GATE 2026 Exam Pattern for Physics (Released) - Marking Scheme, Best Books, Study Tips
  • GATE 2026 Exam Pattern for Physics (Released) - Marking Scheme, Best Books, Study Tips

GATE 2026 Exam Pattern for Physics (Released) - Marking Scheme, Best Books, Study Tips

Team Careers360Updated on 20 Aug 2025, 03:55 PM IST

GATE 2026 Exam Pattern for Physics: IIT Guwahati has published the GATE Physics exam pattern 2026 on the official website. gate2026.iitg.ac.in. Aspirants can check the GATE exam pattern for Physics on this page. The exam pattern of GATE Physics 2026 contains nine core sections: Mathematical Physics, Classical Mechanics, Electromagnetic Theory, Quantum Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics, and more. The GATE 2026 exam pattern outlines key details such as the exam mode, total number of questions, different sections in the paper, marking scheme, and other important guidelines related to the structure of the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering. The authority will conduct the GATE 2026 exam on February 7, 8, 14 and 15, 2026.

This Story also Contains

  1. GATE 2026 Exam Pattern for Physics- Highlights
  2. GATE Syllabus For Physics 2026
  3. Best Books for GATE 2026 Physics
  4. GATE Physics CutOff 2026
GATE 2026 Exam Pattern for Physics (Released) - Marking Scheme, Best Books, Study Tips
GATE Exam Pattern for Physics

The GATE exam pattern 2026 for Physics has 85 per cent of the weightage of core physics subjects while 15 per cent for general aptitude. There will be a total of 55 questions from Physics and 10 questions will be asked from the General Aptitude section. The authority has announced the GATE 2026 exam date on the official website. Read the complete article to learn more about the GATE exam pattern for Physics, the marking scheme, and more.

GATE 2026 Exam Pattern for Physics- Highlights

Here are a few important highlights of the GATE Physics exam pattern 2026 for candidates:

  • The GATE exam is conducted in online mode only. This will be a Computer Based Test (CBT) exam.

  • The total time for the exam will be 3 Hours (180 minutes). 1 hour of compensatory time will be given to the PWD category candidate.

  • The GATE PH question pattern 2026 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.

  • The GATE physics question paper 2026 will have General aptitude and core subject Physics questions.

  • GATE 2026 question paper will have a total of 65 questions including 10 questions from general Aptitude, and 55 questions of Physics.

  • There will be 1 and 2 marks questions in the physics question paper.

  • There will be a negative marking for each wrong answer. For 1 mark questions, 1/3 mark will be deducted and for each 2 mark MCQ, 2/3 marks will be deducted. No marks will be deducted for MSQ and NAT questions.

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GATE Physics Exam Pattern 2026- Marking Scheme

Subject Code/Name

No. of Questions

Marks Distribution

Marks per cent weightage

Negative Marking

Total time

General Aptitude

10

5 x 1

5 x 2


15

1/3 for 1 mark Question in MCQ

2/3 for 2 marks question in MCQ

No Negative marking in MSQ and NAT






Physics


55

(25 x 1)

(30 x 2)

85

Total

65


100


180 Minutes

Also Read: GATE all subjects syllabus 2026

GATE Syllabus For Physics 2026

The authority has uploaded the GATE 2026 Physics syllabus online. Candidates can check the GATE Physics syllabus pdf 2026 to know the important topics for preparation for the exam. Check the table for the GATE 2026 Physics syllabus.

GATE 2026 Syllabus For Physics

Physics Sections

Important Topics



General Aptitude


  • Verbal Aptitude

  • Quantitative Aptitude

  • Analytical Aptitude

  • Spatial Aptitude

Mathematical Physics

  • Vector calculus

Classical Mechanics

  • Lagrangian formulation

  • The special theory of relativity

Electromagnetic Theory

  • Solutions to electrostatic and magnetostatic problems

  • Maxwell's equations

  • Coulomb and Lorentz gauges

  • polarization of electromagnetic waves

Quantum Mechanics

  • Postulates of quantum mechanics

  • two and three-dimensional systems

  • variational method and WKB approximation,

  • time-independent perturbation theory

Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics

  • Laws of thermodynamics

  • black body radiation and Planck's distribution law

  • Bose-Einstein condensation

Atomic and Molecular Physics

  • Spectra of one-and many-electron atoms

  • Zeeman and Stark effects

  • Raman effect

  • Einstein coefficients

Solid State Physics

  • Elements of crystallography

  • Kramer's-Kronig relation, intra- and inter-band transitions;

