What is the pattern of the GATE question paper for CSE?
A:

The GATE question paper Pattern for cse consists of 65 questions, totaling 100 marks. The paper includes Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Select Questions (MSQs), and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions. 

Q: How many papers are there in GATE for CSE?
A:

There will be only one paper in GATE CSE (Computer science and information technology.

Q: Which is the highest weightage topic of GATE CSE?
A:

Discrete Maths, Data Structures, Algorithms, and  Engineering Mathematics are considered as highest marks weightage topics in the GATE CSE exam.

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Questions related to GATE

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to GATE ?

Hello,

Yes, you can change your category from General to OBC during the GATE 2026 correction window.

GATE always allows candidates to correct details like category. You will need to pay a small correction fee for this change. Make sure you upload a valid OBC certificate as per the format and date mentioned by GATE.

So, wait for the correction window, log in to your application, and update your category to OBC.

Hope it helps !

Hello! If you are preparing for GATE, there are plenty of free resources available online that can boost your preparation. You can easily access e-books, handwritten notes, subject wise PYQs, and test series shared by toppers on different platforms. Along with that, free PDFs and study material are available through various websites and Telegram channels. To make it easier, I will be attaching the link where you can find preparation tips, a study timetable, free study materials, and previous year question papers all in one place.
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https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/gate-preparation-material
https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/gate-mock-test
https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/gate-question-papers

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Hello,

You can download GATE Previous Year Question Papers either from the official website of GATE 2026, or from Careers360. Here are the links for both :

Official Website : Download GATE Previous Papers (https://gate2025.iitr.ac.in/download.html)

Careers360 : GATE Question Papers with Solutions

Hope it helps !

To take GATE mock tests, first choose a reliable source like GATE official portal, NPTEL, Made Easy, or ACE Engineering. Sign up or register online to access the full-length tests. Simulate the actual 3-hour exam with proper timing and no distractions. Attempt complete tests to practice time management and exam strategy. After each test, analyze your performance to identify weak areas and revise. Regularly taking 1–2 mocks per week helps improve speed, accuracy, and confidence.