School Of Advanced Engineering, UPES, Dehradun
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GATE XL cutoff 2026 - IIT Guwahati has released the GATE 2026 XL cutoff on March 28, 2026. According to the notification, the GATE XL 2026 cutoff is 36.3 for the general category, 32.6 for OBC-NCL candidates, and 24.1 for SC/ST candidates. Students can check the GATE XL 2026 cutoffs from the official website, gate2026.iitg.ac.in. The GATE cutoff 2026 indicates the minimum scores that candidates need to obtain to qualify for the exam. Only those candidates who clear the cutoff can participate in the GATE 2026 counselling. The XL cutoff for the GATE 2026 exam will differ every year based on the difficulty level of the exam, the number of students who attempted the exam and the number of seats available. Also, check the GATE score predictor to find out the best GATE colleges based on the exam scores.
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The GATE 2026 XL cutoff has been updated on the official website. Candidates can check the cutoffs, category-wise in the table. The cutoff helps candidates to predict their chances of admission to their selected colleges and for recruitment in PSUs. Candidates an check the table for GATE XL cutoff based on the results:
| Category | Expected GATE Cutoff |
|---|---|
GEN | 36.3 |
OBC-NCL/EWS | 32.6 |
SC/ST | 24.1 |
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Candidates can check the official cutoff once it is released by following these steps:
Visit the official GATE website.
Click on the GATE result or cutoff link.
Select the Life Sciences (XL) paper.
View the category-wise qualifying marks.
To have a better understanding of the upcoming GATE XL cutoff, candidates can check out the previous year’s cutoff trends. The GATE cutoff percentiles from 2022 to 2025 have been mentioned in the table below. Knowing this will help candidates know how much they have to aim for in the GATE exam to clear the cutoff.
GATE Exam Year | Qualifying Marks for GATE Life Sciences (XL paper) | ||
Cut-off (GEN) | Cut-off (OBC-NCL/EWS) | Cut-off (SC/ST/PwD) | |
2025 | 31.3 | 28.1 | 20.8 |
2024 | 29.3 | 26.3 | 19.5 |
2023 | 32.9 | 29.6 | 21.9 3 |
2022 | 33.9 | 30.5 | 22.5 |
To calculate their GATE cutoff, candidates must have an overall idea of the GATE marking scheme. Check the table for the marking scheme process.
Question Type | Marks | Negative Marking |
Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) | 1 marks | For a 1-mark MCQ, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. |
Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) | 2 marks | For a 2-mark MCQ, 2/3 marks will be deducted for a wrong answer. |
Multiple Select Question (MSQ) | 1 or 2 marks | There is no negative marking for wrong answer(s) to MSQ or NAT questions. |
Number Answer Type (NAT) |
The GATE cutoff is of 2 types. The difference between the two is mentioned below.
Qualifying Cutoff - This is the minimum mark required to qualify for the GATE exam. Candidates who clear the qualifying cutoff will be eligible to participate in the COAP 2026 counselling. The GATE qualifying cutoff will be determined by the exam conducting authority.
Admission Cutoff - This is the minimum score required for admission to the participating institutions. This will be determined by the respective institute. The admission cutoff is usually higher than the qualifying cutoff.
Difficulty Level of the Exam
Number of Candidates Appearing
Total Number of Seats
Performance of Candidates
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The cutoff for the Life Sciences paper is around 36.3 marks for the General category, with a lower cutoff for reserved categories.
No, the cutoff is released separately for General, OBC-NCL/EWS, and SC/ST/PwD categories.
No. Clearing the cutoff only means candidates are qualified to participate in the GATE counselling. For admission, candidates need to clear the admission cutoffs of the specific institute.
The GATE scorecard is valid for three years from when it is issued.
On Question asked by student community
Hello, yes, some PSUs accept GATE CSE scores for software/IT-related roles. IHMCL is one example. In its 2026 System Engineer (ITS) recruitment, B.Tech/B.E. graduates in ECE, CSE, IT, Data Science or AI could apply using GATE CS, EC or DA scores. Other PSUs may have different eligibility rules, so the
Hello, you can use the GATE College Predictor to check colleges based on your GATE score, rank, category and preferred branch: https://engineering.careers360.com/gate-college-predictor
Hello Student,
You can check the relevant resources provided below.
https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/gate-question-papers
https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/gate-practice-paper-2027
Hope it helps!
Hello Student, your CSE background and 4 years of automotive experience can be useful for an Embedded Systems specialization. However, for an M.Tech , I would be cautious about choosing a fully online/distance programme, as recognition and mode of delivery depend on the university and applicable regulatory rules. I can
Hello Student, Please share your B.Tech branch, percentage/CGPA, GATE status and budget, and I can suggest the most suitable colleges for you.
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