  • superconductivity: Type-I and Type II superconductors

Electronics

Semiconductors in equilibrium

Nuclear and Particle Physics

  • Nuclear radii and charge distributions

  • Rutherford scattering, nuclear reactions, conservation laws

  • conservation laws, isospin symmetry, charge conjugation, parity, and time-reversal invariance

Best Books for GATE 2026 Physics

Here are some best books that candidates can read to cover the GATE 2026 Physics syllabus.

Book Name

Author

Mathematical Physics

H. K. Dass, B D Gupta

Introduction To Classical Mechanics

P Puranik, R Takwale

Electromagnetic Field Theory

S P Ghosh

Principles Of Quantum Mechanics

R. Shankar

Elementary Solid State Physics: Principal and Applications

M. Ali Omar

Also read: Best books for GATE 2026 preparation

Best Study Tips To Prepare for GATE 2026 Physics Exam

Follow these important tips to prepare for the GATE exam pattern for Physics 2026:

  • Don’t wait for anyone to let your preparation start. The GATE 202 Physics syllabus is vast and students are required to cover each topic in detail.

  • Know the syllabus and GATE exam pattern thoroughly. This will let you know what time you have to spend on a specific topic.

  • Make a study plan and schedule. Try to give more time to difficult topics and topics with high weight.

  • Practice is the key. Practice as much as you can. Solve GATE Physics solved papers to know your improvement and progress.

  • Make a scheduled time to revise the important topics every day. This will help you to keep topics remembered for a long time.

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Download Free GATE 2026 Physics Solved Papers PDF

Candidates can download free GATE Physics question papers with solutions PDF from careers360. Solved previous years' papers are available Aspirants must download these sample papers to prepare for the GATE 2026 Physics exam.

Also, Read Download Free All subjects GATE Previous Year Papers

GATE Physics CutOff 2026

As this year's cutoff of GATE will be released later, candidates can check the previous year cutoff to get a rough idea of the expected cutoff.

Candidates can check GATE previous year's Cutoff here.

GATE Physics Cutoff (Category Wise)

Year

General

OBC-NCL/ EWS

SC/ST/PwD

Physics Cutoff 202526.824.117.8

Physics Cutoff 2024

3228.821.3

Physics Cutoff 2023

31.127.920.7

Physics Cutoff 2022

26.5

23.8

Physics Cutoff 2021

32.8029.521.8

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the physics course in GATE 2026?
A:

Candidates can check the GATE 2026 Physics syllabus on the official website. 

Q: What is the GATE Physics Exam Pattern 2026?
A:

The GATE syllabus for Physics consists of 9 core sections including Mathematical Physics, Classical Mechanics, Electromagnetic Theory, Quantum Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Solid State Physics, Electronics, and Nuclear and Particle Physics.

Q: How to clear the GATE exam in Physics?
A:
  • Make a study plan 4-5 months before the GATE Physics (PH) exam.

  • Cover every topic and subtopic from the syllabus.

  • Make a list of the best books for GATE 2026.

  • Don't forget to divide your time for each topic.

  • Regularly practice the previous year's GATE sample papers.

Q: What is the paper pattern for GATE exam 2026 for Physics?
A:

There will be a total of 65 questions, which are divided into 2 sections. Section 1 will have 10 questions of general aptitude, section 2 will have 55 questions on the core subject (Physics).

Q: What percent of negative marking is there in the GATE 2026 Physics Exam?
A:

There will be negative marking of 1/3 for 1 mark MCQ questions and 2/3 for 2 mark MCQ questions. However, there will be no negative marking in MSQ and NAT questions.

Q: What is the topic-wise weightage of the GATE exam pattern for Physics?
A:

The GATE Physics exam pattern allocates 15 percent weightage to General Aptitude and 85 percent weightage to the core syllabus of Physics.

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