How Many Attempts Are Allowed for GATE 2026 Exam? Eligibility Explained

How Many Attempts Are Allowed for GATE 2026 Exam? Eligibility Explained

Team Careers360Updated on 14 Oct 2025, 02:22 PM IST

How Many Attempts for GATE 2026 - IIT Guwahati is responsible for conducting the GATE 2026 exam this year. The exam will be conducted in online mode through a computer-based test(CBT). According to the official notification, there are no restrictions on the number of attempts as per the official notification; candidates appear in as many attempts as they wish. The General Aptitude Test for Engineering(GATE) is a post-graduation entrance exam, which offers admission into M.E./M.Tech/Ph.D programs in top IITs, IISCs, and other reputed institutes. The authority will conduct the GATE 2026 on February 7,8, 14 & 15, 2026.

This Story also Contains

  1. How Many Attempts for GATE 2026?
  2. GATE 2026 Eligibility Criteria
  3. GATE 2026 Scorecard Validity
  4. Is There Any Age Limit in GATE 2026?
  5. Top Engineering Colleges Participating in 2026
How Many Attempts Are Allowed for GATE 2026 Exam? Eligibility Explained
How Many Attempts for GATE

GATE exam is only conducted once in a year, for candidates who want to pursue M.E./M.Tech/Ph.D may appear for this examination. Unlike other competitive exams, there are no limited attempts to appear in GATE; candidates may appear in as many as attempts they want. Read this complete article to know more about “How Many Attempts for GATE 2026”
Also Check: GATE 2026 Syllabus, GATE 2025 Cutoff

How Many Attempts for GATE 2026?

As per the official information, there is no age limit or a limited number of attempts for GATE 2026. Candidates may write as many attempts as per their choice, However, it is advised to use each attempt with sincerity. The authority shared the GATE 2026 Eligibility Criteria on their official website.

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GATE 2026 Eligibility Criteria

To appear for GATE 2026, candidates must fulfill the following eligibility conditions:

Criteria

Details

Educational

Completed or in final year of UG degree in Engineering/Technology

Age Limit

No age limit

Attempt Limit

Unlimited attempts allowed

Nationality

Indian citizens and certain international candidates are eligible

Note : Students from any age group or academic background (as long as it aligns with approved programs) can register.

GATE 2026 Scorecard Validity

The GATE scorecard is valid for 3 years from the date of the result declaration. This is important if you plan to apply for:

  • M.Tech/ME programs

  • Ph.D. admissions

  • Public Sector Unit (PSU) recruitment

  • Higher studies abroad (some universities accept GATE scores)

  • Example: If you clear GATE 2026, your score remains valid till March 2029.

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

Is There Any Age Limit in GATE 2026?

There is no upper or lower age limit to appear in GATE 2026. Whether you are a recent graduate or a working professional in your 30s or 40s, you are eligible to appear if you meet the academic criteria. This flexibility makes GATE one of the most accessible exams for engineering aspirants and professionals alike.

Top Engineering Colleges Participating in 2026

There are around 985 colleges offering post graduation admission through GATE Examination, including IITs, NITs, IISERs and some reputed private institutions. Here is a list of a few top engineering colleges participating in GATE 2026.

Participating IITs in GATE 2026

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What are the GATE 2026 Exam dates?
A:

IIT Guwahati has announced the GATE 2026 exam dates as February 7,8, 14 & 15, 2026.

Q: Do PSUs reject candidates with multiple GATE attempts?
A:

No. PSUs only consider your GATE score for the current recruitment year, not your number of attempts.

Q: Can I appear in GATE 2026 if I failed in previous attempts?
A:

Yes, failing or not qualifying in earlier attempts does not affect your eligibility for GATE 2026.

Q: Is there any limit to how many times I can appear for GATE?
A:

No, there is no limit. You can attempt GATE as many times as you want, if you meet the eligibility criteria.

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Questions related to GATE

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to GATE ?

Hello

https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/gate-da-data-science-and-artificial-intelligence-question-papers

Just visit the link I am attaching below, so that it will help you to download and practice the papers, so that you can practice well and score well.

Hope it will help you!!!

Hello dear candidate,

You will not receive another rectification mail unless and until there is still an error in your reuploaded signature. if everything is okay your status will change to accepted on the GATE portal.

My advice is that you should keep checking your application status on the official website of GATE 2026.

Thank you.

Hello,

Visit the below website to download the previous 15 years question paper of GATE exam.

https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/last-15-years-gate-papers-solutions

You'll also get the solutions from it. These question papers will help you a lot in your preparation.

All the best.

This is likely a temporary portal or validation issue, not something you did wrong. When candidates try to change category from GEN to OBC-NCL during the GATE correction window, the system checks required fields and sometimes a supporting certificate or fee is needed. If any required data or document is missing, or the server is busy, the portal can show Something went wrong, please try again. Explain to them that first they should log into the GATE portal, open the Correction tab and confirm which fields are editable and whether a payment or document upload is required for category change. Tell them to clear browser cache or try a different browser/device and retry. If the error persists, advise contacting GATE support or the zonal office with a screenshot and timing of the error so officials can check server logs.

Hello,

The GATE 2026 Agricultural Engineering (AG) paper will have a total of 100 marks. Out of this, 15 marks are for General Aptitude and 85 marks are for core Agricultural Engineering subjects.

The marks are generally distributed among major topics like Engineering Mathematics (12–13 marks), Farm Machinery (10–11), Farm Power (14–15), Soil & Water Conservation (12–13), Irrigation & Drainage (10–12), Agricultural Process Engineering (10–12), and Dairy & Food Engineering (9–10 marks).

The official qualifying marks for GATE 2026 are not yet released. However, based on previous years, the cutoff for the Agricultural Engineering paper is expected to be around 25 marks for General, 22.5 for OBC/EWS, and 16.6 for SC/ST/PwD candidates.

Hope it helps !