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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.
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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.
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.
GATE Exam Pattern For CSE | GATE Exam Pattern For ECE | GATE Exam Pattern For EEE |
GATE Exam Pattern For Civil Engineering | GATE Exam Pattern For Textile Engineering | GATE Exam Pattern For Mechanical Engineering |
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
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.
Physics Sections | Important Topics |
---|---|
General Aptitude |
|
Mathematical Physics |
|
Classical Mechanics |
|
Electromagnetic Theory |
|
Quantum Mechanics |
|
Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics |
|
Atomic and Molecular Physics |
|
Solid State Physics |
|
Electronics | Semiconductors in equilibrium |
Nuclear and Particle 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
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.
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
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.
Year | General | OBC-NCL/ EWS | SC/ST/PwD |
Physics Cutoff 2025 | 26.8 | 24.1 | 17.8 |
Physics Cutoff 2024 | 32 | 28.8 | 21.3 |
Physics Cutoff 2023 | 31.1 | 27.9 | 20.7 |
Physics Cutoff 2022 | 26.5 | 23.8 | – |
Physics Cutoff 2021 | 32.80 | 29.5 | 21.8 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Candidates can check the GATE 2026 Physics syllabus on the official website.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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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